News
Wednesday 11th August 2021.
August 11, 2021
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported this Tuesday, that 4 new deaths are reported by Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, so the accumulated total of deaths amounts to 6,918. Leonardo Labrador, head of epidemiology, indicated that two deaths from previous days have been updated and that there is a decrease in active cases. For this Tuesday there are 11,006 active cases. As for new cases, Labrador indicated 900 are reported this Tuesday, after the application of 11,588 tests (7.7% positivity). He said that in home isolation there are 10,464 people. While 423 patients are confined in the hospital wards and in intensive care units (ICU) 119. Labrador reported that for this week the Rt fell to 0.91. Last week it was 1.
The Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, revealed during the press conference 8 new community cases of the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing Covid-19 were detected in various provinces of the country. The Ministry of Health (Minsa) informed La Prensa that it concerns the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Colón, Chiriquí, Panamá, Oeste Panamá and Herrera. In these regions, Health protocols were activated and epidemiological surveillance was redoubled.
Panama received this Tuesday, a batch with 375,570 doses of the vaccine against Covid-19 , from Pfizer, to continue with mass vaccination in various circuits nationwide.
The Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre , announced that the possibility of holding the carnivals next year is being analyzed. It is an issue that is “technically” being discussed, Sucre told reporters. The head of Health said that he still does not want to anticipate this discussion, despite the fact that it has been put on the table. And also, like the subject of carnivals, Sucre mentioned that he receives inquiries about the Christmas celebration and the school year. “They are all cards on the table and are being studied depending on how the situation evolves,” added the official, alluding to Covid-19 . “If we reach herd immunity on that date, we may be making some decisions, which is to free ourselves totally and be able to mobilize wherever we want, that’s what all Panamanians want, including myself, ”he commented.
The deputy of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Zulay Rodríguez , presented before the Trade and Economic Affairs Commission of the National Assembly a draft bill that repeals in all its parts articles 1 and 2 of Law 122 of December 31, 2019 , which amended Law 80 of 2012 on incentives for the tourism industry. The draft, presented on August 3, seeks to nullify the articles of the law that allow legal or natural persons that acquire bonds, shares or other financial instruments issued by tourist companies, to receive tax credit certificates of the tax on the income equivalent to 100% of the sums invested.
After hearing both the allegations of the Prosecutor’s Office and the 39 defense attorneys, the third judge for the Settlement of Criminal Cases, Baloisa Marquínez , accepted the end of 30 business days to decide whether to call the 51 involved to trial or decree dismissals. After 3:00 pm on Tuesday, the arguments of the last defense attorney concluded. For this reason, at 3:15 pm, the media outside the Balboa Theater, temporary headquarters of the Third Criminal Court for Liquidation, learned of Marquínez’s decision.
Stewart Tuttle , chief of mission of the United States embassy in Panama, said yesterday morning that Judge Baloisa Marquínez’s request “would not affect in any way” the extradition process of Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares to the United States. “I understand that these cases are actually handled in order of priority. In other words, whoever asks first has the right to take the subject, if [extradition] is approved. So we are not worried about that, ”Tuttle told journalist Edwin Cabrera. “If Panama wanted to have the opportunity to bring them to trial here, they will have that right, after those men spend the necessary time in a North American jail for the crimes they have committed,” added Tuttle.
The Judicial Branch already has an area of land to build the Judicial City. This Tuesday, August 10, in an official act in the Peace Room of the Presidency, President Laurentino Cortizo endorsed the transfer of 25 hectares of land for the construction of this project.
The attorney general of the Nation in charge, Javier Caraballo , revealed that in the Jade operation against drug trafficking, a corporal from the Institutional Protection Service and an official from the Panama Maritime Authority were apprehended. Local authorities in a press conference detailed that the operation had been carried out over two years with the support of the authorities of the United States and Colombia.