Update #4 Panama Corona Virus

Currently 786 total cases, 662 of which are on home care. 108 hospitalized, 28 in ICU and 80 in regular medical beds.  2 Full recoveries .  14 deaths so far.

I continue to be amazed at the action taken by Panama's leaders regarding this pandemic.  Despite a large retiree expat population, Bajo Boquete still has not had a single case of coronavirus.  Alto Boquete has had 2,  both originally situated near the Caldera turn off.  One case is hospitalized.  The patient has a history of travel outside the country.    

The expanded curfew hours remain in effect, and during my two-hour window I ran multiple errands easily and quickly.  Completed a bank run, a supermarket run, a pharmacy run, a specialty shop stop for cheese and veggies,  and exchanged a tank of gas, all in less than 30 minutes.  There was almost no one at the supermarket meat counter.  Everything was spotless and smelled the freshest ever in 10 + years of living here.   All employees wore masks and used gloves.  I personally did not use a mask because I haven't been able to find them, but was sure to maintain social distance and use good handwashing practices before and after the excursion.  

My hopes are the numbers for Boquete continue to remain low.  One of the reasons this is occurring, I'm certain, is because Panama's President Cortizo implemented early travel restrictions within the country.  Road blocks were set up to prevent people from the city traveling to Panama's interior and/or beaches during this crisis.  Unless you could show proof of residency, you weren't allowed to cross the checkpoints.  

I am so impressed  and proud of my adopted country of residence.

Panama on Obligatory Lockdown except 2 hours per day

Panamá registra 443 casos de coronavirus, 8 fallecidos y declara cuarentena total

Por 

Agencia AFP

 en 24 Marzo, 2020 - 7:32 PM

El presidente de Panamá, Laurentino Cortizo, declaró este martes cuarentena total para contener la rápida expansión del nuevo coronavirus, que registra 443 contagios y ocho fallecidos en el país centroamericano.

"A partir de las 5:01 a.m. del miércoles 25 de marzo (10H01 GMT), declaro cuarentena total obligatoria en el territorio nacional de manera indefinida, con excepciones", escribió Cortizo en Twitter.

Entre las excepciones citó la línea de producción de alimentos, así como el personal de salud, fuerza pública, bancos y supermercados. Las personas solo podrán movilizarse dos horas en el día para la compra de alimento y medicamentos, indicó.

"Como gobierno, nuestra responsabilidad es preservar a toda costa la salud y la integridad de los panameños", agregó el mandatario.

Panamá es el país de Centroamérica que más casos ha detectado de la COVID-19, con 443 contagios, 98 más que los reportados el lunes, informó la ministra de Salud, Rosario Turner.

Al mismo tiempo, la ministra dio a conocer dos nuevas defunciones por el coronavirus, para un total de ocho fallecidos.

Ministerio de Salud de Panamá "MINSA" Informa 443 casos confirmados de COVID-19 "Coronavirus":

Sexo:
200 MUJERES
243 HOMBRES

Estado de Pacientes:
98 nuevos casos
64 Hospitalizados "19 Cuidado Intensivos"
373 Atención Domiciliaria.
8 Fallecidos
Fuente: @MINSAPma

Pruebas Realizada:
Positivas:345
Total de pruebas realizadas: 3690

Cerco Sanitario:
Provincias Panamá, Panamá Oeste,
Colón, Chepo, Divisa, Ocú, Viguí, Guabalá,Etc.

Fuente: @MINSAPma

COVID-19: Third Update: 313 cases

Panama now reports 313 confirmed cases of coronavirus.  Three cases have been reported in Chiriquí province, in Tijeras, Santo Tomás, and Aserrío de Gariche.  All three locations are between David and the Costa Rican border, Aserrío being the closest to the border with a population in 2010 of 11,000 people and located in the district of Bugaba.  Santo Tomás is in the district of Alanje and reported a population in 2010 of 1259 persons. Tijeras is in Boquerón and boasted a population in 2010 of 2670.  

COVID-19, second update: 109 cases

I continue to be impressed with the way Panamanian authorities are handling public safety in the face of this viral outbreak.  It's March 18th, and the numbers have jumped to 109 confirmed cases, with  the city of Santiago reporting 2 and Soná, in Veraguas province, reporting 1 case.  No further deaths have been reported, and the Ministry of health has sent additional personal protective and respiratory equipment  to the hospital in Soná.  (This is not a highly populated region so it mustn't have been as well equipped as the hospitals in Santiago.)  Santiago is 2.5 hours from David, the second largest city in Panama and located in Chiriqui province.  To date, [knocking on wood] there have been no reported cases in Chiriqui province.  Other than the 3 Veraguas cases, all have been in the Panama City regions. In all, there are 55 men affected and 54 women.  

On a national basis, the President has issued a health curfew from 9 pm to 5 am.   The sale of alcohol has been prohibited through April 7th.  In Boquete, the mayor has issued an additional financial penalty for violation of this curfew.  A $100 fine for first offense and a $500 fine for second offense will be imposed.  Stores that violate the alcohol sale restriction will be fined $50 for first offense and $500 for second

At first glance it's hard to comprehend a relationship between the coronavirus and alcohol.  In fact there isn't, other than people gathering in close proximity.  Many of the expats, myself included, consider these measures overkill,  but people do like to party and I imagine it might prevent some social gatherings.  

Coronavirus Update: 55 cases

As of March 15th, the total number of cases of coronavirus in Panama has risen to 55.  Also reported are the first 2 cases of the virus in the country's interior.  One case in Colón and one in Santiago de Veraguas.  Eighty percent of these cases are reported as mild.

Effective March 16th,  Panama's airport will be closed to tourists.  Nationals and residents arriving from outside the country will be placed on a mandatory 14 day home quarantine. Closure of all business establishments has also been ordered, except for supermarkets, pharmacies, medical centers and establishments that sell health products, gasoline and food.  Restaurant dining areas will be closed, but food delivery services will be permitted.  Personnel are requested to wear masks.    Access to beaches, public pools, rivers and swimming holes are prohibited.  Children's parks, theaters, party halls, sports facilities, and convention centers are also ordered closed.  Establishments that are allowed to remain open will be expected to limit the number of persons in their interiors to less than 50, violators will be sanctioned, and there will be police monitoring for compliance.    In a situation where lines may form to enter a business or establishment, people must  maintain a distance of 1.5 meters between each other.  

Panamanians in Panama City have been instructed NOT to travel to the interior of the country and a warning has been issued that if these instructions are not observed, the possibility of  health safety barriers may be entertained. 

Statistics involving current confirmed cases are as follows:  44 cases classified as mild and on home isolation.  10 cases hospitalized, 6 in critical care and 4 on a regular ward.  30 women are affected and 25 men are affected.  

Message from US Embassy re: Coronavirus in Panama

The government of Panama has implemented enhanced screening and quarantine measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

As of March 13, all cruise ship passengers are banned from disembarking in Panama. If passengers must disembark, they will be subject to a 14-day quarantine.

Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Visit the website of the Panamanian Ministry of Health (in Spanish) for additional information on these new measures. The government has implemented school and university closures nationwide until March 20. Schools and universities in San Miguelito, Panama Centro, and Panama Norte will remain closed until April 7. The government has also suspended large gatherings until April 7. Visit the local government COVID-19 website for updated information.

Actions to Take:

· Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information.

· For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.

Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.

Check with your airlines or cruise lines regarding any updated information about your travel plans and/or restrictions.

Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Panama.

Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions to the United States.

Assistance:

· U.S. Embassy Panama City, Panama

Building 783, Demetrio Basilio Lakas Avenue

Clayton, Panama

+507 317-5000

Panama-ACS@state.gov

https://pa.usembassy.gov/

· State Department - Consular Affairs

+1 (888)407-4747 or +1 (202)501-4444

Brief Remarks regarding COVID-19 in Panama

Panama's first case of coronavirus was reported on March 10th.  A 40 yr old female  arrived in Panama the previous day from Barrajas, Spain with fever and a cough.  She presented to a local health facility and was diagnosed with the virus.  She apparently had a mild case and was released to home quarantine under medical supervision.  Family members and all contacts were handled according to health department protocols.  There were 10 direct contacts of this individual, both on the airplane and in her home.  The contacts of these contacts brought the total number of potential cases to 64.  All remain under medical monitoring at the current time.

On March 11th, the number of confirmed cases had increased to 8 and the first death attributed to the virus was reported.  The deceased was a 65 yr old school principal with no history of foreign travel, but had been in contact with someone who had traveled.  He also had co-existing conditions of diabetes and bacterial pneumonia.  The other cases all had travel histories to either Europe or the US.  At this time authorities made the decision to suspend until April 7th all crowd-gathering activities, such as fairs, concerts, rodeos, and sports events.  Some schools in districts of Panama City were also closed down.  Affected were Panama centro, Panama norte, and San Miguelito areas. 

As of today, March 13th, the number of confirmed cases has risen to 36.  Travel to Europe has been banned.  Panama's president has declared a state of emergency.  The president explained this emergency declaration was done to bypass bureaucratic red tape, bidding, and approval procedures should it be necessary to quickly obtain medical equipment and/or implement other costly interventions.    

The President has also outlined a strategy for dealing with this crisis which involves the appointment of four specific work teams that have specific functions in addressing international, social, economic, and commercial issues related to the virus outbreak.  

To date, there are no reported cases in the Boquete area, nor in Chiriqui province.  The 36 confirmed cases involve 33 Panamanian natives and 3 foreigners---2 Germans and a Venezuelan.  All of the cases are located in the Panama City area.  To date, a total of 756 people have been tested.  94 tests are pending, and 36 have resulted positive.  The death toll remains at only 1.  There is one individual in serious condition in intensive care.

The transparency and proactive behavior of Panama's governmental response to this pandemic gives me  a degree of comfort and assurance regarding my own situation that I don't have regarding the situation with friends and loved ones living in the US.  

Panama's Desert

For a decade-long expat like me, Sarigua's National Park in Herrera province was a surprise find.  Traveling through the central provinces this past weekend with a Panamanian family, I was asked if I'd be interested in visiting Panama's "desert".  As an ex-Arizona resident, I was    We were in a time crunch and couldn't explore at any great length, but made a cursory stop with hopes to return for a more comprehensive visit. 

Sarigua isn't really a desert, but resembles one in many aspects.  It is actually a very unique area in Panama that underwent drastic change in the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries due to massive deforestation by colonizers.  It is currently under governmental protection, with efforts  being dedicated to its restoration.  The area is significant not only as an example of how not to treat this planet, but also because of it's historic importance as an archeological site and the oldest known area of habitation in Panama, dating back 11,000 years. 

Located about 240 km from Panama City, in the district of Parita in Herrera province, it can be reached by road via the towns of Santa Ana and Parita.  There are buses from Chitre to Parita, and it's possible to take a taxi  or walk from Parita to the park entrance, but sources say the walk is 30+ minutes.   The actual park area covers about 20,000 acres, (8,000 hectares), so a private vehicle is highly desirable.  Apparently the park can also be accessed by boat via the coast on the Gulf of Parita.  I imagine this route may provide more opportunities for wildlife observation.  The entrance area from Parita is essentially arid wasteland with wind and high temperatures.  There are nature and archeological trails to explore, as well as informational talks by the park rangers, but we were unable to avail ourselves of either due to the lecture schedule and our time constraints.  If you understand Spanish there is also a great youtube video online.

According to this video, the park's land area is believed to have been underwater previously and over time elevated to  create a salt lake.  In that period, the area was much greener and fertile. Deforestation however destroyed the lands.  The lake eventually dried up leaving heavily salted soil that couldn't be cultivated.  The park currently receives low rainfall, and temperatures may reach as high as 113 degrees fahrenheit in the day and drop into the 60's at night.  Sand storms hamper vegetative growth and augment the actual desert area by 3 sq meters per year.  Reforestation efforts in progress are replenishing vegetation wherever possible using native species.  

Currently about 500 hectares remain as salt lake deposits, and the rest is being developed into varied concessions dedicated to the mitigation of the sand storms. Included in these are around 2,500 hectares for shrimp farms, about 4,000 hectares of mangrove forest nearer the coast, and designated tourist camping areas for the ecological-minded who have an interest in astrology and star-gazing.  

It would be very interesting to return when time permits to speak with park specialists and explore the diverse elements along the trails.  It's on my bucket list !

Rio Encantado Eco Resort, Chiriquí

FINALLY, after two years of combined sloughing-off and problems with blog access, I've finally managed to get back in to execute a post !  These photos are from 8 months ago when I took time off to be with an Arizona visitor and enjoy this local treasure.  

If you're ever in the area and want to immerse yourself in civilized nature, this is one of my recommendations.  The clean, well-accommodated, reasonably-priced facilities will please your inner critic,  and the grounds will inspire spiritual enlightenment.  

There is no restaurant on the premises, but all cabins  have well-equipped kitchens, a mini-bar, and snacks.  The poolside bar is accessible during regular hours for simple umbrella drinks,  mixed cocktails, or  well drinks. 

Here are a few photos from my morning walks through the premises.  Specific information related to lodging can be found on the hotel booking sites or the Cabañas Rio Encantado facebook page.