Panama will suspend the entry of persons traveling through South America; Only nationals and residents will be allowed | International | News

EFE

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March 27, 2021 – 20:07

Panamanian authorities said on Saturday that a patient from Brazil had been diagnosed with a Brazilian variant of Covit-19, for which reason they were temporarily suspended as of Wednesday, the entry of those staying or passing through South America.

The patient was a 38-year-old foreign woman living in Panama, who “traveled to her home country (South America), from where she moved to Brazil, and then returned to Panama, where a test was positive and her background was sorted”, citing a statement from the Ministry of Health.

Health Minister Luis Francisco Sucre said in an official video that the Brazilian variant was “more aggressive and severe than already detected”.

In particular, P1 SARS Cove-2 “is twice as contagious and can affect the immune system and youth. On the other hand, the effectiveness of the vaccine is reduced by 30%, ”says a statement from the Department of Health.

For this reason, as of this Sunday, the government has decided that it will be “mandatory for people from South American countries or anyone in this part of the continent for the past fortnight to undergo antigen testing or PCR migration before they register,” Sucre explained.

As of next Wednesday, March 31, “only citizens and residents of the Republic of Panama coming from these areas will be allowed to enter the country, which must strictly comply with the protocol established by the Ministry of Health,” the minister added.

“The entire Panamanian population is advised to refrain from making any trip to South American countries,” Sukre said, urging people to adhere to “strict” life safety standards, and warned that they were “epidemiological surveillance and reinforcement”. Actions, if necessary ”.

Panama opened its air borders to commercial and international air traffic, so tourism, last October, was closed for seven months. (I)