Panama  economy reopening could be regressing   

As the number of cases of coronavirus continues to escalate,  instead of moving to phase 3, of the reopening of the economy Panama, could be taking a step back and canceling phase 2.

The gloomy warning came on Thursday, June 17 from Israel Cedeño, director of the Metropolitan Health Region, who, that this decision will be made, depending on the behavior of the virus and citizens.

The Ministry of Health (Minsa) does not have a definite date for the opening of the third phase of economic activities, and would even consider the closure of phase  2, which started on June 1.

“We have mentioned it previously]: depending on the behavior of both the disease and the population, the decision will be made to open the third block or postpone it even further,” Cedeño said, during a tour of the district of Calidonia, one of the most affected in the capital city.

“Even not allowing the opening [of phase  3], and if things continue to be aggravated by social indiscipline, we could evaluate closing the second block,” he emphasized.

The government decreed a state of national emergency last March 13 and, on March 20, the closure of all shops, businesses and industries, with exceptions, such as supermarkets, pharmacies, banks, and food manufacturers.

The revival of the economic sectors was organized into six blocks. The first block (e-commerce retail, hardware stores, garages, fishing and aquaculture) was reactivated on May 13 and the second (construction of public infrastructure, non-metallic mining and industries), on June 1.

The absolute quarantine was ended, but a week later, the  Health Ministry ordered the restoration of the curfew in the provinces of Panama and Panama West, where you can only circulate according to gender and the last number of the ID.

Health authorities have indicated that the opening of the blocks is evaluated every 14 days, but 18 days after the opening of block 2, there is still no tentative date for the opening of the third block of activities.

According to Minsa figures, until June 17, Panama accumulates 22 597 confirmed cases of Covid-19;  and 470 have died and some 600 new infections are reported daily with concerns rising over the ability of the hospitals to cope,