Finally, after several postponements, Panama will reopen for Tourism and Buyers looking for bargains that are for sale here in Panama. We have several to offer starting at under $180,000.
Panama has officially released their reopening plan, which was approved this Tuesday by the cabinet, and has international aviation and tourism activities set to restart on October 12, 2020.
The government has suspended international commercial flights since March 22, but come October 12 after almost 6 months of lockdown, they could see a resurgence in international tourism once again.
Panama’s reopening plan starts first with restarting domestic tourism on September 28th, and then two weeks later on October 12, finally reopening borders to international tourists and foreigners.
Panama’s Reopening Timeline
September 28th
- Domestic flights
- Retail shops
- Restaurants and cafes with dine-in options
- Tour guides
- Travel agencies and travel operators
- Spas and aesthetic services
- Beaches
- Outdoor activities like parks, water sports, etc
October 12th
- International flights
- Hotels, motels, hostels and other accommodations
- Tourism activities and non-essential transportation
- Swimming pools
- No date yet determined:
- Gyms and fitness centres
- Movie theatres, museums, galleries, etc
- Casinos
- Concerts, parades and carnivals
- Nightclubs and discos
The government of Panama has a few caveats in place in order to keep the October 12th reopening date. They will only reopen on that date IF, hospital beds are only at 20% occupancy, the respiratory care unit is only at 15% capacity, and the death rate is under 3%.
If those above criteria determined by the Ministry of Health are not met, Panama will once again push back the reopening of the country.
Entry Requirements for Panama
While Panama has released their reopening date for international tourism, they have not yet released the entry requirements or information on – which countries will be allowed, if PCR testing will be mandatory, or if any quarantines will be in place.
Currently, for any essential travelers entering Panama, there is a requirement of a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure. If no test is provided, then a mandatory 14-day quarantine is required. There is no confirmation if they will be keeping this requirement for the general reopening.
Panama has been one of the most locked down nations in the world, only ending their government-imposed restrictions on movement on August 24th. The movement restrictions only permitted adults to go outside for two hours per day, determined by their government ID number. This extremely strict protocol has now ended but has been replaced by a curfew running from 7:00pm to 5:00am, with Sunday being a fully curfewed day.
Curfews are expected to be lifted on September 28th to coincide with the domestic reopening of the country.
Panama still has very strict mask requirements in place and plans to keep the regulations during reopening. Any person in public spaces without a proper mask covering both nose and mouth can be detained and/or fined.
Come visit us in Boquete where the weather is fresh and clean! I love my little town!!
Stay Safe!!