Panama: free vaccination for tourists would generate revenues of more than US$120 million

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – As anticipated by many last week, Copa Airlines joined the Panamanian government’s vaccination program for tourists called Vacutur Panama. The program will start on October 1 and will offer the two-dose Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19.

The Vacutur Panama initiative aims to reactivate the flow of tourism and other projects they are carrying out, a vital issue for a country in which this industry contributes 5% of the GDP.

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The vaccination 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 news agency.

The ATP explained that travelers interested in getting vaccinated must apply only through participating hotels and travel agencies approved for the program, must be at least 30 years of age and book at least 2 nights in a hotel.

Tourists will be able to choose between staying in Panama for the six weeks required to receive their second dose or returning at the time of their second appointment. The vaccination points will be located in shopping malls in the capital city.

It is estimated that this project will generate more than US$126 million, of which US$34 million will be directed to hotels, and will allow reactivating one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic.

“It is a commitment of the Panamanian Government to allocate 280,000 doses of AstraZeneca for economic reactivation. Through this program we hope to reactivate many of the jobs suspended due to the pandemic”, explained Iván Eskildsen, Minister of Tourism.

Panama has already immunized more than 50% of the population with two doses, and that figure should exceed 70% in a month.

Considering that the United States will stop offering vaccines to foreigners and require them to be vaccinated to enter the country, Panama’s initiative will alleviate those countries that do not have the vaccines required by the United States and the European Union.

REQUIREMENTS

The international visitor to receive the Covid-19 vaccine must be at least 30 years of age.
All international visitors will be vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which requires two doses, at no cost to the visitor, while supplies last.

All travelers interested in receiving the Covid-19 vaccine in Panama must arrange for vaccination and stay only through hotels and travel agencies approved to be part of this program.

International visitors coming from or having transited through high-risk countries (United States, Cuba, Guatemala, Costa Rica, French Guyana, United Kingdom, Greece, Georgia, Estonia, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Azerbaijan, Israel, Malaysia and Mongolia, South Africa, Guinea Bissau, Tunisia, and Fiji) in the last 15 days and not previously vaccinated must comply with a mandatory 3-day quarantine, the cost of which must be covered in full by the visitor.

After the quarantine period, the visitor must be tested negative for Covid-19 in order to be released from quarantine and receive their Covid-19 vaccine.

Visitors who test positive for Covid-19 at the end of the 3-day quarantine will be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine, the cost of which must be covered in full by the visitor.