In Spanish, “toque de queda” means curfew, and since earlier this week it is what we have been living under in Panamá. This is unlike anything Nancy and I have ever experienced in our lives and it is very unsettling. There is no time limit to this lockdown, it will last as long as the government sees fit. We are confined to our house and property and only allowed to leave for “urgent” reasons at specific times during the day. Because I am over sixty, I am allowed out between the hours of 11 am to 1 pm. Nancy is allowed out from 7:30 am to 9:30 am (based on her passport number). We cannot go out together, and when we do go out, it is only supposed to be for groceries, to go to the pharmacy, to seek medical treatment, or for whatever other reasons may be deemed urgent. There are checkpoints on the roads where we must show ID to get through and there are police in many of the stores (the ones that are still allowed to be open) also checking ID’s. No leaving for walks, exercise, or even talking the dog out. Several hundred people have already been detained for violating the curfew.
In Panamá the number of Coronavirus cases has been increasing daily. As of today, there are close to seven hundred cases and nine deaths in the country as a whole.
Our hearts go out to everyone who has been touched by this virus.
Yesterday I went into town during my allotted hours to pick up a few items we had at Mailboxes, Etc. (They are still open, and we really hope they stay open – a lot of people here depend on MBE for medications among other things). I waited outside the door in a short line until it was my turn and then they brought our packages out to me. I stopped in a couple of pharmacies and grocery stores trying to find masks and gloves but there were none to be had. I brought some fruit from our friend Manuel (who sells produce from his truck). He also gave me a couple of masks, (thanks Manuel!). A tank truck came through with some men in white suits hosing down the sidewalks with some kind of soapy solution. The whole town of Boquete was so quiet it was almost surreal. I stopped at another grocery store on the way home for some snacks for Nancy and me – I had to wait outside in another line until it was my turn to go in. At least the shelves were fairly well stocked. Being out almost felt like being in an episode of The Twilight Zone – I was glad when I got home. Nancy opened the gate for me and wiped everything I brought home down with disinfectant wipes.
Nancy and I are following the rules and taking this all very seriously. We both are as healthy as ever as far as we can tell. It’s only been a few days of total quarantine for us and, for me anyway, a bit of “cabin fever” is already setting in. I miss going to the gym (really miss the gym), going for walks, going out for drinks or dining, seeing our friends, and mainly feeling like we’re part of everything.
I’m not sure how long this is sustainable. A substantial portion of the economy is at a standstill, not just here but across the world, with closures and quarantines and curfews sweeping across the planet in waves. People are suffering huge economic losses and setbacks and there must be some level of desperation starting to take hold.
I’m sure we are far from alone in our feelings. The uncertainty of it all is the hardest part.
Nancy and I wish health and happiness to everyone!
Saludos, Craig