Sept. 14, 2020
For most of Panama, today is soul-satisfying.
Today, after months of restrictions, most people’s freedom to go-out-and-about have increased significantly.
Not full freedom, but a noticeable improvement. (Although 3 provinces are exempted from some of these new freedoms – see below).
- Gender-based movement restrictions are lifted
- Salvoconductos are now null and void, except for those whose work requires them to travel during curfew hours
- The curfew starts 4 hours later. Now 11 pm to 5 am, Monday – Saturday. (except for 3 provinces)
- Sunday remains a day of total quarantine
Bocas del Toro, Colon & Chiriqui Are Exceptions
Since late July, these 3 provinces have been subjected to weekends (both Saturday and Sunday) of total quarantine. Total quarantine means you must remain in your home the entire weekend. That is unless you need to work your essential job on the weekend and you have a salvoconductos (permission to travel).
Bocas del Toro, Colon, and Chiriqui provinces must continue to abide by the following restrictions:
- The curfew will continue to be 7 pm – 5 am Monday – Friday
- Saturday and Sunday will continue to be total quarantine days
Thankfully, these 3 provinces will still enjoy some of the freedoms the rest of Panama have been granted.
- No more gender-based mobility restrictions
- No salvoconducto required to travel during non-curfew hours
The Executive Decree 1078 of September 11th, 2020 modified the Updated Panama Reopening Plan to continue to impose these curfew and quarantine restrictions on these 3 provinces.
The Ministry of Health states that mobility restrictions are based on the status of the virus within each province.
You can learn more about Panama’s Updated Reopening Plan here. It started to roll out on September 7th.
I am sure that Panama and Panama Oeste provinces are thrilled they were not included in Executive Decree 1078. Until today, Panama and Panama Oeste provinces have been subject to Panama’s strictest restrictions.