PanamaTimes

Tuesday, Jul 01, 2025

Unions ask to remove the US from the list of high-risk countries for covid-19, Minsa responds

Unions ask to remove the US from the list of high-risk countries for covid-19, Minsa responds

According to several unions, the US represents one of the most important markets and has a large percentage of its population vaccinated against covid-19.
The Panamanian Association of Hotels (Apatel) asked the Ministry of Health (Minsa) to remove the United States from the list of high-risk countries for covid-19 .

According to Apatel, it is necessary to adopt this decision since it will be possible to rescue the arrival of visitors from the United States, which before the pandemic represented the main engine of entry into Panamanian tourism.

" Tourism in Panama has kept working hand in hand with the health authorities, implementing biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of the virus, however, it is necessary to regain confidence, restore demand and reposition the sector to help rescue the post covid-19 economy. "Said the union in a statement.

The National Chamber of Tourism of Panama (Camtur) also made the same request to Minsa. The union warned that the measure is causing cancellation of reservations for passengers and groups bound for Panama, not only for the end of the year, but also for the high season of 2022.

“ We have been able to observe that cases in the United States continue to decline and at the same time have a significant percentage of its population vaccinated. This market has historically been our main source of visitors to Panama, as well as being the largest tourist expense in the country, ”Camtur said.

For its part, the Panamanian Association of Business Executives (Apede) said that every four visitors that enter Panama is from the United States, which represents one of the most important markets and the largest generator of tourist income for the country.

In this regard, the Minister of Health, Luis Sucre, said that despite the fact that Panama currently maintains good control of the pandemic, the restrictions cannot be completely eliminated.

" The United States itself maintains its measures, they demand that everyone with all the reason in the world, they demand that if you go to the United States you have to be vaccinated, Europe also demands it ... I think we have to take great care Well what we have achieved, Panama at the moment has good control of the pandemic, what we cannot do is lose what we have already gained , ”Sucre said.
Comments

Ellie Simpter 4 year ago
The CDC data linked is TWO MONTHS OLD and absolutely false. Questions you should consider when you evaluated the very old data: 1) how many health departments are included in this data (hint, read the footnotes)?; 2) how is 'fully vaccinated' defined? 3) how are the hospitals determining if someone is 'fully vaccinated'. One final note -- statistics can prove whatever point you would like - discernment is a valuable human trait.
Jeff 4 year ago
Nice response, ME.
Not you. 4 year ago
ME, you're 100% incorrect. Show the data that supports your claim that vaccinated people are dying from the virus just as much as non-vaccinated people. I'll go first. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#rates-by-vaccine-status
ME 4 year ago
The whole idea that unvaccinated travelers represent any higher risk than vaccinated travelers is simply false and being perpetrated by the drug companies that want to sell vaccines. Data from around the world prove that vaccinated people are carrying and dying from the virus as much as anyone. Panama has seemed to be reasonable in its response. Look at the data.

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Brazilian Congress Rejects Lula's Proposed Tax Increase on Financial Transactions
Landslide in Bello, Colombia, Results in Multiple Casualties
Papa Johns pizza surge near the Pentagon tipped off social media before Trump's decisive Iran strike
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Sole Survivor of Air India Crash Recounts Escape
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Protests Erupt in Los Angeles with Symbolic Flag Burning
Trump Administration Issues New Travel Ban Targeting 12 Countries
Man Group Mandates Full-Time Office Return for Quantitative Analysts
JPMorgan Warns Analysts Against Accepting Future-Dated Job Offers
Builder.ai Faces Legal Scrutiny Amid Financial Misreporting Allegations
Japan Grapples with Rice Shortage Amid Soaring Prices
Goldman Sachs Reduces Risk Exposure Amid Market Volatility
HSBC Chairman Mark Tucker to Return to AIA as Non-Executive Chair
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Judge Blocks Trump's Ban on International Students at Harvard
Trump Proposes Travel Ban on 'Uncontrolled' Countries
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Eurozone Inflation Falls Below ECB Target to 1.9%
Call for a New Chapter in Globalisation Emerges
Blackstone and Rivals Diverge on Private Equity Strategy
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Escalating Trade Tensions and Market Reactions
OnlyFans Reportedly in Talks for $8 Billion Sale
JBS Gains Shareholder Approval for U.S. Stock Listing
Booz Allen Hamilton to Cut 2,500 Jobs Amid Federal Spending Reductions
Trump Signs Executive Orders to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Development
Harvard Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration's International Student Ban
Nippon Steel Forms Partnership with U.S. Steel, Headquarters to Remain in Pittsburgh
Trump Expands Tariff Threats to Apple and Samsung Devices
Oracle and OpenAI Plan $40 Billion Nvidia Chip Purchase for AI Data Center
Trump Threatens 50% Tariff on EU Goods, Markets React
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Former FBI Director James Comey Questioned by Secret Service Over Social Media Post
Mexican Influencer Valeria Márquez Killed During Livestream in Suspected Femicide
×