Monday
Monday 21st March 2022.
March 21, 2022
The epidemiological report of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) this Sunday, highlighted that in the last 24 hours no deaths from Covid-19 have been reported in the country. According to the entity, this is the first report of this year 2022 without deaths from the new coronavirus. On the other hand, the number of accumulated deaths remains at 8,156 deaths for a lethality of 1.1%. According to Minsa, in the last 24 hours there are 193 are new cases as a result of 5,416 tests having been carried out, for a positivity of 3.6%. In addition, active cases total 2,407, of which 2,297 are in home isolation and 110 hospitalized. The group that is in isolation is divided into 2,260 in their residence and 37 in the so-called hospital hotels. There are hospitalized with 96 in the wards and 14 in intensive care units.
The decrease in Covid-19 cases is also being reflected in the number of patients admitted to the Covid Hospital of the Social Security Fund (CSS), located in the City of Health. According to a CSS report, as of March 18 there are less than 14 patients admitted with the disease, after the figure exceeded 100 hospitalized by the end of January in the midst of the fourth wave of Covid-19. Regarding the decision to gradually lift the current restriction measures, González affirmed that these decisions must be made depending on the behavior of the virus in other countries, which have already been done. In addition, as long as there is certainty that there will not be a new wave, the Ministry of Health will make the correct decision.
The National Immigration Service established a new procedure for the application of visas for domestic workers, before entering the country. The provision was established in Resolution 2579 of February 10, 2022 and published in the Official Gazette . It was reported that the applicant must carry out the process through a legal representative (lawyer). “This Resolution will be valid for foreigners who are of a nationality of a State that maintains a visa abolition agreement with Panama or does not require a visa,” the Resolution specifies. It is reflected that in the case of foreign citizens of nationalities that require a visa to enter Panama, they must first obtain the approval of their visa, to opt for their domestic worker permit.
Yesterday, Sunday, marks two years since the enactment in the Official Gazette of Law 129 of 2020, “which creates the private and unique system for registering final beneficiaries of legal persons.” The registry is a system that aims to facilitate access to information on final beneficiaries, that is, to know who are the people who control a company and that if used properly, it would be a useful tool in investigations of corruption, tax evasion or money laundering.
The Ministry of the Environment (MiAmbiente) approved the management plan for the Cordillera de Coiba protected area, which was expanded in June 2021 from 17,000 to 68,000 square kilometers. This means that Panama meets in advance the goal of the “30×30 Initiative” of the Global Framework for Biological Diversity to protect 30% of the country’s marine areas by 2030.
Through resolution No. 0089 of March 3, 2022, signed by Minister Milciades Concepción, fishing is completely prohibited in two thirds of the protected area, and in the remaining third it allows only sustainable fishing. Such as pole and line , which should be properly regulated.
The electricity rate would not increase due to the rise in the price of natural gas in the international markets, since there is a contract with a fixed price between AES Colón and the distributors. Currently, a quarter or 26% of the electricity consumed in the country is generated with liquefied natural gas from the AES Colón plant.