Friday
Friday 25th February 2022.
February 25, 2022
The epidemiological report of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), of this Thursday, reveals that in the last 24 hours 11 people died from Covid-19, which brings the accumulated number of deaths to 8,058. Regarding the new infections, there are 787, detected after applying 8,631 tests, which showed a positivity of 9.1%. Active cases are 8,596, of which 8,358 are in home isolation and 238 hospitalized. Those in isolation are divided into 8,325 at home and 33 in hotels. Those hospitalized are 196 in the ward and 42 in the intensive care units.
In recent weeks, Panama has experienced a sharp decline in the incidence of active cases of Covid-19 , reported the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in its report on the country’s epidemiological situation. According to the PAHO biweekly report, in the last four weeks Panama registered a decrease in active cases of 85.7%.
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reiterated this Thursday that from February 25 to March 6 all activities involving crowds are suspended and warned that sanctions will be applied for failing to comply with the decree that suspends the Carnival. In a statement from the entity, it is recalled that Executive Decree 6 of January 27, 2022 prohibits activities related to Carnival such as dances, cantaderas, irons, lazo competition, murgas, tunas and mojaderas.”Any activity that promotes disorder and crowds is prohibited during this rest period and can continue with the favorable epidemiological indicators,” said the Director General of Public Health of the Minsa, Melva Cruz. Cruz warned that for non-compliance with the norm, the sanctions will be applied according to the fault and that the economic fines can reach up to 5 thousand Dollars.
The Second Administrative Electoral Court lifted this Wednesday, February 23, the electoral criminal jurisdiction of former President Ricardo Martinelli , at the request of the third liquidator judge of criminal cases, Baloisa Marquínez . Alma Cortés, Martinelli’s lawyer, told La Prensa that the defense had already been notified of the ruling and announced an appeal, so the case now goes to the plenary session of the Electoral Court . Marquínez asked the Electoral Court to lift Martinelli’s electoral criminal jurisdiction, he is charged in two open processes: the payment of bribes by Odebrecht and the alleged use of public funds to acquire Editora Panamá América, SA
The Council of the European Union (EU) has kept Panama on its list of non-cooperative countries and territories for tax purposes, in an update of the list published on February 24. In addition to Panama, the list includes Fiji, Guam, US Virgin Islands, Palau, Samoa, American Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu. The Council noted that Panama is not rated as broadly compliant by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes with regard to the exchange of tax information upon request and that the country has a source income exemption regime. That is harmful.
Deputies and former deputies of the Communication and Transport Commission of the National Assembly (AN) are related to the organizations with the largest number of transport quotas. This is the case of Bocas del Toro, where 8 of 15 organizations that together have more than 500 operating certificates –selective and collective–, are linked to the deputy Benicio Robinson (PRD), a native of that province. These links are reflected in three quota databases, two delivered by the National Land Traffic and Transportation Authority (ATTT) to La Prensa , after a request for information covered by the Transparency Law, and another delivered by the ATTT to the deputy Gabriel Silva through a habeas data. Compared, both lists present inconsistencies. La Prensa tried to talk to the current director of the ATTT, but did not respond to the more than four calls and messages left for him. Likewise, an interview was requested from Robinson, indicating that it was to verify the companies with quotas related to him. He didn’t answer.
The plenary session of the National Assembly (AN) approved the bill No. 756 on the Autonomous University of Chiriquí (Unachi) this Thursday, February 24, in the third debate . When opening the third debate of the project, none of the deputies present took the floor to speak about the convenience or non-convenience of the norm. The controversial bill was approved with 38 votes in favor, just two more than the minimum required. Five deputies voted against, and one deputy abstained. The first article indicates that the current rector of Unachi, Etelvina de Bonagas, is allowed to seek re-election again.