COVID-19: 18,604 new infections, 14 deaths in 48 hours

 The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported  on Friday January  14, that there were 18,604 new infections and 14 deaths from Covid-19 in the previous 48 hours.

Due to a technological problem with the platform of the Department of Epidemiology on Thursday, the entity was unable to release the numbers of cases in the country

Given this, the number of new infections on Friday was 9,530 and Thursday 9,074; Thursday and Friday there were 7 deaths, each day, bringing the total deaths, since March 20202, when the virus arrived in Panama, 7,500.

On Friday, 28,562 tests were applied for positivity of 33.4% and on Thursday 27,659 tests were carried out, with positivity of 33.0%.

 Hospitalized patients total 546, (477 are in the ward and 69 in the intensive care unit.

Cabinet Meeting
President Cortizo , during a visit to Chiriquí on Friday, said that on Monday, January 17, an extraordinary cabinet will be held to approve the purchase of additional swab tests and urged the population not to lower their guard against the increase of Covid-19 infections.

He said that the increase in the positivity, has resulted in a greater demand for testing. In less than a month the positivity rates have increased by almost 20%. “On December 25, 2021, positivity was at 6.7% and two days ago it was 27%,” he specified.

The president also urged the population to get the third anticovid dose (booster) because “the Omicron variant is extremely fast, extremely fast.”

Cortizo recalled that 90% of those who died from Covid-19 in the last year did not have the complete vaccination schedule

Vaccination
The report of the Expanded Program on Immunization, on Friday, indicates that to date 6,663,649 doses of anticovid vaccines have been applied. Of that total, 3,150,511 have been placed in the first dose; 2,834,900 second dose; 669,199 booster doses and 12,694 pediatric doses.