CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

On May 27 the government of Panama announced that the second stage of the economic reopening plan will begin on June 1, allowing business to operate at 25% of their capacity.  St. Lucia has extended the state of emergency for a further four months. Meanwhile, Jamaica has reported that local bars are correctly respecting reopening protocols which could lead to a more widespread reopening in the short term. Finally, in El Salvador, the Executive and Legislative branches are still negotiating the economic reopening plan, with little success to date. See below for more details:  

Panamá

The Government of Panama announced that the second stage of the Route to a New Normal will begin on June 1, allowing non-essential industries to open at 25% of their maximum capacity. The Executive branch will issue regulations to support this decision in the coming days. This reopening phase will relax mobility restrictions across the country, establishing a curfew from 7 pm to 5 am. All reopening initiatives must follow the protocols approved previously by the Executive.

El Salvador

The Executive Branch and the Political Committee of the Legislative Assembly continued their joint debate to draft a new bill to regulate the lockdown and gradually reactivate the economy, after the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ in Spanish) decided to repeal Executive Decrees 18 and 19 and provisionally re-establish the State of Emergency contemplated in Decree 593, approved on March 14 by the Assembly. 

So far, they have agreed on the wording for some articles although there is still no agreement concerning the repatriation of nationals stranded abroad and the free use of public transport. Also, the production of alcoholic beverages and snacks will remain suspended. However, both branches of government are expected to find grounds for agreement concerning the new regulations establishing the beginning of the economic reopening in the short term.

Santa Lucía

The Prime Minister submitted a motion to Parliament extending the State of Emergency for an additional four-month period from June 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020. “This will allow us to continue to implement and adequately monitor the effectiveness of the measures we have put in place, and to make quick adjustments as required”, he said. Access the Minister’s statement on the State of Emergency by clicking here. The Parliament has already ratified the proposal.

Jamaica

Desmond McKenzie, the Minister of Local Government and Community Development, on May 27 said that, since bars were reopened on May 19, the government has observed a positive response to the COVID-19 guidelines and safety protocols. “We have seen that there is a very high percentage of compliance, and operators are taking the necessary steps to abide by the safety protocols,” McKenzie said. The Executive branch is set to perform more inspections in bars throughout the country in the upcoming days.