The Windward
Passage is a practical
route.
The
Bahamas are presently closed to transit through their country; you will need to go around that country for the foreseeable future.
As to
Panama:
Noonsite's most recent updates are:
https://www.noonsite.com/place/panam...curity-section
COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS:
April 15, 2020:
Colon and
Panama City are well set-up now with all arriving yachts undertaking a 14-day quarantine on arrival.
After 14 days yachts are then processed for access to a marina.
Linton Bay Marina have confirmed they too are open to new arrivals with the same procedures as above. Contact via e-mail (staff@lintonbaymarina.com) or
VHF Ch. 72. No outgoing zarpes are being processed at this time.
In other Panama
ports quarantine is difficult.
Vessels can depart Panama, however it is complicated in some
ports as port captains are closed (e.g. Armuelles, Pedregal, Linton Bay) making obtaining exit zarpes difficult.
Lock down continues with six hours of movement permitted per person per week based on gender and ID number (see below).
Lock down ends on April 22nd, however, it is expected to be extended until probably May or longer.
Panama
airport is closed until April 22nd.
Domestic cruising is not possible: crossing provincial borders invokes a new 14-day quarantine (e.g. San Blas to Colon) and many smaller communities are closed (e.g. populated Perlas islands).
All paperwork for visiting yachts, including visas and cruising permits, are being extended by 90 days.
See April 7 (below) for details on
Panama Canal transits.
Panama is taking a new -- if somewhat unorthodox — measure to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus: separation of the sexes.
Starting on Wednesday, only
women will be able to leave their homes to buy necessities on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Men in Panama will be allowed to venture outside to run errands on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Everyone will have to stay home on Sundays.
Even on their designated days both
men and
women will only have two hours to do their
shopping
The country has banned all domestic and international travel. It has shut down airports and -- after a March 22 deadline -- prevented even Panamanian citizens from traveling to the country.
A nightly curfew had already kept Panamanians from leaving their homes between 9pm and 5am each day. Under the new, more stringent measures, the curfew will now begin at 5pm.