News
Wednesday 29th June 2022.
June 29, 2022
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported 1,989 new infections of covid-19 in the last 24 hours , while the number of active cases nationwide amounts to 14,520. The 1,989 infections reported were detected after the application of 10,574 tests, which reflects a positivity of 18.8%. It is detailed that in the last 24 hours one death was confirmed due to covid-19 and three others from previous dates are updated. Panama accumulates 8,352 deaths and positivity remains at 0.9%. In addition, the Minsa reported that the number of active cases amounts to 14,520 nationwide. Of this figure, 14,300 are in home isolation and 220 hospitalized. Those in isolation are divided into 14,288 at home and 12 in the so called hospital hotels. Those hospitalized are 187 in the wards and 33 in intensive care.
The Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre , advised this Tuesday, that the program called Solidarity Medicines ( MedicSol ) is a “palliative plan” in the face of the shortage of medicines in the country. “MedicSol cannot be and is not the definitive plan to address this issue,” Sucre assured, in statements to TVN Noticias . The official explained that the technical table set up to deal with the shortage of medicines was asked for answers in the short, medium and long term. He also clarified that the MedicSol plan “we have not set a definite date, but we do know that it has an expiration date.” “It’s not the ultimate solution,” he remarked. What is expected is that by the time it is time to change the government “we have already left a solution,” said the head of Health. On Monday, the Government of Laurentino Cortizo announced the start of the MedicSol program. According to this plan, when the insured does not obtain the requested medication at the CSS pharmacy, a digital prescription will be issued through MedicSol that will be credited to his/her ID. Once this procedure has been completed, the insured must go to the stores affiliated with the program and present their ID to receive the prescribed medication at no cost. The person collects the medications and the CSS pays for them. The program will be executed in three phases gradually.
The former President of the Republic, Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal must provide information on his income, purchases, assets, liabilities and expenses, corresponding to four years (2018 to 2022), according to a document that was partially disclosed by his spokesman, Luis Eduardo Camacho. On his account on the social network Twitter, Camacho published an order from Publio De Gracia , head of the General Directorate of Revenue (DGI) , in which he requests the collaboration of Martinelli “during an exhibiting and/or visual inspection, in the sense that it facilitates the obtaining of collated copies of the electronic information stored in electronic devices and all the information inherent to the development of the audit”. On the first of the two sheets disclosed by Camacho is the list of information required by the DGI from the “taxpayer” Martinelli: legal accounting records (journals and general ledger) 2018-2022; detail of income (with their respective receipts); contracts for services rendered, with their invoices; detail of income from commissions (with their documents) and from professional fees; detail of purchases (local and imported), with their respective Customs liquidation; detail of assets, liabilities and depreciation table; detail of the expenses (with their receipts), according to the inspector’s requirement, and any other document in electronic format, letters, faxes, memorandums or means that evidence events that generate taxes.
The meeting between agricultural cargo carriers, international cargo and producers, with a government commission to discuss various aspects, including the cost of fuel, ended this Tuesday, without an agreement. The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Provincial Council of Chiriquí and although there was no consensus, the Minister of Agricultural Development and the head of the government commission, Augusto Valderrama, said that they are willing to continue with the talks. Regarding the issue of support for the agricultural freight sector with the price of fuel, the government commission offered a palliative to a global crisis: “we offered light transport a subsidy of $519.17 per month, medium freight transport $300.85, while heavy transportation $563. As for the mule-type or articulated refrigerated truck, they will be given a support of $1,126.32, but they consider that they do not agree with the offer because they ask for the freezing of fuel of $3.95 for all transportation in general,” Valderrrama explained. For his part, Ranth Berard, Manager of Merca Panama said that if the stoppage continues, there could be a shortage, especially for products such as lettuce, cabbage and others. However, he said that the structures of Merca Panama remain operational so that producers can store their products and provide the service. It is estimated that some 100,000 quintals of agricultural products are no longer being transported to national markets.
The Ombudsman of Panama, Eduardo Leblanc, warned that there is no precise number of irregular migrants who are unable to cross the Darién jungle, bordering Colombia, for various reasons. Leblanc warned that the fact that the Colombian authorities do not share the figures with Panama, there is no certainty of how many people enter the jungle and therefore the amount that is left behind is unknown. The Ombudsman of Panama stated that this can be resolved with the cooperation of the countries, recalling that the Panamanian authorities have held meetings with the Colombian counterpart, and with those of Costa Rica, but if they do not agree and share information people will continue to stay in the jungle. “And we are going to have to carry more missing and deceased people out of the Darién.”
So that speculations are cleared up, so that direct information is available, in real time and from the main actors; For these and a long list of reasons, citizens, lawyers, and representatives of political parties believe that the Third Criminal Trial Court should broadcast the preliminary hearing in the Odebrecht case on television or on its YouTube channel. The preliminary hearing of what is considered the most important corruption and money laundering case in recent times is scheduled to take place between July 18 and August 5. The process tracks the multi million dollar bribes paid by the Brazilian construction company in Panama, and links 62 people, including the former presidents of the Republic Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) and Juan Carlos Varela (2014-2019) ; as well as former ministers, lobbyists and businessmen, among others.
Yesterday, some 60 families were affected by heavy rains in the villages of Burunga and Nuevo Chorrillo, in the district of Arraiján (West Panama). Likewise, the overflow of a stream caused flooding in eight homes in downtown Burica, Blanco Arriba and Finca Aguacate, Rodolfo Aguilar corregimiento, Barú, Chiriquí. Falling trees were also reported in Chilibre, Cristóbal (Colón) and Penonomé (Coclé). According to Sinaproc, the warning is due to low pressure systems, the inclusion of tropical wave 11 and the probability of a tropical cyclone north of Panama.