PANAMA – EL SALVADOR

On April 30, the Panamanian Ministry of Health (MINSA, in Spanish) published a resolution to establish social distancing measures as of this weekend, without modifying the country’s dry law. Also, the arrival and departure of humanitarian flights to the country was authorized. 

The MINSA resolution prohibits people on national territory from moving around on Saturday, May 2. This regulation does not include changes in the Dry Law, as was speculated recently. Also, the MINSA issued a decree authorizing humanitarian airlifts to repatriate Panamanians and foreign residents currently outside the country while allowing foreigners who need to return to their country of origin to leave, thus partially reopening the airports. 

In El Salvador, the Assembly has extended the emergency situation until May 16, and passed a law requiring the Executive to open the airports to repatriate its citizens. The Executive also published Decree 21 in the Official Gazette on April 30 extending the quarantine to the same date. The bill passed the Assembly requires the Executive to present a plan to exit the economic crisis following the pandemic and in the same session, the deputies overrode the presidential veto of the regulations requiring the Executive to repatriate Salvadorans stranded abroad.