Todavía no hemos encontrado la cepa de COVID sudafricana aquí
Editor’s note: A couple coming into Tocumen Airport from South Africa by way of The Netherlands tested positive for COVID-19 and went into quarantine. There was immediate concern and speculation, given that the newer South African strain of the virus appears to be a bit deadlier than others.
(But what is “deadlier?” If someone who catches the strain first identified in South Africa is a few percentage points more likely to die than someone who catches the strain first identified in the United Kingdom, does it make the former more deadly than the latter, which appears to be far more contagious than other strains? There could be more deaths caused by the greater number of infections from the “UK strain” than the more individually lethal “South African strain.” And let’s take what we now know or think we know as preliminary, as effective treatments or preventives for newer strains may yet be co
“Flexibility for the Island!” – Community Members Oppose the New COVID Restrictions for Bocas del Toro
December 16, 2020
Bocas del Toro has a low amount of active COVID-19 cases compared to other regions in the country (99 in the whole province, 6 in the island district as of December 12th).
On December 15th, Panama’s Ministry of Health announced stricter health measures nationwide for at least December 18, 2020 to January 4th, 2021.
In less than 24 hours of the news, the new restrictions are causing mass cancellations by would-be visitors to the islands and further devastation to the tourism-dependent economy of Bocas del Toro.
The local municipal council opposes these restrictions for Bocas del Toro islands and has appealed to the national government for special consideration as a tourist zone with a low COVID-19 case rate.