Twelve months after Central America began a health and economic crisis triggered by the covid-19 outbreak, Guatemala was the fastest recovering economy and Panamanian economic activity is the slowest to return to pre-pandemic levels.
In March 2020, the first cases of covid-19 began to be detected in the countries of the region. The highly contagious disease, which at that time had already claimed the lives of thousands of people around the world, forced Central American governments to establish mobility restrictions.
After restrictions were imposed on people's mobility during the holiday season to stop the spread of covid-19, Panamanian authorities reported that as of January 14 there will be a return to the process of "gradual and asymmetric reopening.
In a press conference, the Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, informed that due to the fact that a balance was achieved in the incidence of covid-19 cases, it was decided to lift the quarantine that had been in place since the beginning of the year and as of January 14 the curfew for the entire country will be from 9:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m. the following day.
In order to control the spread of covid-19, from December 18 to January 4 there will be a national curfew and dry law, from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following day.
A total quarantine will also be established from Friday, December 25 at 7pm until Monday, December 28 at 5am and from Friday, January 1 at 7pm until Monday, January 4 at 5am.
The Ministerial Agreement was published in the Diario de Centroamerica, which specifies the four phases to be applied for the de-escalation of containment measures for the reactivation of economic activity in the country.
According to the official document, Phase 0, which is called "De-escalation Preparation", will provide relaxation of the confinement measures that will allow relief to citizens and workplaces, allowing mobility outside the home.
After the Guatemalan government carried out total closures of economic activity for three consecutive weekends in the context of the covid-19 outbreak, the president announced that there would be no total suspension of operations for the week of June 1-7.
Another change is that the curfew will now be 18 hours to 5 am next day, reported the night of May 31 President Alejandro Giammattei on national television.
Lack of clarity in the opening schedule and the absence of a unified, concrete and immediate policy that aims at economic recovery under the established health guidelines, is part of what concerns entrepreneurs.
As part of the return to normal business activities, after the severe quarantine imposed on the country due to the outbreak of covid-19, this week the Panamanian economy is preparing for the opening of the second block of activities.
In order to reactivate economic activity in Panama, Ministry of Health authorities issued strict compliance guidelines for companies and workers.
The guide is aimed at producers, distributors, and consumers; microenterprises, medium-size companies, large companies, and their clients, who are required to comply with the standards established by the health authorities in order to mitigate the expansion of covid-19, the official document details.
By presidential decree and in order to mitigate the outbreak of covid-19 in the country, from May 14 at 6 pm until May 18 at 5 am, there is total restriction of movement and closure of all commercial establishments.
The measures to restrict movement include the heavy transport of fuel and its derivatives, and the operation of the banking system is prevented, reported President Alejandro Giammattei on the night of May 14.
As of May 16, high performance sports will be allowed without spectators, some national parks will be opened to 50% of their capacity, and daytime vehicle restrictions will be extended to 10 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
Given that the number of new cases of covid-19 has fallen in recent days, now will be allowed to operate premises with health permits, hotels with a maximum of 20 rooms with 50% of its capacity and the opening of motels, reported the Ministry of Health.
When the local economy begins to return to normal, as isolation and mobility restrictions are relaxed, demand for health insurance is estimated to fall by 7%.
Using a demand/income sensitivity model developed by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project the variations in demand by Salvadoran households for different goods and services as the most critical phases of the spread of the covid-19 are overcome and the measures restricting mobility in the country are lifted.
Including the respective prevention protocols to avoid the spread of the virus, cinemas, beauty salons, auto parts sales, non-contact sports training centers, gyms and swimming schools will be able to open to the public as of May 1st in Costa Rica.
The protocols must be constructed between the institutions and the respective sectors, who may send their proposals to the Ministry or Executive Presidency as appropriate, reported the Ministry of Health.
Applying cleaning and prevention protocols in workplaces and shops, such as those stipulated by the health authorities, are the proposals of Costa Rican businessmen to resume the commercial activity that has been restricted since mid-March.
Following the spread of covid-19, in Costa Rica and the other Central American countries, governments have decreed mandatory quarantines and have also restricted the movement of consumers at certain times.
Once the economy begins to return to normal, as the phases of the pandemic are overcome in the country, it is estimated that the demand for meals outside the home will have decreased by 13%.
Using a demand/income sensitivity model developed by CentralAmericaData's Trade Intelligence Unit, variations in demand by Nicaraguan households for different goods and services can be projected as the most critical phases of the spread of covid-19 are overcome and restrictive measures are lifted in the country.
The Assembly approved in third reading a bill that suspends for a 120-day period all launches and evictions of private real estate intended for housing, commercial establishments, professional use, industrial and educational activities.
The plenary session of the National Assembly, supporting the state of emergency as a result of the effects generated by the infectious disease covid-19, approved in the third debate the draft law 299, by which measures on the leasing of real estate are dictated, informed the institution.
Given the crisis in the region, businessmen in Guatemala report that smuggling of Mexican products has increased, while in Panama, beer producers attribute the rise in illegal trade in alcoholic beverages to the dry law.
With the spread of Covid-19, governments in Central America have decreed mandatory quarantines and have also restricted the movement of consumers at certain hours.
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