The Panama City Mayor’s Office has ordered temporary closures for two of the city’s major public food markets. The Seafood Market closed on Monday, February 2, 2026, with the San Felipe Neri Market scheduled to close the following Monday, February 9. Officials say the shutdowns are necessary to conduct intensive monthly cleaning and disinfection procedures.
These actions are part of a scheduled maintenance program managed by the city’s Municipal Markets Directorate. The directorate oversees all public food retail centers and mandates these deep-cleaning sessions. The goal is to reinforce sanitation and safety standards for the thousands of vendors and customers who use the facilities daily.
“These efforts are part of our permanent work to reinforce health, safety, and hygiene conditions in municipal markets,” stated a release from the Mayor’s Office. [Translated from Spanish]
Regular operations are set to resume the day after each closure. The Seafood Market reopened on Tuesday, February 3. San Felipe Neri will reopen on Tuesday, February 10. The city emphasized that the closures are a proactive measure, not a response to any specific health incident.
Revised Schedules Follow Market Maintenance
Following the cleaning work, both markets will return to their standard hours. For the San Felipe Neri market, general access runs from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its food court and fonda sections operate from 5 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The Seafood Market maintains a more complex schedule catering to different clientele. Wholesale buyers can access the market from 2 a.m. until 10 a.m. Retail hours for the general public run from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. The popular restaurant and cevicheria zone within the market opens later, serving customers from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m.
This maintenance impacts a significant portion of Panama City‘s fresh food supply chain. The Seafood Market is a central hub for the city’s fish and seafood distribution. The San Felipe Neri market serves a historic downtown neighborhood with a wide variety of food stalls and vendors.
“This workday is part of the regular maintenance of municipal markets, with the objective of offering cleaner and safer public spaces for both merchants and consumers,” the Mayor’s Office reiterated. [Translated from Spanish]
Authorities are asking the public to plan their purchases around the closure dates. They also remind citizens to stay informed about municipal announcements. The deep-cleaning process involves high-pressure water washing, fumigation, and disinfection of all market surfaces and common areas.
Ongoing Commitment to Public Market Safety
These scheduled closures reflect a broader institutional focus on food safety and hygiene in public spaces. The city conducts similar operations across its network of administered markets. Maintaining these standards is crucial for preventing foodborne illnesses and ensuring public confidence.
The announcement follows other recent municipal operations, like the one this Monday, focused on public welfare and infrastructure. The coordinated effort demonstrates a structured approach to urban management. It balances daily commercial activity with necessary public health protocols.
For regular patrons, the city advises checking official channels for any updates. The message underscores that such maintenance is performed for the benefit of all users. Officials framed the temporary inconvenience as a necessary step for long-term safety, just as for other regulatory actions. Both markets are expected to be fully operational immediately following their designated cleaning days.