Monday
Monday 20th December 2021.
December 20, 2021
The epidemiological report of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) of Sunday, highlighted that in the last 24 hours there were two deaths, for a total of 7,400 accumulated deaths and a fatality of 1.5%. Active cases total 4,092. While this Sunday 323 new positive cases are reported. According to the entity, a total of 6,291 tests were applied and a percentage of positivity of 5.1%. In home isolation, the report highlighted, 3,954 people are reported, of which 3,784 are in their residence and 170 in the so-called hospital hotels. On the other hand, there are 138 hospitalized, of them 119 are in a ward and 19 in intensive care units.
The epidemiological week that closed Saturday (December 12 to 18) culminated with 2,490 new infections of Covid-19 , which represents 748 more cases compared to the previous week (December 5 to 11), when there were 1,742 This represents an increase of 43%. According to the Minsa, the rebound in positive cases is still within the expected amount between November and December, on the occasion of the holidays, both on national days and at the end of the year.
At least 710 thousand 781 dollars and 94 cents add up to the purchases and consumption by the National Assembly (AN) between last October and November – despite the announced containment of spending due to the Covid-19 pandemic -, according to records from Panama Compra published this month. According to the data, of the total purchases and consumptions, $ 125 thousand 99.47 were made last October, days before the plenary session decreed a recess, and $ 585 thousand 682.47 were completed in November, after the recess. December transactions are not yet listed on the portal.
The most recent labor report from the Institute of Statistics and Census reported a reduction in the unemployment rate, from 14.5% in June to 11.3% in October. But, that figure does not reflect the total reality of the market. To a large extent, unemployment fell because there are fewer people looking for work, because they know there are no vacancies or because they receive the Digital Voucher as a palliative .
Two of the current magistrates of the Second Superior Court, José Hoo Justiniani and Secundino Mendieta, and Diego Fernández, member of the Superior Court of Appeals, will preside as of January 1, 2022, on the Superior Court for the Liquidation of Criminal Cases , created by the plenary session. of the Supreme Court of Justice to finalize the processes of the defunct mixed inquisitorial system that are still pending. Hoo Justiniani, Fernández and Mendieta have been involved in controversies related to their rulings and even the latest of these was denounced for allegedly pressuring a judge to favor third parties.
Between November and so far in December, the Social Security Fund (CSS) carried out two million-dollar tenders for the purchase of medicines, which will cover the validity of the years 2022 and 2023. The last one was carried out this week, for the supply of antiretroviral drugs for use by patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) , for an amount of $ 20.1 million. This public act, in which 10 companies presented proposals, includes seven lines of drugs.
The Ministry of the Environment began the process of public consultation of the executive decree that will regulate Law 187 of December 2, 2020, which regulates the reduction and replacement of single-use plastics. According to the entity, this process will allow those interested in the subject to provide suggestions on the content of the regulation. Comments, contributions or recommendations may be sent until next January 14, to the email: der187-consultapublica@miambiente.gob.pa. Law 187 prohibited the sale, as of July 1, 2021, of plastic swabs, plastic covers for laundry clothes and plastic sticks for candies.
(Rodrigo Noriega Analyst La Prensa) Article 24 of the Political Constitution of the Republic of Panama expressly prohibits the extradition of Panamanian nationals as follows: “The State may not extradite its nationals; nor to foreigners for political crimes ”. The prohibition of extraditing nationals was the dominant criterion in Latin America. For historical reasons, almost always extraditions had a political element or those who could be extraditable had strong ties to power. In the Panamanian case, the extradition of nationals would have been a dangerous issue, since crossing the then Avenida 4 de Julio, today Avenida de Los Mártires, the jurisdiction was changed. It only remains for one of the three public powers of the Panamanian State to propose this constitutional change and for it to be approved in three debates by the National Assembly . Just to clear up any doubts, the rule would not be retroactive.