PanamaTimes

Sunday, Aug 09, 2026

The Government's decision to re-implement total restrictions, in the face of a possible rebound in COVID-19, would be chaotic for the economy

The Government's decision to re-implement total restrictions, in the face of a possible rebound in COVID-19, would be chaotic for the economy

Economist Rolando Gordón has estimated the impact to be 'terribly negative' if the country were to return to restrictions in case of an increase in cases of COVID-19 or if some of the indicators indicated by the Ministry of Health (Minsa) are not met.
Rolando Gordón said that any decision needs to be taken with great rigor and always based on a balance, both for the health and economic sectors.

Little by little and after the openings, several businesses dedicated to different activities have opened their doors and returning to very strict measures can be chaotic, so that the economic flow that the country needs occurs and so that each sector recovers, said the economist.

In his opinion and in the midst of how the cases progress, it would be positive to look for mechanisms such as the measure that the Minsa adopted in Veraguas, since there was a restriction by geographical area, due to the increase in cases of COVID-19 .

In this way, a large number of people are not affected economically, since only one sector would be restricted.

Similarly, he stated that the increase in COVID-19 cases in the country is also due to indiscipline on the part of a minority group, but that at the same time it is the one that causes more and more people to become infected.

The economic recovery has only seen a scope of 30%, said Gordón, but it has not yet reached 60 or 70% to be able to speak of an economic boom.

In addition to this, companies are also being very cautious when reinstating their staff.

Based on all this, talking about severe restrictions for the entire country would not be the most convenient, the economist said.

Given the increase in the effective reproduction index (Rt) of COVID-19 to 1.07 , the Minsa announced on November 10, the implementation of a plan that includes the possibility of resuming the mobility restriction measures, if there is a possible overflow of at least four indicators.

The four indicators that must be met are: the Rt must be at 1 or below, the lethality must be below 3%, the availability of beds in the ward must be 20% and in the intensive care units there must be a 15% responsiveness.
Comments

Richard Pineda 6 year ago
In order to have a healthy economy you have to have a healthy community. Science 1st !!!
Brian 6 year ago
War Vet - then isolate as you sound like you are high risk. The facts are the rest of society who is not at high risk should be allowed to continue to live live normally. Over a period of 3 months that would create a shield for high risk people like yourself. This public health 101 and the way it was always done. This destroying everything is insanity and not based on science at all.
war vet 6 year ago
i'm fat and sickly so f off with your selfish comment
Oh ya 6 year ago
Yes kill the whole country because of the virus that kills 1 half of 1 %. Protect the fat old sickly folk and let the rest of the people live their lives

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Advertising trick: Pepsi’s Harrier Jet Commercial Led to a $700,000 Court Fight
Why 2027 Could Be a Strong Year for Stocks—and Why the Forecast Is Fragile
Trump’s Top General Seeks an Exit Strategy From Iran War, Report Says
Brock Lesnar Retires From Wrestling, Closing a Career of Rare Athletic Range and Lasting Controversy
Trump-Era Policy Shifts Test the Boundaries of U.S. Institutions
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
Breaking With the Past: One of the World’s Smallest Countries Changes Its Name
AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices
Cuba’s Grid Fails Again as Fuel Crisis Deepens
Nazca Lines Flight Crash Kills Thirteen as Peru Suspends Aerodiana
OpenAI Faces Demands for Full Disclosure After Models Breach Hugging Face
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Why Americans Queue for $15 Ice Cream and a $100 Caviar Pint
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
Miliband Sets Climate and International Law at Centre of UK Diplomacy
Trump Readies New Tariffs as Temporary Global Levy Nears Expiry
Morgan Stanley Builds a Wall Street Lead in AI Infrastructure Finance
High Prices Push Coffee Drinkers Toward Whole Beans and Home Brewing
Spain Defeats Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup
Venezuela’s Earthquake Devastation Turns U.S. Investment Opportunity Into a Thirty-Seven Billion Dollar Reconstruction Challenge
Ukrainian Drones Strike Wildberries Warehouses Deep Inside Russia
The Ledger Will Not Trust on Faith
Trump Administration Pressures Banks to Restrict Financial Access for Undocumented Immigrants
The Ten World Cup Finals That Defined Football History
Smartphones Are Getting More Expensive, Sales Are Collapsing, and Even Apple Admits: "Prices Will Rise"
The AI Race Enters Its Infrastructure Era
Colombia Influencer Dies After Cosmetic Procedure at Unlicensed Bogota Salon
A Quiet Bastille Day: France Grapples with World Cup Heartbreak and Leftover Fireworks
Spain in Ecstasy: "We Feel Unbeatable, We Taught the Whole World a Lesson"
On the Island That Did Not Yield to Trump, There Is No Electricity, and 10 Million Live in Darkness
World Cup Visitors Turn American Big-Box Stores Into Souvenir Stops
Anthropic Reengineers Agentic Architecture to Shift Autonomous Workplace Automation to the Cloud
Global Crisis Alert: Escalating Middle East Tensions and UK Political Upheaval
Japanese Technology Firm Fujitsu Launches Advanced Artificial Intelligence Tool for Corporate Disclosures
South Africa Officially Launches Nationwide Campaign for Highly Contested Local Government Elections
United Kingdom Commits Additional Funding for Unexploded Ordnance Clearance in Laos
Singapore Announces Stringent New Greenhouse Gas Regulations for Commercial Cooling Systems
Cambodia and Thailand Hold High-Level Border Security Talks at United Nations Headquarters
Myanmar Military Government and China Sign Major Agreement to Upgrade Media and Cultural Cooperation
Knife Attack at Swiss Train Station Leaves Three Injured in Suspected Act of Domestic Terrorism
Transnational Extortion Gang Threatens Canadian Police With Army of One Thousand Armed Operatives
Australia Imposes Forty-Two-Day Quarantine on Cruise Ship Passengers Following Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak
International Monetary Fund Unlocks Seven Hundred Million United States Dollars for Sri Lanka Following Economic Reforms
Australia Launches Record One Point Four Billion Dollar Lawsuit Against Chemical Giant 3M Over Contamination
China and Canada Foreign Ministers Meet in Ottawa in Effort to Stabilize Strained Diplomatic Ties
Indonesia Demands Urgent United Nations Security Council Reform Amid Escalating Global Conflicts
Extreme Weather Patterns Trigger Severe Drought in Madagascar and Destructive Flooding in East Africa
Indian State of Karnataka Faces Political Upheaval as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Abruptly Resigns
Philippines and Japan Reaffirm Defense Ties as Crucial for Indo-Pacific Regional Stability
Norway Joins French Nuclear Deterrence Initiative in Major Shift for European Security Architecture
×