News
Tuesday 26th January 2021.
January 26, 2021
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported that in the last 24 hours, 34 new deaths were registered, and 914 new positive cases of Covid-19. The number of deaths was also updated with one that occurred previously. The total number of deaths is 5,098 and the fatality is 1.6%. There were, 6,385 tests applied, for a percentage of positivity of 14.3% There are 2,710 hospitalized patients, of which 2,473 are in the ward and 237 in the intensive care units.
The director of the Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies (Icges), Juan Miguel Pascale, announced that they are analyzing a new suspected case of the South African strain of Covid-19 . This South African variant of the virus was detected in late 2020, and like the one found in the United Kingdom, it is much more contagious than the original.
The United States Embassy in Panama advises that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, for its acronym in English) will add the requirement of a negative test for Covid-19 for passengers entering the United States by air. According to the CDC, getting tested before and after a trip is crucial “to stop the introduction and spread of Covid-19.”
The local authorities of the province of Colón decided on Monday, afternoon to close the beaches during the weekends. It was also decided that from Monday to Friday only residents of the province of Colón will be able to use the beaches.
The President of the Republic, Laurentino Cortizo , appointed Gabriel Medina as the new general director of the National Police on Monday, January 25, replacing Jorge Miranda, who is retiring.
The Permanent Mission of Panama to the Organization of American States (OAS) presented the candidacy of Ana Matilde Gómez as judge of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for the period from 2022 to 2027.
In an extraordinary session held last Saturday, the National Electoral Reform Commission (CNRE) approved a series of modifications to the current Electoral Code, including those relating to the allocation of seats in the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) .
From next Friday, January 29 until Monday, February 1, a section of the Pan-American highway from the Bridge of the Americas to Arraiján will be closed.