In lieu of all things Coronavirus, attending a festival should be the last thing on someone’s mind right now. Panama, however, appears to have a confirmed 86 COVID-19 (as of March 17th) cases and one death. While this might ward off many, people attending Tribal Gathering Festival are now on forced lockdown. Originally taking place from February 29th to March 15th, Tribal Gathering officials have ordered guests to remain at the site until March 23rd. While there have been no reported COVID-19 cases on festival grounds, a reported 300 guests must be locked down for appropriate quarantine.
Tribal Gathering is a unique festival that offers attendees to meet and learn from indigenous cultures from around the world. It is a festival that advocates climate change and pollution endangerment on a remote beach, north of Panama’s coast. As of March 16th, The president of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo, reported, “the entry of non-nationals and non-residents of Panama into the country is restricted.” via his Twitter account. Government and health officials revisited an original mandate that would allow only nationals “who have entered Panama over 14 days ago to exit the location.”
For the reported 300 ravers preparing to leave Tribal Gathering and return home to their respected countries, a 14-day quarantine/lockdown awaits. This could also mean that some attendees may need to stay longer than March 23rd. Organizers advised relatives of attendees to contact their respective country’s embassy for more information.
