Panama restricts outdoor access by gender during lockdown

Even with a zillion variations of “lockdown” and other measures being taken around the world to contain the spread of coronavirus, Panama has managed to find its own unique way of doing things. The country has announced that, until April 15, men and women have to stagger days to venture out for essentials.

Panama Security Minister Juan Pino announced Monday that women can only leave their homes for two hours at a time on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while men can go out on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Outdoors is off-limits to everyone on Sundays.

“The great quantity of people circulating outside their homes, despite the obligatory national quarantine, has led the national government to take more severe measures,” read a statement posted by Panamanian President Laurentino “Nito” Cortizo on Twitter.

Panama already had a curfew in place that required citizens to stay home between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., but as part of its greater efforts to restrict movement, the government has ordered that curfew will begin at 5 p.m., CNN reported.

“This absolute quarantine is for nothing more than to save your life,” Pino said Monday.

As of Thursday, Panama counted 1,475 cases and 37 deaths, according to the Americas Society/Council of the Americas, a New York-based business organization dedicated to free trade and democracy in the region.

While segregating men and women has been tried before in various countries in an effort to promote public safety (including segregated subway cars meant to stop sexual harassment in Brazil, Bangladesh, Egypt, Japan, India, Iran, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Taiwan, and the Philippines, among others, according to Sonal Shah, a New Delhi-based urban planner), it is not clear how Panama’s gendered going-out days are supposed to help prevent the spread of the virus.

In other news of bizarre measures being enacted or recommended to combat coronavirus: Some Colombian towns, BBC reported, are only allowing people outside on certain days based on the last number of their national ID number. In Malaysia, the government’s women's ministry “posted cartoons online telling wives to dress up, wear makeup, and avoid nagging their husbands during the country’s partial lockdown,” BBC said. Angry social media users lashed out until the Malaysian government apologized for its ridiculous suggestions.