Dr. Eduardo Ortega , secretary of the National Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation and advisor to the Covid-19 Panama Vaccine Research Consortium warned that a rebound in cases may be registered in the country within two to four weeks.
Ortega stressed that the positivity rate has remained between 4% and 6% and the number of effective reproduction of
covid-19 or Rt below 1, however, with the reopening of activities, the cases could increase.
"Remember that the incubation period of the virus ranges between two and fourteen days, so if something is going to happen we have to measure it within approximately fourteen days to see if there will be any effect," he said.
Yesterday, the director of the Social Security Fund (CSS), Enrique Lau announced that they are preparing the health system for a possible rebound. He assured that they have a strategy, but didn't provide any further details.
On the other hand, Ortega referred to the vaccination process in the country. He explained that of the 346,000 doses of the
Pfizer vaccine that have reached the country, 309,000 have been applied.
He explained that if the dose delivery rhythm and the vaccination strategy are maintained, it is expected in December to have vaccinated 3 million people in the country.
Ortega indicated that according to the strategy, the
vaccine is being applied in the circuits where the greatest transmission was registered and it is expected in two weeks to continue in circuits 8-10 and 8-7, and after move on to the the provinces of Panama Oeste and Chiriquí.