Photo: Tied up nine months now in Vista Mar

This rapidly developing human crisis goes on and on. Virologist always predicted this coronavirus would mutate, that a second wave not dissimilar to the one seen in the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic would spread through the world population like a firestorm. In terms of Sänna we now have an impossible situation.

Due to the large surge in the Brazil and South African virus mutations, Panama is one of thirty countries now barred in terms of travel entry into the UK. None-UK nationals are banned and those with British passports or residency permits must quarantine in government nominated hotels for ten days at their own expense.

Many European countries and their overseas territories are expected to replicate these restrictions due to the virus mutations which, similar to the UK virus variant, is said by scientists here to be 30-60% more contagious and possibly up to 30% more lethal. Like the UK's own appalling level of covid infections and terrible death rates, Panama's coronavirus pandemic continues to surge despite strict military and police enforced curfews, with the Brazil variant widely predicted to become the dominant virus throughout South & Central America by April.

Given that Panama has itself banned UK travellers for the same protective reasons, it is now virtually impossible for us to return to Sänna in Vista Mar for the foreseeable future. We have been advised the UK and reciprocal bans are likely to be in place throughout most of this year, with restrictions not realistically being eased until early 2022 when worldwide vaccination efforts begin to take effect.

Of course, we are seriously worried, Sänna is not in the safest of locations and even now, it is over nine months since we left her tied up in Vista Mar.
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Please visit our SV Sänna website for more details of our circumnavigation voyage from the UK. Also at www.facebook.com/SV.Sanna. Like our Facebook page if you'd like to receive more news about our sail adventure. You can contact us here.

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