News
Wednesday 16th February 2022.
February 16, 2022
Six deaths from Covid-19 and 1,714 new infections have been reported in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported this Tuesday afternoon. In its epidemiology report, the Minsa highlighted that they update four deaths from previous days, so the accumulated number of deaths rises to 7,970. 12,815 tests were applied for a positivity of 13.3%. Active cases continue to decline. For this Tuesday, 17,596 active cases are reported, of which 17,209 are in home isolation and 387 hospitalized. Those in isolation are divided into 17,121 at home and 88 in hotels; those hospitalized are 329 in the ward and 58 in intensive care units.
As of this February 16, the Deputy Minister, Ivette Berrío, will be in charge of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), due to the head of the Minsa, Luis Francisco Sucre, will travel abroad to undergo a medical evaluation. This was reported on Tuesday, by the Minsa in a statement, in which it was explained that Sucre will undergo a “medical procedure”, although what type was not specified. Nor was it indicated where Sucre would travel or how long he will be absent.
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) has asked the Public Ministry to investigate whether the “medical legal group for the resistance” has committed a crime defined in the Code of Criminal Procedure . According to the Minsa, that group has offered statements in the media and social networks urging the Panamanian population not to get vaccinated against Covid-19. In a statement from the entity, it was recalled that this request has as its legal basis number 1 of article No. 83 of the Code of Criminal Procedure . At the request of the Public Ministry, a USB device was attached containing the videos allegedly broadcast by the group.
According to the latest reports from the National Migration Service, so far in 2022 some 6,000 migrants have crossed the Darién border from Colombia. The immigration authorities have highlighted that the passage of travelers crossing the border between Colombia and Panama has dropped significantly, compared to the records of 2021.
Despite the fact that more than 10 days have passed since Judge Baloisa Marquínez sent the request to the Electoral Court (TE) to lift the electoral jurisdiction of former President Ricardo Martinelli in the process for alleged money laundering known as New Business, this procedure has not yet been finalized. TE sources indicated that the electoral administrative court has not been able to notify the president of Realizing Goals.
In the session of this Tuesday, February 15, the Municipal Council of Panama approved calling the tender for the construction of the new seafood market, which will be located in Calidonia. The proposal was not on the agenda and was included at the beginning of the session, along with other projects. In addition, the majority of the representatives agreed to approve the projects en bloc. The approval of authorizing the mayoral administration to call the tender was given with a vote of 24 votes in favor and 2 against. Representatives Guillermo Bermúdez, from Don Bosco, and Ricardo Domínguez, from Bella Vista, voted against. Bermúdez said that he did not understand how this work was going on, after learning of the reduction in the investment budget for the Municipality of Panama, of about $30 million, from the decentralization funds. He argued that with this it is necessary to reconfigure the budget of the Municipality of Panama.
For the first quarter of 2022, the start of operations of terminal two of the Tocumen International Airport is evaluated. This was revealed this Tuesday, February 15, by the company Tocumen, SA, which clarified that all the authorities involved in the sector also participate in this process. Raffoul Arab, general manager of Tocumen, SA, explained that the opening of terminal two “is a complex process, which is not limited to opening doors and boarding bridges.” Arab recalled that in this process of starting operations, the activation of communications systems, equipment and personnel for procedures related to passengers and baggage must be taken into account. Terminal two has 116 thousand square meters and 20 boarding gates and will allow the air terminal to process up to 20 million passengers annually. Construction began in 2013 and should have been delivered in 2017.
From March 11 to 12, “El hojaldratón 2022″ will be held in the Omar Park amphitheater, with the aim of distributing 8 thousand hojaldras to children in public primary schools. Rachel Pol, chef and executive director of the El Pailón project, explained that more than 300 volunteers will participate in the event, including chefs, cooks and those who will be in charge of assembling the bags of food and distributing them. Pol recalled that the idea is to bring a full snack to the students of public schools on Friday, March 11.