Panama Resources, Pandemic Rules UPDATED

UPDATE APRIL 10:

At Vista Mar marina, COVID tests on your boat cost $75 each, plus a single $25 fee for the home visit; antigen tests are $40. Results are made available the following day by email.

Panama City curfew moved to 11 p.m.

UPDATE APRIL 2:

New Rules For Arrivals From South America

The Brazilian variant has been identified in Panama. It's 1.4 - 2.2 times more transmissible than plain vanilla Covid.

Panama announced the following new measures for unvaccinated people arriving from South America, effective immediately.

1. Must present negative PCR on arrival.
2. Take a second PCR test at arrival before immigration.
3. Five-day quarantine at home or "designated hotel," then a third test.
4a. If it's negative, you’re free to go.
4b. If positive, you go to hospital quarantine hotel for 14 days.

This applies to arrivals by air, sea or land, by public or private means.

UPDATED FERUARY 21

VACCINATIONS FOR FOREIGNERS, CURFEW CHANGE, END OF LOCKDOWN WEEKENDS AND GENDERED SHOPPING, BEACHES/RIVERS/POOLS RE-OPEN WITH LIMITED HOURS. Please see appropriate sections below.

Panama still welcomes cruisers. That’s the good news.

The bad news? There’s a pandemic.

Whether you’re a recent arrival or safe at home, dreaming, here’s an UPDATE.

Pfizer Vaccine Available

The government has received the Pfizer vaccine and is in Phase 2 of vaccination plan.

FOREIGNERS WITH OR WITHOUT PANAMA ID MAY SIGN UP HERE USING PASSPORT NUMBER.

• BE PREPARED TO UPLOAD FILE OF PASSPORT PHOTO.

• A DROP-DOWN MENU ASKS FOR YOUR PROVINCE, DISTRICT, AND TOWNSHIP (corregimiento)

• CURRENT WHEREABOUTS

• PHONE NUMBER (PANAMANIAN) -I used a marina’s address and phone and put my US WhatsApp under “other”

• VULNERABILITIES like heart disease, obesity, etc., AND WHETHER THEY LIMIT YOUR MOBILITY

• EMAIL ADDRESS

YOU’LL BE CONTACTED BY MINSA ONE WEEK BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT.

The day of the week and time are determined by the last two digits of your passport number.

YOU CAN CONFIRM IT BY PHONING 177 OR ONLINE https://vacunas.panamasolidario.gob.pa/verificate/

For Cruisers

Clearing In - You’ll need a port clearance (zarpe) and negative COVID test from your last port. If you don’t have a test, you’ll have to take one immediately at your own expense ($50-$100). You’ll also need a current boat registration and valid passport. VISA EXTENSION PAPERWORK MORATORIUM CONTINUES.

Cruising Permits (Permisos de Navegacíon) are still being issued. In January, 2021, I paid $185 cash for ours at the Flamenco office of the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP). The paperwork took a couple of days, but it’s good for a year – as long as we don’t leave the country during that time. If we do, we’ll need a new one.

Panama Resource Guide 2021 will help you locate goods and services. To learn which restrictions apply, see below.

Movement Restrictions

Gender-specific shopping HAS ENDED.

Hardware stores count as essential services, but entrance is restricted by capacity.

Curfew - Nationwide curfew (toque de queda) from 9:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m. CURFEW CHANGE: 10 PM TO 4 AM BEGINNING MARCH 6. When we’re on land, we go for walks in the cool mornings and evenings apart from curfew hours.

Total Lockdown - Every weekend in Panama City and Panama Oueste, from 9 pm Friday to 4 am Monday until SATURDAY, MARCH 6 AT 4 AM . This applies to fishing and pleasure craft leaving marinas except those with a cruising permit (per AMP).

Provisioning - Supermarkets, grocery stores and pharmacies in Panama City open weekdays to sell food and medicine. OPEN WEEKENDS BEGINNING MARCH 6.

Crowds - No activities involving crowds are permitted. Work meetings are restricted to a maximum of 25 participants, strictly respecting the distance of 2 meters between people. Parks are still open for walking.

Staggered work schedule - In Panama and Panama Oeste, start times are staggered to prevent traffic jams. Construction begins at 7:00 a.m.; private companies at 8:00 a.m; and public servants at 9:00 a.m.

What’s Open Now?

Essential services and workers described in Decree 1686 of December 28 continue to operate. In addition to health care, transportation, and banks, it includes personnel related to Canal transits, Maritime Authority in ports, fuel stations and boat repair. Panama City boatyards are open weekdays only UNTIL MARCH 6.

Already Open

• Retail trade (in online sale and home delivery), including restaurant deliveries

• Wholesale trade exclusively to supply and distribute to commercial establishments; the construction industry, related activities and supply chain, such as the production, import and distribution of raw materials and construction materials.

• Administrative and general services, professional services, technical services that include plumbing, electricity, air conditioning system, elevator maintenance, swimming pool cleaning, as well as mechanical, sheet metal, electromechanical and refrigeration workshops, and spare parts companies in general.

• Domestic, cleaning, laundry and washing services.

• Places of worship with a maximum of 25 people or 25% of the capacity allowed, respecting the curfew from Monday to Friday and the total quarantine on weekends.

• Retail face-to-face trade resumes

• Beauty parlors and barber shops

• Comprehensive Early Childhood Care Centers (CAIPI)

• Car washes

• Tailor shops, including upholsterers and sailmakers

• Shoe stores

• Creative and cultural industries

• Music, art and dance academies

• Restaurants (with the use of screens and acrylics)

What Re-opens When?

MARCH 6

• BEACHES, RIVERS AND SWIMMING POOLS RE-OPEN WITH LIMITED HOURS, 6 AM TO 5 PM

• MOVIE THEATERS, WITH BIOSECURITY RESTRICTIONS, TO 50% CAPACITY

March 1

• Gyms

• Massage rooms

• Beauty and spa

• Marinas with restrictions

•. Sport fishing

• Lottery

March 15

• Casinos and games of chance

Closed Indefinitely

These activities are still under review:

• Primary and secondary schools

• Universities

• Other academic institutions

• Children's amusement rooms

• Sports fields for recreational use

For original Spanish, see Panama Rules.

Stephan’s here, too!

Crew Change

Hanalei's very, very, very, very special crew addition is my Chief Engineer and Spouse, Stephan!

He says he wanted to cruise for awhile, but I think he missed having boat projects.

Pretty sure I've got that covered.

We’re going to haul out SV Hanalei to do a little maintenance, see what else needs fixing and give her a coat of anti-fouling paint to fight those barnacles. Then we’ll go back to Las Perlas archipelago.

Touch wood.

Living with so many restrictions is inconvenient, but Panamanians are taking it in stride. Everyone looks forward to a day when the pandemic is behind us. Until then, I wish us all strength.

Fair winds,

Christine

Do Tell!

How do Panama’s measures compare to what you live with? How does COVID affect your activities?