Cali 2021 confirms the requirement of full vaccination for spectators and up to 75% capacity at venues

Almost a month before the start of the First Pan American Junior Games in Cali, the organizers confirm that vaccination is mandatory to access the sports venues.

“The requirements are the same for foreigners as for locals: a complete vaccination schedule must be presented; whoever is not vaccinated must present a negative Covid test no older than 48 hours” confirms the Organizing Committee on Twitter.

Baltazar Medina, president of the Organizing Committee, told Around the Rings that up to 75% of the capacity of the facilities will also be allowed.

The Secretary of Health of Cali, Miyerlandi Torres, warned, however, that it is necessary to increase the vaccination percentage so that more people can witness the competitions.

In her opinion, it is required that 75% of the city’s inhabitants have been immunized.

Local authorities are evaluating the requirement of the vaccination card not only for the sporting event but also to enter bars, discos, restaurants and concerts.

“We do not want to have the fourth peak of the unvaccinated, we do not want to return to moments of closure and difficulties in Cali,” declared Mayor Jorge Iván Ospina.

The president of Panam Sports, the Chilean engineer Neven Ilic, ratified that all the people with a function in the Games and who have an accreditation will have to be vaccinated to enter the venues, beyond the forecast of the capacity of 75% of spectators.

In declarations to the local media El País, Ilic considered that there are only “minimal details that are missing” to have everything ready for the opening date and among them he mentioned the completion of the diving platform. “We are on the right track,” he assured.

The continental executive assured that many Olympians under the age of 23 who competed in the Tokyo Games will travel to Cali, now in search of places for the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

Asked if the Covid outbreak last April in Cali generated doubts about the celebration of the Games, Ilic declared: “We were always prudent in waiting for the evolution of the situation. We were in permanent contact with the organizing committee to follow the recommendations of the authorities and based on that we determined the path to follow to have the Games in complete normality and we hope that this will happen”.

Different union and trade union groups in the country, headed by the National Strike Committee, called for a new day of mobilizations for this Wednesday, October 20, in Cali, a march is planned, and it is expected to be conducted in a calm manner.

This week a commission from Panam Sports is in Cali to check pending issues. As of November 15, Panam Sports’ top management will move to the host city.

A total of 30 hotels are ready to host athletes, sports authorities and visitors.

With 35 days to go before the inauguration, the 41 member countries of Panam Sports and more than 3,800 athletes have confirmed their attendance.

The opening ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, November 25 at the Pascual Guerrero stadium starting at 7 pm (Colombian time) and is expected to last about two hours.

The celebration of these youth games will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the VI PASO Pan American Games in Cali and many of the facilities of that time have been remodeled to kick off the Olympic cycle in the continent in the run-up to Paris 2024, which on this occasion will last three years.

Another Colombian city, Barranquilla, will host the XX Pan American Games in 2027.