Well, April has come and gone. There have been 6,532 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Panama and presently there are 5, 769 active cases. Total deaths have reached 188. 2,484 cases are reported as clinically recuperated. A total of 30, 749 tests have been administered. Panama still hasn't reached it's peak as the numbers continue to climb. There were 154 new cases in the last 24 hours.
The Ministry of Health has placed the population on lock down for the 3rd weekend in a row. Previously, men could go out for a few hours on Saturdays to conduct personal business and shopping, but that has been prohibited for the last two Saturdays and will be implemented again this coming Saturday, May 2nd. It could be having an effect, as the number of new cases isn't jumping by as much as before the policy was implemented. Tomorrow, a Friday, is Labor Day in Panama so perhaps the Ministry of Health took into account the 3-day weekend as potential for partying and increased social contact absent these restrictions. The sale of alcohol remains prohibited at all times.
Chiriqui is doing well in comparison to the national register. The province is now at 103 confirmed cases and 5 deaths, but only one hospitalization.
Credit for this needs to be given to the mayors of the province and particularly to the mayor of Boquete, who has been proactive in combating the opportunity for COVID-19 to grab a major foothold in our town. Against significant obstacles and following denial by the national authorities to establish a sanitary barrier around Boquete, he took it upon himself to implement additional screening at the Caldera checkpoint before allowing thru-traffic from other areas of the country. People wishing to drive into Boquete are now stopped and temperature-checked by personnel from the municipality before being allowed to proceed. They must present appropriate documentation to support their need to enter, such as being residents of Boquete working in David, or being commercial delivery personnel, etc. Employees of essential businesses in David, and commercial truck drivers, for example, are given "salvoconductos" or passes which allow them to come in and out. According to most recent reports, these recently implemented measures have resulted in the discovery of two highly suspicious cases being pursued by local medical authorities. Both individuals presented with high fevers approaching 104 degrees---one was a foreigner living in Alto Boquete, and the other was a Panamanian living in Jaramillo. Both Alto Boquete and Jaramillo are Boquete neighborhoods.
In addition to the temperature and document checks, the Boquete mayor has also instituted a disinfection station wherein vehicles are sprayed with chemicals prior to passing the checkpoint. The expat community has questioned the effectiveness of this measure, but no one seems to openly object to it. I remember about 10 years ago when the coffee farms were threatened by some type of crop fungus or parasite that similar measures were taken with positive outcomes.
It remains to be seen how serious and long this pandemic will affect life in Chiriqui. Personally, I'm grateful to be living here instead of many other places at this significant time in world history. The actions of our local government authorities leave me feeling much more confident of my own safety here compared to that of family in the USA.
