By means of Executive Decree No. 507 of March 24, 2020, a country-wide curfew was imposed in Panama starting on March 25, 2020 at 5:01 a.m., while the COVID-19 State of National Emergency lasts.
The following institutions, persons, activities and companies are exempted from the above:
1. Members of the public force.
2. Public servants dedicated to attending the emergency at the national level, other public servants mentioned in the decree, as well as others with prior authorization from the health authority.
3. Medical, administrative and operational personnel of hospitals, health care centers, clinics, medical laboratories and veterinary services, public and private.
4. Panama Metro and Mi Bus, its administrative and operational staff, as well as the staff of contractor companies that provide services.
5. Public, collective and selective transport, for health and work reasons. The contracted transport to mobilize the collaborators of the companies included in the exceptions.
6. Personnel of the Panama Canal Authority and personnel of its contractors.
7. Personnel of the National Highway Company, its suppliers and subcontractors.
8. Pharmaceutical industry, pharmacies, drugstores and any other articles and public health supplies, including manufactures, suppliers and their maintenance.
9. Cleaning companies and companies dedicated to the production of disinfectants and hygiene and personal hygiene products.
10. Supermarkets, hypermarkets, mini-supermarkets, markets and grocery stores.
11. Hotels, hostels and pensions for accommodation and meals to the room of their guests or patients.
12. Agricultural industry, agricultural inputs and machinery; companies that carry out agricultural harvesting tasks; livestock, poultry, pig and aquaculture farms. Also, the service of mobilization and transport of animals, agricultural products and supplies.
13. Agricultural industry, including distribution centers for food, beverages, bottled water and cisterns for the distribution of drinking water.
14. Processing, packing, food and beverage distribution plants, and packaging companies.
15. Security and securities transport companies.
16. Energy generation, transmission, distribution and operation industry.
17. Gas stations and distribution, supply and transport companies for liquid and gaseous fuels.
18. Maritime transport and logistics, including services and repairs to ships, ports; cargo transportation for import and export, maintenance workshops for cargo transportation equipment.
19. Minimum operational personnel required to preserve the air transport industry, aircraft maintenance, support equipment and simulators, aircraft security, technical support for technological infrastructure and cargo transportation.
20. Humanitarian air transport with the minimum crew required for the voluntary repatriation of foreigners.
21. Operational staff of car rental companies that provide services to government entities, and to the companies included in the exceptions in this list.
22. Companies dedicated to the air, sea and land cargo industry of import, export, supplies and ports.
23. Telecommunications companies, internet and telephone providers (fixed and mobile).
24. Communication media, including radio, television, cable operators, newspapers and their distributors.
25. Companies dedicated to the provision of private security service.
26. Lawyers in defense of people detained by the curfew.
27. Banks, finance companies, pawn shops, cooperatives, insurance, providers of electronic transaction processing services, checks and images to financial institutions and other financial services.
28. Companies that provide the following public services, with the minimum required operational personnel:
a. Call centers.
b. Funeral homes, cremation rooms, cemeteries.
c. Label printing service for food, medicine, medical supplies, hygiene and cleaning products; and those dedicated to printing telecommunication cards.
d. Laundries that provide services to medical-sanitary facilities.
3. Companies dedicated to the collection, treatment and disposal of solid and hospital waste and their subcontractors.
29. Companies dedicated to the sale and distribution of medical-hospital equipment, medicines, vaccines and any other articles and public health supplies, including manufacturers, suppliers and their maintenance.
30. Companies dedicated to the maintenance and repair of elevators, water tanks, power plants and gas installations.
31. Work activities that are carried out by virtual means or in the form of teleworking.
32. The specific companies that the Ministry of Health authorizes the reactivation through resolution, for its operation, activity and mobilization.
The provision of the above services must be carried out strictly in accordance with the instructions issued by the National Health Authority in this regard, in particular keeping the physical distance and the number of people allowed in each physical space.
The sanctions for the infraction of the above will be imposed by the corresponding authorities.
For the purposes of the construction industry, the provisions of Executive Decree No. 506 of March 24, 2020 will be followed.
The foregoing begins to take effect on March 24, 2020.
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