News
Wednesday 27th April 2022.
April 27, 2022
In the last 24 hours, 744 new Covid-19 infections were registered in the country, reveals the Epidemiological report of the Ministry of Health (MInsa), from this Tuesday, April 26. To detect the new cases, 7,515 tests were applied for a positivity of 9.9%. Regarding deaths, one is reported for a cumulative of 8,183 deaths and a lethality of 1.1%. The report indicates that the active cases total 4,008, of which 3,933 are in home isolation and 75 hospitalized. Those in isolation are divided into 3,919 at home and 14 in hotels. There are 71 patients hospitalized in the ward and 4 in the intensive care unit. The Minsa points out that the report for epidemiological week 16 reveals an increase in the number of new cases as well as in the percentage of positivity, but a decrease in hospitalizations and deaths.
Since November 2021, when the appearance of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus was reported in South Africa, several subvariants and combinations between these and even with other variants have emerged. The Omicron variant, classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as of concern, is the one with the principal sublineages reported during the Covid-19 pandemic. The identified sublineages are BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4 and BA.5, as well as the combination of subvariants of Ómicron named XE (BA.1 and BA.2) and Ómicron with Delta, named XF and XD. Of all the subvariants of Ómicron and combinations of variants that have emerged in the world, the Genomics and Proteomics Research Department of the Gorgas Commemorative Institute for Health Studies (Icges) has identified, through genomic sequencing, the presence in the country of the BA.1 and BA.2 sublineages.
After a brief fight between dissident deputies from Cambio Democrático (CD) and the Partido Revolucionario Democrático (PRD) , the Government Commission of the National Assembly decided to maintain, with a slight modification, the “cameron” objected to by the Executive, to prevent the boards of directors of the political parties being able to revoke the mandate of the deputies. This is article 12 of bill 776 , which modifies the Electoral Code , which excluded decisions made by deputies grouped in a parliamentary faction as grounds for expulsion and revocation. President Laurentino Cortizo vetoed article 12 as unconstitutional, which was proposed by CD deputy Yanibel Ábrego , to avoid an expulsion and recall process that her party is following, an action that also applies to 14 other deputies who oppose Rómulo Roux , president of the CD. But Agustín Shellhorn , substitute deputy for Marylin Vallarino, from CD -part of the group of 15 deputies that faces an expulsion and recall process within her party- rejected the proposal to eliminate article 12. “I abstain from voting. We are not going to sign this report, which I not only do not share, but I reject,” he said. The substitute deputy of CD recommended that the vetoed project be approved by insistence and that it be the Supreme Court of Justice that decides whether or not it is constitutional. His colleague and co-party member Hernán Delgado, who is also part of the Government Commission, announced that he would abstain from voting.
The Attorney for the Administration, Rigoberto González , sent a questionnaire to the Vice President and Minister of the Presidency, José Gabriel Carrizo, in which he requests that he gives him information on the alleged existence of an appointments table (in the Presidency) for militants of the ruling party. Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD). González’s request for information comes after the lawyer Ernesto Cedeño filed an administrative complaint about the alleged irregular use of public funds for political appointments in the government.
The administration of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) launched the so-called Labor Management Plan, with which it intends to define as permanent the vacancies that employees in the temporary category have been occupying for years. To do this, the canal workers will have to participate in a contest for the position, which has generated a new source of conflict with the administration. According to the ACP, all temporary and permanent workers who have their job applications up to date can participate in this process to fill vacancies. “They will compete for a position, according to the merit system that governs the organization,” said the ACP after a query from this newspaper.
In the official translation into Spanish of a note dated April 4 of this year, Mari A. Aponte, litigation prosecutor of the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice, replied to the Public Ministry of Panama, that it did not seem that there was a crime in the investigation against the journalist Mauricio Valenzuela, for alleged gender-based violence to the detriment of deputy Zulay Rodríguez. This protection extends to speech that may be considered controversial or offensive. Accordingly, any action by US government authorities to execute the request would be inconsistent with essential US interests in this fundamental US legal principle. Since you have stated that there may have been threats, please present those evidence of those threats.”
Between 10:00 p.m. this Friday, April 29, and 6:00 p.m. this Saturday, April 30, the Chilibre water treatment plant will reduce its production of drinking water by 50%, reported the National Aqueduct and Sewer Institute (Idaan ). During this period, two flanges will be installed on the 60-inch inlet and outlet valves of the new storage tank, located in Aguas Claras. Parallel to these works, the contracting company MECO, under the supervision of the technicians of the Special Projects Unit of the Idaan Metropolitan Management, will carry out interconnection works on the 42-inch pipeline at Park Omar, as part of the project. of improvements to the aqueduct of the corregimiento of San Francisco. Due to this decrease in the production of drinking water, low pressure will be recorded on the Tumba Muerto and Transístmica roads, Clayton, La Locería, Betania, Los Ángeles, Miraflores, Altos de Miraflores, Dos Mares, Villa de La Fuente 1 and 2, Santa María, Hato Pintado, San Francisco, Carrasquilla, Bella Vista, Altos de Panamá, Río Abajo, Parque Lefevre, Pueblo Nuevo, El Cangrejo and El Dorado.