Total lockdown over Christmas and New Year

A  total quarantine from December 25 to 28, 2020, and from January 1 to 4, 2021, was announced by Health Minister Francisco Sucre on Tuesday, December 15 as covid-19 cases reach new heights.

 The total lockdown will begin at 7:00 pm on Friday 25 and will end at 5:00 am on Monday, December 28; and the second quarantine will be from 7:00 pm on Friday, January 1 to 5:00 am on Monday, January 4.

 As of December 18, a new curfew and dry law schedule will take effect: from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Currently, the curfew is from 9:00 pm. to 5 am.

In addition, from 5:00 pm on December 23 to 5:00 am on January 4 they will establish sanitary fences.  in La Pesa de La Chorrera, Divisa, La Villa, Chagres, Viguí, among others.

The Minsa ordered supermarkets to receive one person per family, with the exception of being accompanied by a minor or person with a disability. Airports, ports, and borders will remain open.

Sucre reiterated that meetings of more than 10 people are still suspended. 

He announced that they will bring doctors from the United States, Mexico, Venezuela, and Cuba, to reinforce the health personnel.

Eyra Ruíz, Minister-Counselor, said that in the last month since the sanitary measures and fences were lifted, caused cases to be reported in regions where there was no coronavirus. Furthermore, compliance with biosafety measures “by some Panamanians” has become more flexible and relaxed.

“During the national holidays we saw how the celebrations and meetings, parties, increased the contagion curve throughout the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, Leonardo Labrador, head of epidemiology at the Ministry of Health (Minsa), reported this Tuesday, December 15, that 29 new deaths from coronavirus have been reported, for a total of 3,411 deaths to date.

The number of people in intensive care units (ICU) increased in recent hours:,197 the highest number so far.