News
Wednesday 14th April 2021.
April 14, 2021
In the last 24 hours, 329 new cases of Covid-19 and four deaths have been reported, according to the epidemiological report of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) of this Tuesday, April 13. Currently in the country there are 3,995 active cases of coronavirus, of these 3,328 patients are in their residences, 198 in hotels, 407 in the living room and 62 people are in the Intensive Care Unit, reported Leonardo Labrador, head of epidemiology at the Minsa. Labrador indicated that in the last 24 hours four deaths have been reported. In addition, the report updates two deaths from previous days. This Tuesday, Panama accumulates 6,173 deaths from the new coronavirus. A fatality percentage of 1.7 is maintained. The report notes that 9,166 new tests have been carried out for Covid detection and the percentage of positivity is 3.5, one of the lowest registered in the last four months. For this week a Rt of 0.86 is reported, which reflects a decrease in relation to last week when the effective reproduction index was 1.
The Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, reported this Tuesday, April 13, that the curfew hours will change as of Monday, April 19, and the opening of bars with terraces and outdoor sports activities. These measures, Sucre said, are taken thanks to the last week’s indexes achieved by “the discipline of citizens in general and the strategy promoted by the government.” We have achieved a positivity of cases for this week below 3.9%; Panama is one of the countries with the fewest active cases and with 97% of patients recovered from Covid-19, in addition, the lethality is the lowest in the region with 1.7%, he added. Now, the curfew time will be from 12:00 am to 4:00 am, throughout the country. On the other hand, the head of Health announced that the molecular Covid-19 test will be mandatory for all travelers entering the country.In addition, it will be reduced to three days of quarantine, to all travelers who come from South American countries.
Through Executive Decree No. 435, published this Tuesday, April 13 in the Official Gazette, the gradual return to blended classes is regulated.Two points that stand out in this decree is that the school uniform will not be mandatory and that teachers and administrative personnel must be vaccinated.
The Ministry of Health reiterated that people over 60 years of age, pregnant women and teachers who missed their appointment in circuits 8-6, 8-10 and 8-1 can reschedule their vaccination.
The plenary session of the National Assembly approved with 37 votes to summon the Minister of Tourism, Iván Eskildsen. Among the questions stand out: how much does Copa pay the State for the exclusive use of the Tocumen International Airport? Is there really free competition and competition between airlines, both national and international, at Tocumen airport? It must also answer: does the domain that Copa has in practice restrict or prevent free trade, free competition as it should be in a capitalist economy between airlines? And why can’t Air Panama take off and land at the airport in Tocumen, how can Copa do it?
The Government Commission of the National Assembly approved this Tuesday, April 13, in the first debate the bill 546, which would give life to the Organic Law of the Electoral Prosecutor General’s Office.
The Panama Maritime Chamber (CMP) , an organization that affiliates more than 200 companies in the sector, requested the President of the Republic, Laurentino Cortizo , to veto draft Law No. 94 that modifies the General Law 56 of 2008, of Ports of Panama, approved last Monday in the third debate in the National Assembly.
The Attorney General’s Office asked the Court of Accounts to call to trial 11 people who would be linked to the alleged patrimonial injury of $ 4.4 million in the case of the supply, installation, migration and start-up of the Integrated Government Process Management System for 150 facilities of the Social Security Fund (CSS), a project called Safiro.
After the provisional arrest of the priest Aristides Rodríguez Otero, accused of the alleged commission of the crime against sexual freedom and integrity against a child under five years of age, the Bishop of David, José Luis Lacunza, expressed his zero tolerance with regard to that kind of behavior.