Colombia passes grim milestone of 800,000 coronavirus cases, more than 25,000 deaths

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Coronavirus cases in Colombia, which is nearly a month into a national reopening after a long quarantine, surpassed 800,000 on Saturday, a day after deaths from COVID-19 climbed above 25,000.

The Andean country has 806,038 confirmed cases of the virus according to the health ministry, with 25,296 reported deaths. Active cases number 78,956.

Colombia began more than five months of lockdown in March. It is now in a much-looser "selective" quarantine phase which allows dining at restaurants and international flights.

Concerts and other large events remain banned and land and water borders are closed.

Intensive care units in Bogota, home to a third of Colombia's cases, are at about 50% capacity according to local health authorities.

(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Daniel Wallis)