While restaurants, hotels, and businesses in Panama are closing,  no move was predicted to shut down the nation’s major addiction - the National Charity  Lottery until Thursday, March 19 when  the government suspended Lottery from Monday, March 23 until  April 12.

 The regional showcasing of the twice-weekly draws has been abandoned in favor of  a televised  event without spectators or charity officials participation at the Lotteria headquarters on Ave  Cuba but nothing has been  to reduce crowds for the inevitable follow up

On Thursday, March 19, hundreds of “lucky winners” mostly older adults arrived early at lottery offices to collect their pots of gold,  silver or brass, anticipating the at least 30-minute regular wait in line.

They formed crowds to join the lines inside without keeping the six feet distance repeatedly recommended by the  Ministry of Health (Minsa) as a preventive measure against the new coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic ().

At the Río Abajo office  the National Police was forced to evict people reports La Prensa.

Meanwhile, Lottery director, Gloriela Del Río, reported that they are applying all the sanitary measures dictated by the Minsa, such as the use of alcoholic gel, the use of masks and the stipulated distance between officials and clients.  But shoulder to shoulder contact still exists in many selling stations

According to health authorities, those most affected by the coronavirus are people over 60 years of age. The same group that gets pumped up by the Lottery.

To date, there are 109 people with coronavirus, and one of them has died.