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Here is an update from International Living’s Panama editor, Jessica Ramesch…
Hello from a Panama in the midst of “cuarentena absoluta”—our highest level of quarantine here.
The update below includes links to a short video message from me as well as an album containing images from the news and social media, to give you an idea of just how much is happening here, in every ambit. I hope you find it useful…
As early as January, airport officials were taking passengers’ temperatures as they deplaned from flights in countries that had reported cases. In February the government announced it had spent $2.5 million preparing for the arrival of the Coronavirus.* It wasn’t until March 9, however, that Panama identified its first case. There’s been a lot of news since then, so I’ll share the major highlights with you.
Here’s an at-a-glance timeline for March:
March 2: Ministry of Health confirms it is monitoring the health of 850 people who have recently flown into Panama from Italy, South Korea, and China.
March 4: Panama’s New Coronavirus Council’s first meeting (council includes medical and logistics specialists and government officials).
March 5: Unveiling of Coronavirus “Action Plans” for national police and medical associations.
March 7: Ministry of Health inaugurates Coronavirus hotlines.
March 9: First case confirmed.
March 10: Schools in Panama province ordered to close for [at least] four weeks.
March 11: World Health Organization declares pandemic; Panama health officials begin daily press conferences; all schools in Panama ordered to close indefinitely.
March 12: Large gatherings suspended (fairs and conventions; sporting, cultural and religious events; parties, dances and concerts, etc.).
March 14: New local laboratory network ready to aid Panama’s Gorgas Institute in Coronavirus testing.
March 15: People all over Panama City applaud medical professionals from their balconies and windows. (There have been many more “solidary actions” since then, such as local organizations and groups of friends sending restaurant meals to hospital workers, police officers, etc.)
March 16: Bars, night clubs, gyms, casinos, theaters close indefinitely. Government unveils Rosa, a virtual assistant to help guide you if you believe you have Coronavirus.
March 16: Bars, night clubs, gyms, casinos, theaters close indefinitely. Government unveils Rosa, a virtual assistant to help guide you if you believe you have Coronavirus.
March 17: Gorgas Institute announces it has sequenced the virus. Specialists from China hold virtual conference with Panama’s Coronavirus Council. National curfew for non-essential persons begins (9 p.m to 5 a.m.).
March 18: Work begins on new specialized modular hospital (to be completed by April 18).
March 23: International flights stopped till [at least] April 21.
March 24: National curfew expanded (5 p.m. to 5 a.m.).
March 25: Sale of alcoholic beverages banned indefinitely to discourage people who have continued to gather at house parties, etc.
March 25: Quarantine: The last digit of your national ID (cédula) or passport determines the period during which you may run necessary errands (supermarket, medical needs).For example, if the last digit is seven, you may be out from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., but you get a grace period of half an hour before and after, so your slot is really a two-hour window from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Last Time
Digit
8 8:00 a.m. (7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.)
9 9:00 a.m. (8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.)
0 10:00 a.m. (9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)
1 1:00 p.m. (12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.)
2 2:00 p.m. (1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)
3 3:00 p.m. (2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
4 4:00 p.m. (3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
5 5:00 p.m. (4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.)
6 6:00 p.m. (5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.)*People over the age of 60/with special needs (for example, if you are a person who uses a wheelchair) may go out between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. regardless of ID number.
March 30: President announces that people may continue to leave their homes on necessary errands for two hours, as per above chart, but only on the following days: Women on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Men on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Sundays everyone stays home. Trans community has asked for clarification, my hope is that government will trust each person to pick a set of days and stick to it—honor system.
Check out this album we’ve put together featuring images and translated headlines from Panamanian news and social media: https://photos.app.goo.gl/TSJg8wrzRfqkFqLH9.
Like most of the world, Panama is looking at a temporary halt in economic growth, but it’s only likely to last about a year according to Fitch Ratings. That’s because Panama is a small, relatively wealthy country with a history of financial stability.
Panama has also made science history over the decades. Our last case of yellow fever was in 1905, over a hundred years ago. In Panama scientists arrested foot-and-mouth disease, equine encephalitis, the New World screw-worm fly. The story of how the fight against malaria was won here, during the construction of the Panama Canal, is well-known. The discovery of the mosquito as a means of transmission changed the world.
Today, Panama is at the regional vanguard. In a communiqué published March 19, the United Nations singled Panama out as a leader in Coronavirus efforts. The article praises the country for responding quickly, designating enough funds to combat the problem, and sequencing the genome to speed up diagnostics. (Panama was the first country in Central America to do so.)
Here are the “five lessons to be learned from Panama,” as per the article. (This is a direct translation from the text which was issued in Spanish):
1- Get ahead of the event and do not downplay the risk;
2- Think of possible scenarios and put together a support group;
3- Mobilize resources quickly;
4- Share experiences with other countries and work together as a subregion;
5- Include the issue on the local UN agenda and share information between different agencies.I’m sure no country has been perfect in its handling of this issue. We are all human, after all, as are our leaders. But the local consensus is that the government here is listening to our doctors and scientists and being proactive.
Here’s my video message on what life has been like for me on the ground: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMk8BmlOtiI
*Though the term “Coronavirus” refers to a family of different viruses, it is currently commonly used to refer to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the disease known as COVID-19.
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