President declares state of national emergency

As  the number of cases confirmed cases of coronavirus in  Panama rose to 27, President  Laurentino in a televised broadcast announced that on Friday, March 13  he will present to the cabinet a resolution introducing a state of national emergency.

In her Thursday, daily press conference, Health Minister Rosario Turner announced 13 new cases of covid-19, the majority of them in people over the age of 40. 

Fifteen men are affected and 12 women: 21 remain at home. 5 are hospitalized,  2 of them in intensive care and one person has died.

55% of the cases are in central Panama. 12% in San Miguelito and 7% in Panama West. 3 patients have a history of travel and four are linked to the Monsignor Beckman school, whose principal died from the virus, and two teachers are in intensive care.

Measures to contain the virus which is already beginning to affect the economy are being expanded.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) by  Thursday afternoon, infections in the Americas increased from 941 cases on  Wednesday to 1.277.

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