‘We Have to Be Careful:’ Colombian Town Stays Virus-free

 

Nelson Avila lives in a rare place in the world where there are no reported cases of the new coronavirus or COVID-19.

When people enter his store, Avila asks them to wear a mask and wash their hands. He sprays alcohol over the money they give him before putting it away.

Avila's shop is in Campohermoso. The town has 3,000 people in Boyaca state in the mountains of central Colombia.

Colombia's Health Ministry¹ says Campohermoso County is just one of two counties that do not have COVID-19. Colombia has more than 1,100 counties.

"These bills can carry the virus" said Avila, as he cleans his money. "They go from hand to hand, so we have to be careful."

Officials and locals say the town has been able to keep the virus away thanks to the behavior of the people who live there. There also are many campaigns urging people to social distance and wear masks.

The town is far from big cities and that also has helped it stay free of the virus. It is surrounded by mountains and far from major roads. It has just seven streets.

"Campohermoso has a low population density² and little contact with big cities," said Jairo Mauricio Santoyo, the health secretary for Boyaca state.

Colombia has a population of about 50 million people and has reported more than 2 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Some consider Campohermoso a small miracle.

During the first 10 years of the 2000s, Campohermoso was affected³ by fighting between paramilitary groups and leftist rebels, said the town's mayor, Jaime Rodríguez. The coffee-growing area has been peaceful for the last 10 years, but outsiders rarely visit.

Rodríguez said communication has been important in keeping the coronavirus problems away from Campohermoso. Messages about the virus and how to prevent it are broadcast three times a day on loud speakers in the town.

The local radio station also broadcasts daily shows that talk about prevention. To make sure everyone gets the message, the mayor's office gave out 1,000 radios to farmers who live in Campohermoso's rural areas.

"The whole town has come together" Rodríguez said. "The police, the health center, church personnel⁴ and the mayor's office all go on the radio station to talk about the virus."

Rodríguez said his message to people in the town has been simple: "It's up to every family to stop it."

He has also tried to lead by example. The mayor said he began to feel sick during a recent visit to Bogota, where tests showed he had the virus. He did not return to Campohermoso until more tests showed that he was free of the virus.

"We've put 60 families in town in quarantine because they showed some symptoms," Rodríguez said. "But all of them have tested negative."

Businesses are now open in Campohermoso. However, they only let in people wearing masks. The town has not banned visitors from other parts of the country, but those who arrive and wish to stay have been asked to quarantine in a relative's home. A nurse calls every day to check on the visitor.

Campohermoso's only school is open, but two groups of students attend school every other day.

The only other town in Colombia that is reportedly coronavirus-free is San Juanito, which is also surrounded by the Andes Mountains.

Officials consider the two cases striking⁵ because the virus has even appeared in Amazon jungle villages that can only be reached by boat or small plane.

Campohermoso has vaccinated⁶ 80 people so far, most of them older citizens over the age of 80.

Now the coronavirus-free county is waiting for more vaccine⁷ from Colombia's central government.

Words in This Story

mask – n. a covering for the face, especially used to cover the nose and mouth to prevent the spread of disease

density – adj. the amount of something in a defined⁸ area

bill –n. paper money

county –n. an area of a state or country this is larger than a city and has its own local government

miracle – n. a wonderful event

quarantine – n. a situation of being kept away from others to prevent the spread of disease

symptom – n. a sign or effect that shows disease is present

jungle – n. a thick forest in areas near the Equator of the Earth

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 personnel   

n.[总称]人员，员工，人事部门

参考例句：

• The personnel are not happy to change these rules.全体工作人员对改变这些规定很不高兴。
• Personnel has lost my tax forms.人事部门把我的税收表格给弄丢了。

5 striking   

adj.显著的，惹人注目的，容貌出众的

参考例句：

• There is a striking difference between Jane and Mary.简和玛丽之间有显著的差异。
• What is immediately striking is how resourceful the children are.最令人注目的是孩子们的机智聪明。

6 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

7 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

8 defined   

adj 定义的; 清晰的

参考例句：

• These categories are not well defined. 这些类别划分得不太明确。
• The powers of a judge are defined by law. 法官的权限是由法律规定的。