Panama restricts the entry of foreigners to the country

AFP and The Tico Times March 16, 2020

The Government of Panama will prohibit, starting Monday, March 16, the entry of foreigners who do not have a residency in the country.

“As of March 16 at 11:59 p.m., the entry of non-nationals and non-residents of Panama into the country is restricted,” the country’s president, Laurentino Cortizo, reported on his Twitter account.

A partir de este 16 de marzo a las 11:59 pm, se restringe el ingreso al país de personas no nacionales y no residentes en Panamá. Todo panameño o extranjero residente en Panamá tendrá aislamiento preventivo obligatorio en su domicilio por 14 días.— Nito Cortizo (@NitoCortizo) March 15, 2020

The president added that every Panamanian — or foreign resident — who travels into the country will have mandatory preventive isolation at his home for 14 days.

The government of Panama on Sunday tightened measures to slow the advance of the new coronavirus and announced that the number of those affected had risen to 55 cases, including a deceased person.

Security Minister Juan Manuel Pino said the measure has the main objective of “protecting the life of all people within the national territory.”

He added that medical supplies and medicines will continue to enter and the necessary coordination will be made to permit access.

Latin American countries close borders

Chile announced the closure of all the country’s borders in the face of a sharp increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the country, which doubled the number of those infected in the last 24 hours, from 75 to 155, President Sebastián Piñera announced on Monday.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday ordered a “collective quarantine” in seven states, including the capital Caracas to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Peru declared a state of emergency and confinement of its population, enforced by security forces, along with complete closure of the country’s borders.

Argentina and Colombia were among other countries to announce new travel restrictions and El Salvador also declared a state of emergency.