Eight million inhabitants of Bogota will be put under strict lockdown from Saturday, mayor Claudia Lopez said as the Colombian city battles a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

"This weekend, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, we are all going to stay at home... In all of Bogota, only strictly essential activities will be allowed," Lopez said in a video posted on Twitter Monday.

A third wave of Covid-19 had already started and it depended on people's behavior whether they could get it under control, the mayor warned in a statement, adding that the restrictions could be extended next week.

The measures are in addition to night curfews imposed the day before by the government that cover seven million people in the cities of Medell?n, Cali, Barranquilla and Santa Marta, where the health system is overwhelmed by the virus.

People wait to be inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine in Bogota. The city of eight million will be put under strict lockdown from Saturday to battle a third wave of the pandemic
People wait to be inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine in Bogota. The city of eight million will be put under strict lockdown from Saturday to battle a third wave of the pandemic AFP / Raul ARBOLEDA

Since the end of March, Colombian authorities have imposed and tightened nighttime restrictions in an effort to stop a new outbreak.

However, infections and deaths have continued to rise and there is concern about the effect of the Easter holidays, traditionally a popular time to travel in Colombia.

The South American country has so far administered at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine to 2.4 million of its 50 million inhabitants.

Colombia has the second most cases in Latin America at more than 2.4 million, behind Brazil, and the third most deaths (64,293), after its giant neighbor and Mexico.

Coronavirus