Friday, November 06, 2020
Through no fault of the county clerk, the absentee ballot that I requested never arrived until Monday. By that time, it was too late for me to pick it up, get it mailed and get it counted. In short, I couldn’t vote and it broke my heart. As my closer friends know, I would have voted for President Trump. I don’t say that to get anyone riled up, nor as a boasting factor. My reasons why are irrelevant, but it does have relevance to today’s story.
As a US Army Interrogator, I learned that one of the best ways to bring people together is to point out a common enemy. Or, you CREATE a common enemy. Both sides, respectively, will tell me that I’m wrong if I say that Mr Biden isn’t our enemy, or that President Trump isn’t our enemy. “Yes he is! Are you blind!? He’s an idiot!! He wants to destroy America!”, will be the response from either side on their opposing “enemy”. What each party has effectively done is to make their opponent and all of their followers out to be the enemy and it couldn’t be further from the truth.
I think I’ve told this story before, but it’s fitting here to be told again. A few years ago, 2017, I was in Charlie Garcia’s waiting room as he was attending a man who had come especially from the USA to get some serious dental work done. As everyone knows, it’s cheaper to get a root canal or crown done in Panama than it does in the USA, including the cost of the hotel and plane fare. His wife was in the waiting room and she was quick to start up conversation. She explained that they had come down from California and that their stay so far was fantastic. “Panama has been so gracious to us; we really love the people here.”, she smiled. “What part of the US are you from?”, I asked. “We live in California, but my husband is originally from Oregon.”, I think she said. My first thought was, (“OK, probably liberal, don’t bring up politics just to be safe.”) Our conversation continued and I gave her a business card, offering to act as a virtual guide or “contact” while they were here adding, “Panama is great, but if you get arrested, call me first.”. We had a laugh.
Charlie was finishing up with the gentleman and came out with him to the waiting room, escorting him to his lovely wife. In conversation, we joked a bit and Charlie told them that he had known me for years, adding that if they ever needed any help, to just call me. It was all smiles and warmth until he informed them, “You know, Brett supports Trump!”. He did it to mess with me and didn’t intend to create any tension… …(or maybe he did?)… …but, the looks on their faces just dropped. With a confused, upset look, she could only mutter, “Why?”. Then her eyes lit up, Is it “just because you were in the military!?”, she wrongfully assumed. Caught completely off guard, I simply said that my reasons were substantiated from my perspective, which really had nothing to do with my military background. She huffed. (BTW, I’m serious, she actually “huffed”!) Her husband just stood there keeping quiet. Finally, I said that our differences are irrelevant. It was obvious that she had gone from friend to enemy faster than a Shelby Cobra could climb from 0 to 60. “We were getting along just fine a minute ago. Suddenly politics were brought up and you’re that quick to hate someone else. How is that possible?”, I asked. “Well, the wall is stupid and a waste of money.”, she answered. “Ma’am, once again, you’re assuming too much about what I believe. There’s actually more common ground about us that you think.”, I said. “Besides, there are more important topics that are much more important than Trump’s Wall.”, I quickly added. “Oh yeah, like what?”, she challenged. “Well, how about the fact that to get good, cheap dental care, you two had to leave the US and come to a third world country?”, I answered. No further words were spoken and I’ve not seen them again. I wish I could talk to them now though. They really seemed like great people. We would have hit it off great, if it weren’t for the fact that someone, long ago, had branded me as their enemy.
Why are Republicans and Democrats so different from each other? In the wrong group of people, the answer will be from either side, “Well, obviously because they’re fucking stupid.”. I know a lot of people, brilliant people, wealthy people, humble people, who are supporters of both sides. I also know a lot of assholes who vote on both sides of the political spectrum. But, it’s not about education, wealth or attitude. It’s all about perspective.
If we look at a democrat-enriched state such as New York on a map, you’ll see more red than blue. If we look at a republican-enriched state like Texas, you’ll also see more red than blue.
The concentration of democrat voters is in the bigger cities, while the rest of the state in almost all cases will go red. “Yeah, Brett, duh, we knew that already!”, you’re saying. Ah, but did you know “why?”. Hint: it’s not because the people in the country are stupid. It’s all about perspective and most of those who live in the cities don’t understand the perspective of the rural folk and visa-versa. But, politicians know both sides very well and they use that information to do two things; 1. To keep their constituents on their side and 2. To make the other side look like the stupid idiots that they’re not. Our two main parties work very hard at doing this all the time and it doesn’t have OUR best interests at heart, just theirs.
The GOP supports lower taxes, free market capitalism, restrictions on immigration, increased military spending, gun rights, restrictions on abortion, deregulation and restrictions on labor unions.
WIKIPEDIA QUOTE
The Democratic party emphasizes egalitarianism, social equality, protecting the environment and strengthening the social safety net through liberalism. They support voting rights and minority rights, including LGBT rights, multiculturalism and religious secularism.
WIKIPEDIA QUOTE
These are not my words, but the Wikipedia-established political platforms of each party. I personally believe in everything from both parties. What I don’t believe in are certain forms of egalitarianism (such as communism), nor do I believe in certain forms of religious secularism, including the removal of religious symbols from the public eye. I also don’t believe in restrictions on abortion. To be clear, I do not believe in abortions, but I don’t think the government should have any say in the legalities of abortions. It’s none of their damn business. It shouldn’t be an issue. I do not believe in increased military spending. I obviously, totally support our military, but don’t think we need to spend so much damn money from our pockets to police the world the way we do.
So, back to perspective. Politics are like religion. Typically, you’re born into families who believe what they believe and it’s past down to you. A good majority of my family are/were Republican, so that stuck. It helps of course that one of the country’s best Republican Presidents, Ronald Reagan, was president when I was 14-22 years old. During this time, I also met VP George Bush. It was a very impressionable age to have such powerful politicians in your life.
This isn’t the case for everyone. One good friend and colleague, Ryan Colley, is a Democrat but came from a family of Republicans. He “converted” after a short yet important stint working as an intern on Capitol Hill. Without naming names, he was taken aback by the attitudes of the Republican politicians on conservation. They were talking about getting factories to increase gasoline mileage on vehicles, yet their concern was that oil companies and car manufacturers could be in distress. The idea to increase mileage was beneficial to the people, but even moreso to our environment. Ryan still holds some of his roots and believes in more Republican-oriented values like lowering taxes, but because of his grandmother’s upbringing, conservation is very important to him as it should be to all of us.
One of my sisters, Andree Brushaber, is another of those cases. My beautiful sister, one of three, is a Democrat. Jokingly, lovingly, I’ll make fun of her for it, but it’s definitely the perfect fit for her. At a young age, she learned that McDonalds hamburgers were made from cows. She was appalled!! Mom had to hide the fact that ham and chicken were also from animals until one day she figured it out and flat out refused to eat meat ever again. Bless her heart. Still a solid vegetarian, she’s very active to this very day as a social warrior and became a teacher. One of the greatest human beings I know and we can still tease each other. One snowy day I walked up to her house and made the comment as I looked to the sky, “Hey, look at all the snowflakes.” She knew what I meant and I was greeted with a hearty, “Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny, Mr Spartypants.”
But, once most people believe in an idea, a concept, it’s hard to get them to think otherwise. It’s hard for most to believe the narrative that “the enemy” could be right about something, even to the point that they’ll deny evidence and ignore facts. They’ll stay within their bubble and believe only that which their niche or click believes. Everything else, everyone else is wrong. But, even more than just being different, the worst part is when the politician that you love and believe in tells you that “the others” are idiots, deplorables, trash, liars, thieves, or whatever it is that they say nowadays. All they do is divide the people even more. Hillary Clinton lost in 2016 when she decided to brand half of the American population as a “Basket of Deplorables”. The Republicans wore than brand like a badge on their chests and the rests was history.
I think there should be bipartisan issues that everyone should agree on and should work on together at all cost. And, I’m sure these topics wouldn’t be hard to get Americans to be on board for. (Here are some of my suggestions in no particular order).
- Conserving the Constitution and its Bill of Rights
- Equal rights for all people, all creatures.
- Security.
- Conservation.
- Balanced budget.
- Education.
- Peace.
You’d think that these are topics that only one of the parties upholds, but the people from all walks of life, all want these same issues for everyone. Who doesn’t want to be safe? Who doesn’t want the best possible Education for their children or themselves?
Republican people, not necessarily the politicians, all believe in conservation. I’m sure the Democrats would find this hard to believe, but where I’m from, nothing goes to waste. Nothing. Nature is never to be abused or destroyed. My parents, my grandparents were very strict about fishing and hunting. You eat what you hunt or fish. If you don’t need it, you don’t hunt it. But perhaps many of the democrats think hunting is barbaric. That’s where we begin to see the divide, but it’s still a divide through perception.
Generosity is a trait that has no boundaries. Everyone can be generous, and most people are. But the divide is how the parties perceive the methods in which one should be generous. From the Republican point of view, many believe that Welfare promotes laziness. That our taxes shouldn’t be used to encourage further laziness. Yet, there isn’t a single Republican that I know who wouldn’t give you the shirt of their back, a plate of food or the right words to comfort your broken soul. They’re not cold-hearted by any means, instead they’re quite the opposite.
Roughly 141.9 million Americans voted in these elections. Regardless of who wins, at least 69 million people are going to be disappointed and chances are that these people will be your friends, family and neighbors. There’s nothing wrong about maintaining a friendship even if your religion or political orientation is different. One of the best, most healing things that can be done is to approach your friend, the one who’s candidate lost the election and comfort them over it. And to those who lost, don’t hate the people who voted for him. Embrace it. Let the politicians fight their battles, recount their votes and tell you in the end who the winner is. It is, what it is. Stress is bad, leave the stress to them.
TOP NEWS and TIDBITS
Yoli’s Wisdom
Coronavirus spread within households is common, and “substantial transmission” occurs from both children and adults, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Health officials have been warning about virus transmission occurring inside homes. Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus task force coordinator, for instance, has warned that coronavirus-related closures of public places won’t stop virus spread in this phase of the pandemic, where at-home gatherings are contributing to cases, reported the Chicago Tribune.
Also, Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, has said: “In fact where we see the spread of COVID-19 is where we let down our guard, where we literally let down our mask because we feel comfortable with those we love, but the virus is just looking for opportunities to spread.”
In its latest report, the CDC assessed 101 households in Nashville, Tenn., and Marshfield, Wis., from April to September. The households included 101 index patients (or the believed source of infection) and 191 household contacts. These people took self-samples for the virus everyday for two weeks.
Over half (53%) of all household contacts were infected and “secondary infections occurred rapidly, with approximately 75% of infections identified within 5 days of the index patient’s illness onset,” the health agency wrote.
The CDC advises using separate bathrooms and bedrooms, if possible, to reduce virus spread at home, among other measures. To lower the risk of virus spread at home, the CDC recommends isolating immediately upon coronavirus-like symptoms, testing positive, or testing due to high-risk exposure, whichever happens first. Also, everyone should wear masks in shared spaces at home.
Members of the same household should use separate bedrooms and bathrooms if possible, the CDC wrote. Finally, a significant number of infected people in the study were asymptomatic, which further emphasizes the importance of isolation, the agency wrote.
HUMANITARIAN AID COLLECTION CENTER INSTALLED IN OMAR PARK FOR FLOOD VICTIMS
A humanitarian aid collection center for those affected by the floods registered in Chiriquí, Veraguas, Coclé and Panamá Oeste, as well as the Ngäbe Buglé Region, began operations at 10:00 a.m. this Thursday at the Dome of the Omar Cultural and Recreational Park in Panama City.
The Office of the First Lady of the Republic Yazmín Colón de Cortizo, informs that this collection center will remain enabled during this Thursday and Friday until 4:00 p.m., although it is not ruled out that it will be extended during the weekend if necessary.
The articles will be received by a group of volunteers at the entrance of the park, without having to get out of their vehicle, guaranteeing all the biosecurity measures.
It details that among the items that are being requested are the following: dry and canned food, bottled water, tetrapack or powdered milk, disposable diapers for children and adults, blankets, personal hygiene items (deodorants, soaps, toothpaste, toothbrush), sanitary napkins, cleaning products (bleach and disinfectants), and personal protection items.
Humanitarian aid will be sent to the victims in addition to the support provided through the Ministry of Social Development (Mides), which has been sending trucks with basic necessities and food, since Wednesday morning.
MORE THAN A THOUSAND PEOPLE AFFECTED BY FLOODS, AUTHORITIES ADVANCE WITH THE DELIVERY OF AID
The different government entities move forward this Thursday with the coordination and delivery of humanitarian aid to families affected by the floods and landslides registered in different parts of the national territory as a result of the heavy rains registered in recent days.
The Deputy Minister of Housing, José Batista, announced that so far a record of around a thousand affected people is maintained.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Social Development, María Inés Castillo, indicated that since Monday the Government has been sending support to the affected communities in the different provinces.
“Donations and support from the National Government continue to arrive, they are leaving the Ministry of Social Development at this time, 1,500 bags of food were sent from Panama Solidario, Atlapa is putting together more bags and the National Government is in full in Chiriquí supporting those affected, ”Castillo said.
Regarding the issue of possible shortages due to the effects on the production roads, the technical secretary of the Agricultural Cabinet, Blanca Gómez, indicated that they will proceed to carry out a census of the producers who already had the harvest raised to try to mobilize it.
“At this moment we have a section of the road in the Bambito area that has totally collapsed and where we need to be able to cross to the other side … the little we have achieved with people who have been able to recharge their cell phones through their own vehicles, is to raise a rapid census of those who already had the harvest harvested and who had it in warehouses or galleys to see how we mobilize it once the MOP manages to open it, we can make a bridge to pass the products, “said Gómez.
She added that they are also evaluating passing through the connection in Tierras Altas towards the Boquete route and in the renaissance area looking for the alternative route through Paso Canoas.
It is worth mentioning that the province of Chiriquí has been the most affected by the heavy rains, however, there have also been damages in Veraguas, Coclé and Panamá Oeste, as well as the Ngäbe Buglé Comarca.
Más de mil personas afectadas por inundaciones, autoridades avanzan con la entrega de ayuda
AUTHORITIES CONFIRM THE DEATH OF 5 PEOPLE IN CHIRIQUÍ AFTER FLOODS
The Meritorious Fire Department of Panama and the director of the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc), Carlos Rumbo confirmed this morning the discovery of five bodies without life, of the eight people reported as missing, after being involved in floods and landslides of lands in Chiriquí.
The bodies were found in the Tierras Altas sector, where the overflowing of a river allegedly affected three people.
“Currently we have five deaths, two missing, it is official information still in development, hopefully there are no more, but it may occur as a result of the vulnerable situation, flood areas, among other conditions that we have in the geography of the province and beyond,” he said the governor of the province of Chiriquí, Juan Carlos Muñoz.
It should be noted that earlier and according to the Sinaproc report, three people had been reported missing due to the flooding of a tributary in Cañas Gordas, Renacimiento, and 5 more people had disappeared due to landslides.
Rumbo said that this morning a helicopter with personnel from the National Aeronaval Service (Senan) and Sinaproc were able to enter the Highlands to carry out rescues.
In this sense, the evacuation of 375 people who remained isolated on the road that connects Volcán and Río Sereno was carried out; and in the Bambito sector, 50 more people who were stranded in that sector were evacuated.
The authorities asked people who had vehicles and were in sectors vulnerable to landslides or floods to leave these areas to safeguard their lives.
Autoridades confirman el fallecimiento de 5 personas en Chiriquí tras inundaciones
COVID-19 OUTBREAK COULD SPIKE IN DECEMBER: MINSA
“We have to get used to the use of a mask every time we leave the house, to constant hand washing and physical distancing so as not to back down and not have a regrowth and to be locked up again in December,” he explained.
With the beginning of the month of the fatherland and the approach of the end of the year festivities, the director of the Health region of San Miguelito reiterated to the population to maintain the family bubble and not to “relax” the biosecurity measures to avoid a new wave of infections and being forced into confinement in the last month of the year.
“It is very important to always be in the family bubble” since there are many people who are asymptomatic and who can spread the virus, she told TVN yesterday, when the Day of the Dead was commemorated. And she added: “But the family bubble are those who live under the same roof. They are not the neighbor, cousin or uncle who is also family, but does not live with you.
She specified that around 30% of patients with covid-19 are “asymptomatic”, who may be spreading the virus without realizing it. “We don’t know who has the virus and who doesn’t, so we have to treat everyone as if they do. We have to take care of ourselves, ”she said.
She reiterated that “parties are not allowed, since in these celebrations there is a moment of relaxation, and that is where there may be the risk of contagion, so everyone must take care of themselves. We have to comply with all the biosecurity measures if we want more activities to continue ”.
Swabs cannot be required
This Monday, the Administration Attorney, Rigoberto González, made it clear that swabs cannot be mandatory.
Rebrote de covid-19 llegaría en diciembre: Minsa
ATTT GRANTS A NEW EXTENSION FOR EXPIRED LICENSES AND PLATES UNTIL NOVEMBER 30
A new extension for expired licenses and plates was extended until November 30 by the Transit and Land Transportation Authority (ATTT).
In a press release, the entity reported that the extension applies to the suspension of the sanction for contempt, established in Article 240 of Executive Decree 640 of 2006 (Traffic Regulations).
It should be remembered that the sanction for contempt refers to the inconvenience that the retention of the license or removal of the vehicle may cause when passing through checkpoints or police operations. Regarding expired licenses, all those with an expiration date from March to November 2020 apply in the extension.
The institution clarified that drivers will be able to circulate without inconvenience in the next 30 days, only with expired plates corresponding to the months of August, September, October and November.
The ATTT makes a call to all drivers with licenses expired or about to expire, so that they process their appointment on time in SERTRACEN or carry out the procedure through its platform, in the same way we urge users to carry out their license plate procedures in their respective municipalities and pending payments to our savings banks.
Nacionales Meduca plantea lineamientos para el año 2021 con representantes de gremios magisteriales
HOW CONTAGIOUS ARE OUR CHILDREN, A MYSTERY STILL TO BE RESOLVED
Are children great vectors of Covid-19? Science has not yet provided a categorical answer to this key question when deciding to close or open schools during the pandemic.
At the beginning of the crisis, experts feared that children were major transmitters of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by analogy with other viral diseases, such as the flu. But early studies suggested precisely the opposite.
Now, “if you analyze the data from the (scientific) literature, it doesn’t seem so clear,” epidemiologist Dominique Costagliola told AFP.
Many studies that concluded that children are not infectious were carried out in “periods of confinement” and therefore with a low circulation of the virus, which could falsify the results, said his colleague Zoë Hyde, in an article published in October in the journal Medical Journal of Australia.
Recently, studies in the United States, India and South Korea dismissed the idea that children are not very contagious.
The last, published on October 30 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States, defended that infections in the home are “frequent, either through children or adults.”
“When they show symptoms, children shed the same amount of virus as adults and are as contagious as adults.”
European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
Meanwhile, a set of British studies published last Tuesday provided other details. Based on data from 9 million adults, researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Oxford estimated that “living with children aged 0-11 is not associated with an increased risk of becoming infected with it. SARS-CoV-2 “. This possibility increases slightly if you live with a child between 12 and 18 years old.
How to get out of doubt with such contradictory conclusions?
Children “can transmit (Covid-19), but it seems that this happens less often than transmission between adults,” summarized the WHO specialist Maria Van Kerkhove.
This epidemiologist emphasizes that “young children” must be differentiated from “adolescents, who seem to transmit it at the same level as adults.”
“When they show symptoms, children shed the same amount of virus as adults and are just as contagious as adults. We do not know to what extent asymptomatic children can infect other people, “said the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control in a report published in August.
The absence of symptoms is common among children infected with Covid-19. And the only certainty is that they are less seriously ill than adults. Determining its contagiousness would, however, be essential when deciding to leave schools open or close.
“Everyone is aware of the importance of school for children. Not only in terms of education, but also well-being, mental health and safety, not to mention that for some it is the only place where they can eat, ”recalled Van Kerkhove.
In Europe, countries like France, Spain and Austria, left schools open despite the second wave and the new lockdown. “The risk in schools is not zero,” but the percentage of transmission is “low compared to the rest of the community,” said Daniel Lévy-Bruhl, from the French health agency Santé Publique France.
“The number of open schools in the world is extremely high. In most of them, nothing happens ”, he affirmed, and stressed, however, that the exceptions have a lot of media coverage.
In addition, experts stress that the risk in schools depends on the local situation: “It is very important to understand that schools do not operate in isolation and that they are part of a community,” said Van Kerkhove.
La contagiosidad de los niños, una incógnita todavía por resolver
THE CLANDESTINE PARTIES CONTINUE IN THE CAPITAL
A massive party was held in the Belén sector, in Tocumen, where people without masks and without the respective physical distancing were appreciated, the health authorities were able to reach this place and suspended the event.
The Metropolitan Director of Health, Israel Cedeño, reported that this event was held on Sunday at dawn.
“They reported to us at approximately three in the morning, the National Police arrived at four thirty, managed to disseminate the people, however, a second round was made, at approximately five thirty, six in the morning and he found some people who were still in the area, and then three people were taken to the Justice of the Peace and were punished with sixty dollars each, “said Cedeño.
Health authorities continue to recommend that they avoid these holidays as they could become an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.
Nacionales Panamá logra avances en derechos humanos, pero sigue con temas pendientes
DAMAGE IS EXPECTED TO CROPS OF POTATOES, ONIONS, VEGETABLES AND OTHER ITEMS AFTER FLOODS
The Minister of Agricultural Development, Augusto Valderrama, announced this Thursday that damages are expected to crops in different areas as a result of the floods registered in different regions of the country.
“Definitely the information I had with the producers of Highlands, the rain was heavy, there must be damages, we have not yet quantified because it has not yet been possible to enter, in the potato area, the onion area, the vegetable area must be affected, we also have the problem that in the areas that were cultivated there are loaded trucks that have not been able to leave due to the isolation of the areas, in Puerto Armuelles we are also informed of damage to products such as bananas, in Veraguas there are almost 200 hectares that They have been affected by the cultivation of rice, ”Valderrama explained.
He added that they will proceed to carry out a tour of the Highlands to verify what humanitarian aid is required in the shelters that have been installed for the affected people, as well as the support to the producers.
“We are making an inventory of the damage that may occur in some important products such as onion, potato, carrot, etc. and see what alternative we have as a country so that our consumers are not affected and those products are not lacking, so we are in development, We will be communicating with our producers, we are doing this and definitely that there will be an impact on the production of products from the Highlands and some from the Lowlands, such as rice, we will be informing when there is an exact accounting of the damage that occurred “Said the head of Mida.
Se prevén daños en cultivos de papas, cebollas, hortalizas y otros rubros tras inundaciones
MINISTER SUCRE INSISTS THAT PEOPLE CAN BE OBLIGATED TO TAKE COVID-19 TESTS
The Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, declared on the night of this Monday, November 2, that tests to detect Covid-19 can be carried out in a “mandatory manner” because the country is experiencing “an extraordinary and emergency situation.”
Sucre recalled that the country is experiencing an emergency situation due to the pandemic produced by the Covid-19 disease.
The official explained that the Health Code does not contradict “at all” what was stated by the Attorney General, Rigoberto González, on the obligation or not of the test to detect the aforementioned virus.
“If we were in a regular situation, of course this could not be done,” Sucre insisted. In addition, he stressed that in the last paragraph of González’s pronouncement it is clear that they can be carried out due to the current situation.
On Monday afternoon, González stated that the swab tests to detect possible cases of Covid-19, cannot be applied in a mandatory, random or indiscriminate way, unless people give their consent.
González’s position comes after a query made to his office by Sucre about the faculty of the Ministry of Health to order the mandatory performance of swab tests on nationals and foreigners.
The attorney for the Administration considered that a measure such as the one described in the consultation could be carried out exceptionally, in cases in which the person refused to take the test and there is certainty or suspicion founded by other examinations or evidence, that this have or could be a carrier of a communicable disease.
Sucre, on his side, recalled that in the country the contagion of Covid-19 is already community and that it is not necessary to have contact with a sick person. “There is a surface that we touch and share that may be contagious,” he said.
Ministro Sucre insiste en que las pruebas de la Covid-19 se pueden realizar de forma obligatoria
MIAMBIENTE ANNOUNCES THE CLOSURE OF PROTECTED AREAS IN CHIRIQUÍ AND COCLÉ DUE TO BAD WEATHER
The Ministry of the Environment of Panama (Mi Ambiente) announced this afternoon the closure of the protected areas of Chiriquí and Coclé due to the bad weather that has generated in the country the displacement of Hurricane Eta in the Central American Caribbean.
“We announce to the population that, due to the state of the climate, we have temporarily suspended access to the protected areas of the Chiriquí and Coclé provinces, as well as the marine, lake and aquatic protected areas throughout the national territory,” he said in a tweet the ministry.
The information is extended to tourists, tourist guides and the entire sector involved in this activity.
“The beginning of this preventive measure begins at six in the afternoon today, November 3.” explains Krislly Quintero, director of MiAmbiente.
The measure applies to the Barú Volcano National Park, La Amistad International Park, La Barqueta Wildlife Refuge and the Gulf of Chiriquí National Marine Park.
“If the weather conditions improve, and the authorities of the National Civil Protection System confirm it, the restriction will be lifted, if not, the temporary suspension decision will be maintained,” Quintero said.
In a statement, the entity highlights that they have reinforced the institutional presence, through park rangers and technical personnel, at these points and in incident areas.
Panama is being indirectly affected by the displacement of this category 4 hurricane, since it is generating strong winds, waves and rains in the central, western and eastern sectors of the country.
MiAmbiente anuncia cierre de áreas protegidas de Chiriquí y Coclé debido al mal tiempo
IF BIOSECURITY MEASURES ARE NOT ACCEPTED, VISITS TO PRISONS COULD BE SUSPENDED
The director of the East Panama Health Region, Carlos Batista warned that if the issue of the lack of compliance with biosafety measures gets out of control, among family members who visit prisoners, specifically in the La Joya prison, this benefit will have to be suspended again.
The foregoing occurs after complaints that biosecurity measures are not being kept, for example, distancing between the people who line up to enter the different prisons that are kept there.
Batista said that monitoring is day by day and suddenly particular situations of lack of control arise between scheduled visits, but measures are taken at the moment. However, “We do not want this to affect what has been planned so that those deprived of liberty have visits from their relatives and that, due to some isolated event, they were prohibited.”
“If there is a situation that remains out of control, the measure of returning the suspension again would be analyzed,” he said.
The official said that every day they make reports on the movement of people who come to make the visits.
He argued that the issue of compliance with the regulations is a work carried out in coordination with the authorities of the Ministries of Government and Security.
¿Te imaginas que Twitter hubiese existido el 3 de noviembre de 1903?, expertos opinan
PUBLIC MINISTRY ADVANCES 103 CASES FOR SPREADING A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE
Between January and August of this year, marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Public Ministry (MP) has opened 103 processes for the alleged crime of spreading a contagious disease.
The months with the highest numbers were April, May and June, with 24,16 and 36 cases, respectively.
This period coincides with the most difficult stage of the health crisis due to the coronavirus, with strict confinements and the deployment of security forces.
The investigations are based on article 308 of the Penal Code, which establishes penalties of up to 15 years for those who spread a disease.
Most of the cases under investigation are people linked to other crimes, such as drugs or possession of weapons. Spreading a disease was added to them, as an aggravating factor.
But the most notorious cases have to do with violating sanitary measures, such as that of the capital mayor José Luis Fábrega, who was caught walking on a beach in the Pacific in full confinement.
The case of the meeting of deputies and the leadership of the Democratic Revolutionary Party at Jimmy’s barbecue is also advanced, when restaurants were prohibited from serving customers on their premises.
Currently, the authorities maintain the curfew of 11:00 a.m. at 5:00 p.m. and they have announced random tests to detect cases of Covid-19, on beaches and other public places.
Ministerio Público adelanta 103 casos por propagar una enfermedad contagiosa
PANAMÁ VIEJO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE IS OPEN FROM TUESDAY TO SATURDAY, ENTRY IS BY RESERVATION
The Panama Viejo archaeological site recalled that it is open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday from 9:15 a.m. at 3:00 p.m.
The site reopened on October 27, after months closed due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Reservations for visits must be made in advance through the email reservapanamaviejo@gmail.com, or through WhatsApp (6349-4376).
Reservations will be attended from Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. at 3:00 p.m.
Sitio arqueológico Panamá Viejo está abierto de martes a sábado, ingreso es por reserva
PANAMA, WITHOUT EVALUATING GLOBAL SOLIDARITY STUDY DRUGS
The international clinical study “Solidaridad”, promoted since last March by the World Health Organization (WHO) to determine the effectiveness of the drugs remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, ritonavir / lopinavir and interferon against the Covid-19 disease, is not yet underway In Panama.
The research, designed to generate robust data and demonstrate which treatments are the most effective against the disease during these months, has seen ups and downs, due to the use of drugs, such as hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir / ritonavir.
In Panama, former Health Minister Rosario Turner announced at a press conference at the end of last March that the country would be part of this investigation, designed to apply four drug protocols to patients suffering from Covid-19.
The objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of medications on three important outcomes in patients with the disease: mortality, need for assisted ventilation, and length of hospitalization.
Turner attributed Panama’s entry into the investigation to the transparent management of information about the new SARS CoV-2 coronavirus with the population.
The first results of this research were already disclosed in a preprint published on October 15 in medRxiv, but Panama does not appear on the list of those that provided preliminary results.
Ana Belén Araúz, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of Panama and one of the main scientists of the study in the country, explained that the research protocol was already approved by the National Research Bioethics Committee (CNBI), but since it was an adaptive study has had multiple changes in the treatment arms, so it has not yet started.
She stressed that they are waiting for the most recent amendment that the WHO made to the study, to obtain the drugs.
To date, Panama has not started recruiting patients, specified the infectologist.
In addition, Araúz said that the number of patients will depend on how the pandemic behaves in Panama.
CNBI process
This media consulted the CNBI – an entity attached to the higher office of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) and created by Executive Decree No. 1843 of December 2014 – and there it was reported that the study was approved on September 8.
The CNBI website details that the research protocol, entitled “An international randomized trial to evaluate unlicensed treatments for COVID-19 in hospitalized patients receiving the conventional treatment for Covid that is offered in each hospital”, entered the last May 7.
However, the research protocol must be reviewed by the members of the CNBI each time changes are made to the study, and when questions or recommendations arise, it must be sent to the principal investigator for subsequent review of the documentation.
The CNBI verifies that every study has scientific validity, social validity and that it complies with ethical standards, according to article 38 of Law 84 of May 2019 and Guideline 1 of the Council of International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS 2016).
Argentina Ying, president of the CNBI, explained that the scientific soundness of the study is evaluated, according to its methodological design and the quality of the information it will generate.
Likewise, its relevance or the importance of the information it will produce is evaluated, and how it will guarantee that the rights and dignity of the participants are respected, checking that the risks do not outweigh the benefits and that the voluntary nature of the participant is respected, among other aspects. Ying detailed.
Changes in the study
The modifications in the therapeutic arm proposed by the scientist Araúz are detailed on the WHO website, which indicates that on July 4, the organization accepted the recommendation of the international steering group of the Solidarity trial to interrupt the groups of treatment of Covid-19 with hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir / ritonavir.
The international steering group made this recommendation, after comparing the interim results obtained in this trial between the hydroxychloroquine treatment group and the lopinavir / ritonavir treatment group with the reference treatment, as well as data from all the trials presented in the Research and Innovation Summit on Covid-19 organized by the WHO on July 1 and 2.
The infectious disease specialist Javier Nieto said that each time there are amendments to the therapeutic arms, the research protocol must be submitted again to the National Bioethics Committee for its respective approval, and in that administrative part the study was delayed.
He added that it has been a very unstable investigation due to the issue of hydroxychlorquine, with which the amendments in the drugs to be used, and because of lopinavir / ritonavir. Also, the last decision was to include monoclonal antibodies in the assay.
Preliminary data
Preliminary results from the Solidaridad study, the largest therapeutic control trial, indicate that the use of remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir / ritonavir, and interferon appear to have little or no effect on mortality at 28 days or the course of Covid-19 among hospitalized patients.
The trials, which included 11,266 patients from 400 hospitals in 30 countries, looked at the effects of these drugs. Although the trial data are under review for publication in a scientific journal, they were released by the WHO on a preliminary basis and it is concluded that “the protocols of remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir / ritonavir and interferon have little or no effect on hospitalized patients ”.
Ivonne Torres-Atencio, director of the Department of Pharmacology of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Panama, stated that the study was adaptive and that unpromising drugs could be abandoned and others added, as happened with hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir, which were eventually abandoned, but others, such as monoclonal antibodies, will be added, as the study continues.
“What the WHO has done is to report the provisional results of mortality of the four original drugs of the study,” said Torres-Atencio.
Panamá, sin evaluar fármacos de estudio global Solidaridad
PANAMANIAN POLICE WILL HAVE A TELEVISION SERIES
Institutions are preparing to develop the television series “Proteger y Servir 24/7”, which will be a national production, of quality and international format, of high projection and social impact, focused on educating and making viewers aware of the mission of the National Police.
They explain that it will show the battle of the uniformed against the commission of misdemeanors and criminal acts in Panama, which seeks to positively impact society and educate the inhabitants through stories of real cases, with information and statistics provided by the National Police, in order to prevent these criminal acts and misdemeanors.
The first season of the reality show “Proteger y Servir 24/7” will be eight chapters, a weekly broadcast for a period of 30 minutes and the work of all the personnel of the national security entity will be observed.
They say that it is aimed at young people, adults, the elderly and all tourists who are in our country.
Giselle González Villarút, general director of SERTV, and Jorge Miranda Molina, general director of the National Police, signed on Monday, October 26, an inter-institutional collaboration agreement to develop this project.
Policías panameños tendrán una serie de televisión
STATUS UPDATE
Friday, October 30, 2020
PANAMA ACCUMULATES A TOTAL OF 132,867 DETECTED CASES OF INFECTION AND 2,688 DEATHS BY COVID-19
- 132867 positive cases
- 822 new cases
- 2,688 deaths
- 19,655 home isolation (509 hospital hotels)
- 646 are hospitalized (535 in ward / 111 intensive care)
- 109,369 clinically recovered
Saturday, October 31, 2020
PANAMA ACCUMULATES A TOTAL OF 133,598 DETECTED CASES OF INFECTION AND 2,700 DEATHS BY COVID-19
- 133598 positive cases
- 731 new cases
- 2,700 deaths
- 19,139 home isolation (533 hospital hotels)
- 674 are hospitalized (562 in ward / 112 intensive care)
- 110,552 clinically recovered
Sunday, November 01, 2020
PANAMA ACCUMULATES A TOTAL OF 134,336 DETECTED CASES OF INFECTION AND 2,706 DEATHS BY COVID-19
- 134336 positive cases
- 738 new cases
- 2,706 deaths
- 18,765 home isolation (562 hospital hotels)
- 669 are hospitalized (562 in ward / 107 intensive care)
- 111,634 clinically recovered
Monday, November 02, 2020
PANAMA ACCUMULATES A TOTAL OF 134,915 DETECTED CASES OF INFECTION AND 2,720 DEATHS BY COVID-19
- 134915 positive cases
- 579 new cases
- 2,720 deaths
- 18,424 home isolation (562 hospital hotels)
- 644 are hospitalized (529 in ward / 115 intensive care)
- 112,565 clinically recovered
Tuesday, November 03, 2020
PANAMA ACCUMULATES A TOTAL OF 135,592 DETECTED CASES OF INFECTION AND 2,731 DEATHS BY COVID-19
- 135592 positive cases
- 677 new cases
- 2,731 deaths
- 18,270 home isolation (570 hospital hotels)
- 642 are hospitalized (532 in ward / 110 intensive care)
- 113,379 clinically recovered
Wednesday, November 04, 2020
PANAMA ACCUMULATES A TOTAL OF 136,024 DETECTED CASES OF INFECTION AND 2,744 DEATHS BY COVID-19
- 136024 positive cases
- 432 new cases
- 2,744 deaths
- 17,839 home isolation (567 hospital hotels)
- 667 are hospitalized (558 in ward / 109 intensive care)
- 114,207 clinically recovered
Thursday, November 05, 2020
PANAMA ACCUMULATES A TOTAL OF 136,567 DETECTED CASES OF INFECTION AND 2,756 DEATHS BY COVID-19
- 136567 positive cases
- 543 new cases
- 2,756 deaths
- 17,456 home isolation (553 hospital hotels)
- 724 are hospitalized (607 in ward / 117 intensive care)
- 115,078 clinically recovered
Coronavirus statistics from Day 1
This table is only visible online
Daily COVID-19 Cases
This is a list of the number of cases per day since the first case was discovered in PanamaEND NOTES
Happy birthday to this guy, Alejandro “Alejo” Castroverde, our nephew who just turned 30 on Thursday, Nov 5. Apart from family, Alejandro has been our mentor, trainer, and companion throughout the years. This week, he spent his holidays with us at our home and was happy to learn a bit from his favorite uncle on how to sand and seal this box that I made for him.
Stay safe… Stay healthy… And by all means (unless your reconnecting with friends from opposite political parties) STAY HOME!!…