BOGOTA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Colombian government on Tuesday decreed three days of national mourning after the death of Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo from the novel coronavirus disease.
The decree was also dedicated to more than 51,700 people who have lost their lives to COVID-19 amid the pandemic.
"The death of more than 50,000 Colombians due to the novel coronavirus is a somber fact that saddens the nation, motivates us to pay tribute by reflecting on the impact of the pandemic on our society and encourages us to maintain conditions and appropriate behaviors to contain its effects," the decree stated.
Through the decree, the government also expressed condolences and solidarity to every Colombian family that has lost members as a consequence of COVID-19.
Trujillo died early Tuesday morning at the age of 69 at a military hospital in Bogota, where he had been in the intensive care unit since Jan. 15.
According to the Colombian Ministry of Health, the number of total COVID-19 cases in the country as of Monday was 2,027,746, with 51,747 deaths. Enditem