Foreign Minister of Panama announces that he will complain to the US for his warning not to travel to the country

(CNN) – The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, Erika Mouynes, asked her ambassador in Washington Juan De Dianous to present a formal note to the US State Department in which he presents the arguments why “we do not consider a level 4 appropriate for Panama, in the travel warnings that the United States makes to its citizens “.

The travel alert, which appears on the State Department website, positions Panama at level 4 which, according to the publication, represents the recommendation not to travel to the country, in this case due to the risks of covid-19 and crime.

The warning is issued just when the president of Panama Laurentino Cortizo is on a work tour in Dallas, Austin and Houston, Texas, according to the president in search of investments for economic recovery, job creation and promotion of the country.

The Minister in charge of Economy and Finance, Jorge Almengor, had said on Tuesday that “it is healthy for countries to alert their nationals to take appropriate measures and precautions, just as we do for the departure of Panamanians to other jurisdictions. “.

In its alert, the State Department cites a notice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which indicates a very high level of covid-19 cases in Panama, a country that reported until the afternoon of this Wednesday 418,604 cases of coronavirus, of which 6,661 died and 13,643 are active. Of these there are 743 hospitalized and 111 in intensive care.

“The United States measure is a travel alert to almost all of Latin America, including countries in the region and neighbors such as Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and others. However, it affects us because, definitely, on Panama people tend to to think that it is closed, “Ernesto Orillac, president of the National Chamber of Tourism of Panama, explained to CNN.

Orillac says that tourism is mostly affected by the implementation of very severe restrictive measures, which include the entry of passengers to Panama.

It refers to the Tocumen International Airport protocol, which indicates that all travelers entering the country must present a negative covid-19 antigen or PCR test, done 48 hours in advance. But when it comes to passengers from South America, the United Kingdom, South Africa and India, they must undergo a molecular covid-19 test at the air terminal, which costs the traveler US $ 85. If negative, the person must comply with a mandatory three-day quarantine in a hotel. If positive, mandatory isolation is 14 days, also in a hotel.

On this issue, the minister in charge of Economy and Finance said that “in Panama we have been as conservative as possible” with the entry of tourists, residents and obviously Panamanians, so that they comply with all the biosecurity measures both in tests and vaccines against the covid-19.

But the State Department’s travel alert also calls for caution regarding crime, mainly in areas that it identifies as being at higher risk, such as the Gulf of Mosquitoes and some areas of Darien where, according to the publication, organized crime operates.

Further, the National Chamber of Tourism of Panama assures that currently “hotel occupancy is on the ground.” According to Orillac, if 60% of open hotels are considered, occupancy “does not reach 20%”. But “if 100% of the hotel space is taken, Panama does not reach 10% occupancy.”