Chile advances to “Opening” phase in its management of the COVID-19 pandemic

Health Minister Ximena Aguilera has announced the new measures that have been incorporated into the We Keep Taking Care of Each Other Step-by-Step Plan (Plan Seguimos Cuidándonos Paso a Paso), following a meeting of the Inter-ministerial Committee for Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic, which took place at La Moneda Palace. The changes will come into effect from October 1, in order to better manage the health emergency in the country. The health minister was accompanied by Public Health Undersecretary Cristóbal Cuadrado and Healthcare Networks Undersecretary Fernando Araos. 

Minister Aguilera said that the epidemiological outlook is currently extremely positive. “We have observed a decrease in the infection rate, a drop in positive cases, a historic low in intensive care bed occupancy, and high vaccination coverage, achieving a high immunization rate among the population, both with basic vaccination schemes and booster shots.” 

She added, “we will have a vaccine that will be incorporated into the National Immunization Program, the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. There will be an annual vaccination strategy for the vulnerable population that will be given in a similar way to the influenza vaccine. Chile is the first country that will use this vaccine, whose formula possibly protects against the Omicron variant. We will start vaccinations in October.” 

Minister Aguilera stated that changes to face mask use are another important development in this new Opening phase. “Face masks will still need to be used in all healthcare centers and will be highly recommended in all places where there may be crowds, for example, events and meetings where there are many people, as well as public and private transport. In those cases, we recommend you continue to use face masks.” 

The pandemic is not over

“This is a virus that we will continue to live with and, therefore, it is important that these key areas of response remain,” stated Public Health Undersecretary Cristóbal Cuadrado. 

“Yesterday, we unveiled how you can access home antigen tests in three steps. This is a low-cost strategy. For less than $3,000 Chilean pesos (US$3), people will be able to go to more than one thousand affiliated pharmacies throughout the country to buy home nasal tests.” 

He explained that “in line with what other countries are doing, we are reducing isolation from seven to five days. This is consistent with international recommendations and what we have discussed with our external advisory board, which indicate that the greatest number of infections occur before symptoms develop, or during the first days in which they develop.” 

Fernando Araos, Healthcare Networks Undersecretary, stated that “in this Opening phase, it is important to emphasize to the public that the Health Ministry will continue to provide all converted ICU beds and all private ICU beds in the country that have been taken into public use, in order to maintain an integrated network and, if necessary, be able to hospitalize any patient who requires it.” 

He also explained that “from October 1, a new Explicit Health Guarantees (GES) decree will come into force, which includes treatment and rehabilitation for all COVID patients who require it, both in the public and private system.” 

Finally, Undersecretary Araos emphasized, “we are integrating new COVID-19 antiviral therapies into the pharmaceutical supplies of all Chile’s hospitals.” 

Opening in the We Keep Taking Care of Each Other Plan 

Below are the measures that will come into effect from October 1, 2022: 

Face masks use will be adapted to follow health recommendations, consistent with the high vaccination coverage among the population. 

• Face masks are recommended for people with respiratory symptoms, in places where there are many people, in places where you will be for a long period of time, and on public or private collective transport. 
• They will continue to be mandatory for anyone attending any type of healthcare center.

Vaccination 

• The new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine will be incorporated into the National Immunization Program. It will be aimed at risk groups, according to the recommendation of experts from the Vaccines and Immunizations Advisory Committee (CAVEI) and the National Pandemic Response Commission (CNRP), as part of an annual strategy similar to the country’s influenza campaign. 
• Vaccination will continue to be actively promoted for groups who are behind in their scheme. 

Mobility Pass (Pase de Movilidad)

• The Mobility Pass will no longer be required, in line with the incorporation of the new vaccine and the high vaccine rates achieved. 

Capacity limits and ventilation 

• Capacity limits will be eliminated in open and closed spaces, in accordance with current health regulations. 
• Ventilation, vaccination and self-care measures should be followed for this measure to continue. 
• It is recommended that closed spaces are gradually adapted to improve ventilation in the long-term, in order to better manage outbreaks of respiratory diseases. 

Risk communication 

• The risk communication strategy will be reinforced to strengthen and maintain self-care measures (face mask use for people with symptoms, frequent hand washing, ventilation, vaccination). 
• For this, the “COVID update” will be given once a week and the Health Ministry website will be updated daily with information at minsal.cl. 
• Vaccination points and strategies will be publicized. 
• Education will be promoted throughout Chile, with information campaigns on the correct use of health measures that are culturally and socially relevant. 
• Strategic alliances will be strengthened across all sectors and among all stakeholders affected by the health measures. 
• Work with the media and opinion leaders will be strengthened, and information will be shared with communities. 
• Work will take place to counteract false information. 

Testing

• PCR processing capacities will be maintained and access to antigen testing will be widened via the following strategies: 
• Antigen tests will be freely and universally available in primary healthcare centers.
• Access to home testing will be promoted via the “antigen in three steps” strategy, which seeks to increase access to home antigen tests, maintaining quality at an affordable price for the population. 
• The active search for cases (BAC) will be oriented according to local needs in areas prioritizes by regional health authorities. 

Traceability 

• Identification of the contacts of those who have tested positive will take place in healthcare centers. Coordination of testing possible contacts will be the responsibility of each healthcare center’s epidemiology delegate. 
• Outbreak control will be prioritized by national and regional health authorities in high-risk establishments, in coordination with primary healthcare. 

Quarantine

• The Healthcare Residences strategy will remain operational for those who require it, as will the follow-up of cases isolating at home. 
• The number of days quarantine associated with COVID-19 cases will be reduced from seven to five, from the onset of symptoms or when the test was taken, in the case of being asymptomatic. 

Borders

• The level 1 alert control measures will remain in place as part of the framework of action for Chile’s borders. For example, there will be no travel restrictions, quarantine will take place according to general health regulations for confirmed cases, a vaccination certificate or negative PCR test result will be requested within 48 hours prior to travel for non-resident travelers. 
• A random test may be given to Chilean residents entering the country, but the number selected will be reduced from 10% to 5% of travelers. 

Monitoring

• Monitoring of the virus and its variants will continue through genomic surveillance and sentinel centers located throughout Chile, in order to adopt the necessary measures for each situation. 
• Occupation of hospital beds and intensive care beds will continue to be monitored. 

Patient management 

• The management system for hospital beds and intensive care beds will continue in order to guarantee care for COVID-19 patients, and prevention and control of infections within healthcare centers will be strengthened. 
• Home hospitalization will be strengthened. 
• Rehabilitation of people discharged from hospital at risk of long-term COVID-19 effects will be incorporated into Explicit Health Guarantees (GES). 
• A supply of new medicine for the antiviral treatment of COVID-19 will be incorporated into the pharmacological arsenal for people at higher risk of severe disease and high-severity hospital patients. 
• The scientific evidence for new therapies will be under constant review, with the possibility of incorporating new pharmacological treatments.

Related information: 

▶ Get to know the details of the We Keep Taking Care of Each Other Step-by-Step Plan at gob.cl/pasoapaso 

▶ Frequently asked questions about the Opening phase at gob.cl/pasoapaso/preguntas

▶ Download the We Keep Taking Care of Each Other Opening Phase