We take a look at the Central America Covid measures, curfews, and restrictions on the ground in each country as things stand right now.
Which Central American countries are still under restrictions of one type or another in 2023? Here, we take a look at each country and outline the restrictions (or not) in place right now.
Again, we’re not talking about entry requirements and whether you need to test to enter or not. You can find that info here. This is about what you’ll see/experience while in any given Central American country.
Belize
No restrictions in Belize – everything is open again like it was pre-pandemic.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is back to normal – no restrictions at all.
El Salvador
El Salvador totally back to normal.
Guatemala
Guatemala restrictions are over apart from some mask mandates in the following areas:
- All hospitals, health centers, swab and vaccination posts, medical clinics, and laboratories
- Care and attention centers for the elderly
- Detention and arrest centers
Honduras
Honduras has eliminated most restrictions, although mask wearing is still mandatory anywhere providing health services (hospitals, dental centers, etc) and prisons.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua has no internal Covid restrictions at all. The government continues to recommend the usual sanitary measures, but mandates nothing.
Panama
Panama is back to normal after, for a while, imposing one of the most brutal lockdowns in the world during the height of the pandemic. Masks are still mandatory on public transport, in any heath facility (public or private), and for anyone who handles food as part of their job.
It’s worth noting here that any remaining mandates are current – in place right now.
It’s also worth noting that many people will simply ignore any remaining mandates.
But if we’ve learned anything over the past three years, things can change on a dime. Bear in mind, these are the official guidelines, and things might not play out this way on the ground, in the moment. For example, you might well see employees in stores, hotels, banks, or any other place serving the public, wearing masks in any Central American country, regardless of mandates. This will be a company policy, not an official policy.
In the meantime, we hope this brief rundown helps. We’ll continue to update this article as situations change on the ground around the region.
James Dyde is the editor of centralamerica.com. He lives in Escazu, Costa Rica.
