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Coronavirus Information & Support

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adminee
  3/20/2020 12:48 EST


This new thread is intended for non-political posts about coronavirus. Please share information that will help other expats in your area and elsewhere in Panama. This is vital. Share updates on hospitals and other testing locations, business and school closures, government updates, locked down areas, travel restrictions, where to get food, medications and other necessities.



Please also use this thread as a place to support one another in these uncertain and stressful times. There are expats on this forum (many of whom read and don't post) who are living alone and very far from family. A few kind words can make a difference in someone's day. If you want to debate the politics of how the situation is being handled in your country and other countries, PLEASE keep that off of this thread.



I lived in NYC on 9/11 and remember with humbling clarity how people came together at that time. That event changed me forever and thinking of it always bring tears to my eyes, but the kindness of strangers is what I remember most. When you look back at this time one day, you will remember the kindness of strangers. Please be kind.

doustoi
  3/20/2020 19:17 EST

My wife and I have sold our house in the US in preparation to move to Boquete - we close in late April.

With current and potential travel restrictions, we can't make arrangements to travel with our pets.

Anyone having similar issues? Any suggestions

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Kovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded.
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jonoyakker
  3/20/2020 19:30 EST

A few observations about the Corona virus-if you look at the chart of the most affected areas, they tend to be colder regions:
81,102 China
35,713 Italy
17,361 Iran
13,910 Spain
11,973 Germany
9,052 France
8,413 Korea, South
7,323 US
3,028 Switzerland
2,642 United Kingdom
2,056 Netherlands
1,646 Austria
1,550 Norway
1,486 Belgium
1,279 Sweden
1,115 Denmark
889 Japan
790 Malaysia
712 Cruise Ship
657 Canada
568 Australia
464 Czechia

This does not mean that being in a warm climate ensures protection from the virus, but there is certainly an indication of a lower rate of transmission.

And the reason that Italy is seeing such a high mortality rate is because they have a high percentage of elderly people. And they are finding that 99% who die from the virus have another underlying health issue:

panamajames
  3/20/2020 21:24 EST

Chiriqui Province in Panamá, up near Costa Rica, received it's very first confirmed case of the coronavirus in Bugaba today Friday March 20th 2020.

tiredofsnow
  3/21/2020 01:34 EST

My wife and i are roughly the same situation but with a slightly longer time frame.we planned on making our first visit to panama but at this time it is not possable,,,we have planned on first visit date to be pushed back till fall we are hoping we will be able to go forward at that time.a smile is contagious it can brighten a cloudy day.keep smiling.

YoungCanadianFamily
  3/21/2020 07:05 EST

Thanks Adminee for creating this thread!

We are a Canadian family of four (son 4, daughter 6). My wife has asthma and is at risk of being severely affected by COVID-19 if she gets it. We are currently safe but want to get home soon.

Our flights are booked for March 29th, direct to Toronto to limit risk of infection due to stop-overs. However, the Panama Government has frozen flights for 30 days starting on March 22. We would like to get home sooner if possible. We would like to determine if anyone else from Canada is in a similar situation.

We're staying in Playa Venao. We have quarantined ourselves since March 6th and have enough food for 30 days. I was working in Panama before the outbreak, so have mechanical and electrical servicing tools if anyone needs help with technical repairs to vehicles etc. We also have a good stock of general medications and can share food if anyone is going hungry or in need of medication.

Please let me know if you are in Panama, wanting to leave Panama, and/or would like to stay in touch.

Thanks,
Daniel

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Travelocity
  3/21/2020 10:07 EST

i suggest you stay put and rent your house back for a few months until things clear up...or simply move out and rent another place. we don't even know of airlines will start flying any time soon.

PedasiPundit
  3/21/2020 11:13 EST

In the Fall would be perfect as that is the "Wet Season" in Panama. Other than in the mountains, it does not rain all day, in fact, most days it rains at night and the days are bright and sunny., especially on the Azuero and at Pedasi. Check out my wife's blog about Pedasi that she started before we moved here in 2013. www.ourthirdlifepedaise.com

panamajames
  3/21/2020 14:59 EST

Now experts think the pathogen could infect at least half of the USA’s 329 million people, disrupt economic and personal activity for weeks or months, and cause the economy to go into recession.

Based on one projection, "Between 160 million and 214 million people in the U.S. could be infected over the course of the epidemic" according to a recent New York Times article.

That could last 6 months or even over a year, with infections concentrated in shorter periods, staggered across time in different communities, experts said.

As many as 200,000 to 1.7 million people could die.

And, the calculations based on the C.D.C.’s scenarios suggested, 2.4 million to 21 million people in the U.S. could require hospitalization, potentially crushing the nation’s medical system, which has only about 925,000 staffed hospital beds. Fewer than a tenth of those are for people who are critically ill."

Do the math and that leaves 92,500 beds to treat up to 21 million critically ill Americans.

This is no ordinary flu. It is much more aggressive.

Here are the people most at risk:

If you’re over 50
If you don’t get enough sleep
If you don’t drink enough water
If you have diabetes
If you have a heart condition
If you are overweight
If you have bad allergies
If you have a compromised immune system
If you are a smoker

If your immune system can’t fight off the infection, it quickly turns to pneumonia and is often fatal.

Even worse, if things really take off like they are predicting, you won’t even be able to get proper treatment because the hospitals will be flooded...

Here are some ways to reduce your risk:

Exercise
If you’re on medications keep taking them
Get PLENTY of sleep and eat as healthy as you can
Supplement with vitamins
Lower alcohol intake
Drink plenty of water


Simply put, the very BEST way to protect yourself is to make sure your immune system is in top shape.

This can both prevent contracting it in the first place, and even if you do, preventing it from turning into pneumonia and becoming fatal.

At this point, there are no antiviral medications that can combat the virus. There isn't a vaccine we can use to prevent it. So, what's the best route to fortify our immune systems right now?

Dr. Andrew W. Saul, an international expert on vitamin therapy, says, "The coronavirus can be dramatically slowed or stopped completely with the immediate widespread use of high doses of vitamin C. Bowel tolerance levels of C taken in divided doses throughout the day, is a clinically proven antiviral, without equal."

Unfortunately, not all vitamin C is created equal, and most of what lines grocery store shelves has very little benefit because vitamin C tablets have very poor absorption.

ranaverde
  3/21/2020 22:35 EST

None of the data projections hold up to statistical scrutiny yet.

So please not panic facilitating posts please. Also, no unproven panaceas such as Vitamin C which have been debunked since Linus Pauling days.

panamajames
  3/22/2020 01:41 EST

Here is one of the latest reports from MINSA in Panama. (REPUBLIC OF PANAMA MINISTRY OF HEALTH)

Numbers change daily but they report 3 deaths in Panama and over 200 confirmed reports of the coronavirus in Panama.

We are in the INFESTATION stage.
a specialist in the field says: we are at the peak of the virus that is two weeks old. Normally in those two weeks all the infected will appear, then there are two weeks of calm and then two weeks where it goes down.


So these two weeks are very key and this weekend (Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday March 22), the ideal is * NOT * to leave home. Do not go to shopping malls or food places or public places at all.


Stay at home because this weekend is definitive for the behavior of this virus in the country. What happened in Italy is that they were negligent in the contagion season and that is why all the cases showed up at the same time.

They began to move around everywhere, fleeing the contagious areas and among those who mobilized, they were already infected.


A person with the virus, on average, infects 3 others and each of those infect three and they in turn infect 3 more and since the symptoms have not appeared or there are infected people without symptoms, one can easily become infected.


We all have a responsibility not to go out because when we go out and get infected we can come to infect many people in the family and people over 60 are undoubtedly the most at risk.


And finally, Do not receive visits from anyone, not even from the your family. This is done for the good of all.


Let's follow the instructions to the letter and you will see that we can get out of this without many casualties.

As of 22 March 2020, a total of 307,037 cases of the coronavirus were confirmed with 198,208 active cases and 13,034 deaths in 167 countries and territories, including five cruise ships. The outbreak spread to several cruise ships including the Diamond Princess, the Grand Princess, the World Dream, the MS Westerdam and the MS Braemar. With over 25,000 cases in the USA, almost half of those are in New York State. There are over 300 deaths as a result of the coronavirus throughout the United States. Recovery takes two weeks or so for mild cases, but can be up to six weeks for those that turn serious, according to the World Health Organization. For those over 70 and hospitalized with COVID-19, the mortality rate has been as high as one in five cases on average.

Provinces in Canada ramp up restrictions and close borders as the number of COVID-19 cases in Canada passes 1,000. There was a death of a Canadian in Japan linked to the virus, the Canadian foreign minister says. That person was a former passenger on the Diamond Princess cruise ship. There were 214 new cases on Friday, the most in one day in Canada since the pandemic was declared on March 11. The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, is in voluntary quarantine after his wife tested positive for the coronavirus.
British Columbia: 348 confirmed cases, including five recovered and eight deaths.

Ontario: 318 confirmed cases, including five recovered and two deaths.

Alberta: 195 confirmed cases, including three recovered and one death.

Quebec: 139 confirmed cases, including one recovered and one death.

Saskatchewan: 26 confirmed and presumptive cases.

Manitoba: 17 confirmed and presumptive cases.

New Brunswick: 11 confirmed and presumptive cases.

Nova Scotia: 15 confirmed and presumptive cases.

Prince Edward Island: Two cases the province lists as positive.

Newfoundland and Labrador: Four confirmed and presumptive cases.

Repatriated Canadians: 12 confirmed cases.

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Kovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded.

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Kovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in PanamaKovalenko & Vera Attorneys at Law in Panama

Kovalenko & Vera is a Panamanian law firm that specializes in immigration law, corporate law, real estate law, banking, contract negotiation, taxes and flag registry. With more than 20 years of professional practice, Kovalenko & Vera builds lasting relationships with our clients to ensure your interests are safeguarded.
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jr555
  3/22/2020 09:53 EST

Here's a link to a live worldwide update I use for statistics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9soBsFM3rAI

isand2017
  3/23/2020 12:53 EST

It appears that Shelter In Place may only last a few weeks and not several months.


https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/us/politics/trump-coronavirus-restrictions.html

Trump on Sunday night said that the government would reassess the recommended period for keeping businesses shut and millions of workers at home after this week, amid millions of job losses caused by the efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/23/wuhan-eases-coronavirus-lockdown-as-restrictions-intensify-outside-china

Be Encouraged!

ssaunders88
  3/23/2020 17:01 EST

Young Canadian Family - Dan - I believe you are safer here in Panama than taking flights back home where your chances of being infected are greater.

I lived in Singapore during the SARS outbreak which at the time - seemed more lethal. Initially, some doctors and nurses died caring for patients.

The Singapore govt jumped into action and started thermal screening at the ports of entry and quarantine anyone with a fever - quarantine works - self or otherwise..This reduces the infection rate '/spread.

I heard from a friend in NYC that was infected and he had bad flu for a week with the first three days bedridden - body aches, very tired and fever. After day 3 - fever broke and within 2 days - better but will stay quarantined for another two weeks in case of a resurgence but most infected recovered and are A-Ok

Yes, there are fatalities- usually the
elderly with pre-existing conditions but some young too - we just don't know enough about these cases to draw any conclusions.

In South Korean and France, the drug CHLOROQUINE an antimalarial that has been used for over 50 years is working,. In fact, this Sunday, a military shipment of ventilators and this drug was shipped to Indonesia

Testing of this, (to determine the dosage and efficacy) begins today in the USA.. There is an over the counter version of this drug HYDRO CHOLOQUINE and another is Azithromycin. (consult your physician.)

If this works and we have good reason to believe it does as it is already being administered to patients abroad - this can be brought under control within weeks. (USA starts testing today Monday Mar 23)

Insofar as some have been saying - 'when it gets warmer - less cases ' I remain doubtul based on my Singapore expreince which has a tropical climate 365 - and MERS in the Mid East - well - 50 C during the day about 6 months a year! Vitamin C ? huh? ...

The Spread is 'person to person' and a simple surgical mask or the kind used for industrial purposes = at best - a placebo. When in public and returning home - wash your hands thoroughly - and when outside- do not place your hands near your face. I am sure all reading this is aware of this...

Children are the least infected and to date, I have not heard of a single fatality. (mostly elderly) If you do contract the flu and experience difficulty breathing - you'll need a ventilator to pump more O2 into your system - don't wait.

Above all - stay calm, take precautions and this too will pass. Panama is by far safer than USA or Canada - by the numbers and the Panama gov't has moved into lockdown mode to prevent further contagion, with 1st rate medical systems should the need arise.

be well to one and all!

StanleySankey
  3/23/2020 18:46 EST

A 12 year old died in PC this morning and one elderly gentleman died in Chitre today as well at the CSS Hospital

https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/child-12-and-man-92-raise-coronavirus-deaths-to-five-1

pgcwashdc
  3/23/2020 19:37 EST

New curfew hours: 5 pm to 5 am, beginning Tuesday the 24th.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/national-curfew-extended-5-pm-5-am-1

jonoyakker
  3/24/2020 02:31 EST

Panama has been surprisingly forward and aggressive in shutting the country down. The actions appear to be working-today I read that the rate of increase in virus infections is slowing. Tomorrow, we start a curfew of 5pm to 5 am, with a 3 hr. total window for essential errands. The time slot for errands is dependent on one's cedula number. As of this morning, 3100 have been tested, with 90% being negative. There were 313 infections, with 3 deaths. But I read that there were 2 more deaths today.

panamajames
  3/24/2020 02:32 EST

'This week, it's going to get bad,' U.S. surgeon general warns America. The wave of coronavirus infections is still rising and the end is not in sight. April and May seem to be seriously discussed for continued activity, and others are talking into July and August.

6 deaths in Panama reported so far, one being a child aged 13 and one a health worker, in fact, three dead in 24 hours, and close to 350 reported cases of the coronavirus with 13 critical. The Panama Canal reported that a total of 2 collaborators from that entity have had a positive diagnosis for coronavirus (COVID-19). In addition, it indicates that 179 are kept in voluntary or compulsory isolation for reasons of travel, suspicious symptoms or contacts with positive cases.


The Minister of Health, Rosario Turner, indicated to the population on Monday the acquisition of 8 thousand treatments for hydroxychloroquine, a drug used in countries such as China in patients with the coronavirus (COVID-19). Turner updated the number of infections in the country. So far 345 cases have been added, including six deaths. At the conference on Sunday, Dr. Lourdes Moreno pointed out that the fourth death was being investigated. It was a minor of 13 years in Panama City. In a statement at noon on Monday, the fifth dead was added: a 92-year-old man in the province of Herrera. The sixth victim has not been specified. Some 289 patients are in their residences, while 50 people are hospitalized (17 in intensive care). In reference to hydroxychloroquine, Turner indicated that much more will be acquired to supply Minsa health centers and Social Security Fund hospitals. In addition to private clinics. The director of the Social Security Fund (CSS), Enrique Lau Cortés, said that there are 57 doctors and 13 nurses in home isolation, for having established contacts with patients carrying the coronavirus.


MINSA reports that there is another confirmed case in Chiriqui Province, the first was in Bugaba, but this second case is in the Boquete area between Los Molinos and Boquete Canyon Village, so beyond the Caldera turnoff, or outside of the town. This person is now apparently in a David hospital. The Mayor of Boquete sent out a notice and wants a severe tightening of the town’s border controls, not letting anyone out of, or into Boquete for a few weeks, to keep the chances of contagion at a minimum. That is all up in the air at present. There was a quarantine period for residents from 9pm to 5am but they were discussing boosting that from 5pm to 5am, and even discussing an hour or so out per day, depending on the last number of your passport or cedula. If it ends in 1, then you can go out at 1pm. Talks continue and everyone has a different storyline it seems but we continue to receive information hourly.


People are unified in optimism, in fact, very united when it comes to helping out where they can. I don’t see any chaos to speak of, but it is early. I am in touch with my family often throughout the day thanks to WhatsApp and other social media. Other than all my working friends and family being temporarily out of their jobs and filling out the standard Unemployment Insurance Application forms, everyone is fine that I speak with and I wish the same for you folks who visit the Expat Exchange in all countries.

According to the WHO, the CDC, the ECDC and NHC, the coronavirus numbers are still rising throughout the world, and with a rough estimate, using very rough numbers, heading towards 400,000 cases worldwide and on its way to 20,000 deaths. That is a rate of 20 to 1 worldwide.
Keeping numbers simple, the USA, now number 3 in the number of infections, and is heading towards 48,000 infected and moving towards 600 deaths. That is a rate of 80 to 1 so the USA are keeping things under control better than the world overall. Canada is heading towards 3000 infected and nearing 30 deaths. That is 100 to 1 so Canada is also doing a great job, despite the Canadian death toll from the coronavirus outbreak jumping by more than 50 per cent on Sunday. 'Go home and stay home,' Trudeau tells Canadians as government warns of COVID-19 enforcement measures.

Quebec and Ontario have ordered the closure of all non-essential businesses as the number of COVID-19 cases in Canada surpasses 2,000. The closures are set to begin at 11:59 p.m. ET Tuesday, both provinces announced this on Monday. On Monday, travel company Transat AT announced it is laying off about 70 per cent of its workforce in Canada. There are too many companies in Canada laying off employees to mention them. Nova Scotia on Sunday became the last of Canada’s provinces to declare a state of emergency, closing borders to non-residents and threatening to arrest those who do not practice self-distancing. In Quebec, all shopping malls are closed and only food, pharmacy and liquor stores can remain open. British Colombia is offering residents $1000 each. Every Province has its story. Ontario schools will not reopen April 6, the premier says. There are too many situations to discuss in this brief newsletter but we will keep in touch as things are changing lightning fast.

FredfromArkansas
  3/24/2020 07:16 EST

The US has seen numbers about the same (adjusted for population) as Italy, but 10 days behind. Based on that model, the US will have a bad week. And there is no reason to believe the Italian model won't be accurate. The only real hope in the short term is that this will be seasonal. We have no data to indicate one way or the other if this will be. Corona viruses are a family of viruses, they have always been with us. This is just a new mutation of one of them. Some similar Corona viruses are seasonal, some aren't. We just don't know yet.

ptyexpat
  3/24/2020 09:38 EST

Amazon is selling 3M N95 bio safety masks as well as many other PPE items all available with expedited shipment.

There is clearly a lack of recognition and respect for this virus in Boquete. I reluctantly needed to go to the mail forwarding service there yesterday to retrieve my new 3M N95 ventilated masks I bought by the case from the states. While there I witnessed countless older North American residents going about their business with no regard for this virus problem and no usage of PPE.

I was horrified to see the lack of concern and proper judgment of those individuals who were taking and socializing among themselves in close contact including hand shaking all the while ignoring the pleas of the Government and common scene to employ personal protective equipment AND avoid unnecessary social contact.

I believe the only way to reduce the likely spread of this highly infectious CVID 19 in Boquete is to have a total and complete shout down of the whole town including the surrounding areas to try and stop what is clearly a reckless pattern of non conformance.

The Mayor of Boquete is right in calling for a total quarantine of Boquete but not to protect Boquete from becoming contaminated by outside visitors but for protecting the rest of Chiriqui from Boquete.

Please if you have to go to Boquete use every bit of PPE you can then get out of town as soon as possible and if you don’t absolutely need to go there then don’t go!!

panamajames
  3/25/2020 01:49 EST

I did spend some time in downtown Boquete yesterday and I only saw social distancing taking place. No shaking of hands or hugs, some folks with masks and I have never seen the downtown core so empty. There is parking everywhere which is so amazing to see, no crowds, no waiting, it was actually quite a pleasant experience under the circumstances. There were some lineups outside of food stores as they limit the amount of clients at any one time. The banks were virtually empty. Western Union was not open and normally there are dozens of people waiting for money or sending money. Restaurants were open and cleaner than I have ever seen them but were all take-out only. Wednesday, today the new quarantine rules go into effect with seniors 60 or over (some notices say 65 and over) allowed out from 1pm to 2pm with a half hour on either side, so 11:30am to 2:30pm and regular folks get their hour according to their cedulas or passports.


In decree 489 of March 16, 2020, signed by President Laurentino Cortizo and Health Minister Rosario Turner, new measures are established to safeguard the health of the population and prevent the spread of the Coronavirus COVID-19. The closure of bars and canteens, entertainment centers, social centers, recreation areas in PH, in addition to regulating the operation of supermarkets and pharmacies, and of private sector businesses that decide to continue their operations during the pandemic.

Here is your daily report from Panama. Panama’s Health Minister Rosario Turner confirmed that the cases of Coronavirus COVID-19 increased to 443 overall, with 373 in home isolation, 64 hospitalized, 45 in the ward and 19 in intensive care, and 8 deaths. Of the total, 245 cases are related to trips abroad; the rest are contacts with infected persons. Turner asked the population to abide by the call for extended mandatory quarantine and stressed that the fines for not respecting the guidelines, can be at a maximum value of $ 100,000. In addition, the health minister referred to the appointments made at the Luís Chicho Fábrega Hospital in Veraguas, in which 1 intensivist doctor and 14 nurses were appointed, and at the San Miguel Arcángel Hospital where 4 additional doctors and 7 nurses were appointed.

The Security Minister Juan Manuel Pino announced the times that you can leave your Panama residences, to combat the Coronavirus COVID-19. The population will only be able to go to the supermarket or pharmacies at the times determined by the last number of their ID. People will have 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the established time for mobility. Adults over 60 will only be able to leave from 11.30am to 1.30pm. For those companies and businesses that must continue operating, you can report your collaborators on the website
salvoconducto.innovacion.gob.pa

7 = 7 am, 8 = 8 am, 9 = 9 am, 0 = 10am, 1 = 1pm, 2 = 2pm, 3 = 3pm, 4 = 4pm, 5 = 5pm, 6 = 6pm.

The US is more than halfway through a 15-day attempt to slow the spread of the virus through social distancing. On Tuesday, Wisconsin, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Mexico, West Virginia and Indiana introduced stay-at-home orders, bringing the total number of US states under such lockdowns to 17. The World Health Organization warned the US could become the pandemic's global epicentre. The US has recorded almost 55,000 cases and nearly 800 deaths. Globally there have been more than 420,000 cases confirmed and approaching 19,000 deaths. With more than 25,000 coronavirus cases by Tuesday morning, the Empire state of New York accounted for half of all US infections. The New York City metro area appears to be the source of 60% of all new cases in the US. What is happening to New York will happen to California and Illinois, it is just a matter of time. Michigan's total rose from just 65 cases about week ago to 1,791 on Tuesday afternoon, including 15 deaths. Pennsylvania saw a spike of more than 200 cases overnight, bringing the total to 851 cases statewide. Of those cases, seven people have died. Florida and Georgia -- two states where political leaders have faced criticism over their timing on enacting restrictions -- both crossed the 1,000-case mark over the weekend and continue to rise significantly each day. As of Tuesday evening, Florida recorded 1,461 cases and 17 deaths, while Georgia reported 1,097 cases and 38 fatalities. Additionally, Indiana went from a handful of cases about a week ago to 365. New Jersey added more than 800 cases from Monday to Tuesday, for a total of 3,675 positive tests and 44 deaths. That makes New Jersey the second-highest state case total in the nation. Last week alone, New Jersey cases increased tenfold. The state is under a stay-at-home order. Gov. Phil Murphy said not everyone is adhering to the mandate. "We must have 100% compliance. This is about public health and it's about people's lives. Your employees' lives, their families' lives, and your life," he said. If the country doesn’t reopen for business soon, and the hope is by Easter, it could suffer "a massive recession or depression.

Getting tested in Canada can be slow. People without symptoms shouldn’t be getting tested right now because they might “clog up the system.” Although more than 30,000 people have been tested in Ontario, 10,000 people are still awaiting test results. B.C. reports 3 new coronavirus deaths and 100 people now recovered. B.C. is currently testing more than 3,000 people per day, and is focusing on testing health care workers, hospital patients, long-term care home residents and outbreak clusters. If we’re able to get a handle on this epidemic, if we’re able to turn this curve down, the next couple of weeks will be the proof of whether social distancing works or not. There is already a significant impact on our health care system. If we do not flatten the epidemic curve now, the increase of COVID-19 cases could impact health care resources available to Canadians.

Areas in Canada with cases of COVID-19 as of March 24, 2020, 6:00 PM EDT. British Columbia confirmed cases 617 deaths 13, Alberta confirmed cases 358 deaths 2, Saskatchewan confirmed cases 72 deaths 0, Manitoba confirmed cases 11 deaths 0, Ontario confirmed cases 588 deaths 8, Quebec confirmed cases 221 deaths 4 and probable cases 792, New Brunswick confirmed cases 18 deaths 0, Nova Scotia confirmed cases 51 deaths 0, Prince Edward Island confirmed cases 3 deaths 0, Newfoundland and Labrador confirmed cases 4 deaths 0, Yukon confirmed cases 2 deaths 0, Northwest Territories confirmed cases 1 deaths 0, Nunavut confirmed cases 0 deaths 0, Repatriated travellers confirmed cases 13 deaths 0, Total confirmed cases in Canada 1,959, Total deaths 27. Are you experiencing any of the following:
• Severe difficulty breathing (e.g. struggling to breathe or speaking in single words)
• Severe chest pain
• Having a very hard time waking up
• Feeling confused
• Losing consciousness

If you have any of these symptoms call 911 or go directly to your nearest emergency hospital or care facility.
These symptoms require immediate attention.

pgcwashdc
  3/25/2020 10:21 EST

Quarantine extended indefinitely:

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/panama-in-total-quarantine-indefinitely

Panabud
  3/25/2020 12:45 EST

Are expats complying with these draconian restrictions? That would be brutal not knowing how long it will last. Are the policia enforcing these rules?

RedHatLady
  3/25/2020 12:56 EST

Disinfectant information

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/03/25/best-surface-disinfectant.aspx?cid_source=dnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art1ReadMore&cid=20200325Z1&et_cid=DM489196&et_rid=836896819

jr555
  3/25/2020 15:05 EST

My observations when passing through Boquete yesterday were that there were many old people on the streets expats and Panamanians behaving as if it was just like any other day. Today I can't say that I have noticed traffic to be much lighter than any other day. I think people are interpreting what was said last night to fit what works for them.

ranadelnorte
  3/25/2020 15:51 EST

@Panabud
The recent Executive decrees are designed to protect everyone in Panama. COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate between foreigners and Panamanians, so get a grip and follow the rules. Yes, people get arrested for not obeying, and the fines are enormous ($100,000).

jonoyakker
  3/25/2020 21:34 EST

Yes, expats are complying, and the police are enforcing. Draconian? You can pay me now, or you can pay me later...

Panabud
  3/26/2020 00:51 EST

Being that most people either have the virus with no symptoms or get sick and fully recover, is it worth giving up your freedoms just to s!ow down the spread? The virus will never go away just like the various strands of flu that hit every season and kill thousands each year according to CDC. Car accidents kill many people also but is the answer to ban driving for 30 days to save some lives? Is the disruption worth X number of lives saved? It's a valid question because shutting down the entire economy and imprisoning people in their homes IS draconian when you put things into perspective.

Malaberian
  3/26/2020 09:30 EST

Perhaps the total quarantine could be construed as overly harsh. However the results will give us the answer.

There are countries that are taking a less harsh stance, I guess we will see how they fare.

Panama is taking the 8 deaths personally, it shows they do care about the populace.

As far as ones rights, each of us have the right to comply or not. We need to keep in mind their are consequences to each of our actions or inaction.

For my part, I feel better protected here than in the US.

Panabud
  3/26/2020 13:33 EST

Ooops.... "Epidemiologist Behind Highly-Cited Coronavirus Model Admits He Was Wrong, Drastically Revises Model." Look at the forest from the trees. Follow. the money, power and control trail. Cui bono.

https://www.dailywire.com/news/epidemiologist-behind-highly-cited-coronavirus-model-admits-he-was-wrong-drastically-revises-model?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mattwalsh

panamajames
  3/26/2020 14:45 EST

The President of our country of Panama has spoken to those who live here and here are his words, and the best translation that I could muster. Thanks folks..........Stay well............................

Greetings, I wanted to take this opportunity to communicate to our country about what we're doing and what we're going to do. The world and Panama are facing difficult times. It's a moment of uncertainty. This is going to be a long hard battle, a prolonged and extensive war, but I don't have any doubt that we're going to win. A team has been established to mitigate all the effects of the virus, health, social, and economic effects.


How did we arrive at decisions to put these measures in place in light of the evidence? What we hear is, "You are supposed to do this, you have to do that", and in this kind of situation those measures are not working. We have to support the executive decisions of our health teams. The ministry of health, CSS, scientists, the directors of various institutions, and organizations, observe and analyze, and then make a decision to pass on to the executive branch.


We're beginning a 24 hour quarantine, obviously with some logical exceptions such as health workers, public health teams, food sellers, grocery stores, pharmacies and banks etc.. Daily movement is allowed for an hour but restricted based on the last number of your Cedula or Passport where zero is 10am, three is 3pm etc. and there are charts to refer to. This is only for the purchase of food, gas, medications etc.. This is a 24 hour quarantine with very few exceptions and is a decision based in evidence provided by our health workers.

The health team needs to respond to this crisis and constantly have in mind "Why are we here doing this?" and they must have a lot of discipline, because this is a difficult situation. We need to consider all decisions based on evidence. When we say that you need to stay in your home, it's important that you do so, and maintain a meter and a half between yourself and other people. When there's someone infected, it's not just an isolation process, it's also a treatment process. We need to keep in mind who or what the enemy is. When we see someone suffering, when we see someone fall down in the streets, it's a real heartache. I send to everyone affected by this virus my condolences. I can't give you a hug because right now that's prohibited. We need to keep pushing and fighting, I'm certain that we are going to win this fight.

Wash your hands often using your water responsibly. It's important that we conserve water. Conserve water when you are brushing your teeth or flushing the toilet, make sure the toilet stops running. Every gallon of water that we save is important. We're on top of the financial situation. We are providing tests, and treatment. We have the resources to continue if we need to for many months. Our resources are not infinite. We don't have a central bank. We have to be efficient, and organized in the next months and use our resources well. We have to be very conscious of using our resources effectively.


We want to assure our country that we're going to maintain all of the transfer programs, $1.6B in CSS transfers, gas subsidies, electricity, welfare, scholarships and many other subsidies and benefits - we're going to guarantee everything, but please utilize these things carefully - food and medicine - forget about everything else – just worry about the basics. We're not going to leave anyone behind who is losing income, but we all have to share the burden. This is a moment of solidarity – we need your cooperation. Nobody who has lost their income because of the virus is going to lose their home due to a mortgage default. The banks are flexible, believe me, I've talked to the banking authorities and they are going to be flexible. Rest assured if you're without income for three months you won't need to pay your mortgage. Nobody is going to take away your house because you can't work.

For those of you who fall in the range of standard usage, the electricity bill will be lowered by about half. Nobody is going to lose electricity because they aren't working. 300-1000 KW usage will be discounted by 30%. In any case you have three months of grace where your electricity will not be cut. Nobody is going to cut the water service in the next three months. But please use your water responsibly. Nobody is going to cut the internet service in the next three months. This relief plan is a fight for survival against a mortal enemy. Relief is for food, medications, and gas. We're testing a system to use the Cedula like a debit card. We've been testing it for a week and we need to study it more but it seems like it's working. The relief plan is for families, people that live on their resources day to day, people who have lost their wages, along with vulnerable populations.


All of these logistics are not simple. We're advancing and we're doing tests. We're going to be observing house by house, and working with local authorities to implement these processes. Remember we're in a war. We must have solidarity. Don't ask for things that someone else needs more. If you have plantains, or chickens, or eggs, and you have a neighbour in trouble, offer them some. Demonstrate the solidarity and the greatness of the country of Panama. Remember that the relief plan for the country is a plan of survival. We have a bank account in Banco Nacional for receiving donations to augment the national response. Our resources are very finite and every bit of help is needed. We need that each and every person shows solidarity. This virus kills solidarity, unity, discipline, order, and faith. If we unite, we're going to defeat this virus and live a more sustainable and happy life. We have to have patience. In a situation like this, patience is very important for the good administration of foods such as plantains, rice, beans, and more. It's essential we administer everything well in this fight for survival.

This is the time to pray. If you don't pray to above, you may not be blessed. Give thanks to God. Today I received videos of solidarity from restaurant owners, disco tech owners, bar owners, and a beautiful video giving us joy and strength that said let's move forward, uniting forces. Someone from the police department arrived and he said "We leave for the streets in the hand of God." There are many policemen that are testing positive for the coronavirus, but when I read these messages from the police and Sinaproc, the public forces, saying we're going to the streets united, wrapped in the hands of God, and we're going to defeat our enemy, I feel encouraged. We have to give thanks to God for the people on the front line. I have to be in meetings and answering people till 1 in the morning, but we have to give thanks to the doctors, the nurses, technicians, administrators, the laundry workers, the people cooking and cleaning, all of these workers in fact.

We have such an extraordinary team in this country. My hat is off to the public forces and functionaries that have to be on the front line in this 24 hour quarantine. To those operating the metro and buses, those in the fields and on the sea producing food, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Those in the public forces, those producing food, the chinos, the supers, to this spirit that grows in adversity, for this warrior attitude, the only thing I can say is I, Nito Cortizo, with the loudest cry possible, thank you so very much.

All of us Panamanians and extranjeros need to keep uniting forces. We're fighting against a raging river. We all have to move forward in the same direction, we must have solidarity in the hand of God. It is Panama and the rest of the world who are going to overcome this enemy, the coronavirus. Thank you for allowing me to speak to you - to all who are listening, I love this country. To all of you who are listening, love this country. Take out your Panamanian flag, no matter how old it is, take out your warrior flag. We're going to keep moving forward, like we're doing, and we are doing well. To the health team and the Panamanians on the front line, all I can say is take care of yourself, but please, care for us, too. Let's keep advancing. May God bless this great country of Panama. Thank you."

Panabud
  3/26/2020 16:05 EST

Hmmm... WSJ: "Current estimates about the Covid-19 fatality rate may be too high by orders of magnitude."

https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-the-coronavirus-as-deadly-as-they-say-11585088464

Panabud
  3/26/2020 16:12 EST

"In total, the CDC estimates that up to 42.9 million people got sick during the 2018-2019 flu season, 647,000 people were hospitalized and 61,200 died. That’s fairly on par with a typical season, and well below the CDC’s 2017-2018 estimates of 48.8 million illnesses, 959,000 hospitalizations and 79,400 deaths."

All these deaths from the common flu every single year. Where is the panic? The lockdowns? The forced economic destruction? Inquiring minds want to know.

jr555
  3/26/2020 16:51 EST

We are still in the very early stages of this virus and I believe extreme precautions are necessary. Regardless of how severe the majority might be effected I don't see life can return to normal before a vaccine is developed to prevent us catching it. If the measures that have been enforced worldwide hadn't been put in place we could well have been looking at numbers ten fold of what they are at present.

Panabud
  3/26/2020 16:53 EST

Interesting read: "Recent medical literature suggests that vitamin D supplementation protects against acute respiratory tract infection. Humans exposed to sunlight produce vitamin D directly. This paper investigates how differences in sunlight, as measured over several years across states and during the same calendar month, affect influenza incidence. We find that sunlight strongly protects against influenza."

https://www.nber.org/papers/w24340

Will stay at home orders be detrimental to one's health?

dumluk
  3/26/2020 21:47 EST

I am very much in agreement with you on this issue Panabud. And heres some more good news reinforcing our hunches on this: https://www.grassfire.com/coronavirus_counterdrudge?utm_campaign=gf_coronavirus_200326_a2&utm_medium=email&utm_source=grassfire
Personally I go discreetly to the river every day for a swim and a spot of tropical sun ......dont wanna lose my tan......

dumluk
  3/26/2020 22:55 EST

The testing procedure is highly inaccurate and renders lots of false positves . We really have no idea of the real numbers. As usual, they are lying to us.....This is a control exercise and power grab.......No healthy, fit person, need be living in fear now.......And as Panabud says, sunlight is good for you, and produces Vitamin D...which is important for your immune system.......Whether they develop a vaccine for this or not, I wont be taking it........havent had a flu shot yet and am not starting with this bogus Corona b.s........oh yeah, and lack of exercise is also detrimental to your health........Why in the world are they trying to keep us indoors when it is more conducive to good health to be outside working, playing, and breathing fresh air? This smelled of rotten fish to me from the very beginning.........They can tell you anything they want. They are the owners of the mediums of communication. And its a private club......And you aint in it...........George Carlin........

volcan357
  3/27/2020 00:02 EST

Well viruses are real and the risk of epidemics increases as the world population increases and as international travel increases. These are facts that if you are stupid enough you can choose not to believe them. You don't need to stay indoors. You just need to avoid contact with other people so you don't get infected. I think it is good to spend time out of doors. I guess I am lucky that I can do so without being near anybody. It would be harder if I lived in the city.

Panabud
  3/27/2020 00:27 EST

Vulcan, it's much bigger than the virus and unless one has blinders on or is in complete denial there is a major global power play going on. The virus is real but it's being used as cover to implement major changes in the world. These lock downs and closures have nothing to do with your own safety. Any time the government thinks it knows what's best for you BEWARE!!!

Jazzmann
  3/27/2020 08:16 EST

Recently I read in an article that the government of Sweden has imposed no restrictions. The citizens are self quarantining as they see fit. Assuming that the numbers are correct, they are as well off are better off than the rest of Europe. I am watching this to see if it's really working. I agree, I feel safer here in Panama and I worry about my children and grandchildren in the United States. Our leaders we're not elected on the basis of their expertise in disease management. They are, I believe, sincerely doing their best in this situation. Our leaders must rely on the advice of the experts, both in and out of their government, for information and advice. I am following all of the quarantine regulations here in Panama. As best I can tell my neighbors are doing the same. I have heard of some people disregarding the regulations. All the reports available to me are that the police have been firm but courteous and respectful and I believe they should be congratulated and supported. Like our healthcare workers and the people providing essential services they are the heroes in this crisis and are on the front lines doing a very difficult task, and they are doing it very well. I do see the odd person taking a walk alone or with a family member in technical violation of the curfew but they are observing the spirit of the thing.

jonoyakker
  3/27/2020 11:31 EST

This was not supposed to be a political thread. Please start another...

Jazzmann
  3/27/2020 12:25 EST

Is there a source, preferably available in English, of information concerning the progress of the virus in Panama? The dashboard gives us raw information about the number infected, the number of fatalities, and the number of people recovered. I'm looking for additional information concerning the areas where new cases are being identified, data on the: age, sex, and health conditions of the individuals infected, the number of critical cases, preferably with recovery rates, and the number of Hospital cases with the distinction of those who are being cared for outside of the Intensive Care Unit and those who are hospitalized because they have been identified as having the virus and broken quarantine. What is the most reliable number for the population in Panama? Where I live people are complying with the quarantine as a rule. There is the occasional individual not following the government instructions and I do see people walking around by themselves or with a family member, who they'd be quarantined with anyway, core exercise and fresh air. This is a violation of the quarantine but it does observe the spirit of it. I'm receiving information that it's not this way in other parts of the country, particularly the city.

Panabud
  3/27/2020 13:20 EST

Jonoyakker, the truth does not have any political affiliation. We the human race need to all seek the truth, embrace it and act upon it.

Travelocity
  3/27/2020 14:36 EST

@jazzman...sources...look for newspapers in this country...open them up using google chrome...use translate this page in english feature.
here is link of panama cases...i don't think they tell you if they had any pre existing conditions.
http://minsa.gob.pa/coronavirus-covid19

volcan357
  3/27/2020 18:43 EST

Apparently the new virus is related to the common cold. This should mean that unlike some viruses it does not stay in your body permanently. If you are infected then after it runs it's course you should no longer be carrying the virus. If this is the case then measures to avoid contact with other people should be more effective. After a period of time those who have been infected will either die or no longer be carrying the virus. In addition since it is your own cells that reproduce the virus this has a tendency to slightly change the virulence over time with multiple new generations of the virus. This hopefully makes the virus less likely to be deadly. So the longer you can delay coming in contact with the virus the better will be your chances. While I am no expert on viruses I do have a Master's degree in biology. That was a long time ago. I will be 79 in a few days. And my age is a risk factor. So I need to be careful.

Panabud
  3/27/2020 22:42 EST

March 26, 2020, New England Journal of Medicine:

"This suggests that the overall clinical consequences of Covid-19 may ultimately be more akin to those of a severe seasonal influenza (which has a case fatality rate of approximately 0.1%) or a pandemic influenza (similar to those in 1957 and 1968) rather than a disease similar to SARS or MERS, which have had case fatality rates of 9 to 10% and 36%, respectively."

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2002387

volcan357
  3/28/2020 02:16 EST

Hopefully so but we expats here in Panama are mostly older so we need to be careful. Maybe life will return to normal in a couple of months. I have never seen everything shut down like it has at the present time.

panamajames
  3/28/2020 18:28 EST

Friends and banking associates around the world have been asking me how we are doing in Panama during this crisis. They want to know the usual, about infections, deaths, the banks, the economy, the canal, the penal system and more, so here is what I am telling them…………….

COVID-19 in Panama is still increasing and has reached at least 786 cases, 10% in hospitals and 3.6% are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and 14 deaths. Among the five new deceased, would be a deputy commissioner of the National Police and a senior transport manager in the fire department. The authorities confirmed the registration of 112 new positive cases and another five newly deceased. The regions of Panamá Metro, Panamá Oeste, San Miguelito, and Panamá Norte continue to be the areas with the highest number of cases. 2 cases reported in Alto Boquete and one case reported in Bugaba.

Security forces are moving into some areas of Panama City to enforce quarantines and discourage looting. It seems that people just don’t follow orders and it is always the few who cause problems for the many. Martial law has happened before in Panama, but let’s hope that it is not necessary in this crisis. Panama is the second country in Latin America (the other being Costa Rica) to permanently abolish standing armies, with Panama retaining a small para-military security force. ... Panama maintains armed police and internal security forces, and small air and maritime forces.

"Banks will help people, their families and companies of all kinds, to overcome this tough test," declared the Banking Association of Panama in a statement issued on March 22, while urging customers who need help,”To communicate by phone, internet, email, social networks and other channels to negotiate the terms of the postponement and / or restructuring of your debt”. The banks in Panama are changing hours of operation these days, but otherwise it is business as usual. The Panama banks are very healthy. Some of you in the banking sector may remember back to 2013 when the Superintendency of Banks in Panama created a law that all banks had to keep a large number of dollars in reserve, which could not be used. That law has been relaxed, allowing banks to offer their debtors, the deferment of loan payments for up to 120 days. Good news for those with loan payments and perhaps not earning many dollars in these days of the coronavirus. Be aware however that the interest on the loans will continue to run. And since the interest is proportional to the balance, when you stop paying, that amount may increase even if the payment is deferred for later. Understand that banks are not charities. Look into it before you defer.

The Panama Canal operations are connected with 1,700 ports, it serves 144 maritime routes and 160 countries are users. Contact with any vessel arriving in Panama with people affected by Covid-19 will be avoided. To date 52 transits have been canceled: 35 correspond to cruises and 17 to other vessels, such as containers, which represent one of the most important segments of the Canal. Visitor centers in Miraflores and Agua Clara have been closed. We will continue to operate the Canal as long as human capital is not at risk. The current situation is only two weeks old and the market has not reacted in full force so we don’t know what we may look at in terms of financial losses. Everything will depend on the containment of the outbreak worldwide, the measures taken by the ports of the United States and how quickly the production and industrial zones of Asia are reactivated. It seems that the origin situation in Asia is normalizing, but what is happening on the east coast of the United States is not yet clear to us. The economy is going to be slower. Consequently, the operation of the Panama Canal will be negatively affected. How much is what remains to be seen. 6% of world trade passes through the Canal. The Panama Canal operates today with a workforce of 3,600 of its 10,000 employees as a result of the worldwide pandemic of Covid-19. As of March 26, the Canal had confirmed 7 positive cases of coronavirus. There are 200 people in voluntary isolation and another 600 workers forced by the Ministry of Health to quarantine their homes, due to contacts with sick relatives or spouses.

You have probably heard of the ocean cruise story which we will call “Nightmare aboard the Zaandam" with 1829 passengers and crew, and 4 confirmed coronavirus deaths. Holland America Line is the company in charge of this Dutch flag cruise ship. 53 tourists and 85 crew members had reported to the "Zaandam" medical center with symptoms of influenza-like illnesses. There were two confirmed cases of coronavirus yesterday. All those who present symptoms of the infection and those who test positive must now remain on the cruise ship along with their contacts. What are not known is how long they must be in the ship's rooms and how long the ship will be in Panamanian waters. Panamanian authorities denied the captain of that ship, to anchor on Panama coasts or cross the Panama Canal. The captain of the ship wanted to sail through the canal to the Atlantic and dock in Fort Lauderdale. While those who are healthy will be transferred to the "Rotterdam" to return to the United States, this will only happen after testing and talks continue whether or not they will be allowed to go through the Panama Canal. The ship set sail on March 7 from Buenos Aires, Argentina; the itinerary was to sail throughout South America and dock in San Antonio, Chile on March 21. But that country denied anchorage in the wake of the pandemic. Peru and Ecuador also opposed anchorage. Panama allowed the ship to anchor 8 miles offshore of the Panama mainland. The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) gave permission for the ship named "Rotterdam" to assist all travelers and their crew with food and medicine. Medical personnel from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were also dispatched from the United States. The "Rotterdam", which is also owned by Holland America Line, left from San Diego USA, to provide humanitarian support where the cruise ship was allowed to anchor. The "Rotterdam" arrived Wednesday night (7:30 pm), in Panamanian waters. The Zaandam was two weeks without touching land because no country wanted it to land. The cruise left Argentina on March 7;

The government of Panama has been asked to release those in jail, in order to prevent them from getting the Covid-19 coronavirus since they can become ill due to the overcrowding in the prisons. A Canadian provisionally detained was diagnosed with the new coronavirus, according to the Judicial Branch.

Latin American economies are deteriorating faster than ever in history and are heading for their worst contraction in the post-World War II period, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

sekhars
  3/28/2020 19:41 EST

Unfortunate for the passengers.

It will be hard financially for many people around the world as the shut down will lead to huge financial crisis. The virus likely continues it course as it is exploding in many places around the world. It will run it course until herd immunity develops or we have a vaccine. We are in this for a very long process. We can slow down but it seems inevitable to spread. How long can we keep things closed. To isolate each case and quarantine in places where it is exploding is really bad key but at the same time one must understand it should run it course. New York city mayor will go down in the history as he refused to close things, refused to close school for days and now the city is a ghost town with thousands of sick people at once with over whelming healthcare system which can not handle the number of sick at once. The fear mongering on media and by politicians to use the crisis to bail out banks and irresponsible corporation is un believable and it seems that they will use the greatest healthcare crisis to do transfer of wealth for industry like cruising and airline which should be allowed to go bankrupt.

At this time best way is to contain the wide spread at key places- cold places, congested cities, and elderly population(as in Europe and Seattle) to limit activity but encourage people to get healthy- exercise, change eating to natural and healthy food, breathing exercises and breathing yoga. On the hand should be allowed to do trade and production as we will have huge crisis -financially soon which may cause more damage than the virus itself

panamajames
  3/30/2020 03:27 EST

Here is my Monday report. Hope you have a good week and manage to keep busy. For those interested in the coronavirus numbers in various countries, Google keeps a great updated record by using this URL https://google.com/covid19-map/?hl=en ……………………………………………… What are the symptoms of coronavirus? According to the NHS website, the primary symptoms of coronavirus are: A fever, a new consistent cough, other coronavirus symptoms that have been reported include:, Tiredness or fatigue, a headache, shortness of breath, a loss of smell or taste, muscle pain. Here is a video from the WHO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1APwq1df6Mw …………………………..The Zanndam cruise ship stuck in the Panama Canal with at least 240 Canadian passengers on board, is still looking for options for the passengers to get home. You can check on the latest progress here https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-29/passengers-on-death-ship-plead-for-rescue-after-virus-strike .............................................................. On Saturday there was some looting going on in Panama City and a facebook video from someone’s cell phone went viral https://www.facebook.com/179345107009/posts/10158367022242010/?funlid=ZG0IwICeV04Xdv3i&d=w&vh=e so the Government prepared a notice. It is a JPEG so if you want it, you can email me. It states that they will be conducting a criminal investigation into the looting of the store(s) in Panama City exhausting all means necessary to locate the perpetrators and bring them to justice…………........... In the USA entering its 15th day of lockdown Monday and the death toll soaring, President Trump prepared the nation Sunday night for an extended shutdown, dashing hopes of a quick resumption of normal life. The global number of confirmed cases topped 700,000 on Sunday, with over one in seven in the United States. As world leaders warned that the outbreak could take months, if not years, to fully get over, financial markets looked set for another depressed week with Asian stocks extending their losses on Monday. On Sunday evening, President Trump said federal guidance urging social distancing will stay in place through April 30. He backed off of his hope that the country will be “opened up” by Easter Sunday, saying that deaths due to the coronavirus will likely peak in two weeks. I am in constant touch with a lady friend in New York City who has heard that every 6 minutes, another person in New York City dies.
New York surged past 1,000 confirmed deaths related to the coronavirus, the state said Sunday. The United States now has over 140,000 confirmed cases, the most of any country and nearing on twice those announced in China, the outbreak’s epicenter. Officials in South Korea, widely praised for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, warned that they were seeing a sustained increase in cases in Seoul, the city’s bustling capital city, and its nearby regions ………………………………………………………………………. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson gave their first health update on Saturday since returning to the United States. “Hey, folks. Two weeks after our first symptoms and we feel better,”The couple, who were both diagnosed with coronavirus earlier this month, recently returned to Los Angeles after self-quarantining in Australia for two weeks. On Saturday, Hanks, 63, said on Twitter that he and Wilson would continue to quarantine. “Hey, Folks… We’re home now and, like the rest of America, we carry on with sheltering in place and social distancing,” the actor wrote. “Many, many thanks to everyone in Australia who looked after us,” he added. “Their care and guidance made possible our return to the USA. And many thanks to all of you who reached out with well wishes. Rita and I so appreciate it. Hanx.” ……………….............…………… Idris Elba, Linda Lusardi, Olga Kurylenko, and Rachel Matthews all have been diagnosed with the Coronavirus but are doing well in isolation………………………………………….


In Canada, the Emergency Measures Act is not off the table yet according to the Prime Minister but is not in effect currently as curfews and quarantining remain to be few and far between to date. Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the wife of the 23rd prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, has successfully recovered from her bout with coronavirus. Justin Trudeau continues self-isolation and social distancing for the next few weeks and wants all Canadians to continue to do the same although he is not suffering from any symptom, nor are their children .…………………………………………… Realtors are having a lot of problems with home sales in Canada. One realtor I spoke with had 7 deals sewn up and pending, and all 7 fell apart in the past few weeks………………………..BoJo, Boris Johnson the British Prime Minister tested positive for the Coronavirus and Prince Charles of England the same, …………………………..If you find yourself totally bored with nothing to do. Here are a 100 things to keep you busy……………….Have a good week…..Stay well....................................... https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2020/03/16/coronavirus-quarantine-100-things-do-while-trapped-inside/5054632002/

dumluk
  3/30/2020 10:19 EST

Notice how none of these hi profile people die? They all get better......Crisis actors perhaps, in order to lend credence to the story? Even Sen Rand Paul decided to get tested despite the fact he had no symptoms? Out of social responsibility.....Umhhhhhh.....gives one pause for thought.......

WelshHelen
  3/30/2020 16:16 EST

I am in the Uk and was hoping to spend the winter in Panama with a view to re locate but now will take things day by day. It’s quite bad here at the moment but at least it’s not as bad as my sister has it living it Italy.
People in good health are dying and not just the elderly, a fit 26 yr old just died and a 27 yr old yesterday.. if you think this is just affecting the elderly and people with existing health problems then you are very much mistaken .

panamajames
  3/31/2020 01:04 EST

Things are constantly changing for us now in Panama as to when we can out to shop for food and medicines etc.. Most of us are getting a handle on paying bills on line as the utility company have been shut down from day to day visits. I went out shopping yesterday into downtown Boquete and it is indeed a ghost town but the parking spaces are everywhere and the lineups for everything do not exist. Some times in the grocery store but they are all well stocked and the inventory kids are working overtime keeping all the stocks on the shelves.
It is a very unsual site to see but I am loving it. Many employee people are wearing masks and some customers as well. People are practicing social distancing and to me it is all running smoothly..........................................................Here are the latest quarantine information measures that start this Wednesday. Women can now only shop Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and men, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. No one will be allowed to leave their homes on Sundays. The rule of the ID number / passport is maintained but seniors over 60 can still leave from 11-1 daily however men and women cannot shop together. That would be the same for mothers and sons, and fathers and daughters. .......................................................................
If your passport/cedula ends in 0 you can shop 9:30am to 11:30am. If your passport/cedula ends in 1 you can shop 12:30pm to 2:30pm. If your passport/cedula ends in 2 you can shop from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. If your passport/cedula ends in 3 you can shop from 2:30pm to 4:30pm. If your passport cedula ends in 4 you can shop from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. If your passport/cedula ends in 5 you can shop 4:30pm to 6:30pm. If your passport cedula ends in 6 you can shop from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. If your passport/cedula ends in 7 you can shop from 6:30am to 8:30am. If your passport/cedula ends in 8 you can shop from 7:30am to 9:30am and if your passport ends in 9 you can shop from 8:30am to 10:30am. .........................................................................................
Below is an English translation from the Government website that goes into a bit more detail. “The large number of people circulating outside their homes, despite the mandatory national quarantine, has led the National Government to take more severe measures to protect the health of the population. Starting this Wednesday, April 1, the transit of people will be conditional on the sex that appears in the citizen's personal identification card. In this way, women can circulate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while men can circulate on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. On Sundays, all citizens and residents must remain in their homes. Health authorities reiterate that no country will be fully prepared to fight the virus if the population does not assume the responsibility of protecting the individual and collective health of its inhabitants. All the actions that are implemented to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus are articulated with teamwork and within the framework of ethics. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Looks like they took down the news yesterday about the Zaandam Cruise ship in Panama carrying 240 Canadian passengers aboard, and hundreds more from other countries, over a thousand in all but they did manage to arrange for the cruise ship to head through the Panama Canal on its way to Florida, but no one in Florida wants the ship and passengers to land there either. They started this cruise March 7th in Argentina and now are carrying 4 dead and at least 2 infected coronavirus passengers, and many more ill on board. Here is a news piece from NBC. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/coronavirus-stricken-cruise-ship-heads-toward-florida-governor-says-passengers-n1172431 .................................................................................. If you want the latest news from Canada, you can click here https://www.ctvnews.ca/ or https://www.cbc.ca/ ................................................................................ The latest statistics on the coronavirus are here https://www.google.com/covid19-map/ …………………………………………. The U.S. Embassy is compiling a list of people seeking to leave Panama. Any U.S. citizen in Panama requesting assistance should click here to fill out the form https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=dFDPZv5a0UimkaErISH0S33IQHp9LeFEvq9qkPAK_GJUQ0ZTM1FRUEZXMExFMk4zRjMxNFEyWE1WMSQlQCN0PWcu Any U.S. Citizens remaining in Panama should be prepared to remain indefinitely. There are two U.S. military air flights scheduled for April 2 and 4 with a limited number of seats available. If you are ill, you will not be permitted to fly. You will undergo a temperature screening. Baggage is restricted to two bags that cannot exceed 70lbs total. Service animals MAY be authorized on the April 2 flight. ……………………………………………………….
Panama enacted nationwide movement restrictions, also referred to as quarantine, effective March 25, 2020. Decree 504 established that people who break health regulations and quarantines could be fined $50,000 to $100,000. I know of a person today who received a $50 fine while shopping with their child and their passports information did not jive according to the chart above. There were also language communication problems whether or not children or teens in Panama are currently allowed out of the house at all.

Panamanreed
  3/31/2020 06:12 EST

@Dumluk: looks like some high-profilers are dying after all. Princess María Teresa of Spain just died of the virus and Thomas Schaefer of Germany just committed suicide over not seeing how to handle the financial mess that this is causing. So much for your theory on high profilers not dying from this crisis.

dumluk
  3/31/2020 09:42 EST

I know of 3 indigenous kids who were taken to jail, and their impoverished families forced to pay $50 for each one.....because their is now water in their house, becuz this shameless govt cant bring it even tho the Chorro Blanco pipes run right past there.....Many people around here without water in peak Summer.....Me being one now.....Have to go to one or another river just to bathe.......We can pull drinking water and cooking water from the Chorro Blanco overflow pipe......For me, this govt. is blowing this thing waaaay out of proportion to the reality....The reality is that there has only been one death in Chiriqui attributed to Corona......Maybe 3 cases.....In the entire zona sur de Costa Rica there is n ot one case......and it is much more relaxed and human over there right now.....Was just on the border yesterday to check out the situation and potential escape routes from this newly imposed Panamanian dictatorship...........

pgcwashdc
  3/31/2020 14:46 EST

There certainly is no shortage of expert (real or otherwise) opinion out there on COVID-19. I've checked out many of them and thought I'd share a source that, IMHO, is one of the best.

The link is to a series of video presentations by an MD (pulmonologist) in California. They range from about 6 mins to 20 mins and he does a great job of explaining the most current information and also the gaps in that information. The most recent (Update 46) explains the role of fever and body temp in the initial immune response and why some asymptomatic people go on to develop serious symptoms very quickly.

As always, use your own judgement when evaluating medical information and consult with your physician about personal health decisions. I hope others will find these as instructive as I have (I've watched all as far back as #31)..

https://www.youtube.com/user/MEDCRAMvideos/videos

pgcwashdc
  3/31/2020 14:56 EST

Link to a video detailing efforts to find a cure.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AV-nWT2VLuI&feature=youtu.be

This is a doctor from San Diego, CA who leads a team developing an antibody-based therapy. The substantive discussion begins at the 12 minute mark. He is obviously optimistic about his own possible solution, but it is a hopeful discussion of the various ongoing efforts to find a cure. And he does lay out a potential timeline for testing and, if all goes well, distribution. Health and best wishes to all!

panamajames
  3/31/2020 16:21 EST

The latest worldwide statistics on the coronavirus are being tabulated and updated regularly by Google and you can find that here: https://www.google.com/covid19-map/ ………………………………………………………………………………………………………The Cruise operator on the Zaandam Cruise ship says lives are at risk that left Argentina on March 7th, as nations 'turn their backs. The President of Holland America Line berates countries refusing to help passengers trapped onboard two ships amid the coronavirus crisis. Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line, called for a port to show “compassion and grace” by allowing passengers on the Zaandam cruise liner and its sister ship, the Rotterdam, back on land. The Zaandam has hundreds of British, 304 Americans, a large number of Australians and 248 Canadians on board, many of whom are elderly. As of March 30, 76 guests and 117 crew on the Zaandam have influenza-like illness, including eight people who have tested positive for Covid-19 and 4 deaths. Panama allowed the ship to dock 8 miles offshore a few days ago but refused them entrance to the Panama Canal in order to get to Florida because of the coronavirus on board. The Zaandam cruise ship has received permission to pass through the Panama Canal on its way to Port Everglades, where it will try to unload its increasingly sick passengers and crew. The Panama Canal Authority announced the decision, a reversal of its previous stance, late Saturday night in a statement. Passengers not experiencing symptoms were transferred from the Zaandam to the Rotterdam that recently arrived from the USA to help. Zaandam and the Rotterdam, have traversed the canal "under extraordinary conditions and for humanitarian reasons," a statement from the Panama Canal said Sunday. The permission comes with an agreement that passengers and crew of the ship aren’t allowed to exit the ship and enter Panama. An Ottawa Canadian woman stranded at sea for more than a week on a cruise ship where four passengers have died said Monday she's "had it" after being moved to another ship that's en route to Florida. Catherine McLeod and her husband, Paul Innes, were among the 248 Canadians aboard the MS Zaandam, a cruise ship that had been anchored on the west side of the Panama Canal since mid-March after reporting nearly 200 passengers and crew were exhibiting flu-like symptoms. The couple was transferred Sunday to the Zaandam's sister ship, the MS Rotterdam, alongside hundreds of other passengers who showed no such symptoms, she said as both ships set sail towards Florida. McLeod told The Canadian Press the lingering uncertainty is taking its toll on her and her husband. "There's no guarantee the coronavirus won't be on this ship either," she said. "I still have lots of Lysol wipes and I'm wiping down everything — cutlery, cups, you name it. I don't want to go home in a body bag." While the couple is physically healthy, their mental health is getting worn down. "You try to keep your spirits up, but I find I'm getting so that I just want the hell off this thing," McLeod said. "I've had it. It's not like I'm going to crack or anything, but God almighty, get me out of here please." On Monday, Florida governor Ron DeSantis said passengers cannot be “dumped” in his state and cast further doubt over whether ships would be allowed to dock, dismissing those on board as mostly “foreigners”. The governor said he has been in contact with the Coast Guard and the White House about diverting them, and local officials were meeting Tuesday to decide whether to let them dock at Broward County's Port Everglades cruise ship terminal, where workers who greet passengers were among Florida's first confirmed coronavirus cases. Several Latin American countries closed their ports to the Zaandam as the coronavirus outbreak developed on board and they refused emergency requests to medically evacuate critically ill patients, according to Ashford. “What happened to compassion and help thy neighbor?” the Holland America Line president said in a statement.

FredfromArkansas
  3/31/2020 18:07 EST

Where are the ships registered? Let that country take them in.

Actually, the ship would be a very good place to quarantine, as long as the country of registry keeps it stocked with necessities.

panamajames
  4/1/2020 03:02 EST

The Zaandam is a cruise ship owned and operated by the Holland America Line, The Parent Company of the Holland America Line is Carnival Corporation & PLC. The Carnival Cruise Line headquarters is located in Doral, Florida................................................................................................................................ The Zaandam was named for the city of Zaandam, Netherlands near Amsterdam. It was built by Fincantieri in Marghera, Italy and delivered in 2000. Zaandam is part of the Rotterdam class and a sister ship to Volendam, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam. The Zaandam was christened by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in May 2000. The ship is registered in the Netherlands but owned and operated by the Holland America Line whose parent company is Carnival and Carnival's headquarters are in Florida. Some previous history: On 24 June 2018, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 73 people became ill on the Zaandam due to an outbreak of norovirus. The ship was on a voyage from Seattle Washington to Alaska at the time..........................................

...................................Here is the latest news: The Zaandam cruise ship with four dead and nearly 200 people who have been sick with suspected COVID-19 may be allowed to dock in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Holland America ship has been denied permission to disembark passengers by several countries.

Executives with the cruise line's parent company, Carnival, are working with the Coast Guard, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and local officials in Florida's Broward County on a plan that would allow healthy passengers to disembark. Holland America says a combined 1,243 passengers and 1,247 crew are aboard the Zaandam and a sister ship, the Rotterdam. Holland America sent the Rotterdam to bring medical personnel and supplies to the Zaandam last week after dozens became sick and four elderly passengers died. A number of elderly, but healthy passengers considered at risk were moved to the Rotterdam. Both ships went through the Panama Canal earlier this week.

Under the plan Carnival is discussing with Broward County officials, the company would charter planes and buses to take healthy passengers directly from the port in Fort Lauderdale to their destinations. Among the many foreign passengers on the cruise, Carnival says there were 250 Canadians, 120 Australians, plus passengers from Ireland, the United Kingdom and other European countries.

Although nearly 120 crew members and 76 guests have been sick with flu-like symptoms, Carnival vice-president Bill Burke says at least 60 have totally recovered. Seven people are sick enough that they're being treated in the ship's medical center. Two are so sick, the company has asked Mexico for permission to take them there for treatment. Burke said Mexico has refused. Speaking in person at the County Commission meeting, he said, "We are coming to the place of last resort. Now, I hope that those two people we would like to medivac today to Mexico will survive the couple day transit."

The commission deferred action until a plan is finalized that gives the county assurances sick passengers and crewmembers from the Zaandam won't be a burden on area hospitals. Broward County Commissioner Nan Rich says once the plan is finalized, the ship should be allowed to dock. She said, "These people have been turned away from so many countries, one after the other. We are their last hope. What are we going to do? Let the ship go back out to sea and just float around and let people die? I don't think so."

The Zaandam is expected to arrive Thursday. Carnival says another of its cruise ships, the Coral Princess, is due to arrive in Fort Lauderdale Saturday. It also has sick people on board.

panamajames
  4/1/2020 13:06 EST

Just a couple of quick updates. Here is a URL for those interested in the progress that the Zaandam is making, this one from Panama TVN-2

https://www.tvn-2.com/mundo/eu/Puerto-EEUU-condiciones-atraque-enfermos_0_5545695422.html

.......................................................................................

This is quite an interesting chart from MINSA in Panama
http://minsa.gob.pa/coronavirus-covid19 ..........................................................................................
And this is a listing of the totals throughout the world from Google that is constantly being updated.
https://www.google.com/covid19-map/

panamajames
  4/1/2020 13:28 EST

One more quick note on the Zaandam cruise ship situation as it nears USA waters............... https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/5095406002

longreach
  4/1/2020 14:18 EST

As always Panamjames,
Thanks for all the updates. Your time in doing this is greatly appreciated.

panamajames
  4/1/2020 16:22 EST

Thank you longreach. Happy to keep people in touch with situations such as this..............Here is the latest.........
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/01/us/holland-america-zaandam-cruise-ship-florida/index.html

AlMud
  4/1/2020 16:35 EST

I wonder if people will believe it is real when refrigerated trailers show up in their communities as temporary morgues handle hospital overflow.

https://time.com/5812569/covid-19-new-york-morgues/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-brief&utm_content=20200401&xid=newsletter-brief

panamajames
  4/1/2020 16:50 EST

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/01/us/holland-america-zaandam-cruise-ship-florida/index.html

panamajames
  4/2/2020 14:05 EST

For any of you folks out there who have been on a cruise, you can imagine the frustration of being locked in an inside cabins for weeks on end with the only excitement being a knock on your door that meals are in the hallway. The Holland America cruise ship the Zaandam with sick passengers and its sister ship the Rotterdam are allowed to dock in Florida. The Broward County Commission in Fort Lauderdale reached a deal for them to land Thursday, today. The Rotterdam is scheduled to dock at 1 p.m. at Port Everglades, and the Zaandam at 1:30 p.m. Four people have died on the Zaandam, at least two of them from the coronavirus. Nine others have tested positive and 179 more have flu-like symptoms. "I have more hope right now than I've had in a long time," Jennifer Allan, whose parents, Gloria and Bill Weed, are on the Zaandam, Both of Allan's parents are sick, with her father suffering from pneumonia. She said her greatest fear is that her father's condition will get worse "very, very quickly." Another passenger, Doris Kolber, said she is thrilled she and her husband, Cliff, will soon be leaving the ship. Her husband said his happiness will come once he is back on land. The Zaandam left Buenos Aires on March 7 for a two-week trip through South America. The voyage had been originally scheduled to end in Chile on March 21. News that the ships will be allowed to dock follows passengers' pleading for help after Florida's governor said he did not want the ships' passengers "dumped" there. Gov. Ron DeSantis has since dropped his fierce opposition, saying in an interview Wednesday that he wants "everyone to be safe." Nine passengers will be transported to a local hospital and 45 others who are ill will remain on board. Holland America Line will put foreign nationals on specially sanitized buses to take them to waiting chartered planes. Some of the passengers have said that they have already been given luggage tags and were told "to pack their bags." Asymptomatic passengers from the Zaandam have been taken on by its sister ship, the Rotterdam. More than 300 Americans are aboard the ships, including 49 Florida residents, several of whom live in Broward County. More later.

panamajames
  4/2/2020 15:44 EST

NBC is keeping abreast of the activities involving the Zaandam and have some videos for those interested in the progress of this cruise ship that recently left the Panama Canal and is in Florida waters now........... https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cruise-ship-sick-passengers-sister-ship-will-be-allowed-dock-n1174796

panamajames
  4/2/2020 17:12 EST

After weeks of uncertainty, the Zaandam and Rotterdam were given clearance to enter Florida’s Port of Everglades today, according to an announcement made by the Rotterdam’s captain. He said the Zaandam would likely arrive around 3:30 p.m. and the Rotterdam around 30 minutes later. But the Zaandam and Rotterdam are not the only cruise ships still sailing. On Tuesday, Carnival Corp., which owns nine cruise lines including Holland America, Princess Cruises and Costa Cruises, told the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission that it had more than 6,000 passengers on ships still at sea, although only a portion of these vessels are headed to the U.S. Princess Cruises’ Coral Princess is currently headed towards Fort Lauderdale, Fl., and has at least 12 positive cases of COVID-19 onboard, per an April 2 statement from the cruise line. It’s also reporting a “higher-than-normal” number of passengers with flu-like symptoms. Guests aboard the ship are self-isolating in their rooms. On Sunday, March 29, the U.S. Coast Guard released a safety bulletin that directed all foreign-flagged passenger vessels impacted by coronavirus — including cruise ships — carrying over 50 people to “increase their medical capabilities” in order to treat sick passengers for an “indefinite” period of time. “This is necessary as shore-side medical facilities may reach full capacity and lose the ability to accept and effectively treat additional critically-ill patients”. The Coast Guard also told foreign-flagged ships “that loiter beyond U.S. territorial seas” to send severely ill passengers to the countries where the vessels are registered, before turning to the U.S.. The Coral Princess is registered to Bermuda. (The Zaandam and Rotterdam are registered to the Netherlands.) Registering ships in foreign countries is par for the course in the cruise industry; such registrations are a way companies can avoid some U.S. tax, environmental, and employment laws. In its bulletin, the Coast Guard specifically directed ships registered to the Bahamas — a country to which many cruise ships are registered — to seek medical assistance in the island nation before turning to medical facilities in the U.S. however, hospital capacity in the Bahamas is still limited due to the destruction caused by last September’s Hurricane Dorian. In the bulletin, the Coast Guard also said the move was partially to help “mitigate the potential of overwhelming local medical resources.” At least nine people on board the Zaandam cruise ship have tested positive for COVID-19 and four passengers have died while close to 200 others have flu like symptoms. “They're dying on the ship,” Trump said during a White House press briefing. “I'm going to do what's right. Not only for us, but for humanity. I will talk with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.” "We are stuck on this death ship," Yadira Garza, who was traveling on the Zaandam with her newlywed husband. "We are freaked out and terrified that we will be infected too. It’s just a matter of time if we stay on the ship." Laura Gabaroni of Orlando, Florida said, "It's been a trying time, especially because of the many ups and downs we've seen along the way. We are unable to leave our rooms, haven't had fresh air in days." Emily Spindler Brazell of Tappahannock Virginia said that the cruise line has offered extravagant meals, wine and unlimited phone calls – but they have to stay in their rooms, avoiding any contact with others. "The captain said something like, 'This is not a trip anymore. This is not a cruise. This is a humanitarian mission,'" Holland America sent a second ship from the USA, the Rotterdam, and in Panama, transferred onto it nearly 1,400 people who appear to be healthy. About 450 guests and 602 crew members remain on the Zaandam. Both ships traveled through the Panama Canal on Monday and were headed toward the Zaandam's home port near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when the Florida Governor DeSantis said he didn't want sick people, many of whom he said were "foreigners," dumped in southern Florida right now." William Burke is chief maritime officer at Carnival Corp., the parent company of Holland America. He told Broward officials there is a plan in place to send everyone on board the two ships, home. He said buses will take 250 passengers to Canada, and a charter flight will take 120 Australians. Burke also said there will be charter flights to California and the United Kingdom. The Coast Guard said the company is also responsible for arranging transportation and medical care for any sick passengers. Missouri passenger Lance Hutton and his wife had to remain on the Zaandam because he uses a machine to help his sleep apnea. "Now, we just want to get off this ship and go home," "That’s all we want."

panamajames
  4/3/2020 00:28 EST

It appears that it will take a few days for passengers and crew aboard the Zaamdam Cruise Liner to leave the ship and head for home, or the hospital. Ambulances are standing by. There are a number of stories out there but here is a good one from the Sentinel Sun in Florida. More later.....

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/coronavirus/fl-ne-holland-america-deal-reached-20200402-v7bx2ecx4nbkpdujt4b57vbflm-story.html


..........................................................................................and Microsoft and MSN are running some of the same information as the ship heads to port and passengers begin to finally get their feet on land and tell their stories. I am sure that we will see a movie in the works.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/zaandam-cruise-ship-docking-in-fort-lauderdale-as-ambulances-stand-by/ar-BB125K2F

panamajames
  4/3/2020 13:03 EST

The Zaandam, the coronavirus-stricken cruise ship that spent 12 days stranded at sea with no ports willing to let it dock, has pulled into Fort Lauderdale harbour to the cheers of port workers.

The warm welcome on Thursday night was followed by a procession of medical personnel in blue and yellow plastic protective gear as they scrambled to take critically ill patients down the gangplank and into ambulances.

Four people died onboard the ship and it had been turned away from 11 countries since it last stopped in South America on the 14th of March. Port documents indicated that 13 more passengers and one crew member were so critically ill that they would require immediate hospitalization.

The ship’s sister vessel, the Rotterdam, met up with the Zaandam in Panama to take some of the healthier passengers but it too ended up at the dock in Florida on Thursday with people ill on board.

Yet another cruise ship with sick passengers, the Coral Princess, was waiting to come into Fort Lauderdale in the coming days. The ship, owned by the world’s biggest cruise operator, Carnival, was turned away from Brazil and other South American ports nearly two weeks ago.

Florida politicians initially wanted to turn the Zaandam and Rotterdam away. The state’s governor, Ron Desantis, said at one point that there were many “foreigners” onboard and he didn’t want sick patients “dumped” on south Florida. But after intervention by Donald Trump, Florida officials signed off on a strengthened safety plan from the cruise operators.

Among the 1,200 passengers were 305 Americans, 295 Canadians, 229 from the UK and 131 Australians. The ships’ operator, Holland America, said that following arrival in Port Everglades all guests would be health screened and cleared for entry by US Customs and Border Protection.

Most passengers would be taken by bus directly to chartered planes and flown to their home countries. But about 25 guests with mild illness were being required to stay onboard until they recovered.

Carnival Corporation on Wednesday said there were still 6,000 cruise ship passengers stuck at sea on Carnival-owned cruise ships alone. “They are not the last ship so it’s a continuing dilemma.”

volcan357
  4/3/2020 13:50 EST

I suppose nobody is going to sign up for a cruise anytime soon.

FredfromArkansas
  4/3/2020 13:56 EST

Amazing as it sounds, cruise bookings are up for next year. Covid or not, these ships are terrible for epidemics of diseases, though most are like stomachs bugs. I can't believe people are so stupid.

jonoyakker
  4/3/2020 13:59 EST

Maybe the hardcore cheapskates are hoping for some extra, free cruise time as the cruise ships hop from country to country, trying to disembark.

panamajames
  4/3/2020 15:35 EST

Panama's methods of gender quarantining are gaining international attention:
https://www.foxnews.com/world/panama-prohibit-movement-coronavirus-gender

And here is an article from CNN:
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/01/world/panama-coronavirus-sex-intl/index.html

jonoyakker
  4/3/2020 16:05 EST

Does anyone know what happened to the plan whereby Panamanians could use their cedulas like an ATM card to draw money (I believe it was $25 a week) Nito announced it over a week ago and said it would be ready very soon.

panamajames
  4/4/2020 17:30 EST

PEDASÍ, Los Santos. Some 13 people. including seven foreigners were arrested in the late afternoon of Wednesday, April 1, in Playa Venao, Pedasí district, for violating quarantine laws

Miguel Batista, mayor of Pedasí, said that in the operation was carried out jointly by Police and health officials, and about 40 people were surprised on the beach, but most fled.

He said they were surfing and walking on the beach like on a normal summer day.

According to a justice of the peace, Nelly Vera, eight men and five women, were fined $ 100 each.

The mayor of Pedasí said that a minority of the population does not seem to understand that there is a national emergency and that there are decrees and restrictions that must be complied with.

The regional director of health for Los Santos Ayvar Hernández said that thanks to the sanitary fence and all the controls scattered throughout the province, only one indigenous coronavirus case has been reported in a 43-year-old man residing in Sabana Grande, Los Santos.

panamajames
  4/4/2020 17:41 EST

A total of 492 men were arrested on “women’s day” the first day of the new quarantine rules that mandate limited shopping hours for women and men on alternate days, and for neither on Sunday.

Women can go shopping on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays while men can to go outside on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

The departure time is conditioned by the last number of the ID or passport.

Authorities also detained 58 women for failing to comply with the departure time also detained 39 minors.

Jazzmann
  4/5/2020 08:33 EST

Questions:

1. My next door neighbor and I are both men over 60, can we carpool to the grocery store?.

2. Where and how does one obtain a letter that authorizes travel outside the posted hours for an important purpose?

3. Is there a reliable website or other source that provides more detailed and categorized information on virus statistics in Panama? The United States Embassy and other sources provide information on the current number of confirmed cases. It is more difficult to find a breakdown of the status of the positive cases, Belmar asymptomatic, some are mild and quarantined at home, some are more serious and require hospitalization and some require intensive care. I've also given to understand that there are Hospital wards that are used to quarantine people who are positive and refused to self quarantine. It would be helpful to have the breakdown of the information by Provence. Occasionally some of this information is posted, from apparently reliable sources, but I have not found a stores that I can check regularly for all of this information. Thank you.

Panamanreed
  4/5/2020 09:13 EST

In answer to a couple of your questions. You get the permits from the Ministry of Health in the town you live in.
Information is on Ministerio de Salud Panama website. You can Google that. Then click on the link casos de COVID 19 en Panama. You will see a detailed map of Panama where the cases are and if they are at home or in the hospitals.

You just click on the red dots and they will give you that information.

It is easy even if you don't speak or read much Spanish.
Hope this helps.

Panabud
  4/6/2020 10:56 EST

The government models used to predict the extent of the coronavirus pandemic are off by huge margins in the latest coronavirus tracking numbers.

The government predictions reported by the IMHE Covid Tracking (https://covidtracking.com/data) for Apr 5th were as follows:

– All beds needed: 179,267
– ICU beds needed: 33,176
– Invasive ventilators: 26,544

These numbers were posted on their website on Sunday.

Those were the predictions.

The actual numbers as recorded at The Covid Tracking Project:

– Actual hospitalizations: 22,158
– In ICU: 5,207
– On ventilator: 656

The actual numbers show:
Via Dr. Ned Nikolov.

– Overestimation of hospitalizations: 8 times
– Overestimation of of ICU beds needed: 6.4 times
– Overestimation of ventilators needed: 40.5 times

So overnight the IMHE — the official group Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx have been promoting cut their numbers by more than half!
Here is what the IMHE NOW HAS for April 5th:

– All beds needed: Was 179,267 … Now is 90,353
– ICU beds needed: Was 33,176 … Now is 17,589
– Invasive ventilators: Was 26,544 … Now is 14,951

They cut their projections by almost HALF!… And THEY’RE STILL TOO HIGH!

Panabud
  4/6/2020 15:28 EST

Here is a very interesting article regarding how Covid-19 deaths are being recorded into the books. In summary the CDC tells hospitals to list Covid-19 as cause of death even if it is assumed they had the virus without any testing or if the patient tested positive for Covid-19 but the virus was not necessarily the cause of death. In other words anyone who died WITH Covid-19 is considered to have died OF Covid-19 which is only an assumption. Therefore Covid-19 deaths are being overstated (potentially grossly) and to what degree we may never know.

https://www.westernjournal.com/cdc-tells-hospitals-list-covid-cause-death-even-just-assuming-contributed/

jonoyakker
  4/6/2020 23:04 EST

On the other hand, in poor areas, many dying people are not being tested so as not to waste the tests.

Panabud
  4/7/2020 12:34 EST

If people die and were not tested and they had symptoms comparable to Covid-19 then they will be classified as a Covid-19 death whether true or not.

Also take note: "Appearing Monday on AM 1030 KVOI Radio, Dr. Robert Redfield, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), predicted that the death toll from the Chinese coronavirus will be “much, much, much lower” than the models have projected due to Americans following social distancing recommendations."

The last part is questionable because many states in the U.S. had little to no social distancing mandates and their stats are on par with the rest of the country. Sweden had no restrictions at all and it was life as normal there. Their stats are on par with rest of the world. Come to your own conclusions based upon factual data.

cinparadise
  4/7/2020 14:00 EST

https://tinyurl.com/v3alz38

panamajames
  4/8/2020 15:59 EST

There are lots of important apps being developed these days. Here is a toilet paper one that every family should have. https://toiletpaper-calculator.com/ Some friends in the US reported “It doesn't matter how many rolls we need. We can't buy any.” Reports today, on ladies shopping day, that a man was refused service at a food store. Duh.........Makes perfect sense. People don’t get it. Here is an important new development effective tomorrow in Boquete in stores. You will not be allowed in stores without a face mask.
They are actually hard to find. On men’s shopping day, I generally am asked to see my identification and there are check stops around town where the police want to see my ID. Yesterday during men’s shopping day, I did see ladies shopping. Maybe they were health care workers or have some special volunteer type access or cards. People in Panama City are still not getting the message. The National Police reported that on Monday April 6th, they detained 797 people for ignoring quarantine regulations for the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 635 men, 119 women and 43 minors. Security Minister, Juan Pino, reported that in the curfew operations, between March 18 and April 3rd , 6694 people have been detained . Once detained, people are sent to a justice of the peace, to receive the respective sanctions. They are offered either jail confinement or allowed to pay a fine. Most choose to pay the fine. Fines from people that I know have been $50 to $100, not the $100,000 amount that the Government was publicizing. Security Minister, Juan Pino, said that an investigation has been opened after police were called to a poolside party in the Patio Pinel sector, on Sunday, April 5, during a countrywide lock down. Nine people were arrested flouting the stay at home regulations. The previous incident was a wedding party in a Paitilla apartment block. The organizers of both events face heavy fines. The prime minister of England was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital on Sunday, on the advice of his doctor, after continuing to have a cough and high temperature 10 days after testing positive for the coronavirus. The prime minister was given oxygen before being taken to intensive care on Monday. Downing Street said BoJo was in "good spirits" on Wednesday as he continued to receive standard oxygen treatment. He was breathing without any assistance, such as mechanical ventilation or non-invasive respiratory support. The Queen and other senior royals sent messages to Mr. Johnson's family and his pregnant fiancee, Carrie Symonds, saying they were thinking of them, and wished the PM a full and speedy recovery. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is deputizing for Mr. Johnson, said on Tuesday he was "confident" the PM would recover from this illness, describing him as a "fighter". Here is the latest from the US Embassy in Panama https://pa.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

karenmmm
  4/8/2020 20:02 EST

stay at home order...extended to include saturday

karenmmm
  4/8/2020 20:03 EST

so us guys now have 4 hours per week

karenmmm
  4/8/2020 20:25 EST

King George III learned the hard way

Panabud
  4/8/2020 21:41 EST

Karenmmm, do you have a link? How in the world can people accept this? At what point do you start thinking for yourself and defy unreasonable orders?

karenmmm
  4/9/2020 09:25 EST

I received a msg last night from a Panamanian friend...she's in her final year of med school, and have no reason to doubt her...

panamajames
  4/9/2020 12:15 EST

Total quarantine announced for coming Saturday and Sunday, driver license suspension under consideration.....................

https://www.tvn-2.com/nacionales/Autoridades-anuncian-cuarentena-licencias-conductores_0_5551694851.html ....................................

Por Redacción de TVN Noticias
08/04/2020 - 6:36 PM .....................

Public Safety Minister, Juan Pino, announced the establishment of a total nationwide quarantine for this coming Saturday, the 11th of April and Sunday the 12th of April. Accordingly, no one may leave their home with the exclusion of exceptions established in Executive Decree 507.

He also stated that stronger measures are being considered against drivers who do not comply with the established quarantine to combat COVID-19 in Panama.

“Their driver license will be suspended for three months and the vehicle will be towed” stated Pino.

In the past 24 hours a total of 589 people were detained nationwide for non-compliance with the Executive Decree: 483 men, 60 women and 46 minors.

Panama Health authorities have expressed their concern regarding a sector of the population that is not complying with measures taken to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The National police assured continuation of the respective monitoring.

dumluk
  4/9/2020 23:52 EST

Could be hes sincere and just not well informed.....That is all to often the case....I actually liked the way this govt was working until this point....But on the hand it could just be Hollywood style acting performance.............Sounds good, no doubt......But I have been to many political gatherings and listenewd to many political figures/candidates, and what I find is they talk real good, and deliver very little.......

dumluk
  4/11/2020 00:03 EST

And heres a fascinating documentary on the origins of this mysterious virus which is making all of our lives more complicated right now. It appears to be legitimate.....Feel free to debunk if you are able: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1105&v=Gdd7dtDaYmM&feature=emb_logo

golric
  4/15/2020 09:45 EST

Interesting article government response to the corona virus.

https://www.americasquarterly.org/content/preparation-key-lessons-panamas-pandemic-response#.XpX-tIv67Mo.twitter

dumluk
  4/17/2020 11:59 EST

The only way it is feasible to resist is if it is an organized protest with numbers. If you go out there like John Wayne, tellin em to f^&k off, they will roll right over you........And the only way to organize people (like they have done in Michigan, is social media.......I am not exactly a master of social media.......So whoever is, be my guest and sign me up.......

isand2017
  4/17/2020 12:58 EST

Another Full Weekend of Curfew!

Why?

Coronavirus: Trump unveils plan to reopen states in phases

Spain relaxes lockdown as daily coronavirus death toll falls to 517
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/13/spain-relaxes-lockdown-as-daily-coronavirus-death-toll-falls-to-517


Health Alert - U.S. Embassy Panama City, Panama (April 17, 2020)

?On April 16, the Government of Panama announced that both Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19, will be full quarantine whereby no one can leave their homes. For now, the inclusion of Saturday only applies to this weekend.

As far as the protesting goes-that's not going to happen!

stgibson
  4/17/2020 13:41 EST

Here is a guy who is....
https://youtu.be/Hgx-DEAjtHI

volcan357
  4/17/2020 14:04 EST

As I understand it the problem with the coronavirus is that it is very contagious. More so than other viruses we have had in the past. That is what makes it harder to control. As far as I am concerned at 79 years old I am going to do everything I can to avoid it. The longer I can avoid it the better because it is very likely that with time they will come up with a good anti-viral drug or vaccine. If you get infected before that happens at my age it is likely to kill you. I know that we are all going to die some day but it would be nice to live a few more years. There are some projects I would like to finish before I hit the grave. Besides it is fun to be sleeping every night beside a beautiful 25 year old Dominican girl

panamajames
  4/18/2020 12:37 EST

Saturday, April 18, 2020. A foreigner was arrested in Bella Vista selling masks from the Santo Tomás Hospital, However, today is a Historic day for other good reasons. For the first time, the cases of those recovered from COVID-19 exceed the number of deaths. The story is that for the first time since the coronavirus emergency was declared, in the past 24 hours, the number of recovered patients outnumbered new cases.

According to the 24-hour report, 122 recovered patients have been registered, while the deceased are 116 according to Lourdes Moreno, head of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health (MINSA).

The behavior is attributed to the intense way of the work of the health personnel. Minister Rosario Turner and Security Minister Juan Pino reiterated the call to stay home remembering that this weekend Saturday and Sunday, they are under total quarantine and nobody can be on the streets.

It was reported that the Ministry of the Presidency assigned a departure transfer of B / .2.8 million to MINSA to appoint the personnel that will work in the new Panama Solidarity Integrated Hospital, and in the Respiratory unit of the National Institute of Physical Medicine.
The vice minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, met this Friday with the mayor of Arraiján and the representative of Veracruz where a shelter for positives for COVID-19 in Panama Oeste was set up. It seeks to mitigate the high spread of the virus in the area.

For the second consecutive day, the Plan Protect yourself Panama in the Darien is strengthened. Today an inter-institutional meeting was held with migrants from the province. They will undergo various examinations and will be transferred to another point with better conditions.

The Epidemiological report
As of today: 122 recovered patients are reported, 194 new cases for a cumulative figure of 4,210.
In home isolation there are 3,631 people, 116 deceased and 341 hospitalized, 247 in the ward and 94 in intensive care.

Cable and Wireless is thanked for the fact that, starting today, in alliance with MINSA and SERTV, it starts its + Móvil COVID-19 channel, a digital platform dedicated exclusively to informing the population of COVID-19 strategies.

Security Report: Minister Pino reported that 553 people (488 men, 42 women and 23 minors) were held in the last 24 hours, especially in the capital city, San Miguelito, Arraiján and Colón. He reported that a foreigner was arrested in Bella Vista selling masks from the Santo Tomás Hospital, an act that Minister Turner will investigate administratively.
About 206 cars were detained, while 24 people were captured in 6 raids and 4 firearms were seized.

Care without interruption CSS:
The director of the CSS, Enrique Lau Cortés, stressed that they have not stopped regular hospital attention for the population. From March 16 to April 6, 97,356 patients have been treated; 24,081 in emergency rooms; 21,004 respiratory symptoms and 52,271 of common morbidity.
He announced that the engineers Publio Muñoz and Robert Dunkley presented to the CSS the prototype of a fan based on a project, used in Spain, which allows ventilation through a mechanism that could be a viable alternative.

The Minister of Social Development, Markova Concepción, spokesperson for the Panama Solidarity plan, noted that until yesterday 419,882 bags of food and 230,572 bonds have been delivered for a total of 650,454 grants in total.

All official information regarding COVID-19 in Panama and the actions of the National Government are communicated through the official accounts of MINSA on the main social networks and on its website
www.minsa.gob.pa and yomeinformopma.org , The 169 call center and the WhatsApp number 6997-2539 are also available.

panamajames
  4/18/2020 18:45 EST

You may remember awhile ago when the Panama Government through the Minstry of Health, talked about $100,000 fines for ignoring the quarantine. Most fines that I saw handed out in the last few weeks were $50 and $100 fines but we wondered what the fine would be for the big wedding party that was held recently in Patilla, Panama City. Here is that story........................................................................................The bill for a recent high-end wedding party has risen by $100,000 as the organizers of a celebration in the social area of a luxury tower in Paitilla during Quarantine in late March have paid a fine imposed by the Ministry of Health.

During a press conference, the day after the event Health Minister Rosario Turner said that given the national emergency situation of COVID-19, no one under any circumstances can violate the provisions of Executive Decree 507 which establishes the curfew of absolute quarantine and prohibits crowding of people in public places to prevent the spread of the virus.

“Here everyone has to comply. From the largest with economic power to the smallest, no one has privileges here is the life of all Panamanians, "said Turner at the time.

Videos of the bride and groom and guests dancing who were attended by catering staff, circulated on social networks. That is one expensive wedding...........

StanleySankey
  4/19/2020 08:18 EST

In Chitre the mayor has asked for a $1000 minimum fine for quarantine violators in order to set an example. This is in addition the community service.

karenmmm
  4/19/2020 11:21 EST

to achieve something equitable...rather than assigning days to men and women...just rotate...one day men, next day women

dumluk
  4/19/2020 11:24 EST

That is absolutely absurd and an abuse of authority. I much prefer the way they do things in Sweden. But time will tell if in fact it was the best way: https://www.zerohedge.com/health/sweden-right-economy-should-be-left-open

stgibson
  4/19/2020 11:34 EST

Karenmmm are you asleep? That is what they are doing!

karenmmm
  4/19/2020 11:49 EST

some's asleep

reread my post...then count on your fingers, pal

karenmmm
  4/19/2020 11:55 EST

someone's asleep

llseldon
  4/19/2020 14:59 EST

Thank God in Texas we can go for a ride in our car, walk our dog in the park & go to the grocery 24/7.

llseldon
  4/19/2020 15:12 EST

Ah yes Pedasi.

llseldon
  4/19/2020 15:18 EST

Miss the Tuesday morning ExPat Flea market?

Panamanreed
  4/19/2020 15:53 EST

Where's that?

Panamanreed
  4/19/2020 15:53 EST

Where's that?

Panabud
  4/19/2020 16:22 EST

Texas will be the first state to open up. Once the dust settles and the WHO, Fauci, Brix, et all. are investigated for corruption and conflict of interest we will see if this plandemic was in fact a colossal fraud. The virus is real but the response to it was the fraud.

volcan357
  4/19/2020 16:40 EST

I am lucky I have a big property with the closest house about a half a kilometer away. I can walk around as much as I want without getting near anybody or even seeing anybody for that matter. I'd hate to be living in the city in an apartment. That could drive a person crazy. Actually the virus hasn't changed my lifestyle much at all since I normally spend at least 95% of my time on my own place here. I just can't go to the store as often so I have to plan ahead and make do with what I have if I run out of something. My main concern is somebody visiting me who has not been as careful as they should.

Panamanreed
  4/19/2020 17:33 EST

It is pretty clear the big difference between the way the Panamanian government is handling this and the way Panabud and Dumluck think things should be handled, is in perspective.

Panabud constantly screams injustice and breach of basic human rights. He isn't even living in Panama.

The Panamanian's big concern is the lives that are involved. These stats are more than numbers, they represent people that get sick and or die.

Panabud believes that the lives of those innocents should be sacrificed so he can continue his lifestyle.

The Panamanian is not complaining because he knows that by staying in and being socially responsible he is minimizing the spread of this disease, hence saving lives.

I support that point of view. I have no problem in altering my alleged lifestyle to stay in for a few weeks or months if it means saving lives of innocent people.

World economies have survived all kinds of disasters brought on by human greed such as the Great Depression and the 2010 recession. Those were uncalled for. The economy will survive this, too.

karenmmm
  4/19/2020 18:06 EST

and maybe the Panamanian isn't complaining as feudal roots run deep

Panamanreed
  4/19/2020 20:35 EST

@Karenmmm There is truth to that, too.
However, lives are still at stake and that should be the main focus for now.

Panamanreed
  4/19/2020 20:35 EST

@Karenmmm There is truth to that, too.
However, lives are still at stake and that should be the main focus for now.

Panamanreed
  4/19/2020 20:35 EST

@Karenmmm There is truth to that, too.
However, lives are still at stake and that should be the main focus for now.

Panamanreed
  4/19/2020 20:35 EST

@Karenmmm There is truth to that, too.
However, lives are still at stake and that should be the main focus for now.

dumluk
  4/19/2020 21:07 EST

Why do you think the so called authorities are busting about 500 or so people every day for violating curfew? The Panas are protesting but just lack the organizational capacity, which is now happening in many States in the U.S. You can only keep people cooped up for so long......This is totally rediculous.......Exaggerated beyond belief.....And what is more startling is that you people, most of you, buy it.........Somebody on this forum posted some numbers.......00012... Can somebody who is better at math than me verify that?

panamajames
  4/20/2020 00:51 EST

The following is a translation of an article in La Prensa tonight Sunday April 19th 2020. This is my translation of the article. Translations that you provide, may differ. (But not by much)


The coronavirus has 4 million plus persons quarantined in Panama. Doubts have arisen regarding aspects of the restrictions. This document may assist you. Law enforcement officers are ensuring that the population complies with the quarantine in the country. There will be empty streets, there will be restrictions, and the police on the streets will be asking for identification documents.


Since March 25th, the Government of Panama has decreed a total quarantine in order to prevent people from being active in the streets, hoping to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The essentials are generally known such as what time can people go out to buy food and medicine, but many questions still arise. This document is an attempt to answer some of these questions by providing official information from those involved who are the experts on the subject.


How long will the quarantine last?


The decree establishes that the total quarantine will remain in force for the duration of the declaration of a State of National Emergency. President Laurentino Cortizo and his ministers formally approved the State of Emergency on Friday the 13th in March of last month in order to deal with Covid-19.


Who was excluded from complying with the quarantine?


Exceptions include members of the Public Force, medical personnel, public transportation; likewise personnel from the Panama Canal Authority, as well as from the National Highway Company (ENA). Within this group are also the pharmaceutical industries, cleaning companies, hotels and pensions, the agri-food industry, security companies, the power generation and distribution industry, telecommunications companies, the media and banks.


What rules must be maintained by those who can still continue working and are the exception in quarantine?


The provision of the services included in the quarantine exceptions, must be done in strict compliance with the instructions provided by the health authorities, in particular, maintaining the physical distance and the number of people allowed in each physical space. This goes mainly for companies such as call centers, funeral homes, companies that provide the service to print labels for food and medicines, as well as laundries that provide the treatment and collection service for solid and hospital waste.


How many people will be able to move around per family during the quarantine?


For the purpose of provisioning in supermarkets, mini-supermarkets and grocery stores, as well as trips to clinics, hospitals, banks, shops and laundries, only one person per household will be allowed to be active.


What happens to a person who cannot fend for himself during quarantine and requires medical attention or has to go to the hospital?


When it comes to the mobilization of people with chronic health conditions or who have suffered accidents and need to get to a hospital, a clinic or health centers through the use of an ambulance or other health services vehicle, they may be accompanied by a second person. If the mobilization is done through the use of a private vehicle, only a maximum of two people per vehicle will be allowed.


What will people whose ID ends outside bank hours or other services do to access them? Banks are open from 9:00 a.m. at 3:00 p.m. Those with certificates ending in 4,5,6 and 7 would be left out.


Supermarkets and Banks have adapted their hours to this total quarantine. For example, the Banking Association of Panama announced that Banco Nacional, Banco General, BAC Credomatic, Banco Aliado, Banistmo, Multibank. Banesco, Bicsa, Scotiabank, Caja de Ahorros and St Georges Bank will work with the following hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday: from 1:00 p.m. at 7:00 p.m. while on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays they will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.


And, separately, the main supermarkets announced their quarantine hours: El Machetazo (6:30 am to 7:00 pm), Xtra (6:30 am to 7:30 pm), Riba Smith (6:30 am to 7 : 00 pm), Price Smart (7:00 am to 7:00 pm), El Fuerte (6:00 am to 8:00 pm) El Rey (6:30 am to 7:00 pm). and Super 99 (6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.).


How will people transporting working family members during the quarantine period transit?


The Ministry of Health (Minsa) explained that when dropping off a person at their specific destination, it is recommended that the authorized driver keep identifiable documents when he returns to his home and can return to pick up this person when his schedule ends, with this authorized document such as a receipt for water or electricity to indicate place of residence. The Ministry clarified that the registration and use of safe conduct must be used for any exceptions contemplated, as the inappropriate use of these will be sanctioned.


How will quarantined personnel use the time allotted, according to their schedules, if they are on business hours?


In this case, the authorities appeal to everyone's understanding and solidarity. They recommend that the employer allow their employees time to go to the supermarket or to perform quarantined duties.


Can the dog be taken for a walk during quarantine?


The authorities have reiterated that during the total quarantine, it is only possible to leave the house to buy supplies in supermarkets, mini-supermarkets, grocery stores; medicines or health services in pharmacies, clinics, hospitals, health centers or veterinary clinics; banking, financial, cooperative and some shop services; laundries; gas stations and insurance. Neither Decree 490 of March 17th which declared the curfew nor 507 of March 24th, which extended it, establish times to walk pets.


How is overtime paid for in telecommuting?


According to the Government, the worker is not obliged to work overtime if the employer requires it. However, the time will be remunerated as established by the Labor Code.


Is the home delivery service being maintained?


The Presidency of the Republic clarified that the companies that are dedicated to the food delivery service will be able to continue operating during the total and indefinite quarantine. The clarification came after it was noted that Executive Decree No. 507 of March 24, 2020, required the complete quarantine. It does not include new business entrepreneurs who want to open home delivery services for institutions or people at home, so such activities and companies are excluded from this measure.


How are deaths processed if the Electoral Court has a special schedule due to restrictions?


The Electoral Tribunal explained that, because it is a special situation, those in charge of managing public and private cemeteries must carry out (maintaining their controls) the burial or cremation of the bodies with the copy of the clinical part of death that is provided to them, and with a copy for the bereaved. Then, the documentation will be sent to the National Directorate of Civil Registry for proper registration. They clarified that this is a provisional measure.


Will diplomats accredited in Panama use the last number of the passport or the international mission card?


The National Immigration Service explained that all foreigners in the national territory may use the last number of their passport issued by their respective country for their departure. This measure includes foreigners with permanent residence or not. In other words, everyone must carry the passport - or a legible copy of it - in order to travel. It is even valid if it is expired.


Does the Panama Solidarity plan apply to foreigners?


According to a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency, the initiative also applies to foreigners residing in Panama, who will be given the voucher with the resident card.


Can you drink liquor in quarantine?


Article 7 of Executive Decree No. 507 of March 24, which contemplates the provisions of the extended curfew and other provisions, establishes that it will be prohibited to sell and consume alcoholic beverages throughout the country.

Malaberian
  4/20/2020 07:30 EST

Yes, the restrictions are getting monotonous. I wonder what the long term consequences will be for mental health?

For sure we have some serious cabin fever and we thought it was bad in the great white north!

I read an interview with the Prez that indicated they would begin easing the restrictions when some ratio reaches 1 or below one. At the time of the interview the current number was 1.5. I saw posted yesterday or the day before the ratio was at 1.3. When the quarantine went into place it was 5.

I am not sure what numbers are being used to get this. However, NY is using the same index and they list they are at a 0.9, I could have interpreted it incorrectly.

Can we view the folks who break quarantine as resistance? Just because there is a specified number apprehended, there are certainly more successful. On any given day, there is a pile of folks moving around where we live. Kind of out of town, takes 10 minutes to get down there, mostly because of a crappy road and then twisty windy stuff.

Anyway, for those of us that still have a stash, lets all have a drink to show our resolve!

isand2017
  4/20/2020 10:40 EST

"Wuhan lockdown - Panama is using a the Chinese Model!

"Hubei a.k.a Wuhan lockdown
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Hubei_lockdowns

implemented a seven-day lockdown in which only one person per household was allowed to exit once each two days, and most of the highway exits were closed.[

panamajames
  4/20/2020 15:47 EST

Here is a chart that may indicate when things could return to normal in your area of Panama. If the virus numbers increase or decrease greatly, these dates could change for you. Check out where you live........................

Panamanreed
  4/20/2020 16:39 EST

The quarantine notice is false. There is still no known date for an end to the quarantine. It was announced on the news.
It fooled me, too.

Panamanreed
  4/20/2020 16:39 EST

The quarantine notice is false. There is still no known date for an end to the quarantine. It was announced on the news.
It fooled me, too.

panamajames
  4/20/2020 17:54 EST

That is correct, there is no known date when areas will be open. It was a news discussion that got released to the public in the form of a notification, but it is in fact, fake news. It was to answer the many questions as to when this quarantine would end, but it was not for public release, but at least it was talked about. Attached is the latest report for Chiriqui Province....................

Panabud
  4/20/2020 23:50 EST

According to a new study at USC the fatality rate of coronavirus has been lowered to 0.1 - 0.3%. The reason is due to anti-body testing which shows a significant number of people had coronavirus that were never tested.

dumluk
  4/21/2020 17:09 EST

Apparently they did the same study and got the same results at Stanford: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC6dcCo4GFI&feature=youtu.be

Panabud
  4/22/2020 17:32 EST

How is everyone doing on house arrest? A lot of people live in small condos and social areas and pools are closed. How in the world can people cope with only 6 hours per week of freedom? Sunshine is necessary for vitamin D to build your immune system not to mention fresh air and exercise.

dumluk
  4/22/2020 18:13 EST

6 hours? Ojala.........the last two weeks only 4.......just try getting it all done and bought in 4 hours per week when you live out in the country. Fortunately, like Volcan357 I have a nice big countr;y property in the cool highlands surrounded by rivers and full of big trees and fruit trees and lots of food close at hand........And contrary to Agenda 21 program I go to the river on a daily basis.....dont tell anybody... I got a feeling theres some tattletales on this forum.......jaja.....If Cortizo takes away our Sat again......Weve got a group ready to do a sit-in protest at Central Park......This is gettin to be unbearable.......if your a freedom lovin independent kine person used to movin around........Some people are quite content to sit around the house breathing the same old recycled air all day watching t.v./novelas, etc........and FAKE NEWS......non stop......

Malaberian
  4/22/2020 18:48 EST

Speaking for myself, a daily routine of sorts.

For us our time to be out is 6:30 am to 8:30 am. For the past two weeks the guys have only been able to go out two days 4 hours total!

We definitely set aside time to capture the vitamin D.

The description is monotonous, boredom. Lots of reading.

As you read the news, there are daily over 500 folks caught breaking the quarantine, sure there are more that do not.

Saturday & Sunday is supposed to be everybody at home, there is a lot of movement in our neighborhood.

So call it house arrest, it is probably more accurate then not. The only thing we would need to make it 100% is a tracker!

They say in 10 days they may start relaxing the restrictions. Sure would be nice to go out and have a drink!

SAY
  4/22/2020 19:01 EST

Panabud,

I am doing quite well with my 6 hours of social time. Panama's rate of transmitting the virus to others is down to .95.. That means a person with coronavirus will transmit it to less than one person. 1:.95. When we started the quarantine, it was 1:4. I am happy that Panama has taken these measures, so I don't have to drown in my own excrement like others who have died of this virus.

By the way, you need to do research on sunlight converting to vitamin D in older and dark-skinned people. It mostly doesn't.

panamajames
  4/22/2020 19:05 EST

As for me, I spend at least 8 hours a day outdoors and get plenty of sunshine and exercise. I have to watch that I don't get too much sun as I am outdoors more now than I was before this coronavirus thing as I spent many hours at the spa and gym.  I do miss the people there but we chat on WhatsApp and Messenger and send emails and jokes, so we haven't really missed a beat. The weather has been magnificent this past month. I made a makeshift gym out on the deck overlooking downtown and I might decide not to join the local spa and gym after all of this is over.  I use the elliptical every day and my daughter teaches us her yoga outdoors and I have skip ropes and stretch ropes and I dug out all the exercise gear that I had put away when I joined the local spa.  We have our meals in the great outdoors and I had forgotten how many types of birds and critters that visit our yard and garden every day.  In the mornings I go down and pick some oranges and bananas when ripe or just go down to grab some Moringa leaves off the tree to dry and make some tea. We watch the coatimundi and other critters wander through the yard while our cats keep a close eye on them with curiosity.  We spent all of February in Colombia so it was nice to get back to Panama in March to relax for a few months anyway before our next trip somewhere.  March to the end of August are my favorite Panama months so the timing is perfect for me.  I hope that everyone else in Panama is enjoying home life as much as I am.  I do not wander much during the daytime normally anyway, except now I wander the food markets when I have my 4 hours a week freedom and get my other social activities taken care of. We have perfect weather, great food, plenty of exercise in the outdoors with lots of sunshine and family.  Couldn't ask for much more.  Yes, we are just fine.  Thanks for asking..............Cheers 

volcan357
  4/22/2020 20:02 EST

Regardless of the country where you live you are much better off if you live in a rural area with a bit of land. I feel sorry for people who live in a condo. They must really feel that they are under house arrest I almost never eat at restaurants under normal circumstances and spend most of my time on my property taking care of my plants. So my life is not much different. Luckily I managed to smuggle in my wife before the lockdown so now she is stuck here with me whether she likes it or not. There will be no international flights for a long time. When things return to normal I will have to fix her papers. My biggest concern is the virus. I am 79 which puts me in a high risk category. Like everybody else I am wondering how this situation is going to end. And how it is going to impact the economy of Panama and elsewhere. You know COPA had been expanding rapidly in recent years adding new destinations in various Latin American countries. And along with it Tocumen has been growing as an international hub. The shutdown is bound to hurt them. How are they going to recover? That is what I am wondering.

dumluk
  4/22/2020 20:47 EST

I was told by a Pana friend capitalino with connecs (small country, easy to have connecs) that COPA had asked the guv for financial assistance and was refused....I have no idea if this is accurate information or not....Probably not....In any case, COPA is half owned by Continental, which means is will be able to take advantage of the American taxpayer funded multi trillion dollar bailouts which will mostly be earmarkded for big corporations........Theyre not gonna let COPA die.....Its too important.....And Theyve made Panama the hub of L.A. which is great and logical but means certain risks come along with that privilege........And were all payin for it now........95% of the problem is in the city......But we are all under the same restrictions.........Come to your own conclusions.......

volcan357
  4/22/2020 21:34 EST

I like COPA airlines. In the last ten years it is the only airline I have ever used. COPA has an office in David. The girls there are really nice. They always help me find the date with the best price. I used to get my tickets from a travel agency in David but I found that I can get a better price at the COPA office. And of course we jubilados get our discount. COPA has an office in Medellin which I have used to change the return date. COPA is the only airline that has direct flights to the Dominican Republic. The other airlines require you to change flights in Miami which is going out of your way. Anyway I hope COPA gets back to normal when the epidemic is over.

dumluk
  4/22/2020 22:07 EST

Claro.......no matter what one may think of Motta and his clan and how they run things around here....the fact is, that COPA is the best in the region......Nobody offers better service and connectivity than COPA......Dont worry.....if theres one business that WILL Survive all this caos, it will be COPA.........

dumluk
  4/22/2020 22:15 EST

Claro.......no matter what one may think of Motta and his clan and how they run things around here....the fact is, that COPA is the best in the region......Nobody offers better service and connectivity than COPA......Dont worry.....if theres one business that WILL Survive all this caos, it will be COPA.........

ROKSlide
  4/23/2020 10:10 EST

When Continental merged with United to form the current United Airlines, they were required to dispose of their interest in COPA, so your observation is many years out-of-date.

meatmeepz
  4/24/2020 00:30 EST

What is the situation in Panama now? We are trying to move there but it seems like everything is completely locked down due to Covid 19. Any news on when Panama plans to open again?

panamajames
  4/24/2020 19:02 EST

Panama's President says that if the numbers start on a downward trend, that he will begin to lift certain restrictions as of May the first, so that is a week away. So it depends on what the numbers show. So far, Panama numbers are still on the rise............................................................Another news story that caught some attention and I wondered when the gender thing would hit the papers in the negative. This from CBS news...........................................Trans woman fined for violating Panama's gender-based coronavirus lockdown, rights group says.

Bárbara Delgado, a trans woman and health outreach worker, was distributing food near her home in Panama when she was detained by police for being out on the "wrong day" under the government's gender-based quarantine rules, the rights group Human Rights Watch told CBS News.

To slow the spread of COVID-19, the government of Panama imposed new lockdown measures that only allow men and women to leave their homes on alternate days of the week. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are for women. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are for men, although since the Easter weekend, men and women have not been allowed out on Saturdays. No one can go out on Sundays.

Authorities have the power to confirm a person's gender identity — and thus, whether they are in violation of quarantine — by checking their official documentation. In Panama, trans people can't legally change their sex unless they have had sex reassignment surgery, so many trans people, like Delgado, are stuck in limbo.

In addition to only being able to go out on certain days determined by gender, each person has allocated times they are permitted to leave their homes that are based on their national ID numbers. On the first day of the lockdown, Delgado had not yet been issued a transit pass by the clinic where she worked, and was stopped by the police for being out outside of her allotted window, along with three others.

The others, who had not been doing volunteer work, were told to go home by police. Delgado, however, was brought back to the station.

"She was treated differently from the other people that were out," Cristian González Cabrera, an LGBT researcher at Human Rights Watch, told CBS News.

"She was brought to the police station, and she was there for three hours, where she also suffered more discrimination at the hands of the justice of the peace, because he also accused her of not being a woman," Cabrera said.

Delgado was eventually released after paying a fine equivalent to $50.
"That shows how trans people are treated differently in Panama in the context of this gender-based quarantine," Cabrera told CBS News.
Since the lockdown came into effect in Panama, Cabrera has documented three more cases of trans people being discriminated against because of the gender rules.

"They all left (their homes) on the day dictated by the gender marker on their ID, but when they tried to go to the supermarket in two of the cases and the bank in one case, they were met with discrimination by either police officers or security agents," Cabrera said.

Panama hasn't issued any guidance for what trans or non-binary people should do in the context of the gender-based quarantine rules, but Cabrera hopes it will.

"Bárbara went out on the day for women even though her ID says male. The other transgender people actually went out on the day dictated by their ID and they also suffered discrimination. So you're damned if you do, damned if you don't in this context," he said (she said).

StanleySankey
  4/25/2020 08:41 EST

From Ministry of Health Data

golric
  4/25/2020 09:37 EST

Article from La Prensa Panama. There is a new disinfection tunnel in Albrook Terminal. Article in Spanish but the video needs no translation. ' They spray persons as they enter.


https://www.prensa.com/economia/instalan-cabina-de-desinfeccion-en-la-terminal-de-albrook/

panamajames
  4/25/2020 13:02 EST

Here is the English translation: A disinfection booth was installed at the Albrook National Transportation Terminal for users who transit daily through the bus station. The measure seeks to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus among users. Most of the people that transit through the terminal arrive from Panama West. "Little by little, these systems will be placed in all the access roadways of the terminal and in all the entrances of the Albrook Mall when it opens its doors," says the administrative staff. It sprays a disinfectant as you walk through.

Panabud
  4/25/2020 14:38 EST

Panamajames, do you know what chemicals are in the disinfectant? Is being sprayed a requirement to enter the facility or can you opt out? When will these machines be removed or will they be permanent?

panamajames
  4/25/2020 15:21 EST

Here is the latest Friday Chart Listing for Chiriqui Province in Panama......................

panamajames
  4/25/2020 15:28 EST

Here is a very good chart for all of Panama.................

https://geosocial.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/2c6e932c690d467b85375af52b614472

panamajames
  4/26/2020 02:12 EST

Panabud, as far as the mist used in Panama, I would believe that it is sodium hypochlorite solution, and if you want to enter that location, currently it is mandatory but I know of folks who have been able to bypass the system. It is my opinion that these tunnels will be short lived as there are many who object to them, including the WHO, but it has it's pros and cons. Let's talk about some of those............................................................................. The serious global situation of this spreading coronavirus, has created a solution that may be of public value, and certainly of public interest. Disinfectant tunnels are cropping up around the world, and in some cases being shut down.. A disinfection tunnel may or may not be obligatory to use, with that decision being up to the operator. You can imagine what operators would say at an airport if you refused to have your luggage go through the x-ray machine or you personally refused to walk through the metal detector. It may or may not come to that with these tunnels and I don't believe that it will. It is my suggestion that these tunnels will quickly disappear soon after the coronavirus dies out.

This disinfection tunnel contains an integrated, hydraulic system for the atomization of biocides and virucides which may include: approved disinfectant or sanitizer, either pure or dissolved in water, types of alcohol, ozone water, electrolyzed water, or a sodium hypochlorite solution which is a chlorine compound often used as a disinfectant or a bleaching agent. Access to the tunnel may be regulated by a traf?c light with motion detection. The nebulization system is connected to a control system capable of automatically mixing the sanitizing product at percentages indicated by the manufacturer. In this way it is possible to disinfect all surfaces even those which are not directly exposed to the nozzles. They may have a tank capacity of 500 litres, which allows it to work non-stop for over 15 hours. But while companies insist that the spray is relatively harmless for humans, but enough to kill the COVID-19 virus, others are not so sure.

As you walk through these tunnels, they may spray a mist of sodium hypochlorite solution, Sodium hypochlorite is a component of commercial bleaches and cleaning solutions and used as a disinfectant in drinking and waste water purification systems and swimming pools. In 0.5% w/v solution, it is called Dakin's solution and used as an antiseptic to clean infected topical wounds. The spray used by most tunnels is 1 per cent solution. Some tunnels have three nozzles that spray one part per million sodium hypochlorite solution for the three to five seconds that people take to pass through it. A slight variation in the concentration of sodium hypochlorite could lead from mild to extremely serious side-effects, ranging from skin and eye irritation to severe burns. Sodium hypochlorite is widely used in toilet cleaners and mosquito repellents and was even used to spray on migrant workers in India. The World Health Organization warns that these tunnels are meant to supplement, and not replace other measures like washing hands regularly, maintaining proper hygiene, wearing a mask, and maintaining social distancing. Medical experts have pointed out that the spray is not effective against coronavirus, but instead, it could be harmful when sprayed on people. Some countries are banning these disinfectant tunnels. According to the World Health Organization, the disinfectants will work on surfaces but not on the human body and can even harm people. The World Health Organization has also stated that sodium hypochlorite exposure may cause nasal irritation, sore throat and coughing. Exposure to stronger concentration of the chemical can cause serious damages including burning pain, redness, swelling and blisters.

cinparadise
  4/26/2020 07:18 EST

Panabud,

Attached is a photo of a product that the main stream media in the US has been promoting to combat the Coronavirus. They extrapolated a one line joke into a media frenzy so much so that the manufacturer of this product had to issue a disclaimer informing idiots who watch TV that the media is wrong.

panamajames
  4/26/2020 13:05 EST

Panama's Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported on Friday, April 24 that there were 48 new recoveries of coronavirus patients certified with two laboratory tests -, the highest number in a day, to date while the number of people in intensive care is the lowest for 18 days

In total there are 319 recoveries by laboratory tests and 2,260 recovered clinically (without symptoms).

The update of cases reflects that there are 5,338 confirmed (172 new) and 154 deaths.

The Tocumen district now has the most reported cases (247).

Malaberian
  4/26/2020 16:05 EST

I am thinking a 1% solution of bleach may have a negative affect on clothing. In regards to Bloodborne Pathogens, a mixture of 10 parts water to 1 part bleach at 3% strength (household bleach).

Liquid chlorine is not stable in warm temps or in sunlight, that is why it is not used in outdoor swimming pools.

Perhaps somebody needs to rethink that brain cloud!

panamajames
  4/28/2020 01:03 EST

So here is your Sunday evening report as the Monday report is not available at the time of posting............One new case reported Sunday..................

stgibson
  4/28/2020 10:51 EST

Here is some interesting data they don't report. Cases per capita by country.
Spain 1/221
US A 1/327
Panama 1/681
Costa Rica 1/7,317
Ecuador 1/731
Brazil 1/3,139
China 1/16,470
Again these are confirmed cases per capita which gives a true picture of what is going on.

DChidley
  4/28/2020 11:16 EST

Stats for per capita case confirmation are not really comparable because of huge differences in test numbers and methods. Low test rates find less cases.

FredfromArkansas
  4/28/2020 11:28 EST

Another monkey wrench in the works are the number of people that have no symptoms. With the new blood test they are working on, they detect the presence of the antibodies your body produces to fight off the virus. It shows people fighting the virus or recovered. During testing of random people, they are discovering that the infection rates, at least in the US, is actually much higher, maybe even 10 or 20 times higher, than the diagnosed cases. And that the number of people showing no symptoms, but still contagious, is far greater than we know.

So the bad news is that this may be much more contagious. The good news is that it may be far less deadly.

DChidley
  4/28/2020 11:29 EST

If anyone is interested in watching stats/graphs here is a very extensive compilation of information, on Facebook posting thread. Many other graphing sites and source links are listed. Read the conclusions and interpretation text to help understand the problems with straight stats. One thing is clear, this is no hoax https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10221734904742803&id=1261283477

DChidley
  4/28/2020 11:31 EST

If anyone is interested in watching stats/graphs here is a very extensive compilation of information, on Facebook posting thread. Many other graphing sites and source links are listed. Read the conclusions and interpretation text to help understand the problems with straight stats. One thing is clear, this is no hoax https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10221734904742803&id=1261283477

Malaberian
  4/28/2020 11:43 EST

What are the points they are looking at to get the Rt.

Is there a simple formula. The one that I found was a little to long and no definition of which points to use.

karenmmm
  4/29/2020 16:11 EST

Spoke with a local cop yesterday, and he said that in addition to our two hours we also have one half hour both before and after our fixed time...??

PJBarrett1944
  4/29/2020 16:17 EST

We have always had 1/2 hour before and 1/2 hour after our assigned time. It hasn't been well publicized but the purpose is for travel. Have to remember that some of the folks have to walk more than 1/2 hour to and from the nearest tienda to buy food.

karenmmm
  4/29/2020 17:04 EST

Thanks

llseldon
  4/29/2020 18:01 EST

Breaking news, Texas: Ordering alcohol to go from your favorite Texas restaurant may not be just a coronavirus thing.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said late Tuesday night the sales of alcohol to go can continue after May 1, when restaurants in the state are allowed to reopen.
“From what I hear from Texans, we may just let this keep going on forever,”

Read more here: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/coronavirus/article242372126.html?#storylink=cpy

FrederickJS
  4/29/2020 19:27 EST

No way would I trust the China info.

panamajames
  5/1/2020 01:03 EST

On April 29, the Panamanian Ministry of Health announced 6,378 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Panama.


The Embassy has identified one flight, operated by Spirit Airlines (NK 6511), scheduled for May 8 with a limited number of seats available. Any traveler with the appropriate passport/visa to permit entry into the United States who wishes to depart Panama is eligible to purchase a ticket. May 8, departing Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport at 1:00 p.m.?for Fort Lauderdale, FL, to arrive 5:00 p.m. Contact Spirit Airlines directly at https://www.spirit.com/


Chiriquí is a province of Panama located on the western coast; it is the second most developed province in the country, after the Panamá Province. Its capital is the city of David. It has a total area of 6,490.9 km², with a population of 462,056 as of the year 2019. The province of Chiriquí is bordered to the north by the provinces Bocas del Toro and Ngobe-Buglé, to the west by Costa Rica, to the east by the province of Veraguas, and to the south by the Pacific Ocean, specifically the Gulf of Chiriquí. The province was officially established on May 26, 1849, when Panama was still part of Colombia. The province features a variety of climates, from hot and humid lowlands to the cool and moist highlands. The district is home to Fortuna Forest Reserve. Chiriquí was the province in which Manuel Noriega rose in the military ranks in the late 20th century; he helped bring Omar Torrijos back into the country after a coup d'état. Noriega had jeeps lined up with their lights on the runway in David to allow Torrijos's aircraft to land.

David City Proper is 868 square kilometers with a population of 172,384.

Boquete is 488 square kilometers with a population of 23,313.


Tierras Altas includes Volcán, Cerro Punta, Cuesta de Piedra, Nueva California, and Paso Ancho but I don’t have square kilometers or population.

panamajames
  5/2/2020 09:50 EST

One of Panama’s most poverty-stricken regions, Guna Yala, have skyrocketed with coronavirus cases, compared to other regions of the country. with an increase of 23%, according to the latest report from the Ministry of Health (Minsa). While in each of three regions of the country, Chiriquí, Veraguas, and Coclé, only one new case was registered, in Guna Yala there were 25 new cases. In Darien, Ngäbe Bugle, Bocas del Toro, Herrera, and Los Santos there was no increase.

http://minsa.gob.pa/coronavirus-covid19


SWEDEN: Updated: May 02, 2020, 13:17 GMT Coronavirus Cases: 22,082 Deaths: 2,669. Sweden records the highest weekly mortality rate since the turn of the century. They say that elected politicians must now intervene with "swift and radical measures." Swedish Public Health has claimed on four different occasions that the spread of infection has levelled out, despite evidence to the contrary. Sweden's relatively relaxed approach to controlling the spread of the coronavirus has come under fire in international media and from many locals in the capital Stockholm.

https://news.google.com/covid19/map?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

CherryPie
  5/2/2020 18:30 EST

It was mocking Trump's crazy assertion that people should ingest disinfectants to fight coronavirus.

Jackson351
  5/2/2020 22:44 EST

NO POLITICS!! Read the title please!

panamajames
  5/3/2020 06:31 EST

The number of people flouting coronavirus quarantine rules continues to rise along with a daily increase in new cases. Over 18,000 quarantine abusers were detained in April.

The Ministry of Health reports that 188 new infections bring the total since the virus first struck in Panama to 6,720 with 192 deaths on Friday, May 1 at the start of a three-day lockdown.

There are 3,061 people, in-home isolation, 1,127 are in hotels, 361 are hospitalized. (276 in wards and 85 in intensive care).

31,895 tests have been carried out, of which 7,538 positive results and 24,357 negative.

cinparadise
  5/3/2020 08:28 EST

Reality.....

dumluk
  5/3/2020 10:52 EST

And it should continue to rise until it is a torrent.. So many people who insist on moving, that the govt has to give up this tryanny..Realize how futile it is. A Pana friend in the capital just told me that there are over 2000 people incarcerated all over the country for quarantine violation. They have to pay $500 to get out. Its all about money.....These are normal people not criminals.....This is sooooo stupid that I cant fathom it......They cant work, so they cant make money, so they have to go outside and scavenge for something, the govt/police throw them in jail until they can pay them $$ that they dont have..........Brilliant, verdad?

whskyman
  5/3/2020 11:01 EST

Dear ADMIN ......

Can this thread please be closed and a new one, i.e. "Coronavirus Information & Support (No Politics) #2" be started?

IMO, 172 posts are more than enough.

Thanks,

CherryPie
  5/3/2020 11:56 EST

I'll assume that was directed at the post that was left up spreading incorrect political information in these dangerous political times, rather than the post that merely corrected that misinformation.

Otherwise, since you don't appear to be a moderator, no thank you.

CherryPie
  5/3/2020 11:57 EST

The above was for Jackson351, btw.

panamajames
  5/3/2020 12:24 EST

More reality........................With 272 confirmed cases of Covid-19 disease, The province of Colón is third in the country with the most confirmed cases. Health authorities claim that the high number is due to cases that have originated within the Minera Panama project, which operates in the Donoso district.

The Industrial Union of Mine Construction and Mining Development Workers (STM) has asked the Ministry of Health (Minsa), during its daily press conference to list separately cases detected within the copper mine project.

"We believe and recommend that this statistic should be handled separately to calm the population a little," said STM spokesman Carlos González,

Currently, the cases of Minera Panamá are included in those of Colón, which has caused a swelling in the numbers of those affected in the province.

González said that they have sent a letter to the Health Minister, Rosario Turner, in which they demand the participation of the workers' representatives in the health and safety committee.

Between 900 and 1,000 workers remain in the mining site and the company has decided to carry out tests on all those who are stll carrying out maintenance work..

"We continue to receive complaints [of] that [the workers] want to leave, that they want to quarantine as established by some protocols, but nothing has been answered," said González.

There are between 800 and 1,000 mine workers quarantined at beach and capital city hotels, according to the STM.

The mine was closed by order of the Minsa on April 6, when evacuations of the first 350 people began. Subsequently, the company requested that a number of people be left to attend to environmental issues.

The company says there are 117 infected miners, but the union suspects that they are more, including those who are housed in hospital hotels.

Panamanreed
  5/3/2020 12:27 EST

At Panabud and Dumluk Could you please explain with your amazing insight why your people need to carry rifles and other weapons to a protest on Lockdowns like in Raliegh? You are obviously in the same mindset, so you must know.

panamajames
  5/3/2020 12:29 EST

On Saturday May 1, the first day of the Labor Day long weekend total lockdown, 604 people were detained for ignoring covid-19 quarantine and curfew regulations. 579 of those arrested were adults, the rest were minors Until Friday, May 1, Panama accumulated a total of 6,720 cases of COVID-19 with 192 deaths.

CherryPie
  5/3/2020 12:31 EST

Because half the population has a below average IQ?

CherryPie
  5/3/2020 12:33 EST

Heh, the system just let me give a thumbs-up to my own post. :)

dumluk
  5/3/2020 14:53 EST

I want to know how many are actually sick, not just how many have tested positive for Covid.......Theres most likely a huge difference........Without the comparative data those numbers mean nothing........Personally, I think its time for massive disobedience. But that is something I will have to leave to the Panamanians.......For me, thnx to the absolutely horrendous response level of the American Embassy, who alerts us to a flight that is not posted and then when it does finally post on Spirit, its already full?? Whats goin on? And if theres so many folks who understanably want to get the heck outta here, why dont they bring in more flights? Im sure the airlines need the money......So just what does that tell you? for me, here shortly that its time to start walking........Good thing I actually like to walk in off the beaten track parts of the world........

StanleySankey
  5/3/2020 16:57 EST

Minsa suspends the use of tunnels, spray arches and cabins due to possible skin damage

Officials of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported this Sunday, May 3, that the use of tunnels, cabins, cameras and sprinkler arcs or micro foggers and the like with the application of chemical substances, such as quaternary ammonium, is suspended in public and private institutions. , hypochlorite, stabilized chlorine dioxide, glutaraldehyde, ionic copper, among others, which can cause skin damage.

According to the Minsa, these substances can also cause damage to the eyes and the respiratory system if they are ingested, inhaled or if you have contact with them.

Organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization agree that there is no approval for the use of these technologies with chemical substances, which are currently intended for decontamination and disinfection of porous or non-porous hard surfaces due to the pandemic. of the Covid-19.

The Minsa reminds citizens that any measure that involves the health of the population must be previously consulted with them.

https://www.prensa.com/sociedad/minsa-suspende-el-uso-de-tuneles-arcos-de-aspersion-y-cabinas-por-posibles-danos-en-la-piel/

Jackson351
  5/3/2020 19:37 EST

Hey cherrie pie, all I did was state that you were breaking the rules of this thread that were clearly written. But... you had to go on an immediate name calling attack. Real mature.

CherryPie
  5/4/2020 05:07 EST

Jackson351- I did not call you any names, I don't know what you're talking about. ?

CherryPie
  5/4/2020 05:22 EST

Has anyone heard anything about Panama opening back up?

I have plane tickets for early June from the US, hoping to stay in Panaa for six months, for starters. If we're allowed to come.

spikerivet
  5/5/2020 00:57 EST

Hi Panama James, you posted:

SWEDEN: Updated: May 02, 2020, 13:17 GMT Coronavirus Cases: 22,082 Deaths: 2,669. Sweden records the highest weekly mortality rate since the turn of the century. They say that elected politicians must now intervene with "swift and radical measures." Swedish Public Health has claimed on four different occasions that the spread of infection has levelled out, despite evidence to the contrary. Sweden's relatively relaxed approach to controlling the spread of the coronavirus has come under fire in international media and from many locals in the capital Stockholm.

I see now this is not saying that Swedish government is reconsidering their policy,They're just under fire from the int. media. right?
I see the link below it was for the map .Could you give me a link.? Thanks

panamajames
  5/6/2020 01:39 EST

Here is the news for the day ending Cinco de Mayo, Tuesday the 5th of May 2020.....................................At the close of today, May 5, 4,441 recovered patients are reported, 136 new cases, for a global total of 7,523 and 210 deaths; while in home isolation there are 2,506 people (1,056 in hotels), 366 are hospitalized, 278 are divided into the ward and 88 are in intensive care. The Ministry of Health (MINSA) informs that starting tomorrow, Wednesday, May 6, the hardware stores will be able to offer their items through online sales and the products will be shipped to their homes, recommending that they do not have physical contact with the customer. The head of the health portfolio clarified that the possibility of progressively lifting the restriction on the sale of alcoholic beverages is being studied, a decision that will be announced in due course.

Here is the Minsa Panama map:
https://geosocial.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/2c6e932c690d467b85375af52b614472


Since this coronavirus disease is caused by a new virus, people do not have immunity to it. COVID-19 causes more severe disease than seasonal influenza. Globally, about 3.4% of reported COVID-19 cases have died. By comparison, seasonal flu generally kills far less than 1% of those infected. A flu vaccine is available and effective to prevent some of the most dangerous types or to reduce the severity of the flu. No coronavirus vaccine is available at this time, though development and testing is in progress but a vaccine may be many months away. Here is the Google world report.
https://www.google.com/covid19-map/


Symptomatic transmission refers to transmission of the virus from a person who is experiencing symptoms. An asymptomatic coronavirus case would include a person infected with coronavirus who does not develop symptoms. Asymptomatic transmission refers to transmission of the virus from a person, who does not develop symptoms. There are no confirmed cases of an asymptomatic transmission of the virus. This does not exclude the possibility that it may occur. Asymptomatic cases have been reported as part of contact tracing efforts. The WHO regularly monitors all emerging evidence about this critical topic and will provide an update as more information becomes available.

COVID-19 is primarily transmitted from symptomatic people to others who are in close contact through respiratory droplets, by direct contact with infected persons, or by contact with contaminated objects and surfaces. The incubation period for COVID-19, which is the time between exposure to the virus (becoming infected) and symptom onset, is on average 5-6 days, however can be up to 14 days. During this period, also known as the “presymptomatic” period, some infected persons can be contagious. Therefore, transmission from a pre-symptomatic case can occur before symptom onset. Some people can test positive for COVID-19 from 1-3 days before they develop symptoms.

Current evidence on other coronavirus strains shows that while coronaviruses appear to be stable at low and freezing temperatures for a certain period, food hygiene and good food safety practices can prevent their transmission through food. People could catch COVID-19 by touching contaminated surfaces or objects – and then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected coronavirus infection. Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing. Masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly.

The virus can cause a range of symptoms, from ranging from mild illness to pneumonia. Symptoms of the disease are fever, cough, sore throat and headaches. Antibiotics do not work against viruses. The average time from onset to clinical recovery for mild cases of coronavirus is approximately 2 weeks and is 3-6 weeks for patients with severe or critical disease. The COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in all temperatures and areas, including areas with hot and humid weather. The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by frequently cleaning your hands. By doing this you eliminate viruses that may be on your hands and avoid infection that could occur by then touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.

While many people globally have built up immunity to seasonal flu strains, COVID-19 is a new virus to which no one has immunity. That means more people are susceptible to infection, and some will suffer severe disease. Evidence to date suggests that two groups of people are at a higher risk of getting severe COVID-19 disease. These are older people (that is people over 60 years old); and those with underlying medical conditions (such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer). The risk of severe disease gradually increases with age starting from around 40 years. It's important that adults in this age range protect themselves and in turn protect others that may be more vulnerable.

Panabud
  5/6/2020 07:09 EST

Panamajames, new data from Germany and U.S. show covid-19 fatality rate between 0.1 to 0.3% which is on par with the flu. Also note that the reason so many patients are dying from covid-19 is because it's not being treated properly. There are existing drugs such as hydroxychloroquine that will cure the disease but are banned due to political pressure. Instead patients are put on ventilators which is killing them. They are basically being left to die without proper treatment. There is no evidence of asymptomatic transmission of coronavirus as stated in the article which means healthy people shou!d NOT be quarantined because it serves no valid purpose and actually weakens their immune system.

ROKSlide
  5/6/2020 09:27 EST

It is impossible to prove a negative: that is, it is not possible to prove that there is no asymptomatic transmission, just like it is impossible to prove there are no black swans no matter how many white swans are viewed without seeing a black swan.

Many of the statement in you essay meet these same criteria. For example, just because a person tests positive after 14 days of contact with an infected person, doesn't mean that his infection was generated by that contact. It is just as likely that he unknowingly touched a doorknob 2 days before that really gave him the disease. Again, there is no way to "prove" this one way or another.

cinparadise
  5/6/2020 09:39 EST

ROKSlide,

Some people don't need proof, they'll accept statements at face value as long as it suits their ideology.

ROKSlide
  5/6/2020 14:02 EST

Agree with Panabud. Every day, if one looks hard enough, there is concrete evidence that Hydroxychloroquine + Azithromycin + Zinc cures 90+ % of infections. Two days ago, a doctor in charge of a Senior Care Center in Texas City, Texas reported of 89 cases (33 staff and 56 residents) that tested positive were treated with the above and only one died, the rest have recovered completely. Yet the CDC has now limited the use to hospitals, a tragic error, because by then, it is commonly to late and treatment by any method is problematic.

ROKSlide
  5/6/2020 14:03 EST

Agree with Panabud. Every day, if one looks hard enough, there is concrete evidence that Hydroxychloroquine + Azithromycin + Zinc cures 90+ % of infections. Two days ago, a doctor in charge of a Senior Care Center in Texas City, Texas reported of 89 cases (33 staff and 56 residents) that tested positive were treated with the above and only one died, the rest have recovered completely. Yet the CDC has now limited the use to hospitals, a tragic error, because by then, it is commonly to late and treatment by any method is problematic.

ROKSlide
  5/6/2020 14:05 EST

Cinparadise, unfortunately true.

cinparadise
  5/6/2020 14:56 EST

ROKslide,

As for the Hydroxychloroquine based cocktail, you'll never see the FDA let alone the main stream media endorse it since the expiration of the patent expired decades ago so there's no money to be made.

ROKSlide
  5/6/2020 15:24 EST

Cinparadise - Agree. There is too much money to be made when a "new" therapeutic or vaccine is approved.

stgibson
  5/6/2020 17:16 EST

And as I posted over a month ago, who stands to make the big profits? Big Pharma, with relatively little expenditure in R&D they are being asked to produce these vaccines based on publicly funded research. The real kicker is that right before the bill was passed, a requirement for price control was removed as was the requirement for liability. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

stgibson
  5/6/2020 17:34 EST

Big Pharma's theme song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs3mxq7acQU

CherryPie
  5/6/2020 17:51 EST

On the one hand, some may have ulterior motives regarding Covid-19 cures or vaccines, whether to try to cover-up and deflect attention from their own political wrongdoing or make money.

On the other hand, there is good reason to get cures/vaccines out there ASAP even if cutting some corners, considering the number of people who are dying from it as it is.

Unfortunately, most of us are not scientist and some of us are unknowingly susceptible to believing distortions and lies.

So, what to do?

Personally, I'll probably wait a while on any vaccine that comes out, rather than be among the first to try it out.

Also, keep up good health habits as much as possible, stay relatively isolated and use masks, wash hands, etc.

Hopefully, in a few months this pandemic will be in the past.

panamajames
  5/6/2020 20:19 EST

As for a link to the Swedish newspapers and TV and radio stations that I subscribe to and particular articles, that could take me awhile to locate again. It is easier to just keep moving ahead and next Sweden article, I will send the links to them as well........There might be 5 links associated with that story......Thanks

volcan357
  5/7/2020 01:35 EST

Obviously Big Pharma is corrupt. They use the campaign contribution system as a way to buy influence with the government. They donate to both political parties. In the US you have a system of legalised bribes. But whether or not they are conspiring to suppress a cure for the coronavirus is another issue. The epidemic is causing a lot of wealthy people in the world to lose money. Anything related to tourism is taking a huge hit. Hotels, airlines restaurants, etc. There is a long list of businesses suffering from the epidemic. Sitting here at my computer in Volcan I can only rely on what I can find on the internet and my own common sense to form an opinion. The internet is fertile ground for all kinds of misinformation. And of course there is also more accurate information. To me it seems unlikely that Big Pharma could get away with suppressing a cure for the virus especially since the epidemic is causing a lot of wealthy and powerful people to lose money. There have been claims for years that they have cures for cancer and all kinds of diseases that are being suppressed by the pharmaceutical industry. Often these claims are made by people who are trying to sell you some hoax of a cure. I do believe that many diseases are caused by an unhealthy diet and lifestyle but there are no miracle cures. I am not a fan of conspiracy theories.

CherryPie
  5/7/2020 02:20 EST

I agree, volcan.

stgibson
  5/7/2020 11:21 EST

And where is your evidence that a lot of wealthy billionaires are losing a lot of money??

ptyexpat
  5/7/2020 16:49 EST

Indeed this Covid 19 is something to taker serious.

For those of you who remembered Don Ray Williams from David, he just died two days ago from what is suspected to be Covid 19.

Don was 77 years old and volunteered as a Warden for the US Embassy in David for more than a decade before moving back to the US a few years ago.

dumluk
  5/7/2020 20:14 EST

I remember him well.......Never met him but read Chiriqui Chatter for a long time......He did some good work here......But as far as dying from Covid, it is enormously likely that he died from something else which he already had been suffering from. You gotta look into it.......You cant take any of this at face value.....Its the biggest swindle/estafa on record..........It really doesnt require a great deal of investigation to realize that youve been had........Its a days work........

dumluk
  5/7/2020 20:28 EST

Volcan.....you are right about so many things.......but I think you are wrong about this one.......And its not conspiracy theory any more.......As Gore Vidal said, before he died......I am not a conspiracy theorist.....I am a conspiracy analyst.........and thats it.......Because there is no longer any doubt about the fact that there is a deep rooted conspiracy going on.........Its been established for those who have eyes to see....and ears to hear.........Its just a matter of studying it and understanding it......And WHO makes up the core of all this.........Its a multi generational conspiracy.......Look into multi generational conspiracies.......There was one rooted out by a British officer in India.....Of course nobody believed him at first.....But by and by it came to light....and he was right...........And it blew everybodies mind at the time.....Check it out........Get ready to go down the rabbit hole.......

isand2017
  5/7/2020 23:22 EST

NBC News

New data shows 66 percent of recent COVID-19 hospitalizations in New York are from residents who had been staying home. .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGkl4MT3Hrc

spikerivet
  5/8/2020 00:57 EST

As usual, thoughtful post Volcan!.

"And where is your evidence that a lot of wealthy billionaires are losing a lot of money?? "

You have only to look at their holding in airlines, aerospace,, tourism hospitality industries, hotels,, cruise lines, amusement parks, restaurant chains outside of fast food.. Commercial real estate malls.. Sports, large public entertainment venues,, entertainment. film and content creators..

Only the silliest people and self appointed experts which tend to be a little more prevalent on these expat forums would think this entire epidemic was the surgically pinpointed work of some high financed conspiracy group.

FredfromArkansas
  5/8/2020 09:44 EST

Not many are making money on this. In many parts of the US, even hospitals are taking a loss. The number of Covid patients is not that high, all elective surgeries are banned, and many people are delaying any other trips to the hospital over Covid fears. They are seeing preventable deaths from problems like heart attacks and strokes because people wait as long as they can before going to the ER.

stgibson
  5/8/2020 19:06 EST

I knew Don well, one of the most selfless people I have ever known. Always there to lend a helping hand. Don will be missed. As far as his death, he died of complications of a surgery from about 3 months ago, NOT COVID 19, ask his daughter. She posted a letter to him on Chiriqui Chatter yesterday. Whoever posted the Covid 19 death please allow his family some respect. My brother in law passed away 2 weeks ago in New Mexico of a heart attack. He died in my sister's arms, a registered Nurse of some 50+ years. When she received the death certificate from the coroner his death was listed as suspected COVID 19. She called the coroner and told him she was with him when he died, that he died of a sudden heart attack and had absolutely no symptoms of Covid 19. She asked him to change the death certificate and was told in return that it could not be done. It was against current protocol. if she wasn't devastated enough by Larry's death, she is even more devastated by this. WTF is going on in the world????

Panabud
  5/8/2020 22:50 EST

There is a big difference between dying of covid-19 and dying with covid-19. An even bigger difference is dying with symptoms similar to covid-19 but never being tested and all of the above will be considered an official covid-19 death. Not only are the numbers inflated but the real deaths could have been avoided with proper treatment as opposed to putting patients on a ventilator to eventually die.

volcan357
  5/8/2020 22:55 EST

Well the normal assumption would be that a new virus has a natural origin like they have had in the past. If it didn't have a natural origin you would need some good evidence to prove it. One can only wait and see what new information comes out in the future. I am just wondering how the whole thing is going to end. That is kind of hard to tell at the moment. It is impacting the economy in a very negative way. People are spooked by what happened with the Spanish Flu in 1918. I remember older people talking about it when I was young.

dumluk
  5/9/2020 00:33 EST

And this brilliant young doc from Honolulu Hawaii goes a long way to explaining why these people on ventilators are dying in huge percentages. Bear with him....He gets complicated and technical at times......But he offers up a ton of knowledge and insight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RAtFBvKrVw

stgibson
  5/9/2020 13:30 EST

Spikerivet,
Of course the travel and entertainment industries are taking a huge hit! It only takes a look at the Dow & S&P to see who is making the money. The Techno industries ( who own a major proportion of the media) and the pharmaceutical companies & online retailers to mention a couple. It will be interesting to see who buys up the failing airline and hotel companies in the aftermath of this. I am not a conspiracy theorist, I simply have an open mind.

It irritates me to be told how things have always been done. I defy the tyranny of precedent. I cannot afford the luxury of a closed mind.
Clara Barton

spikerivet
  5/9/2020 16:31 EST

Ok, St, your question implied that you're not open to the fact that billionaires are losing money due to an economic shutdown. and I specified who was.

stgibson
  5/11/2020 10:07 EST

You posted segments of the economy which are owned by companies with publically traded stocks and unfortunately the average Joe's own most of them.

panamajames
  5/12/2020 03:52 EST

Let’s start off with MINSA. Panama is beginning to look like the great speckled bird……… http://minsa.gob.pa/coronavirus-covid19

Here is what Google looks like: https://www.google.com/covid19-map/

Perhaps an idea of what restaurants may look like in the future. Glass booth dividers in Spain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq4vJFKvnqY&feature=youtu.be

isand2017
  5/12/2020 10:56 EST

Red Army lab involved in COVID-19 genetic sequencing a 'clear conflict of interest' in an article for the Daily Telegraph that a scientific paper on the origins of the coronavirus and how it was transmitted from animals to humans was based on findings from genetic testing lab with ties to the Red Army.

The paper also thanked a board member from the Wuhan Institute of Virology who holds the rank of Colonel in the People’s Liberation Army.

https://www.skynews.com.au/details/_6155766911001

panamajames
  5/14/2020 03:06 EST

Looks like phases are starting to be announced that started on May 13th Wednesday............................


Let’s take a look at the MINSA map that is updated regularly and is the most accurate of all the numbers that we see around the country. http://minsa.gob.pa/coronavirus-covid19

In Panama with 161 new cases confirmed since yesterday, the numbers confirmed were 8783 with 4 new deaths also since yesterday for a total of 252 folks who died and had the coronavirus.

Close to 55% of the patients who tested positive for Covid-19 in Panama have been clinically recovered, said Minister of Health, Rosario Turner, on Sunday, May 10.

Here is your Google world report on COVID-19


https://www.google.com/covid19-map/

The total number of coronavirus cases accumulated as of last Sunday was 8,448 and those clinically recovered total 4,687. As of Sunday at least 244 people who died, had the virus.

There are approximately 3,188, in-home isolation, and of these 996 are in hospital hotels. Of 329 hospitalized patients, 242 are in wards and 87 are in intensive care units.

Over 1,500 people were detained over this past weekend and 144 vehicles were towed for flouting quarantine rules in place to slow the spread of coronavirus. The Panama National Police reported that A total of 1,545 people were arrested; 1,471 adults and 74 minors. Absolute quarantine is enforced on weekends and only those with safe-conduct because of their work are allowed on the streets.

The Ministry of Health has created guidelines for the first steps towards the “new normal” which include the setting up of hundreds of health committees and by public institutions and private companies "guaranteeing" a safe return for workers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The stated guidelines are below:

In each public entity and every economic sector, a special health and hygiene committee must be created, which will be in charge of enforcing the protocols and guidelines issued by MINSA.
Workers, clients, suppliers, and visitors must follow prevention measures and controls, such as frequent hand washing with soap and water (recommended every half hour), use alcohol-based gel and masks, maintain a physical distance of at least 2 meters between people and have general protective equipment according to their work activity. Areas and surfaces must be disinfected and trash must be properly managed.

Companies will have to establish special hours and restrict the number of people so that physical distancing can be maintained.

Frequent monitoring of the symptoms of employees and clients must be carried out, as well as the taking of temperatures. No one will be allowed to enter who has a temperature of 38 degrees or more.

Work stress management and psychological help must be provided.

The return to work will be "gradual and scheduled". "For face-to-face roles for vulnerable groups: adults over 60 years of age, workers with comorbidity, pregnant women, etc., should be avoided, and teleworking may be considered."

Health Committee: The special health and hygiene committee that each entity or company must create, will be in force for the duration of the pandemic and will be made up of between 2 to 6 workers, depending on the size of the company.

The committee should monitor compliance with all measures taken to deal with the virus, establish a mechanism to detect and monitor symptomatic or asymptomatic workers and report any suspected cases of coronavirus to health authorities.

Masks & gloves: Masks must be provided daily to personnel. The use will be obligatory "inside and outside the establishment and those that have to be mobilized due to their functions". The use of latex gloves is not recommended for daily use, except for those cleaning or food-handling workers.

"Gloves give a false sense of security," says the report. “The misuse of gloves favors the spread of microorganisms to other surfaces and people. Perform frequent hand hygiene. "

Waste management: Masks, gloves, towels, gloves ... must be placed in a double, closed bag. the offices must carry out daily cleaning, and a deep cleaning and disinfection every two weeks . Transport and delivery vehicles must be disinfected daily.

The distance of 2 meters that must be maintained: In places where this measure cannot be applied (such as payment counters), a barrier or protection mechanism must be placed between the cashier and customer.

It is requested to establish staggered shifts at lunchtime, to avoid crowding of staff in the cafeteria, and that each, wash their hands when entering and leaving the room.

Companies are asked to promote the adoption of technologies that minimize contact between people such as online payments or ACH transfers, electronic billing systems, among others.

karenmmm
  5/15/2020 12:35 EST

men are free to go out saturday

but only during the same 2 hours as Tues, Thurs...

Malaberian
  5/15/2020 15:56 EST

I read either in a La Prensa or Telemetro article/interview that there will be at a minimum of two week staging between blocks.

This makes some sense since that is the incubation period.

Hope that the cases do not go up from where they are now so we can continue to remove restrictions.

panamajames
  5/15/2020 16:59 EST

The last report I put together had 252 folks in Panama who had died and had the coronavirus at the time of their death. Today the total is 260 deaths, so it is still moving upwards. At that time there were 8783 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and today 9118 confirmed cases, so more than 335 new confirmed cases in a matter of a few days, so we are we are still rising in new cases..........................................................................................................................................................................

Here is some local info you might be interested in. My wife and her friend went to PriceSmart and were not allowed in because they were wearing open toed sandals and no socks. They were told that MINSA said no open toed shoes allowed, but he told them if they went to mall and bought some socks, he would let them in. They explained that crocs and socks were not fashionable and he agreed, but all he could say was that MINSA just made those demands, and it was out of his hands. 35 minutes later, they returned with some plaid socks that I will probably end up with, and they were allowed entry............................................................................................................................................................................

The police were at a checkstop, opening up cars coming in from town, looking for more than one bottle of booze per person aboard. Seems that people have been going from booze store to booze store and getting one bottle at each store during their 2 hour adventure. Confiscation of the extra booze was expected, but we heard that confiscation of the vehicle could be a possibility as well. We haven't heard any severe stories like that, but lots of tickets handed out for U turns, odd parking jobs and the like................................................................................................................................................................................
In the Los Planes shelter in Gualaca, Chiriquí Province, just outside of the city of David and not far from Boquete, there are a total of 539 migrants, one of them an infant just born in Panama. Some of you you who have been around for quite some time, may remember when a large group of Cubans were escaping from Cuba and landed in Panama on their way to the USA, the Panama Government parked them in there for quite some time. If driving through Gualaca on the way to Bocas del Toro, you may have noticed a deserted camp on your left hand side. A lot of housing setup like a forestry camp. That would be them...........................................................................................................................................................................

Here is a general report for today from MINSA http://www.minsa.gob.pa/informacion-salud/noticias-covid-19

Active and Confirmed Coronavirus cases in Panama http://minsa.gob.pa/coronavirus-covid19

Here is the worldwide Google website tracking the coronavirus https://www.google.com/covid19-map/

This is the United States Embassy in Panama website for current info on COVID-19 and flights leaving Panama https://pa.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/ which includes 260 deaths in Panama where people had the coronavirus, but in almost all cases, had other underlying conditions.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
For the third time, MINSA warns that it will return to the dry law of prohibition. The Vice Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, warned Wednesday, May 13, that they have surprised several people who failed to comply with the regulation of liquor consumption during the quarantine of the new coronavirus. This is the third warning issued by the Ministry of Health (Minsa) because citizens have been caught consuming liquor on the streets and premises without authorization. Sucre emphasized that if there are still non-compliances in the sale and consumption of liquor, the dry law will be resumed in the country and it will be back to prohibition. The prohibition dry law was decreed parallel to the total quarantine and the curfew after the detection of the first cases of Covid-19 in the country
……………………………...……………………….………………………………………………

Some 43 irregular migrants have tested positive for Covid-19 , of which 41 remain at the Lajas Blanca temporary station in Darien. According to the National Immigration Service, all are currently receiving the corresponding medical care. In addition, it reported that some 119 migrants remain in contact quarantine and there have been no deaths from coronavirus. "All these migrants are served with food, health supplies and personal hygiene, as well as what is necessary for the comfort of their stay in the country, while the health situation in the world is normalized by Covid-19," said the entity in a statement. On the other hand, he explained that the closings of the borders by Covid-19 left 2,532 migrants of different nationalities "stranded" in Panama, who have not been able to continue with their controlled migratory flow to North America. Currently in the country there are a total of 1,993 migrants who remain in the shelters of the Darien province (Laja Blanca and Peñita), including 4 children who were born in Panamanian territory. It should be noted that, in addition to the 5 children born in Panama, the figure includes another number of children or minors who entered with parents or relatives and remain in the migrant groups. These migrants will be able to continue with their controlled flow, once the international borders are reopened and Costa Rica allows their receipt. In addition, according to Migration, the health flexibility of each country, including its own nations, should be taken into account, in case the condition is to repatriate or deport the migrant. These migrants are, for the most part, from Haiti, Chile and Brazil, as well as from India, Ecuador, Guinea, Pakistan, Angola, Sirilanka and other nationalities. Many of these migrants with Chilean, Ecuadorian and Brazilian nationality, are children who were born in these countries at the time of their parents' trip.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..........................................................................................
Panamanians are subject to one of the strictest containment regimes in all of America, probably the most restrictive. Ecuador and the Dominican Republic have opted for the curfew formula. Chile is also governed by the curfew system; however this Wednesday they announced the tightening of his quarantine, after an increase in infections. Starting tomorrow, the great metropolitan area of Santiago Chile will undergo absolute quarantine. Such quarantine, however, will allow up to seven exit permits per week to go to pharmacies and supermarkets (for three hours), medical appointments, the exit of people with autism and disabilities, permits for state procedures and assistance to funerals, also allowing the pet walk. Outside the capital, Chile maintains these recommendations until the start of the curfew, which is at 8 pm. The only countries with regimes comparable to the Panamanian are El Salvador and Peru. Salvadorans have been prohibited from leaving the house except to buy food, buy medicine or go to medical appointments, as long as it is the day they are enabled according to their personal identification number. In Peru the exit has been limited to one day a week to make basic purchases. But, determining who has already left and who has not, has becomes a headache almost impossible to control. "At some point it was arranged for women to go out Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and men Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, but it turned out to be a disaster and they quickly repealed it". Children with autism are allowed to go out and pets are allowed to walk daily. In Bogotá, you can exercise daily from 5 to 9 in the morning.

dumluk
  5/16/2020 00:32 EST

So, its a distinct possibility that for the fault of a few, the whole country can be restricted once again under the Ley Seca? Absurd beyond words.......Mal destinado.......Panama has incrediblly bad managmement.....Makes you wonder whose really directing it.....Maybe its a social experiment carried out by some twisted immoral sientific minds in the U.S. (no doubt) .....Were probably all under a microscope.........Tell me, is there anybody out there who would buy real estate in this country right now?

CherryPie
  5/16/2020 23:20 EST

You can make some pruno prison wine haha.

Malaberian
  5/17/2020 08:30 EST

Kinda with you on the whole paying the price for a few.

Laws and rules are for the honest folks- the lawless ones don’t care, then they have the audacity to get made when they are caught.

As for buying, the market has been cooling prior to the beer virus. It is doubtful this will help. From what I have read, the inventory is up, customers are down.

Perhaps this will reset some of the over inflated prices.

I have a friend who is a realtor, they have been showing on a limited basis in the time slots. Somebody is still looking for opportunities.

At some point El Presidente needs to swing the pendulum back to center away from MINSA. Just this week, I would say just in alcohol tax we donated $50.

That is a drop in the bucket for what is needed, but it is a start.. Don’t tell me if you boys and girls don’t mind we are going to put you in time out again!

llseldon
  5/17/2020 09:13 EST

PANAMA: COVID-19 infections at 9,268 with 266 deaths::

With 150 new cases the total number of people infected with COVID-19 in Panama on Friday May 15, reached 9,268.
Since the first case was reported 67 days ago 266 people have died.
There are 2,568 people in home isolation 744 in hotels and 354 hospitalized,( 281 in wards, 73 in intensive care.)
Clinical recoveries increased to 6,080. and 47,768 tests have been applied, (11,165 per million inhabitants) with 10,947 positive and 36,821 negative.
SALUDOS amigos del Chagres

ROKSlide
  5/17/2020 13:57 EST

llseldon - Do they report demographics of those who died? In many US states, more than 70% of deaths are from nursing homes. I don't think there are many nursing homes in Panama (if any?), but living conditions in Guna Yala would certainly support active spread and perhaps indicanos have less resistance to the disease.

missinglink
  5/17/2020 14:08 EST

Here is some info it might be a little long for the comprehension and attention span for some on this forum.
https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them?fbclid=IwAR1-p7kUD3OSIyh50B_jItm3Cq_J1gI-IOD6jW6cNRhhwqL-48pLOkdTum0

llseldon
  5/17/2020 14:31 EST

ROKSlide what you saw is what I have. Re retirement/nursing home I don't know how many there are in Panama but there was one at Howard aka Panama Pacifico, I don't know about others.
Saludos amigo del Chagres

llseldon
  5/17/2020 15:29 EST

BTW my grandfather mounted that canon which was found on the trail many years ago, it's been there forever. Has it been stolen yet?

pgcwashdc
  5/18/2020 12:46 EST

Study suggests there are three specific biomarkers that may indicate a COVID-19 patient is at increased risk of severe complications and higher mortality.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-020-0180-7

https://theweek.com/speedreads/914998/researchers-are-learning-predict-chances-surviving-covid19

Quote from the news article: ". . . biomarkers that can predict whether a coronavirus patient will die within 10 days, with more than 90 percent accuracy, . . . A computer model the researchers developed looks for high levels of the enzyme lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), linked to lung damage; lymphopenia, or low levels of infection-fighting white blood cells; and a rise in inflammation-signaling high-sensitivity C-reactive proteins (hs-CRP).

The article also references a 2nd study that looked at elevated LDH levels. It seems to me that, for anyone with a COVID-19 diagnosis, there's no downside to asking your doctor to check the levels of these blood biomarkers, if they haven't already done so.

This is posted as info only, as every day we are being presented with new data. Wishing everyone much health and safety!

panamajames
  5/20/2020 14:34 EST

On all our many visits to Colombia, we make sure we pick up a number of healthy drugs such as Nitazoxanide. Colombia is not only the drug capital of the world for illegal drugs, but also the drug capital of the world for cheap legal drugs and in most cases you do not need a doctors script. If you know your drug names, you can get what you need very inexpensively..................

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 reports a model that could help evolve appropriate dosage protocols for future clinical trials of the repurposed drug nitazoxanide in COVID-19 prevention and treatment. The researchers say, “It was possible to achieve plasma and lung tizoxanide concentrations, using proven safe doses of nitazoxanide, that exceed the EC90 for SARS-CoV-2.”

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200507/Predicting-the-dose-for-repurposing-nitazoxanide-in-COVID-19.aspx

volcan357
  5/21/2020 00:45 EST

Science is learning more about the coronavirus everyday. The longer you can avoid getting infected the more likely it is that drugs will be found or be developed that will control the virus. If you can avoid getting infected time is on your side. Stay at home and wait it out I think is the best strategy.

dumluk
  5/21/2020 09:33 EST

Thats right! Stay at home, climb the walls, talk to yourself get bored to death and live in fear, when there is already a proven remedy for this slightly more severe cold related Corona virus. Let the fearful sheep stay at home if they insist. Let people who want to go back to work, work, and people who want to travel (if not sick) travel.......Thats what makes sense...Get the show on the road......Life goes on...........

Panabud
  5/22/2020 11:19 EST

Volcan357, you control viruses through healthy immune system and healthy way of life, not some "miracle" drug cocktail that will kill and mame x% of people and cause harmful side effects. Why do you think Bill Gates is pushing governments for indemnity for his vaccines? He admits 1/10,000 casualty rate is expected due to vaccines and wants indemnity. What is 7 billion people / 10,000? 700,000 people are expected to die if everyone in the world took the vaccine. That's much more than the virus would kill without any vaccine.

RedHatLady
  5/22/2020 14:13 EST

I appreciate this for the purpose of information and support. There are a few who are using this for their personal attacks on others and their own amusement to impose their opinions. They are cluttering up everyones emails. I don't need and any snarky replies from those who are guilty. Please like if you agree. See how many we can get.

sweethomepanama
  5/22/2020 15:37 EST

I agree redhatlady ! snarkyness has a place elsewhere

panamajames
  5/24/2020 18:40 EST

I was hoping that the gyms and pools would be open soon, but I guess we have another two weeks or more before that happen..........................

Phase 2 towards the reopening of Panama’s economy will begin this Tuesday, May 26, if the Rt (number of transmissions per person) and epidemiological indicators are in line, said Dr. Julio Sandoval, an intensive care specialist and a key member of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), advisory team.

In making the announcement Dr. Sandoval warned the younger levels of the population between 20 and 50 years old: to not trust the coronavirus.

A week ago, the Minister of Health, Rosario Turner, announced that an economic block would be opened every 14 days.

The economic reopening plan was divided into six blocks of activities. The first was launched on May 13 and included some retail outlets electronic spare parts workshops; technical services; artisanal fishing, and aquaculture.

The second block includes the construction industry - paralyzed since t March 25 - of public infrastructure works, non-metallic mining, industry and churches and parks, but only with 25% of capacity and keeping a distance of 2 meters between people.

Dr Sandoval highlighted that a large part of the young population is part of the work activities that are within this second block.

"This Tuesday the second block will be reactivated and we invite the population to put into practice everything that has been learned regarding sanitary measures," he said.

He also explained that the sports and social areas to which the block refers correspond to that of the PH structures, and does not include golf courses, swimming pools, gyms, among others.

“Any opening of the blocks will depend on the Rt and the epidemiological indicators.

He reminded the population between 20 and 50 years old that despite the fact that some statistics on COVID -19 statistics favor them, those same numbers also indicate that 76% of total cases, 57% of hospitalized patients and 28% of deaths are in the age range.

"It is not a disease only of older adults," said the doctor based on epidemiological reports from Minsa, which so far account for a total of 10,267 cases, 339 hospitalized and 295 accumulated deaths.

dumluk
  5/24/2020 20:37 EST

He says not to trust the Corona virus.....How about more to the point, Dont trust him or his assoc.....Theyve already stolen 2 months of your life.........for a virus with a .0069 mortality rate here in Panama.......If that doesnt put it in perspective then I dont know.......Also you neglect to report in your once again repetitive msg that most of us have already read, that in Block 1 was included swimming pool cleaning services, Jajajajajaja........for what? So the rich could keep their pools clean and keep using them.........Thats how things work here for any newcomers......

panamajames
  5/25/2020 13:13 EST

Parks around the world are opening up, but it is completely safe?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52775223

Travelocity
  5/25/2020 15:56 EST

good article, use google chrome to translate to english https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-52749761

Travelocity
  5/25/2020 15:56 EST

good article, use google chrome to translate to english https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-52749761

pgcwashdc
  5/25/2020 17:20 EST

The problem of incomplete information:

While many sources claim to be authoritative, the plain fact of the matter is that this virus (and associated effects) has only been around for a matter of months and that means most so-called studies are either anecdotal in nature or are just starting to scratch the surface of the problem. Real science demands agenda-free rigor, effective peer review, and experimental reproducibility. We may be moving in that direction but we're nowhere close to being able to make definitive statements.

For every "authoritative" statement out there it's not hard to find an opposing one. Distancing good vs bad, masks good vs bad, just a bad flu vs a beast of a virus that attacks multiple organ systems, etc.

These two articles, while I don't agree with every point made, give a sense of how many unanswered questions remain:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/13/opinion/coronavirus-what-we-know.html

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/04/we-still-dont-know-how-the-coronavirus-is-killing-us.html

Everyone is obviously entitled to believe what they want but my point is that we're at such an early stage when it comes to REAL knowledge that anyone who claims to have this all figured out should be viewed with a high degree of skepticism.

In the final analysis, everyone is responsible for their own life/health but the various governments are responsible for the general welfare, including trying to reduce transmissibility. Are mistakes being made? I'm sure there are. But it's the easiest thing in the world to sit back and criticize. It's much harder to be a decision-maker when definitive facts are in short supply and are likely to be a while in coming.

dumluk
  5/25/2020 20:21 EST

Nothing Can Justify the Destruction of Peoples Lives: Heres an interview with the ex director of national health of Israel. He should know something: https://www.zerohedge.com/health/nothing-can-justify-destruction-peoples-lives

panamajames
  5/25/2020 23:55 EST

Sometimes you just have to sit back and listen to how people are feeling about this coronavirus in song. Here is a school teacher who was able to express herself in a song that she wrote and accompanies herself on a ukulele. I am sure that many of you can relate to this. Make sure your audio is turned up............
https://www.facebook.com/jim.shaner.5/videos/this-really-needs-sound-on/10223685623590889/

dumluk
  5/26/2020 16:28 EST

So what do you think Don Jaime? People just get tired of talkin about it, or did the Ministry of Expat Truth shut it down cuz too much truth was at risk of being divulged? These threads had way too much momentum to die of their own natural causes.....Maybe its just cuz its TUESDAY.....BOYZ DAY OUT.........You see how they got us thinking now? Grateful for a miserable two hours of THEIR choosing.......Cops holding up traffic with a reten in Algarrobos, where they ate up at least 15 mins of precious time.........Meanwhile the Camara de Comercio de Panama is calling for an end of this locura cuarentena, and a return to business.......

panamajames
  5/27/2020 00:11 EST

Looks like we will be in the next phase of freedoms on Monday June 1st as a relaxation was announced in the coronavirus quarantine that was established in Panama. Yes, the curfew is being eased and will soon be from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am. The previous restrictions for two hours per gender and ID number per day will be eliminated.

This does not allow participation in social, cultural, festive, or any group activities, including visits to the beaches, sports activities, or anything that does not comply with social distancing. So we are not ready for parties or pot-lucks.

The Executive has requested the reactivation of public works construction, non-metallic mining and equivalent industries, also to begin next Monday June 1st.

Temples, churches, parks, sports and social areas may be opened, but only at 25% capacity and you must keep your distance. That's two meters between people. Bring a tape measure. As you know, all of these activities have been suspended since March 25th when the total curfew, enacted by the Executive came into being.

This was sent to me tonight,Tuesday, May 26th 2020, at the conclusion of the Cabinet Council in the Presidency of the Republic. The measure was announced by the Health Minister Rosario Turner, and the minister of Commerce and Industries, Ramón Martínez De La Guardia, With them were Doris Zapata and Juan Pino, ministers of Labor and Security.

Children will be able to circulate from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm with their parents. The use of the masks however is still mandatory.

The administration of El Presidente Laurentino Cortizo discussed the economic revival plan, divided into six phases or blocks. You may recall that the first of these was reactivated on May 13th and included retail e-commerce, mechanical and spare parts workshops, technical services, aquaculture and traditional/subsistence fishing.

The Health Minister estimated that 6000 lives may have been saved thanks to the quarantine. This reopening is possible due to the low rate of contagion, the capacity of the health system, and the number of tests carried out (60,598 as of today).

There is no date for the reopening of the next phase or block 3. Minister Martínez indicated that this will depend on the overall successes of block one and two and the numbers accordingly.

The Minister of Labor referred to the formation of health committees mandatory for all companies that want to reopen. Each committee should have from 2 to 6 members, depending on the size of its membership or operation. Businesses with more than 41 workers must have a 6 person health committee.

These committees must guarantee that the personnel have personal protective equipment (masks and sanitizer gel or alcohol), follow any and all suspected cases of contagion, identify high risk areas and maintain the confidentiality of all information, etc.

Phase three or block 3 includes construction in the private sector, retail (in shopping malls) and wholesale, car sales, professional services including beauty salons, car washes etc. and administrative services.

panamajames
  5/27/2020 17:39 EST

It seems that those dying while they had the coronavirus is still moving upwards. You will see them advertised as 310 deaths in Panama, yet you check on Google hourly and it keeps moving upward. Right now I checked and it was 313 but perhaps moving at a slower pace than in the past. Not much news these days. The Government of Panama is evaluating the situation every 14 days to determine if additional economic blocks should be opened. Block 2 starts Monday June 1st with more freedoms. I see that Minsa is not posting death numbers but here is the Google posting.
https://news.google.com/covid19/map?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

llseldon
  5/27/2020 20:34 EST

For those of you that have not discovered the French Cemetery near Paraíso & the Centennial Bridge, a lot of people died during the construction of the Panama RR during the Gold Rush, French attempt to build a canal & the beginning days of the American construction of the canal, One expression said that every RR tie in the PRR represented a person who died building the RR. Real sad loose of life.

llseldon
  5/27/2020 20:37 EST

French Cemetery near Paraíso & the Centennial Bridge. R.I.P. Lot of French history in Panama.

dumluk
  5/27/2020 21:15 EST

Thats case numbers but not death numbers.......And once again almost all of it in Panama City and the metro area.........Rest of the country, just another gripe........Even the CDC has revised its numbers downwards drastically........Gettin pretty close now to the guys I trust......

panamajames
  5/28/2020 14:51 EST

Sunday May 31st will be the last day of absolute quarantine and on Monday June 1st restrictions imposed on April 1st on exiting by gender and two-hour shopping by ID number will be eliminated.

From Monday onwards, a curfew will apply from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am, seven days a week.

The moves comes with block 2 of the reopening process, allowing construction of public works, non-metallic mining, and industries.

The decision was made after reviewing indicators such as hospital capacity, the epidemiological behavior of the virus, and the performance of daily diagnostic tests said the Minister of Health, Rosario Turner on Tuesday, May 26th.

Turner clarified that churches, parks, sports and social areas may open, but only using 25% of their capacity and keeping a social distancing of two meters between people. I will have a tape measure on my belt, and a yo-yo on a string that I can toss in the direction of anyone who gets too close, so be forewarned.

Children will be able to circulate from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, with their parents or caregivers. The use of a mask is mandatory. Not the Lone Ranger type.

Ramón Martínez, Minister of Commerce and Industries, stated that the opening of block 3 - which has not been determined as to a date, will depend on the epidemiological behavior that originates from the opening of blocks 1 and 2. That also will depend on the behavior of the peoples of Panama, and that includes you too dumluk.

The authorities reiterated to the population that the battle has not been won, so they must maintain the mitigation measures: physical distancing, use of masks, hand washing, and going out only if necessary.

The Minsa epidemiology report showed that in the last week - 22 townships in the country reported more than 20 cases. In last Tuesday's report there were 19 townships.

In addition, there are outbreaks in the Santiago prison, Veraguas, and in Alanje, Chiriquí. Here is your Google report and at the time of posting there were 315 persons who died and had the coronavirus. We are right between Afghanistan and Denmark in the listings................

https://www.google.com/covid19-map/

CherryPie
  5/30/2020 01:50 EST

When this pandemic is finally over and things return to normal as much as they can, we will ALL appreciate our regular old lives so much more.

panamajames
  5/30/2020 02:19 EST

I certainly won't be looking forward to all of the traffic when the coronavirus situation clears up and things get back to normal. It has been so nice. Right now there are parking spaces everywhere and hardly any traffic and it's just perfect. Traffic is especially bad in the cities. Not looking forward to driving in Panama City in rush hour.

CherryPie
  5/30/2020 15:35 EST

Good thought there, PanamaJames. I wonder if there will be any GOOD changes in our society over it all.

For ex., maybe after having to make workers work from home, more companies will see the advantages of it and it will be more of an option from then on- less spent by companies to maintain buildings, less prep and driving time for workers.

Another thing, where I live anyway, I very rarely saw anyone wearing a mask in public before this. Perhaps now that we're used to seeing it, people will use them when they're ill and spread less of other illnesses too.

I'm sure there's more....

panamajames
  5/30/2020 16:36 EST

We have rental apartments here in Panama that we rent out to expats and one lady does work on line from home as it were. Home being Panama, and work being the United States. I also work from home but I need very good internet. I believe that it is the wave of the future, to work at home.

As a Financial Advisor I do remember working at a desk in an office downtown and hating it. I work at home now and have a wonderful little home office (man cave) where I can chat about financial situations with clients all over the world, I can pet my cat and chat with my wife. Clients and I can face to face chat with WhatsApp or Messenger, or just email or text and we get things done.

More and more companies are now aware after this coronavirus situation that working at home can be such an advantage.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/29/vmware-could-have-60percent-of-staff-working-from-home-after-coronavirus-ceo-says.html

Sometimes while working at home, I need blue ink wet signatures on promissory notes or contract documents, so I have to use courier services, but we can get it all done so easily at home. Plus I can get up and have a coffee and sit outside on the deck or in the garden and take 10 breaks a day and work until 2am if I like and sleep in mornings. Working at home is definitely the way of the future and hopefully this coronavirus situation will open more eyes to this. Some folks have difficulties getting motivated working from home. I work better from home, but I have had practice. I remember in my early computer programming days being stuck in a tiny office with no windows and writing computer code all day long. They let me out of the room for two 15 minute breaks, not 16 or 17 minutes, and a half hour lunch, and the bosses probably had stop watches. That was computer hell for me so I eventually moved on to a banking financial career. Mark Zuckerberg had these comments: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/28/zuckerberg-on-facebooks-work-from-home-plans-no-meeting-wednesdays.html

panamajames
  5/30/2020 19:02 EST

The number of cases of COVID-19 recorded in Panama reached 12,131 on Thursday, May 28, the 80th day since the first victim was detected.

On Thursday there were 232 new cases and the death total reached 320. There are 326 deaths at the time of this posting.

of 12,131 infected, it was clarified that 171 cases were included this Thursday,

There are 4,072 people in isolation (549 in hotels), and 360 patients remain hospitalized, (281 in wards and 79 in intensive care.

The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reiterates that from June 1 when the country enters the second phase of easement it will be imperative to follow at all times bio-security means, such like social distancing, constant washing of hands the use of masks, alcohol gel and staying at home, as they try to prevent the spread of the killer virus.

All businesses were reminded that the safety of their customers is a priority so Minsa will remain vigilant that they comply with the protocol regulations.

At the same time it has been recommended to the population that if they have symptoms related to COVID19 and develop breathing problems, it is important that you go to the nearest hospital or call 911 or get emergency assistance. Here is your Google Guide with 326 deaths recorded at the time of this posting. https://www.google.com/covid19-map/

panamajames
  6/1/2020 12:33 EST

Up to and including Saturday May 30th, the National Police of Panama had detained a total of 38,860 people in the country who violated the quarantine imposed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, which began in March.

According to statistical figures from the Police, from March 18th to May 29th of this year, 36,692 of the detainees were male, while 5,996 were female and 2,168 were minors.

Until April 27th, some 662 drivers had been penalized for traveling outside their driving hours, of which 559 were driving private vehicles and 103 taxis.

The 2 hour out in the public schedules for people and private vehicles on the road is over as of today June 1st and replaced with a 7:00 pm to 5:00 am curfew. It will no longer be necessary to carry a safe-conduct pass during the day.

The Association of Doctors and Specialists of Santo Tomás Hospital have warned that the re-opening of business activities may lead to the collapse of the public health system.

In a letter to the government, they call for the urgent opening of the modular hospital built to help fight the covid pandemic.

Until a few weeks ago, it seemed that the Ministry of Health (Minsa) was "doing things right", despite the fact that no figures have indicated that the pandemic was under control. But now with the second re-opening phase and the suspension of the 2 hour quarantine, the doctors feel that there could be issues. There has been no scientific reasoning for the recent decisions to open up the quarantine measures to where they are today, June 1st.

They indicated that if there was a decrease in new cases and in the transmissible rate, the opening would be better received.

The doctors allege that these two conditions have not been met and a government opening plan clearly does not follow science.

This action, they claim, could have very serious consequences in regards to the collapse of the health system.

The doctors say that one of the possible reasons why we never managed to control the epidemic, which remained steady, was the inability to maintain a strict quarantine due to having a high number of citizens who did not respect the restrictions, especially on weekends.

Another cause could be the state's inability to provide those in need with the economic sustenance to be able to keep quarantined.

They suggested that the active search for asymptomatic positives was never massive, due to situations such as the lack of human resources or insufficient laboratory tests.

Furthermore, the overcrowded conditions in which 'positive' patients lived could contribute to the increase. "The isolation in hotels should have been used more frequently in these cases."

They argue that they are aware that an indefinite quarantine cannot be maintained, but there should be a plan that allows control of damage caused by an early opening of the second stage.

"And it is here that the strongly questioned Modular Hospital, which was promised over eighty days ago and which cannot be used yet, becomes necessary."

Health Minister Rosario Turner said that there are parameters that cannot be skipped such as the evaluation of the Technical Health Council. Within the infrastructure, there were some adjustments that had to be made, which they managed to finalize with the Ministry of Public Works to finish.

Some equipment for the laboratories is about to be delivered and they hope that the opening of this hospital can be carried out in the shortest possible time.

panamajames
  6/2/2020 12:22 EST

While most of the country celebrated the lifting of the quarantine on Monday, June 1 the Azuero region of Panama reinforced the sanitary fences of Santa María and the Ocú Crossing.

The National Police, the Ministry of Health, the Social Security Fund, the National Civil Protection System, the National Customs Service and the Red Cross led by the governor of Herrera, Víctor Roca Cuan, arrived at the facilities of the Ministry of Agricultural Development, at the entrance to Santa María.

Roca Cuan said that those who try to go through both sanitary fences are being asked for proof that justifies their entry into the Azuero region.

"We are monitoring car by car, including public transportation," he said.

People who have an agricultural passport or who work in Herrera or Los Santos, may enter the province, after certification of the companies in which they work.

“People who come without a valid justification or for tourism will be returned,” warned the governor, adding that bus passengers have to get off and have their temperatures taken.

The head of the Herrera police area, Johnny Rangel, said that in the first few hours on Monday, about a dozen drivers who could not justify entering the province were turned back.

"There are people who come from other provinces and what we want is to guarantee the safety of people," he said. The Boquete May also wanted to have the same thing happen, however was not able to get authorization to do so.
........................................................................................................................................................................................
For those of you who were fortunate enough to view the renovations and the construction going on at Panama's Tocumen Airport recently, will have to wait some time before you see that again. We were fortunate enough coming back from Colombia to be able to use Terminal 2 although much of it was covered in plastic sheets. Nonetheless, you could see how magnificent that this terminal was progressing in appearance.

The multi-million dollar Terminal 2 at Tocumen International Airport, built to cope with the burgeoning traffic flow at the “Hub of the Americas” will be sidelined in the coming months due to the low passenger numbers that airlines operating to and from Panama will experience. Only Terminal 1 will be used for the foreseeable future.

On February 29, the sixth addendum that Tocumen granted Odebrecht to complete the expansion works expired, at a cost of $917 million, $238 million above the price agreed in the original 2012 contract.

The rating agencies Fitch and Standard & Poor's estimate that passenger movement could drop to 55% from 16 million travelers in 2019, which translated into a downgrade of Tocumen's debt rating.

The protocol to be implemented at the airport is still under evaluation by the Ministry of Health (Minsa) and the Civil Aeronautical Authority, but some of the actions that will be implemented once operations resume on June 23 have been defined.

Only people who are traveling will be allowed to enter the terminal. These will have to wear a mask.

Two-meter distancing will be enforced. It has already been tested with travelers who have left the country on humanitarian flights. Signs are placed on the floor to maintain separation in registration and boarding lines.

Some 13 cameras will monitor the temperature of people inside the airport. If an alert is triggered, the person will be isolated and subjected to a review by the medical personnel and will be sent to a health care center.

Passenger traffic in Tocumen decreased 16.3% during the first quarter of the year and the airport is losing $ 21 million a month.

One of the points that the protocol must define is whether arrivals will have to comply with a mandatory quarantine.

Rules for luggage handling have not yet been defined.

Tocumen handled just over 16 million passengers last year, but this year the air terminal will register negative numbers for the first time in the last decade.

In 2019 there was a monthly average of 1.3 million passengers. During the first quarter of 2020. Total traffic of 4.1 million was registered, which dropped 16%, after the closure of the terminal on March 22nd.

With commercial aviation stopped and commercial contracts frozen, the only income that the state-controlled corporation is receiving, is linked to the cargo segment.

In Tocumen, 17 cargo airlines are operating, for the movement of medicines to and from Panama and the transfer of perishable goods and items purchased through electronic commerce.

Cargo movement decreased 1% during the first quarter with 37,267 tons, down 308 tons less compared to the movement in the same quarter last year.

rr6013
  6/3/2020 21:27 EST

thank you for posting Azuero Peninsula informations. I am wanting to check out moving to Padasi so won't jump on a flight this month.

Any guidance what Panama wants by " Good Health Certificate"? MD's don't have any idea what Panama would accept.

Covid-19 test or antibody test?

Thank you much

-r
Rex Riley

PedasiPundit
  6/5/2020 07:18 EST

Everything about Coronavirus in Panama is in flux, sometimes changing daily. So, best to wait until you decide when to visit before asking these questions. In the meantime visit www.ourthirdlifepedasi.com

Travelocity
  6/5/2020 11:42 EST

this is a very interesting video i watched yesterday, i invite you to watch it and see the true 'thing' behind this whole covid19 fiasco.
https://youtu.be/4M6JvzYMErA

Travelocity
  6/5/2020 11:42 EST

this is a very interesting video i watched yesterday, i invite you to watch it and see the true 'thing' behind this whole covid19 fiasco.
https://youtu.be/4M6JvzYMErA

pgcwashdc
  6/5/2020 12:19 EST

Website with info about different COVID-19 vaccine trials:

https://www.raps.org/news-and-articles/news-articles/2020/3/covid-19-vaccine-tracker

Short video with physician (pulmonologist) discussing the five most interesting vaccine candidates:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-dYWZMx-Lfs

stgibson
  6/5/2020 12:43 EST

Wow!

dumluk
  6/5/2020 13:16 EST

Hey, interesting vid......I had read about the incident of false positives from papaya and goats and birds, etc, pulled off by the Tanzanian president who doesnt trust the WHO ....But I had never actually seen the speech he gave about it........He comes across as genuine, not the crooked swindler he is made out to be by the MSM.......Some say it never even happened ....and was just invented by the conspiracy theorists.......But now we know it did happen, was real......and should be very significant to critical thinkers everywhere out there.........Gives you an idea of what and who were up against.......

Travelocity
  6/5/2020 14:58 EST

dumluck about the video i posted. the lady said something about watching his whole speech...and would put it on bottom of her video with links...in case any of you want to watch the whole thing. i loved the part with the Madagascar president did his homework and quoted the pharma medicine that is killing lots of people in france and of course never get in trouble.

Travelocity
  6/5/2020 14:58 EST

dumluck about the video i posted. the lady said something about watching his whole speech...and would put it on bottom of her video with links...in case any of you want to watch the whole thing. i loved the part with the Madagascar president did his homework and quoted the pharma medicine that is killing lots of people in france and of course never get in trouble.

panamajames
  6/8/2020 13:25 EST

QUARANTINE IS BACK after 16 reported deaths in one day where those who died had contracted the coronavirus.

Just one week after controls on mobility were eased on June 1st, the Ministry of Health (Minsa) has reimposed restrictions and once again shopping will be limited to alternate days for males and females at hours determined by the last digits on ID documents. a setback back to reactivating Panama’s economy.

The move which will take effect on today Monday, was announced Saturday. June 6th after 16 people died of the coronavirus in 24 hours and reports emerged of an ICU crisis.

Nadja Porcell, national director of Public Health said that the decision was adopted after evaluating the report of the new positive cases in recent days, showing relaxation in the use of the mask and the failure to comply with physical distancing.

The daily death toll is the highest since the virus arrived on March 9th. It is also the epidemiological week with the most cases since the start of the pandemic: 2,986 registered between May 31st and June 6th.

The announcement coincides with the fact that the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid Hospital Complex) is operating at its maximum capacity. The director, Enrique Lau Cortés, said that the occupation is at 90%.

In the hospital’s ICU there are about 100 beds, mostly enabled since the first case of Covid-19 appeared.

Eight days ago the complex which cares for 87% of the population, reported that of the 190 intensive care beds it has throughout the country, 54 were available; while of 254 mechanical fans, a total of 148 were unused.

Now in the Hospital Complex, of some 100 existing intensive care beds, occupancy has reached 90%.

The director of the CSS, Enrique Lau Cortés, said that they have begun to adapt 30 more intensive care beds in an area close to the Emergency Room of the Hospital Complex. "

Lau Cortés said he is "hopeful" that Minsa will put into operation the modular hospital so that they can use it as an "escape valve", since there are 20 intensive care beds and 80 hospital beds that they could also operate as intensive care.

Julio Osorio, intensivist doctor and secretary of the National Negotiating Medical Commission, explained that the Health indicators establish that in ICUs the occupation must not exceed 85%, because otherwise there would be a risk of saturation.

In the case of the Hospital Complex, Osorio indicated that the ideal is for the ICU to exclusively serve patients without Covid-19. "What we recommend is that in the Hospital City a space be enabled to only have patients there with the Covid-19,"

dumluk
  6/8/2020 15:46 EST

You had me goin there for a few minutes Don Jaime......thinking that the guv at the last minute extended the quarantine nationwide.....But If so I cant find a trace of it in any news forum.....so as we thought a couple days ago, Fri, I gues it was when we all heard about goin back into quarentena......that it only applies to Panama City and Panama Oeste.......So no need to be alarmed all you healthy country folks........Continue to go your merry was and just be back home by 7pm, which these daze isnt too difficult considering that theres no place to go at that hour anyway.......

panamajames
  6/8/2020 15:49 EST

In terms of the QUARANTINE IS BACK that is in reference to the Panama City areas where the infection is still growing rapidly and people are dying. Those in Chiriqui Province are not under the same quarantine rules at this point and have the regular freedoms of 5am to 7pm 7 days a week and a quarantine of 7pm to 5am 7 days a week, and masks on wherever you are, and most people only put them on around other people. If you want a very good perspective of where the coronavirus came from from Dr. Greger, and his perspective is shared by many, and always with scientific research and articles, he has recently released this.

https://nutritionfacts.org/video/where-did-the-covid-19-coronavirus-come-from/?utm_source=NutritionFacts.org&utm_campaign=eba3eb1ce8-RSS_VIDEO_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_40f9e497d1-eba3eb1ce8-26615309&mc_cid=eba3eb1ce8&mc_eid=d946b6847a

CherryPie
  6/9/2020 14:43 EST

Thanks for the great, detailed updates, PanamaJames.

I wonder what this means for the sectors that have opened back up in blocks one and two. Is there an exception for people living in those areas to go to work?

panamajames
  6/9/2020 16:22 EST

I will have to check around tonight and see if there are other interesting Panama reports and send in the info to the Expat Exchange. I have been busy working all day on client finance reports, but just a few hours ago, my computer died so I had to build myself a new one and install Windows and Applications again..........That always takes a lot of time...........Using my wife's computer for now........To answer your question, yes, if the store that you work at opens up, you can go back to work if they let you because most places only have skeleton staff. Today we noticed that a few more restaurants opened up downtown so my wife and daughter picked up some take out for dinner tonight. More and more places are opening back up all the time. Panama City is still having a problem controlling the virus and their numbers. 16 people died the other day who had contracted the coronavirus, They are still in lock-down mode in the city where we in Chiriqui Province are opening up more and more things every day and our quarantine is 7pm to 5am 7 days a week and that is easy to live with.....Hopefully we will be able to control our numbers here and continue to keep opening up the Province.......

panamajames
  6/11/2020 13:45 EST

The importance of physical distancing and the use of masks and glasses, to prevent the spread of Covid-19 advocated by the Ministry of Health (Minsa) is confirmed in a study by scientists in McMaster University in Canada and published in the scientific journal The Lancet, but is difficult to enforce with a large number of people living in poverty.

Experts analyzed 172 observational studies from 16 countries evaluating distance measures, masks, and eye protection to prevent transmission of patients with confirmed or probable Covid-19, SARS, or MERS infection to people close to them (for example, caregivers, family members , health workers).

The study showed that the risk of infection is 12.8% at a distance of one meter, and it reduces to 2.6% at more than one meter away.

The scientists state that without mask protection the risk of virus transmission is 17.4% and with a mask is reduced to 3.1%.

Rodrigo DeAntonio , an epidemiologist and who is part of the team of the Advisory Committee for the Minsa Coronavirus, explained that the study consolidates the evidence from various observational analyzes, which supports the guidelines that the physical distance of at least 1 meter or more reduces the transmission of the coronavirus, and the greater the distance the better.

Minsa personnel have been in various parts of the capital city verifying the correct use of masks and raising awareness about physical distancing and handwashing.

However, last week it was evident that in Panama a percentage of the population is not complying, for example, with the distancing measure. On June 1st, when the quarantine measure was lifted, crowds were seen entering supermarkets or boarding a bus and crowding in recreation areas.

Néstor Sosa, an infectologist and former director of the Gorgas Institute for Health Studies, maintained that one of the factors influencing the increase in Covid-19 cases in the country is that people are not keeping physical distance or do not use the masks.

He explained that it is very difficult to physically distance oneself in a residence with a bedroom and where six or more people live, and where the person who works, is in the dilemma of buying rice, alcohol gel or a mask to protect themselves.

Available epidemiological information suggests that Covid-19 disease strikes the poorest people in the country the most. In Panama, there are an estimated 777 thousand Panamanians living in multidimensional poverty.

panamajames
  6/11/2020 14:01 EST

With over 3000 new cases of coronavirus in a week, Panama had reached a total of 17,233 infections with 403 deaths since the coronavirus pandemic arrived as of yesterday Wednesday. Today, Thursday, one day later, there are 17,889 infections and 413 deaths.

The Rt (Retransmission rate) at 1.44 is dangerously high and needs to fall below 1.00 if the disease can be deemed under control, and quarantine rules relaxed.

Between Wednesday, June 3rd and Tuesday, June 9th, the Health Ministry registered 3,138 new cases of COVID-19, a situation that raised red flags for the authorities, with 455 hospitalized patients and 90 in intensive care.

According to the daily report provided by Minsa, by yesterday, Wednesday, the number was as high as 3,514 cases with, an average of more than 350 per day confirmed. The highest figure was on Saturday, June 6th with 541. The lowest was Tuesday, June 9th with 379, of those, 257 are in the province of Panama and 32 in the province of Panama West.

But the provinces that showed an upturn in cases within 24 hours were Bocas del Toro with 48 and Chiriquí with 44. Here are the Thursday noon figures from Google World. 413 deaths where the people had died and had the coronavirus, and confirmed cases of 17,889 https://www.google.com/covid19-map/

PedasiPundit
  6/11/2020 17:20 EST

The upturn in the cases is in the 3 areas that have had the highest rates all along. The inhabitants in these districts are obviously not following the Sanitary Protocols. So get strict there, but do NOT punish everyone that is following the Sanitary Protocols.

Panamanreed
  6/11/2020 17:31 EST

You are right that the many people in the city and Panam oeste are not toeing the line. To be fair,, many of these people are cramped in their small apartments or lofts with no A/C or any type of decent appliance. Many of these places aren't fit for rats. They have no work, very little food. They are suffering more than anyone.

isand2017
  6/12/2020 08:35 EST

Houston, TX on ‘Precipice of Disaster’ as Virus Cases Spreads. Houston-area officials said they are “getting close” to reimposing a stay-at-home order and prepared to reopen a Covid-19 hospital established but never used at a football stadium as virus cases expand in the fourth-largest U.S. city.

The announcement by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Thursday came a day after the Lone Star state recorded its highest one-day tally of new cases since the pandemic emerged.

WATCH LIVE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=howrHdPOlDQ

We can not live in quarantines and lock downs forever. Vaccines will have to be made mandatory and may harmful and not be 100% effective.

isand2017
  6/12/2020 08:58 EST

In recent days, the U.S. saw a 36.5 percent increase in daily cases, a striking difference compared to the top 10 other countries with the most COVID-19 infections to date, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) obtained by Yahoo News.

It comes as many Americans had long awaited an end to quarantine and a return to normalcy. Concerns over the severe economic downtown have also expedited the reopening process.

panamajames
  6/13/2020 16:13 EST

The percentages of positive tests for coronavirus in Panama continue to climb with an average of near 30% this month and on June the 1st, the total reached 41.33%.

Yesterday, Thursday, June the 12th, the Ministry of Health reported 697 new cases and 418 deaths where those who died had the coronavirus. The Google world report shows that Panama has 18,568 confirmed cases. With over 4000+ cases per million, we are higher than Italy, and on par with the UK, Sweden, Iceland, United Arab Emirates, and the Isle of Man, but below the USA who are 6000+ cases per million as is Peru. Chile is 8000+ cases per million. Quatar is the highest at 27,000+ cases per million.

https://www.google.com/covid19-map/

Rodrigo DeAntonio, the advisor to the Ministry of Health, said that the rise is due to the higher rate of contagion that has been occurring in some townships and to the search that is being made to identify cases. Health authorities have gone from performing a daily average of 1,300 tests in May to 2,000 this month, as part of an aggressive, house-to-house strategy to detect more infections, especially in the townships with the most cases. Jorge Luis Prosperi, a public health specialist, said it was necessary to massively increase the tests to reach 2,000 per day. The average percentage of positive tests per month in March was 15.14%; in April, 23.24%, and in May, 18.

http://minsa.gob.pa/coronavirus-covid19

dumluk
  6/13/2020 21:56 EST

Ok, the same old party line data.....I really dont care how many people test positive......remember, the papaya and the goat in Tanzania tested positive.......I care how many people are sick......thats the only thing that matters ....not how many people test positive for a nebulous virus with a sketchy test.........my Pana profesora has a primo in the city who workis with el gobierno.....He got a bit sick and tested positive, and didnt even bother going to the clinic or hospital becuz rightfully so, he was afraid of doing that....So he just took aspirin to dilute his blood somewhat to avoid blood clots in his lungs.......And he recovered (as the vast majority do or would, if they had proper information) within a couple of weeks, less.....just like a normal flu........What a s&*t show this is...........Astonishing how gullible people are........More power to the presidents of Tanzania and Madagascar.....At least those black guys in Africa still retain much of their common sense........

panamajames
  6/14/2020 15:12 EST

Don’t expect that quarantine and related restrictions will be lifted anytime soon. The next block of freedom will depend on the numbers and they are not very good. Coronavirus infections are up 169% and counting. There were 3,207 registered new infections from Covid-19 in the week ending Friday the 12th of June without counting Saturday’s figures so the final number of reported cases will be the highest since March 9th. The number of infections this week represents an increase of 169% compared to the first week of last month (May 3-9) when the confirmed cases were 1,192. Friday’s epidemiology report from the Ministry of Health (Minsa) detailed 19,211 accumulated cases in our country (20,059 as of today), of which 5,031 are active (4,537 in isolation and 494 hospitalized), 13,759 patients recovered and 421 died as of Friday (today the total has increased to 429 deaths where the people who have died, had the coronavirus). Here is your Google World Report https://www.google.com/covid19-map/ now showing 429 deaths, 8 more since the Friday the 12th Minsa report. Minsa’s aggressive testing program with 2,034 new tests on Friday - the third consecutive day with more than 2,000 diagnostic tests is a contributing factor to the increase in revealed cases. Javier Nieto, an infectologist and member of the Minsa Coronavirus Advisory Committee, said that poverty, overcrowding, safe passages, the informal economy and the opening of Block 1 have influenced the increase. Most of the cases are reported in the provinces of Panamá, Panamá Oeste and Veraguas, and some districts of Bocas del Toro and Chiriquí, where a high number of people live in multidimensional poverty. The 2017 Poverty Index of Panama shows that there are 777,752 people in extreme poverty in the country. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Panama’s Consumer Protection Authority (Acodeco) has fined 834 merchants who did not comply with "the profit margin", for the sale of face masks and other anti-virus products during this coronavirus pandemic.
Acodeco officials detected irregularities and among the products with the greatest number of anomalies are disinfectants, alcohol for external use alcohol, gel, disposable masks, antibacterial soap and disposable gloves. To report overcharging, you can call WhatsApp 6330-3333 or the citizen service line 311. The complaints are anonymous, but must describe the faults, the name and the exact location of the commercial establishment. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Panama President Laurentino Cortizo discussed the coronavirus pandemic with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau yesterday, Friday the 12th of June. According to Cortizo, Trudeau thanked the Panamanian people for their support in the repatriation process of several Canadian citizens. The Canadian government press office noted that Cortizo and Trudeau “recognized the significant economic and health impacts of COVID-19, and exchanged views on their respective national efforts to combat the pandemic and protect the well-being of their citizens. "The Government of Canada is working closely with local, provincial, territorial, and international partners to minimize the health, economic, and social impacts in Canada and around the world.

panamajames
  6/15/2020 09:36 EST

Free speech is allowed dumluk so anything reasonable will be posted. But I do agree that some of the crap stating Bill Gates created 5G and/or the coronavirus should be removed as ludicrous. https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-conspiracy-bill-gates-infowars-2020-4 But people have to decide for themselves what is their truth and is this a Plandemic or a Pandemic and is it a hoax or is it real. Who is making the money here as a result? Are you up on the latest Conspiracy Theory? Do you believe in the New World Order?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_Order_(conspiracy_theory)

Do you believe in the Free Masons and Jesuits taking over the world along with the Illuminati? Was it all about the Rockefellers? Is fiat currency disappearing? Was the coronavirus created in a lab in China or did SARS-CoV-2 come from an animal, but finding which one will be tricky, as will laying to rest speculation of a lab escape. It almost certainly originated in bats and the bats passed it to an intermediate animal, which then spread it to people........Dogs caught coronavirus from their owners, genetic analysis suggests. Scientists say that the nature of the evidence required means it’s going to be hard to track down the animal source — and also difficult to completely rule out the facility in question, the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), as the source. So we think of the most outrageous rumors possible including all of this garbage about 5G, and then we spread these ideas on social media, because we can...........Let me take off my tin foil hat for a moment here..............Thanks.
..................................................

Phase 3 of the move towards the reopening of Panama' economy will be stalled for at least another week as the accumulated number of cases of COVID-19 ballooned past 20,000 with 848 new infections confirmed in one day with 5,871 active cases straining medical services. President Laurentino Cortizo also announced that the moratorium on loan repayments and other services such as electricity will be extended. On Saturday, May 13 he reiterated statements by health authorities, which indicated that currently 2,000 tests a day for the virus are being carried out, however, the ideal would be to perform about 4,000 per day. Although there is no definite date for the Phase 3 reopening of economic activities, businesses are already preparing to start operations once authorization is given. According to the methodology announced by the Health Ministry the phases would be reactivating every 15 days, but due to the increase in cases of COVID-19, it will now depend on the behavior of the virus. Phase 3 includes the activities of retail and wholesale trade, car sales, private sector construction, professional and administrative services. At the close of this Saturday June 13th, there were 20,059 accumulated cases and 429 deaths.

The Arnulfo Arias Madrid Hospital Complex of the Social Security Fund (CSS), is fast running out of beds and ventilators for coronavirus patients while the numbers of infections continues to zoom over-stretching staff and facilities. CSS director Enrique Lau Cortés announced Sunday that the neurosurgery wing with 30 beds will be used for virus patients and they will have to buy more ventilators He noted that the number of patients with COVID-19 now exceeds those with other illnesses in Intensive Care. The newly enabled beds must be accompanied by their respective monitors, ventilators, continuous infusion pumps and other key equipment.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
The restaurant industry has been one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic with one in four Panama restaurants forecast to disappear. The Panamanian Association of Business Executives (Apede) has warned that the effects of the coronavirus pandemic could mean the loss of 250,000 jobs this year and plunge the country in to an economic collapse.

pgcwashdc
  6/16/2020 08:33 EST

More fuel, unfortunately, to add to the "more delay in reopening" fire:

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama039s-icus-at-breaking-point-1

pgcwashdc
  6/16/2020 09:10 EST

In the potentially good news department, a study out of the UK found a cheap drug that seems to reduce mortality for COVID-19 patients on ventilators or receiving oxygen:

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53061281

It's not a magic bullet but we'll take what we can get.

dumluk
  6/17/2020 10:52 EST

After reading the article, it doesnt look so great to me. Better than nothing is about all you can say. Have they made the same tests using hydroxychloroquine/azrithmyacin/zinc which so many country docs have had great results with? If not, why not? 4% improvement odds (1 of 25) are nothing to pin major hope on......And what about that natural herbal based remedy being hailed as a miracle cure out of Madagascar? It must surely be worth investigating or is Big Pharma already busy ruling out the cheap eazy ones that work, in favor of the hugely expensive vaccine, which probably wont, as the virus is constantly mutating like all other flu virus's.

pgcwashdc
  6/18/2020 10:31 EST

I completely agree about the appalling way the hydroxychloroquine issue has been mishandled and misreported. But, as I understand it, that cocktail is most effective either as a prophylactic or administered early in the disease progression. The hypothesis being that hydroxy-c acts as a zinc ionophore, allowing more zinc into the cell where it disrupts viral reproduction. And that's most likely why "studies" in which it's given after hospitalization (i.e., virus already well-established) show no significant effect. It's also bordering on malpractice how so many "studies" refuse to include zinc in their protocols.

But what makes this new application of a cheap and widely available steroid so interesting is that it has some benefit for patients on oxygen and ventilators. Nothing else has really worked for those groups so if I had a loved one in that stage I would definitely ask the doctor to try it. Not a magic bullet, as I said, but a potentially useful tool to add to the list.

dumluk
  6/18/2020 17:00 EST

More food for thought: NYC emergency room Nurse tells all: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread1266320/pg1

panamajames
  6/18/2020 18:20 EST

https://www.foxnews.com/media/undercover-nurse-ny-hospital-isolate-coronavirus-patients

isand2017
  6/19/2020 00:42 EST

See inside a COVID-19 ward in Houston as area hospitals see a surge in patients.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU_eSE8jQ6E

dumluk
  6/19/2020 01:00 EST

I suspect that the moderator of this site is an old guy who goes to bed early........

CherryPie
  6/20/2020 20:49 EST

Has anyone heard any more about a date for the third phase of Panama's re-opening plan?

PedasiPundit
  6/21/2020 06:03 EST

The latest is that they are talking about regressing to Block 1 because Panama City has so many cases. So, regress PC, let the rest of us have some FREEDOM!

llseldon
  6/21/2020 11:14 EST

the American Legion's Post 2 relocated to Nueva Gorgona and where one of our members, Ray Butler, is the current Commander. Before the ConviD flu virus interrupted everything, they were meeting at La Ruina Restaurant in Gorgona, first Friday of the month and establishing themselves as an up and coming organization as they gained membership. Since then, they have gotten involved with their community and helping those less fortunate through donation they rise. For Memorial Day in May no event was held at the ABMC in Corozal because of the current limitations on movement put in place by the authorities. The local VFW asked the different organization that normally attend to redirect the funds they use on wreaths to a needy person/family/organization of their choice.
The American Legions Post 2 accepted the challenge, helped the needy in their area and have now up The challenge in accepting donation to continue in helping those in their area due to the current curfew/quarantine. If you want to help the local American Legions Post 2, you can contact Jack McClain at: [email protected]
Also Ray Butler at: [email protected]
On WhatsApp: 6527-8462
They are also on Facebook at: American Legion Post 2 Panama
They do Paypal and accept bank transfer from local accounts.

dumluk
  6/21/2020 12:18 EST

As long as they are only talking. For the time being everything remains the same....and there have been threats against the lives of certain high ranking ministry of health officials......

dumluk
  6/21/2020 14:05 EST

Disculpame........my last post contained fake news.....Upon rereading I realized the threats were against frontline medical workers not high ranking health ministry officials.....

isand2017
  6/22/2020 14:57 EST

MASKS may not be enough; some models 'looking apocalyptic,' Houston expert says
Infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Hotez. Dr. Peter Hotez says if cases continue to accelerate, Houston could see a situation resembling hotspots like NYC or cities in Brazil.

https://www.khou.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/we-need-to-have-in-place-a-plan-b-expert-worries-harris-county-mask-order-may-not-be-enough-to-stop-

Travelocity
  6/22/2020 16:12 EST

...and of course some will disagree with him because they are waiting for the glorified vaccine.
Coronavirus is weakening, could disappear on its own: Italian doctor

https://nypost.com/2020/06/21/coronavirus-is-weakening-could-disappear-on-its-own-italian-doctor/?utm_source=maropost&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nypevening&utm_content=20200621&tpcc=evening_update&mpweb=755-8962025-720507852

Travelocity
  6/22/2020 16:12 EST

...and of course some will disagree with him because they are waiting for the glorified vaccine.
Coronavirus is weakening, could disappear on its own: Italian doctor

https://nypost.com/2020/06/21/coronavirus-is-weakening-could-disappear-on-its-own-italian-doctor/?utm_source=maropost&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nypevening&utm_content=20200621&tpcc=evening_update&mpweb=755-8962025-720507852

panamajames
  6/25/2020 12:25 EST

The Health Ministry will sanction three men found with foreign sex workers inside a ‘dating house’ during the coronavirus lockdown on Sunday, June 21, will be sanctioned by the Ministry of Health. The owner of La Loma Garden, the administrator of a local hospital, is also facing sanctions as pushbuttons must remain closed until the sixth reopening phase. The director of the National Migration Service (SNM) of Los Santos, Francisco Eloy Vega, said that it was the National Police who surprised them. “There was a little party there and some were in the rooms. And that is completely prohibited because they (foreigners) cannot work because this activity is still prohibited as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, ” he said. Vega said that the three foreigners are already under immigration orders. "The law establishes that we can fine both the garden owner and foreigners for not having a work permit," he said. The Los Santos regional director of health, Ayvar Hernández, recently sanctioned singer Sandra Sandoval when she flouted Sunday lockdown rules. He said that the National Police and the Justice of the Peace of Las Tablas have already raised the report of the event that occurred on the morning of Saturday June 20th. "We will sanction the three nationals and the business owner," said Hernández. ………………………………………………………………………………………

Health authorities broke up over a dozen weekend quarantine busting parties, including, liquor, and drugs.in Panama West an epi-center of COVID-19 infections. Police broke up one event during Sunday’s total lockdown in a mall on the Arraiján - La Chorrera highway where the hosts had hired five sex-workers and provided drinks, condoms and illegal substances. The offenders were detained and brought before a judge and Health authorities said they will request that” they be punished to the maximum extent permitted by law.” Officials from the Ministry of Health reiterated that the health system in La Chorrera is about to collapse and that there are some people who still do not seem to assimilate that the virus is deadly

CherryPie
  6/25/2020 15:56 EST

It's too bad for us all that some people lack common sense. Their selfish stupidity could cost someone their life and they keep the pandemic going longer for the rest of us.

I feel for people who may have to flout the rules for survival purposes but to me, the ones listed above deserve everything they get!

panamajames
  6/26/2020 15:30 EST

Panama's Roberto Duran, one of the best boxers in the world at one time, has tested positive for the coronavirus and has been hospitalized.
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/boxing/boxing-roberto-durn-positive-coronavirus-covid-19/article31924810.ece

panamajames
  6/26/2020 16:24 EST

"No Mas."

This phrase became infamous after Roberto Duran, a man who had never quit or been knocked out before in his professional career of over 70 fights, uttered this phrase at the end of the eighth round of his second fight with Sugar Ray Leonard.

https://www.nydailynews.com/latino/roberto-duran-tells-real-story-behind-no-mas-bou-article-1.2765921


Roberto Duran’s fights against Sugar Ray Leonard were legendary.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Dur%C3%A1n

Here is a picture from 1994

panamajames
  6/26/2020 16:49 EST

There are plenty of stories on the internet but here are some interesting URL’s for those who are not familiar with the Hands of Stone, Roberto Duran, former champion boxer of the world and probably Panama’s biggest celebrity.

https://www.ringtv.com/602984-roberto-duran-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-is-hospitalized/ ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/29367006/roberto-duran-tests-positive-coronavirus-remains-hospital ........................................................................................................................................................................
https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/boxing-champ-roberto-durn-tests-positive-coronavirus-71466557 ........................................................................................................................................................................
https://sports.yahoo.com/boxing-roberto-duran-tests-positive-hospitalized-coronavirus-covid19-pandemic-041038878.html .......................................................................................................................................................................
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/os-sp-coronavirus-roberto-duran-boxing-20200626-77h6omp6hjb6jg4dglpskxtqlq-story.html

panamajames
  6/26/2020 18:34 EST

At least 47 officials of the Judicial Branch in Panama City have tested positive for the Covid-19 virus, which has forced the closure of some courts to prevent the spread of the disease to collaborators and users of the system.

In a statement released Thursday, June 25 the Judicial Branch, said that possible contacts are being followed up and disinfection work is being carried out in the judicial offices.

llseldon
  6/26/2020 19:51 EST

Manos de piedra.

panamajames
  6/27/2020 23:43 EST

Panama registered 1,007 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, June 25, the highest daily total since the pandemic arrived and 17 deaths in 24 hours brought the total to 564.

The accumulative total of people infected nationwide is now 29,037.

Of the 13,673 active cases, 826 are hospitalized, 686 are in the ward, and 140 are in intensive care, bringing hospital services near breaking point.

There are 76 townships with more than 10 positive cases. Among them are Tocumen with 138 new infections reported, Juan Díaz 137, December 24 136, Belisario Porras 96, Pedregal 94, Arraiján 83, San Francisco 82, Ancón 77 Changuniola 69.

Contagions are registered in children under 20 years old (3,477), 20-39 years old (12,732), 40-59 years old (9,228), 60-79 years old (3,009), and over 80 (591) .

ROKSlide
  6/28/2020 10:36 EST

panama james -- Does anyone report on the net hospitalizations, that is the new admissions minus the discharges. A graph of this would be more informative.

llseldon
  6/28/2020 15:55 EST

With my brother in his club in El Cangrejo.

llseldon
  6/28/2020 15:56 EST

Duran's club in El Cangrejo back when.

llseldon
  6/28/2020 16:55 EST

Correction: With my brother with Duran in Duan's club in El Cangrejo.

sweethomepanama
  6/28/2020 17:10 EST

Loved that place had beers with champ several times !!!

panamajames
  7/1/2020 08:18 EST

With an increase of 1,099 new cases in 24 hours the total of detected COVID-19 cases in Panama swelled to 32,785 on Sunday June 28th and the death total rose to 620.
He adds that the patients recovered are 15,595 and there were 3,225 tests for the coronavirus bringing the total to 128,795. There are 15,679 in isolation and (718 in hospital hotels). Hospitalized patients total 891 (744 are in wards and 147 in intensive care). As the virus threatens hospital capacity, an Interhospital Control Center was installed on Monday June 29th at the Ministry of Health headquarters, to coordinate between Minsa and the Social Security Fund (CSS). The center aims to "make a permanent analysis of the installed capacity of the different medical centers in the country to provide more efficient care and facilitate their management and lead to the proper administration of each of the hospitals." Panama hospitals are now swamped at over 90% capacity. The Ministry of Health reported that it is making efforts to increase the installed capacity of hospital centers while seeking alternatives to locate new care centers for COVID-19 positive patients. Public and private hospitals in the Panama City metropolitan area are saturated with a capacity of over 90% leaving the newly formed Health Advisory Council scrambling to find beds for COVID-19 patients and those with other pathologies. Intensive Care Units are especially stressed. The pulmonologist and advisor to the Ministry of Health (Minsa) Reynaldo Chandler said that the ideal capacity in any is that the occupation does not exceed 85% and the Council faces the challenge of enabling more beds in rooms and intensive care. The spread of the virus among overstretched healthcare workers is also causing concern with six new cases detected in staff at Hospital Santo Tomas (HST) and in a Minsa office. Having enough beds to care for all patients including intensive care units, is one of the situations that worry advisers and members of the Council and between 600 and 1,100 new coronavirus cases are detected daily. Mathematical models that have been used since the virus appeared in the country on March 9 suggest that 20% of patients will reach hospitals, in both wards and ICUs. The pulmonologist and advisor to the Health Ministry Reynaldo Chandler said that alternatives are being sought such as the use of the Amador convention center, and in the reversed areas of the Ancón Township, although this has not yet materialized. He added that there are other options that have already been put into operation, such as the Panama Solidario Integrated Hospital, which since Sunday has had 15 more beds for patients with the Covid-19 joining the 25 they were already in use for critically ill patients, in intensive care. Some 100 beds for the care of critically ill Covid-19 patients will be prepared at the Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Minsa.

karenmmm
  7/1/2020 12:04 EST

Great...but when RD orders you another beer...never say..no mas

llseldon
  7/1/2020 13:59 EST

No mas!

llseldon
  7/1/2020 14:22 EST

Least we forget Soberana, culeta.

isand2017
  7/3/2020 16:52 EST

Panama may closed for the rest of the year,.

The coronavirus may have mutated to become more infectious, Dr. Anthony Fauci says

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/02/the-coronavirus-may-have-mutated-to-become-more-infectious-dr-anthony-fauci-says.html

WHO says pandemic 'not even close' to over as death toll passes 500,000
The COVID-19 pandemic is “not even close to being over”, the WHO warned Monday (28 June), as the global death toll passed half a million and cases surged in Latin America and the US.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/coronavirus/news/resurgence-of-covid-19-observed-in-some-eu-countries-says-eu-disease-centre/

panamajames
  7/4/2020 03:03 EST

July opened with 913 new cases of Covid-19, raising the total in Panama to 34,463 since the outbreak began on March 9th, and 14 new deaths, brought the total death toll to 645.

The Ministry of Health reports that, 943 people remain hospitalized, 794 in the ward and 149 in Intensive Care.

There are 16,930 people in isolation, 16,251 at home and 679 in hospital hotels.

As the availability of hospital beds shrinks efforts are being made to enable the Figali and Amador Convention Centers to be used if needed for room. The Social Security and other hospitals are being expanded to install beds for
COVID-19 positive patients.

isand2017
  7/4/2020 08:30 EST

THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT CORONAVIRUS : It's Mutating.
by Dr. Steven Gundry


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSKY4Oz9IXQ

panamajames
  7/4/2020 09:37 EST

Twenty-two deaths in one day raised the Panama death toll to 667 on Wednesday, July 2nd, and on a path to pass the 1.000 mark by month-end with 774 new positive cases diagnosed as hospitals struggle to cope with the surge in admissions.

Panama recorded a new record for deaths from COVID-19, with 22 confirmed in the last 24 hours. The total number of infections is now at 35,237 accumulated infections and, 16,445 patients have recovered. On Wednesday 2,352 tests were applied,with a positivity percentage of 33%.

There are 17,181 people in isolation, 16,508 at home and 673 in hotels, and 944, are hospitalized including 149 in intensive care.

The Ministry of Health (MINSA) is working on a recruitment drive for healthcare staff and on the adaptation of wards in the network of public hospitals for COVID-19 patients.

Public network hospitals are being managed through the Interhospital Control Center to achieve more effective performance. The center monitors beds, medications, equipment, and other supplies, to respond to the needs of each person who is affected by the pandemic and other diseases. Here is your right up to date Google URL https://www.google.com/covid19-map/ in which you will find approximately 36,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 700 deaths in Panama

llseldon
  7/4/2020 12:23 EST

From the U.S. Embassy:

The Embassy has identified six upcoming humanitarian flights with seats available. The flights are operated by Copa Airlines (flights numbers CM4983 and CM4982), United Airlines (flight number UA2417), and Spirit Airlines (flight number NK6511). The flights are scheduled for July 8, 10, 14, 15, 17, and 20. There are no additional confirmed flights with available seats at this time, so if you desire to return to the United States, it is important to book immediately. Any traveler with the appropriate passport/visa to permit entry into the United States who wishes to depart Panama is eligible to purchase a ticket. Travelers should carefully plan their onward travel as hotel options in Dulles, Houston, and Ft. Lauderdale may be limited. Once in the United States, all domestic travel arrangements are the sole responsibility of the traveler.



The Embassy is aware that the Government of Panama has approved in-bound flights from the United States to Panama to provide Panamanian citizens and other qualified travelers the opportunity to travel to Panama. Questions about qualifications necessary and approval for passengers on these flights should be directed to the Embassy of Panama, in Washington, D.C. Airlines operating these flights, such as Copa Airlines, may occasionally be able to offer seats on the out-bound flights to some passengers. Please contact the airline offering these seats for sale directly about those flights. The U.S. Embassy in Panama will continue announcing all flights approved by the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as humanitarian flights to the United States

Panamanreed
  7/4/2020 16:58 EST

Hey! what is with this Draconian government in Florida? https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/07/03/us/03reuters-health-coronavirus-usa.html

isand2017
  7/7/2020 16:56 EST

Humanitarian Flights to Panama -
The Embassy of Panama in Washington, D.C.


At the moment we do not have humanitarian flights to Panama. We recommend that all Panamanians and residents of Panama stranded in the United States to have their flight back to Panama after July 22nd. Please send us the following information to be included in our list of stranded and to be considered for the next humanitarian flight in case it gets coordinated.



Name:

Cedula number:

Passport number:

Passport issuance date:

Passport expiration date:

US Address:

Address in Panama:

US phone number:

Telephone number in Panama:

Air reservation of canceled flight back:

Airline:

Current situation:



In addition to this, please attach a copy of your passport and resident’s card.



Follow the Panamanian news and/or our social media to keep yourself informed.



You can follow us on:

Facebook: Embajada de Panamá en los Estados Unidos de América

Instagram: embassyofpanama_dc

Twitter: EmbPanama_US

http://www.embassyofpanama.org/

isand2017
  7/10/2020 15:12 EST

'All the hospitals are full': In Houston, overwhelmed ICUs leave COVID-19 patients waiting in ER.

On Thursday, 3,812 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the region, including more than 1,000 in intensive care units, a record since the pandemic began. At the same time, since Texas officials have not issued another stay-at-home order to slow the virus’s spread, hospitals are also still seeing a steady flow of patients in need of care as a result of car accidents, violent crime and heat-related medical emergencies.


https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/all-hospitals-are-full-houston-overwhelmed-icus-leave-covid-19-n1233430

Panamanreed
  7/10/2020 17:36 EST

Do we really need laws to apply common sense?

isand2017
  7/12/2020 14:23 EST

Doctors Call for 15-Days Mandatory Total Lockdown.

The Panamanian Society of Internal Medicine has called on the Government establish a total mandatory quarantine in the provinces of Panama, Panama West and Chiriquí for at least 15 days to stop the spread of the coronavirus that has killed 863 people and infected over 43,000 including some 400,medical staff, amd stretched hospital facilities to the maximum.

A statement signed by the President of the Society, Nuvia Batista, it is suggested to establish appropriate containment measures according to epidemiological outbreaks in the rest of the country.

"We request the Government to provide Health personnel with the personal protective equipment necessary for their performance, as well as the medications and medical supplies that are required in the centers of attention as an emergency," the document states.

One of the main concerns of doctors is that in four months of a pandemic, some 400 members have been infected and medical supplies are scarce, so drastic measures must be taken in response to the increase in cases and deaths.

The Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, stated that nothing is ruled out, the request is being analyzed, but in order to make a decision like this, the government and the population must be prepared.

In addition, the Ministry of Health on its Twitter account reported that the Government has not taken any decision regarding the recommendation of several medical unions to declare an absolute quarantine and that if is decided, it will be announced in advance.

There were 1,119 hospitalized patients, 969 in wards and 160 in intensive care and hundreds more in hospital hotels.https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/doctors-call-for-15-days-mandatory-total-lockdown


**Special Report: How the COVID-19 lockdowns will take its own toll on health.
The longer the suppression lasts, history shows, the worse such outcomes will be.SHORT TERM CONSEQUENCES
Domestic Violence

Trapped at home with their abusers, some domestic violence victims are already experiencing more frequent and extreme violence, said Katie Ray-Jones, the chief executive officer of the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Domestic violence programs across the country have cited increases in calls for help, news accounts reported – from Cincinnati to Nashville, Portland, Salt Lake City and statewide in Virginia and Arizona. The YWCA of Northern New Jersey, in another example, told Reuters its domestic violence calls have risen up to 24%.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-cost-special-r/special-report-how-the-covid-19-lockdown-will-take-its-own-toll-on-health-idUSKBN2

panamajames
  7/14/2020 10:49 EST

Another 30 Panamanian families are in mourning as the daily death tally from coronavirus soared on Saturday, July 11 bringing the total deaths from March 9 to 893, and today the death total has reached 932. It was a day when 1,075 new positive cases, raised the accumulated total to 44,332 (today $47,173) with a 2.00% fatality rate according to the Ministry of Health (Minsa). There are 21,269 active cases with 1,094 hospitalized - 936 in wards and 158 in intensive care. Here is your Google coronavirus map with up to date information.
https://www.google.com.pa/search?sxsrf=ALeKk02wZFGr8N3mjiflZdsvDCvJRETCJw%3A1594737093013&source=hp&ei=xMENX-7bOOyg_Qbjg7iYDQ&q=google+coronavirus+map&oq=google&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgCMgQIIxAnMgQIIxAnMgQIIxAnMgsIABCxAxCDARCRAjILCAAQsQMQgwEQkQIyCAgAELEDEIMBMggIABCxAxCDATIICAAQsQMQgwEyAggAMgUIABCxA1ChFFidHGD8OmgAcAB4AIABogGIAdwGkgEDMC42mAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpeg&sclient=psy-ab


The Chitré Mayor’s office dealt with nearly 300 complaints about curfew-flouting parties and social gatherings on Friday and Saturday. The complaints came in through a community WhatsApp that had been enabled on the weekend after a warning that all parties and meetings that violate the curfew would be suspended and those responsible fined. Jorge Donado, in charge of special projects for the Mayor's Office of Chitré, said by 5:00 am on Sunday they received and acted on 189 complaints. Donado said that most of the complaints were made in the township of Monagrillo, which also has the largest number of people infected by the coronavirus in Herrera (23). "All the cases were placed with a justice of the peace” said Donado and stressed that the fines will not only be imposed on individuals, but also on business owners who insist on keeping their businesses open beyond 7:00 pm. Donado said that 91 complaints were dealt with on Friday, of which 11 remained in the hands of the justice of the peace.


Florida announced on Sunday July 12th that in the last 24 hours more than 15,300 people contracted the coronavirus, a record not only for that state but for the entire United States and is now the new epicenter of the virus in the country. The Sunday increase left behind the record that California made last week with 11,694 new daily cases and the figure of 11,571 reported on April 15 by New York. The rapid increase in cases has put Florida hospitals, which have 76.4% of the beds for general use, and 81.2% of the intensive care beds (ICU), on the ropes, said Sunday the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). The situation is worse in Miami-Dade County, the most populous in the state, and where 94.8% of beds are being used for intensive care. This Sunday, Miami-Dade Republican Mayor Carlos Giménez warned that county hospitals may soon run out of beds and fans for the most seriously ill patients. The councilor indicated that some hospital rooms have already been converted to intensive care units and stated that this work will continue. Cases have not grown in Florida alone, and in fact 37 of the 50 US states have seen increases in the past week, according to the independent count by Johns Hopkins University. The number of new infections crossed the barrier of 60,000 cases on Saturday for the third consecutive day, dragged by the outbreaks in the south and west of the country, where hospitals in some states are about to collapse. In addition to Florida, ten states are at the limit of their hospital capacity: Arizona has 79.1% of beds occupied, followed by Nevada (77.4%), Alabama (75, 1%), South Carolina (75%), Kentucky (74.7%), Massachusetts (74.6%), West Virginia (74%), Georgia (71.4%), Delaware (71.1%) and Texas (70.1%), according to government Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). President Donald Trump has resisted devising a strategy at the federal level and his government this Sunday again asked schools to reopen their doors in August.

sweethomepanama
  7/14/2020 13:55 EST

Please be very careful when stating un-known facts.

This simple statement which was in this article cannot be valid :

"Sunday July 12th that in the last 24 hours more than 15,300 people contracted the coronavirus,"

There is absolutely no way of knowing HOW MANY people contracted the disease unless they have ALL been tested. So unless this news source can prove that they can tell if someone contracted the virus just by association or by looking at them Its an arbitrary number of which the news surrounding this virus is full of.

cinparadise
  7/14/2020 15:54 EST

Panamajames,

You wrote:

"President Donald Trump has resisted devising a strategy at the federal level and his government this Sunday again asked schools to reopen their doors in August."

Your lack of knowledge of America is noted. Primary education, like many aspects of life in America, is controlled at the state, not the national level. President Trump has made many recommendations at the federal level but can't mandate them legally due to America being the freest country in the world thanks to its constitution. Freedom has a price. Such is life.

Your anti-American statements on the discussion labeled "Canada News For Those in Panama" are very revealing.

As for your reference to the number of "infections," America is testing almost 650,000 people a day hence the increase in number of people testing positive for the virus most of which weren't even aware that they were positive. This is the case throughout the world and is to be expected since this virus is like the common flu in that eventually everyone will contract some form of it at some point in time.

Why don't you cease with the fear mongering and go outside and enjoy Boquete, it's a beautiful day today.

cinparadise
  7/15/2020 08:14 EST

This is occurring throughout America including the states of Florida and Texas, hospitals and labs not reporting "negative" virus cases thus the unusually high reported spikes such as 98% of people testing positive for the virus.

Has this been occurring in Panama too?


*

Some labs weren’t reporting negative coronavirus cases, Florida health department says

By Ryan Gillespie  Orlando Sentinel Jul 14, 2020 at 7:21 PM

Several lab companies that process coronavirus tests from Florida have reported incomplete data to the state, officials said Tuesday, creating discrepancies in the numbers public health officials rely on to track the pandemic across communities.

In some cases, labs reported positive test results, but did not report the number of negative test results.

That has the potential to skew a key statistic known as the positivity rate or the percent of tests that are positive. That measure is often used by public health officials to determine how widespread infections are in a community.

State officials acknowledged the problem on Tuesday, but did not provide specifics such as how many labs were reporting incomplete data. They said the problem was centered on small, private labs.

“The Department immediately began working with those labs to ensure that all results were being reported in order to provide comprehensive and transparent data,” the Florida Department of Health said in a statement. “As the state continues to receive results from various labs, the Department will continue educating these labs on proper protocol for reporting COVID-19 test results.”

It’s unclear how significantly the incomplete reporting may have altered the state’s virus statistics. Officials from the state health department did not respond to additional questions.

WOFL-Fox 35 first reported the discrepancy.

In tracking most diseases like gonorrhea or HIV, negative tests typically aren’t reported, said Dr. Raul Pino, the local health officer for the Florida Department of Health in Orange County. But in a pandemic, calculating the positivity rate is important to track the spread, he said.

Pino said he and his team carefully vet data they receive from the state and said he’s confident the data set is solid, though there can be small discrepancies.

“It takes a lot to change it significantly, if we’re talking about positivity rate, to change it one direction or another,” Pino said.

About 2.7 million coronavirus tests have been conducted in Florida.

The number of unreported negative tests is unclear.

In one example, a small batch of tests from a lab for Orlando Health tested 522 samples, according to a state report, and 512, or about 98%, were positive for the virus.

Dr. George Ralls of Orlando Health said the hospital system has found 5,206 positive tests of the 53,932 it administered throughout its hospitals, with an overall rate of 9.7%.

“There appears to be an error with Orlando Health’s number on that report,” said Alayna Curry, a spokeswoman for Orlando Health. “We’re looking into how this happened.”

The state report lists a dozen hospitals in Orlando Health’s system that have tested for the virus, with most coming from its own lab.

Ralls addressed the erroneous 98% positive figure in the state report during a meeting Tuesday of Orange County’s Economic Recovery Task Force.

Labs that appear affiliated with Orlando’s Veteran’s Affairs hospital also reported under three different names, rates of 31%, 46% and 76% on a combined 710 tests. Those percentages also appeared high, but a spokeswoman could not immediately provide clarification.

The largest lab companies don’t appear affected by the reporting discrepancy.

Quest Diagnostics in Tampa has reviewed 540,816 tests with 11% positive. Laboratory Corporation of America has processed 455,836 tests with 12% coming back positive and Bio Reference Laboratories has checked 360,286 tests with 13% positive. AdventHealth’s lab processed 103,000 tests with an 11% positivity rate.

A daily report released Tuesday showed Orange County’s overall rate of positives was 9.4%, continuing a slow decline from a spike that started last month.

The county fared better than the state, which had a 15% rate of positive tests.

Osceola County reported a 22.8% positive rate and 132 new cases, Seminole County had a 9.3% rate of positives in Tuesday’s data and Lake County had 12.7% of its tests come back positive.

“This is not out of our control,” Pino told the task force.

Adelaide Chen of the Sentinel staff contributed.

[email protected]

*

Travelocity
  7/15/2020 14:11 EST

CURE!!! THIS IS DRUG BASED BUT STILL A CURE with 100% success rate for this doctor.

Doctor below has been treating patients with 100% success using same protocol other doctors were using with H202 but with a drug!

https://youtu.be/eDSDdwN2Xcg
Dr. Richard Bartlett
Gives cure with 20 year old drug ($200) that is working to cure people of covid 19 since March unlimited people, every patient is living and NOT DYING even people with comorbidity are living! You can use the same procedure with H202 as discussed before the issue is they only want to consider a drug not cheap drugs, even $200 cure is going to get resistance as they want to sell $3500 per patient remi drug and trillions in forced vaccines. All one giant fraud from start to end. Time to end the China/WHO global FRAUD! Endless fraud but it is being directed by an evil disgusting regime from China and WHO has been pushing it out from the start. Everything that works WHO has recommended against.

panamajames
  7/15/2020 18:53 EST

Here is another group of Doctors in the USA with a 100% success rate for their cure for Coronavirus. The website was recently cited for declaring a cure, but they have gone beyond that and continue what they believe in that works 100%.

David Brownstein M.D.
Richard Ng M.D.
Robert Rowe M.D.
Jennie-Dare Drummond PA
Taylor Eason NP
Hailey Brownstein, D.O. §
and Jessica Brownstein

https://cf5e727d-d02d-4d71-89ff-9fe2d3ad957f.filesusr.com/ugd/adf864_cc5004cfa84a46d3b1a0338d4308c42c.pdf

panamajames
  7/16/2020 01:43 EST

The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported that this Wednesday, July 15, 1,147 new cases of coronavirus and 22 new deaths were registered in the last 24 hours.

To date, the global number of cases in Panama stands at 49,243. Meanwhile, the total number of people killed increased to 982.

Effective Friday July 17, MINSA established new quarantine hours for the Panama and Panama Oeste provinces only. Other provinces in Panama will continue with the curfew that began on June 1st. Total quarantine for the Panama and Panama Oeste provinces begins on Friday at 7:00pm and ends on Monday at 5:00am. Movements remain restricted based on gender and ID number. Gender restrictions allow for movements as follows:

Women: Monday and Wednesday. Friday until 7:00pm.

Men: Tuesday and Thursday.

Additionally, movement will be restricted to a two-hour window based on the last digit of each individual’s cedula number or passport number if an individual is not a citizen of Panama. U.S. Citizens in Panama should always carry their passports, and their Panamanian cedula if they have one. The two-hour windows are as follows:

Last number is 7 – 6:30 – 8:30am
Last number is 8 – 7:30 – 9:30am
Last number is 9 – 8:30 – 10:30am
Last number is 0 – 9:30 – 11:30am
Last number is 1 – 12:30 – 2:30pm
Last number is 2 – 1:30 – 3:30pm
Last number is 3 – 2:30 – 4:30pm
Last number is 4 – 3:30 – 5:30pm
Last number is 5 – 4:30 – 6:30pm
Last number is 6 – 5:30 – 7:30pm

There is a special window for those over 60 years old, regardless of cedula or passport numbers, between 7:00am and 10:00am (gender restrictions still apply).
Weekend curfew for the month of July is from from 5:00pm on Saturday until 5:00am on Monday.
Normal exceptions apply for holders of permission letters (salvoconductos)

Parents may take one child per family outside near their home or in the social areas of their apartment building during the two-hour window of the accompanying parent.
Hours of circulation during the total quarantine are intended only for essential purchases by one person per household. The Embassy reminds U.S. citizens in Panama that it is always obligatory to comply with local laws.

Beginning Monday July 20, private sector employees are required to enter their places of employment by no later than 8:00am. Public sector employees are required to enter by no later than 9:00am.

The U.S. Embassy is compiling a list of people seeking to leave Panama. Any U.S. citizen in Panama requesting travel assistance should send an email to [email protected] ..........

Here are flights that will be leaving soon. One flight will leave tonight Thursday July 16th at 8pm for New York City. It is Copa Airlines flight CM4951 to New York, NY, and departs Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport at 8:00 p.m.

Friday July 17 Copa Airlines flight CM4945 to Miami, FL, departing Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport at 12:15 a.m.

(SOLD OUT) Friday July 17 United Airlines flight UA2417 to Houston, TX, departing Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport at 12:30 p.m.

Monday July 20 Spirit Airlines flight NK6511 to Fort Lauderdale, FL, departing Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport at 2:00 p.m.

Wednesday July 22 Copa Airlines flight CM4980 to Dulles, VA, departing Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport at 9:00 a.m.

Friday July 24 United Airlines flight UA3367 to Houston, TX, departing Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport at 12:30 p.m.

Wednesday July 29 Copa Airlines flight CM4978 to Dulles, VA, departing Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport at 9:00 a.m.

For additional information about these flights and to make reservations, visit the respective websites of the airlines, Spirit, Copa, and United. Flights that appear to be sold out may have openings due to cancellations. Continue checking directly with the airlines for any openings.

The Embassy encourages interested U.S. citizens and legal residents to purchase early and forward your purchase confirmation email to the Embassy immediately at [email protected] so that they can assist you with the issuance of salvoconducto passes. You may also email this address if you are unable to make the currently scheduled flights but would like to be informed about the next humanitarian flight. Please be aware that future flights are not guaranteed, and those who choose not to depart on these flights should prepare to remain in Panama indefinitely. The Government of Panama extended the suspension of international commercial passenger flights to Wednesday July 22. There are exceptions for cargo, humanitarian, medical supplies, medical evacuation, and government aircraft flights.

bonpecheurct
  7/16/2020 07:30 EST

Yes and I can get you a good price for the London Bridge.

Please stop spreading BS like this!

Stories and Attitudes like this are why the US is in such bad shape vs the rest of the world!

Listen to the REAL scientists, wear a mask, social distance, and wash your hands.

bonpecheurct
  7/16/2020 08:25 EST

My reply was to the posts touting "cures" to COVID 19. In the words of your "master" it is "Fake News"

Travelocity
  7/16/2020 13:05 EST

@ bonpecheurct...people like you are the reason for this whole mess. unfortunately they are the elected or appointed officials following a communist protocol. that does not work. as soon as you release people cases are up. the bottom line is that this is not the only cure i have heard off. i have seen endless videos of Dr's in Ecuador/ mexico curing people with different methods.
You keep your head in the sand or any other place you prefer to have it.
Smart people are open to different things/methods and what others have to say. ignorant people think they know it all and they have seen it all. keep taking your meds and i invite you to be the first in line for the 'cure' vaccine.

Travelocity
  7/16/2020 13:05 EST

@ bonpecheurct...people like you are the reason for this whole mess. unfortunately they are the elected or appointed officials following a communist protocol. that does not work. as soon as you release people cases are up. the bottom line is that this is not the only cure i have heard off. i have seen endless videos of Dr's in Ecuador/ mexico curing people with different methods.
You keep your head in the sand or any other place you prefer to have it.
Smart people are open to different things/methods and what others have to say. ignorant people think they know it all and they have seen it all. keep taking your meds and i invite you to be the first in line for the 'cure' vaccine.

cinparadise
  7/16/2020 13:50 EST

"Listen to the REAL scientists."

llseldon
  7/16/2020 14:59 EST

Ignorance is bliss. Just try to keep the CV to yourself. LoL
Saludos amigos del Chagres
P. S. Photo of my dog in the park this morning, we go most every morning & the super Mercado también. At home the sweet smell of liberty.

dumluk
  7/16/2020 19:31 EST

Interesting! Will have to dig into that, but never the less....I think I will stick with the Hydroxychloroquine/azrithmycin/zinc remedy if por casualidad I get struck with the dreaded voodoo virus.........It only costs about $12.......within my budget.......The Prez of Brazil seems to be doing well with it now.......Btw, I finally know somebody who actually got it...A Pana friend in Dolega and his wife were diagnosed via hisopado when he noticed that he had lost his sense of smell and taste......Hes a rock solid Pana and one of the most creative resourceful mechanics in Chiriqui, and not much could keep him down......So while in quarentine and recovering he is busy building a cabina on his finca.......It never laid him down............I think that what some of these docs in Swiss Policy Research have said about as the virus progresses in its evolution it diminishes in potency even while still being contagious......And so you see Univ fraternities giving cash rewards for getting the virus, becuz they want herd immunity badly so they can get back to going to ball games.........The MSM makes it sound all so bad and then you talk to somebody there on the ground and they say its tranquilo........So who you gonna believe?

dumluk
  7/16/2020 19:41 EST

Yes, the sweet smell of liberty.......At least partial liberty here for the last month plus in Chiriqui........Makes a big difference......at least free to roam throughout the extensive province of Chiriqui all day long.....but better be back home by 7-7:30 to stay out of trouble and/or bribes...........Sure glad I live country........Payin off like a jackpot.......

llseldon
  7/17/2020 00:28 EST

More fake news? Give the man a break, he's got to deal with Trump. I wear a mask whenever I'm in public & respect Dr. Fauci.

ROKSlide
  7/17/2020 10:51 EST

dumluk -- Where are you going to get the hydroxychloroquine. The govt. has taken it from all the pharmacies in Panama as best as I can tell. Let me know so I can get some in case of emergency.

dumluk
  7/17/2020 14:52 EST

@Rok: I wasnt aware of that...I live so far from David or Bugaba, and the list is always so long of things to do, that I keep forgetting to ask about it......Im waiting on a response from a Canadian friend in S.J. as well.....I know he has a supply but not sure where he is getting it......but will let you all know if it is available in Ticolandia........It should be available everywhere in the tropics where there exists the threat of malaria......Chloroquine saved my butt in West Austrailia from a lethal form of malaria contracted in Papua New Guinea years ago, traveling in that part of the world........My Pana buddy who is recuperating from it, told me that azithromycin is available here by prescription....Zinc is easy.......just need to find out the %s of each......

dumluk
  7/17/2020 15:16 EST

Heres an article based on information gathered by someone who has really dug into all the studies on HCQ: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/hydroxychloroquine-one-chart-you-need-see

ROKSlide
  7/17/2020 15:55 EST

dunluk -- Thanks for the note. I have a great form of zinc from "Life Extension", available at Riba Smith or online. I've also taken Hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic on multiple trips to Africa. No personal reaction of any type to that med. Hope you find a source for Hydroxychloroquine.

panamajames
  7/18/2020 17:48 EST

Hydroxychloroquine and Zithromax (azithromycin), also known as a Z-Pak is readily available in Colombia at very inexpensive prices. We always load up when we make visits, along with our old favorites Zopiclona. We like to bring our own empty brown or blue glass bottles to travel with and take the drugs out of their packaging as the packaging would fill up your suitcase. You are going to need something before the second wave hits. Here is a good study.

Early treatment of COVID-19 patients with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin: A retrospective analysis of 1061 patients......................

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1477893920302179

Dosages: Patients treated for at least three days with the following regimen: HCQ (200 mg three times daily for ten days) + AZ (500 mg on day 1 followed by 250 mg daily for the next four days)

dumluk
  7/18/2020 20:46 EST

Good work Don Jaime.......That lines up with my best information.....Ive been looking all over for it and its not eazy to get now....TPTB have made it difficult to get almost everywhere.......My Pana friend in the capital says its NOT available........Ive tried to buy it online in the States and Europe ;and its complicated.........Im waiting to hear from my amigo in San Jose, cuz I know that he has a small stockpile but not sure from where........None of these american pharmacies will honor a prescription from outside the country.......Meantime, heres David Stockman on subject matter.....Unlike Dr. Tony Fauci Ive always respected David Stockman. Hes solid: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/stockman-clown-cars-are-fully-loaded-and-dr-faucis-leading-parade

sekhars
  7/19/2020 06:04 EST

Hydroxycholoroquine does work and there is call for this to be available OTC.
Countries where it was openly used mortality rate was much less.

augieman
  7/20/2020 11:06 EST

Hello SEKHARS.


Is not GUMMIBEAR the name for the russian secret service cyberexperts??

Pretty colors , though.

sekhars
  7/20/2020 12:13 EST

well, if you believe may be
may believe also
1. Russia hacked the 2016 election
2. Russia hacked vaccine blue prints
3. everything what is wrong in west is Russian secret service op

I have not heard yet that Corona virus is Russian designed ?

volcan357
  7/20/2020 12:49 EST

I agree that the role of the Russians is over=played. The Russians did help Trump by buying his overpriced condominiums when he was on the verge of bankruptcy and were happy to see him win. However I think Trump won in 2016 because Hillary Clinton was disliked by many people and not because of the Russians. He won't have that advantage in 2020. Joe Biden is more of a neutral person. People don't dislike him.

FredfromArkansas
  7/20/2020 13:08 EST

Both Trump and Hillary were hated. You just had to hold your nose and love for the one you hated the least.

I think the secret to Trump's win was that he played by electoral college rules. He forfeited several states because he knew he couldn't win. He didn't bother trying to get votes. Also, Hillary thought several states were 'in the bag' and didn't put in much of an effort there. Trump hit them hard and swayed them to his side. She made a major mistake there. I didn't care for either of them, so I voted for Gary Johnson (libertarian party). Not really fond of the choices this year, either.

llseldon
  7/20/2020 14:46 EST

FredfromArkansas great comments, Trumps & the electoral college have got to go.

volcan357
  7/20/2020 15:09 EST

Joe Biden is not the best candidate but at least when he doesn't know something he is likely to listen to the advice of other people. Trump is stupid but he doesn't know he is stupid so he insists on making bad decisions. Trump is a total disaster if you ask me. The only rational option is to vote for whoever runs against him. The USA has a bad political system. We only have two parties and in many cases both parties put up bad candidates. In addition the executive branch has too much power. Couple that with the campaign donation system which is a form of legalised bribery the USA is not very democratic. Who knows what road the country will take in the future but right now it is not headed in a good direction. Here in Panama we use the US dollar so all the debt the US is piling up might have a negative effect on us. The combination of the epidemic plus poor leadership is not good. In any case I never plan on moving back to the US. Lots of homeless people in the USA which is something you don't see here at least in Volcan. Even the my poorest neighbours have a roof over their head and a bed to sleep on.

panamajames
  7/20/2020 19:42 EST

It seems that this topic has turned political. It was stated in the beginning that………………. “Coronavirus Information & Support. This new thread is intended for non-political posts about coronavirus.”………………………………..

No problems for me with political discussions, so let’s have someone create a topic like “How will the November US elections affect Panama?”

As for this topic………..Panama could register 200,000 COVID-19 cases with 3,500 deaths by year-end if the current out-of-control trend continues. The projection comes from the Institute of Health Measurement and Evaluation of the University of Washington, in the US and is echoed by the former representative of the World Health Organization and specialist in Public Health, Jorge Luis Prosperi, who is a member of the government’s considers that the system's attention capacity, both for outpatient care and hospitalization and intensive care will overflow. Prosperi stressed that the 51,408 confirmed cases until last Friday represent 1.2% of the national population. "These figures show that the epidemic in the country is out of control," he said. On Saturday the total of infections had reached 52,261. Evaluated by region, the Ministry of Health statistics show that there are some provinces with a higher infection rate. than others. For example, Panama has 1.83% of its population infected; Panama Oeste follows, with 1.44%, and Darién, with 1.64%. . For Prosperi, the increase in cases is directly related to citizen behavior, which persists in not complying with the indicated measures to prevent contagion. As a result, there are 1.203.93 cases accumulated per 100,000 inhabitants. “It is clear that the death rate is directly related to the increase in the number of cases. But, although the case-fatality rate remains around 2%, we increase to 24.31 deaths for every 100,000 inhabitants [eighth place among the countries of the Americas], which is serious and forces us to thoroughly analyze the causes of the high number of deaths”, he said. For this, it recommended identifying and correcting, if any, the shortcomings in the treatment received by patients, from hotel-hospitals, hospital wards, and intensive care units, since at those points something negative could be happening, and the authorities are obliged to discover and resolve it. “Despite this bleak picture, I still think we are still in time to curb the escalation of cases and deaths as long as we stay focused and each one does his part responsibly. The health sector must redouble its effort to reach 4,000 tests a day and join the organized community in the interventions, to detect, isolate, and track, "he concluded. Among medical professionals on the front line there are differing positions on how to reduce infection rates. The Panamanian Society of Internal Medicine has recommended a total and mandatory quarantine in the provinces of Panama, Panama West, and Chiriquí for at least 15 days. Internal physicians are currently caring for the majority of hospitalized Covid-19 patients in wards The president of the union, Nuvia Batista, says they do not agree with the Government's decision to establish quarantine only Saturday and Sunday. "We hope that the government will make the decisions that cannot be postponed to alleviate the crisis," she said. Domingo Moreno, coordinator of the National Medical Negotiating Commission (Comenenal), considers that more than a total quarantine, the action should be focused. and applied, but only in communities and townships where the greatest number of cases occur. Health should be the priority, but he also recalled that there is an economic component that must be evaluated before adopting any measure of isolation or restriction on mobility.

dumluk
  7/20/2020 23:28 EST

Thankfully in this confused and corrupt country, there is a voice of reason: Domingo Moreno, coordinator of the National Medical Negotiating Commission (Comenenal), considers that more than a total quarantine, the action should be focused. and applied, but only in communities and townships where the greatest number of cases occur. Health should be the priority, but he also recalled that there is an economic component that must be evaluated before adopting any measure of isolation or restriction on mobility.

ROKSlide
  7/21/2020 13:11 EST

Panamajames -- The larger outbreaks of COVID-19 in Panama City are easily explained if one considers the huge number of small, decrepit apartment buildings where a large segment of the population lives. Families are crowed into tiny spaces offset by one another with small corridors. Like it or not, to not succumb to this type of isolation, there is a lot of "community" in these buildings. Here is the result of a study in Korea: People are more likely to contract the new coronavirus from members of their own households than from contacts outside the home, South Korean epidemiologists have found. A study published on the CDC website on July 16 looked at 5,706 "index patients" who tested positive for the virus and more than 59,000 people who came into contact with them. The findings showed just two out of 100 infected people had caught the virus from non-household contacts, while one in 10 had contracted it from their own families.

FredfromArkansas
  7/21/2020 13:15 EST

A lot comes down to population density. The more people you cram into a small space, infection rates will rise (all other factors being equal). Look at the rates for nursing homes and prisons, they are very high.

augieman
  7/21/2020 13:31 EST

Ah, come on James !

You just posted a highly political screed by someone you say wrote it.

You post it; you own it !!

volcan357
  7/21/2020 13:37 EST

I am thinking that once this epidemic is over that places away from big population centres will become more popular. And condominiums in big cities will become less popular. In addition to the virus the internet and efficient delivery services will boost this trend. Better batteries will make it cheaper to have your own electricity from solar. If Elon Musk has his way there will be a sufficient number of small satellites in orbit to provide good internet virtually anywhere on the planet. So why live in a cage bunched up in a big building with tons of other people right on top of you? It won't make any sense. Especially since the experience of this epidemic will scare people.

panamajames
  7/21/2020 17:00 EST

I 100% agree with the fact that you pack 'em in like sardines, 10 or 12 to a small house and everyone is going to share each others germs and viruses. Caring is sharing but in this case, it is not necessarily a good thing. Even expats in big city condos or apartments with elevators. You are all breathing the same air. Busy malls and food stores, the same. I saw a fun display one time put on by a car insurance company. They put two small wind up cars in a big space to see how many car crash accidents there were in a half hour. Then they put 20 wind up cars in the same big space to see how many crash ups happened, and that is how they explained how my car insurance was calculated. More cars on the road, more accidents. More people in an area, more coronavirus.

COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization.
Most common symptoms:
fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Less common symptoms: aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, headache, loss of taste or smell, a rash on skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes.

panamajames
  7/22/2020 02:19 EST

It looks like Chiriqui Province along with Bocas del Toro and Colon are in the dog house again this weekend along with the Panama City groups, with rising cases of the novel El Coronavirus. With more openings, and good for you folks, my heartiest congratulations go out to Herrera, Los Santos and Cocle Provinces who get a gold star this week for your outstanding performance. The rest of you, set your watches and cellular phones. Quarantine time and total lockdown starts this Friday night at 7pm and ends at 5am on Monday morning. So there goes social Saturday and Sunday parties. I believe that is the point. And warnings that if we continue to behave improperly, and our grades don't improve, that the spankings and time outs will increase. So be good people and put on your masks and grin and bear it. Let's see how the upcoming week, works out in this numbers game. We will have some great stories to tell the future generations.

panamajames
  7/24/2020 03:14 EST

At least 10 Ten doctors have died from COVID-19 in Panama including three pediatricians. Former Health Minister Miguel Mayo warned that the loss of valuable doctors will further exacerbate the challenges due to lack of personnel in the Panamanian health system which is desperately searching for doctors and nurses as the number of active cases and hospitalizations continues to surge. Doctors are among the groups most exposed to the patients and are demanding the necessary protective equipment, and calling on the population to follow the sanitary recommendations to avoid further infections. Medical personnel from the San Miguel Arcángel hospital were on the streets again to demand responses to a series of requests that they made to health authorities. Resident and internal doctors said they require equipment and supplies to work. During the peaceful demonstration, said that they are in the first line of care for patients affected by the killer Covid-19 virus, are “forgotten." They claim they lack the medical supplies to deal with this health crisis, that they do not have enough personnel assigned to them in hospitals and, have not received their financial remuneration on time.
Protesters said they must buy their own PPE supplies to care for patients and warned that the hospital is overloaded and there are not enough beds.

panamajames
  7/25/2020 14:24 EST

There were 29 COVID-29 deaths on Thursday, July 23, meaning one person died every 50 minutes bringing the total to date to 1,209. There were 911 new infections of what nay-sayers like to call “the flu” raising the number of accumulated cases from March to 56,817 and putting additional strain on overstretched medical personnel.
Meanwhile, Health Minister, Luis Francisco Sucre, reports that he called a meeting with the medical unions of the San Miguel Arcángel Hospital who have taken to the streets to protest a shortage of equipment and staff. "We know of the concern on the part of doctors and other professionals," he said and reported that in recent weeks they have hired 160 nurses and 138 doctors. At least 10 Panama doctors have been killed by the deadly virus. DAILY mounting deaths caused by violence and coronavirus in homes have overwhelmed Panama morgues in Ancon La Chorrera and Colon forcing the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Scientists (Imelcf) to consider stacking up to three bodies in a single refrigerator and to bury unclaimed bodies to make room.
So far this year there have been 646 violent deaths, including homicides, suicides, and accidents and 51 people have died at home from coronavirus. Hospital mortuaries are also at the tipping point as the pandemic claims one life every 50 minutes. At the start of the pandemic in March, Legal Medicine agreed with the Ministry of Health to take charge of the deaths in the houses suspected of Covid-19. In these cases, the Imelcf staff, collects the body, takes it to the morgue and do tests to verify if the death was from the virus. Most of the deaths from Covid-19 t have been registered in San Miguelito and in the townships of December 24 and Tocumen, in the capital. Until Thursday the Ancón morgue, which has a capacity for 47 corpses, only had one space; while that of La Chorrera is already at its maximum capacity, and the 12 refrigerated drawers are full.

panamajames
  7/27/2020 02:42 EST

Panama recorded 41 deaths from Covid-19 on Friday, July 24th the highest daily total since the virus first struck on March 9, as the country struggles to reach its target of 4,000 tests a day. The Ministry of Health said that 34 of the deaths occurred on Friday, and seven were on previous days, where laboratory verifications showed that the deceased suffered from Covid-19. On Friday there were 1,176 new cases, for a cumulative total of 57,993. Between July 16 and 24, 26,641 tests were performed, an average of 2,960 daily far short of the goal set by President Cortizo. Over the past eight days, the average test positivity rate was 35%, when ideally it should be 10% or less. The closest the country came to reaching that figure was in May when it reached 16% positivity. Francisco Sánchez Cárdenas former Minister of Health and a member of the Advisory Health Council said there is a high demand for tests in the world, which sometimes generates a shortage in the country. Juan Miguel Pascale, director of the Gorgas Institute for Health Studies, said that what takes the longest in this process is the extraction of nucleic acid (genetic material), because it is done manually so, they are looking for equipment and reagents to automate it. The most tests were performed on July 19th with 3,780, but on July 21st only 2,144 were made. Cárdenas said that the Council recommended they appoint between 3 and 5,000 new tracers, for the entire country but many people are afraid of doing tracer and cleaner jobs in hospitals. "In the CSS they interviewed 27 people for cleaning in hospitals, but when they realized that they were facilities where there are patients with Covid-19, there were only three left," he said. Tests cost an average of $30 each, without counting equipment and labor. Most tests per day are in the Metropolitan Region where an average of 800 are applied in the 19 health centers and by 13 response teams that visit communities. The director of the CSS, Enrique Lau Cortés, said that they installed a team that allows 1,344 tests to be processed every 24 hours. But the technological platform that processes the test data in the CSS is not the same one used by the Ministry of Health, so they are unifying that aspect. "By unifying the platform, information travels in real time will have less chance of error," he said.


New cases of COVID-19 in Panama surged to 1,176 on Friday, July 24 bringing the number of infected since March to 57,993. Friday also marked a record-high 41 deaths bringing the total to 1,250. The fatality rate is 2.1% compared to the world average. 4.1%. Active cases - 24,039. In home isolation,- 22,641 people, 21,967 are at home and 674 in hotels. Hospitalized - 1,398 with 1,243 in wards. Intensive care – 155. Tests since March 9, 200,986 (50,734 positive and 140,252 negative). Friday tests - 3,381, with positivity of 35%. Age group - people between the ages of 20 to 59 continue to be the most infected with the virus. Recovered 32,704.

panamajames
  8/6/2020 03:26 EST

Panamanian baseball player Edmundo Sosa was confirmed on Tuesday as one of six players in the of the Saint Louis Cardinals organization as one of the seven players that has tested positive for Covid-19.

"Unfortunately I have tested positive for Covid-19, after following all the rules and protocols that the MLB and the Cardinals imposed on us," said the Panamanian player Edmundo Sosa. on his official Instagram account.

"I hope that everyone respects the privacy of my family during these difficult times” he added.

The six players who were reported as positive are: catcher Yadier Molina; infielders Paul DeJong, Edmundo Sosa, Rangel Ravelo; and pitchers Junior Fernández and Kodi Whitley.

Sosa, 25, is in his third season in the Major Leagues with the Cardinals.

panamajames
  8/9/2020 01:53 EST

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black: The United States recommends that its citizens avoid traveling to Panama, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, since "the risk has increased in some areas." The caveat for Panama is that travelers may experience border and airport closings, travel bans, curfews, closed shops, and "other emergency conditions" ordered by Panamanian authorities to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. The Department of State on Thursday, August 6 included Panama and almost the entire region, in its "level 4", travel recommendations. The entire Central American isthmus (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua) was included along with the Colombia and Costa Rica, as well as Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Surinam, and Bolivia. Canada, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, and Ecuador, on the other hand, are located in level 3. The State Department considers the risk of each level as: level 1, "exercise normal precautions"; level 2, "increase caution"; level 3, "reconsider your trip"; level 4, "don't travel". Panama has banned commercial passenger flights since March 23, but on Thursday it announced that travel by citizens and residents will be allowed, with conditions being the presentation of the Covid-19 test, and keeping a mandatory quarantine for 14 days.

Coronavirus in Panama: 73,651 Confirmed cases and 1,609 Deaths. There are 22,655 people in isolation 22,069 at home and 586 in hotels. There are 1,639 hospitalized patients 1,483 in the ward and 156 in intensive care units (ICU). Below, your world Google Report.

https://news.google.com/covid19/map?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen

panamajames
  8/10/2020 02:09 EST

Panama Health and security personnel are prime targets for the coronavirus with a report from the Pan American Health Organization revealing that between March 9 and August at least 5,234 employees have been affected.

3,014 infections were confirmed among personnel working at the Gorgas Memorial Institute and the hospitals of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) and the Social Security Fund (CSS).

These are personnel who work in both administrative and healthcare areas of health facilities and laboratories, or who perform social and health tasks, such as rapid response teams or community traceability.

The document details that the median age of the cases is 55 years and 63.3% of Covid-19 cases in healthcare workers are women.

Before the pandemic, Panama had 6,932 doctors and 6,913 nurses to attend the more than 800 facilities of the Minsa and the CSS;. To these are added the technicians and laboratory workers, among other professionals.

According to reports published by the Ministry of Security 2,130 agents have been affected.

The coordinator of the National Negotiating Medical Commission (Comenenal), Domingo Moreno, says, perhaps that is not the exact number of infected health personnel, since there are many who are not tested. "We have requested that swabs be applied to all doctors and nurses, because it is only done to those who have symptoms," Moreno said.

He estimates that, in the coming months, six out of 10 doctors and nurses will be infected, since many are in the first line of care, either in health centers or in hospitals and polyclinics.

Comenenal has recommended the hiring of at least 700 new doctors and nurses, due to the large number of reported infections and also to provide rest to many specialists -such as pulmonologists and intensivists- who have been working with Covid-19 patients. since the beginning of the pandemic

The pulmonologist Fernando Márquez says that there are only 30 pulmonologists in the country and a good number of them are working up to 16 hours a day.

costasco
  8/22/2020 13:41 EST

To the Forum Community: Does anyone know whether we could travel between provinces. I am in Panama Oeste and since from next Monday we are having 3 full days per week free, I was thinking of a day trip to Coronado or Pedasi. Is that possible or we need special permit / reason to cross provincial borders.

Panamanreed
  8/22/2020 14:01 EST

Coronado is part of Panama Oeste, so that shouldn't be a problem.
I don't know if there are any "cercas" in La Pesa or Capira anymore, but there is one just before going into Coclé.

Do you have a Salvo Conducto?

costasco
  8/22/2020 14:19 EST

@PanamaReed: No, i do not have a salvoconducto, and you are right, Coronado belongs to Panama Oeste. In the past there have been checkpoints even within the province though, e.g. entry to Veracruz or La Chorrera where police were checking place of residence and reason of visit. I am not sure whether they still exist. On the other hand, there have been no checks of that sort between Panama and Panama Oeste ever as far as my personal experience goes.

panamajames
  8/22/2020 17:11 EST

The third death this week of a nurse with coronavirus was confirmed on Friday, August 21st by the National Association of Nurses of Panama (ANEP).

The latest casualty was Arva Worell who worked as a mental health nurse in the province of Colón, according to the union.

The death of Regional health chief Rita González de Gordón, in Bocas del Toro, was also confirmed.
Elvia Muñoz, 54, who died on Thursday, August 20th, was the second nurse this week to fall victim to the COVID-19 virus.

She worked at the Bethania, Alejandro de la Guardia Polyclinic.
Ana Reyes de Serrano, president of The National Association of Nurses (ANEP) said that Muñoz had spent weeks in the modular hospital, and they had been informed that she was improving.

A day earlier ANEP had reported the death of Josefina Zurita de Justiniani, the head of the emergency room at the Manuel María Valdez Polyclinic, located in the San Miguelito district.
Eusebia Calderón de Copete, national head of Nursing at the Ministry of Health, remains at the Santo Tomás Hospital, due to Covid-19 and is reported to be stable.

Reyes de Serrano reported that at last count 409 nurses and technicians were infected with the virus asked that those on the frontline be provided with more protective equipment and of better quality.

Panamanreed
  8/22/2020 17:42 EST

Panamajames You wrote The third death this week of a nurse. ... I assure you, the nurse only died once.

Panamanreed
  8/22/2020 17:49 EST

Hi Costasco, I am sorry I cannot help you much. Things are changing quickly now. It may be ok to go to Coronado. The reasons are for work and specific activities that do not include R&R yet.
This Monday is a game changer in your area.

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