Non-immunized tourists who visit Panama will receive the covid-19 vaccine from October 1, within the framework of an initiative launched this Friday by the Panamanian Government to reactivate tourism , badly hit by the pandemic.

 

It is estimated that the so-called “Vacutur-Panama” initiative, which makes this country the first in Latin America to vaccinate tourists, will result in an “economic injection that exceeds 125 million dollars” and will contribute to the reactivation of more than 100,000 jobs in the tourism sector.

 

The Council of Ministers has already endorsed the Ministry of Health (Minsa) for the AstraZeneca vaccine to be administered to travelers who arrive in the country, aged 30 years or more, the group to which this immunizer is applied in the country Central American.

 

The vaccine will be “totally free” for passengers who comply with all the parameters of the Vacutur-Panama program, a source from the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) told Efe.

 

The ATP explained this Friday in a statement that travelers interested in getting vaccinated should process their request only through participating hotels and travel agencies approved for the program, they must be at least 30 years old and book a minimum of 2 hotel nights.

 

Tourists will be able to choose between staying in Panama for the six weeks necessary to receive their second dose or returning at the time of their second appointment.

 

“This initiative from Panama is a show of solidarity and an effort to help expand global access to the vaccine especially for residents of neighboring countries that have a lower vaccination rate and provides another much-needed source of support for the tourism industry. ”Said ATP administrator Iván Eskildsen.

 

The vaccination points will be located in shopping centers in the capital, and the initiative coincides with the “Black Week” shopping promotion from September 30 to October 10, the ATP indicated.

 

The economic activity of the hotel and restaurant sector fell by 55.8% in 2020, impacted by mobility restrictions to prevent the spread of covid-19, and hundreds of these businesses remain closed or will no longer do so due to the crisis. Currently hotel occupancy is currently less than 10%, according to data from the Panamanian Association of Hotels (Apatel).

 

In Panama, a country of 4.28 million inhabitants, more than half of the population has already received two doses of the covid-19 vaccine, and this week Operation PanaVac announced the opening to immunize all residents in the national territory, which guarantees that “there is no risk for nationals of running out of vaccines,” said the tourism entity.

 

Until this Friday in Panama, 5,323,318 doses of the vaccine against covid-19 have been administered: 4,578,921 portions of the Pfizer preparation and 744,397 of AstraZeneca, informed the Minsa.

 

Panama added 324 new cases of covid-19 and 3 deaths from the disease on Friday, to reach 463,783 confirmed infections and 7,169 deaths from the disease in more than 17 months of the pandemic.

 

There are 72 patients hospitalized for the coronavirus in Intensive Care Units (ICU) and 233 on the floor, while 3,279 are isolated at home and 165 in hotels, for 4,199 active cases.

 

On this day, 7,231 tests were applied to detect cases of covid-19, with a positivity of 4.4%.