The ministers answered questions regarding vaccines against covid-19 and the management of the pandemic in Panama.

BIOSECURITY AND TRACEABILITY MEASURES

Luis Sucre, Minister of Health, indicated that "each of the measures are based on public health matters" and that they were implemented due to the constant non-compliance with preventive biosafety measures, even though the numbers continued to increase.

VACCINES AGAINST COVID-19

The vice minister of health, Ivette Berrío, explained that the Government carried out negotiations in two ways, one of them multilateral and the other bilateral.

With the Covax mechanism, 1,112,410 doses were managed, and an investment of $11,084,000.00 was made. 216,000 doses of AstraZeneca are expected to arrive in March through Covax.

Through the bilateral mechanism, some 3,000,075 doses at $36 million were managed with Pfizer; 1,092,000 doses with AstraZeneca at an amount of $4,370,000.00, expected to arrive in March; while Johnson & Johnson is still in negotiations.

It is expected that in seven weeks 450,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine will have been received.

For her part, Eusebia Calderón de Copete, National Head of Nursing at the Minsa, said that the vaccination team takes 3 minutes in the process so they have the capacity to apply 15 doses per hour. 120 people every 8 hours

RESOURCES TO FACE PANDEMIC

The Minister of Finance, Héctor Alexander, explained that the total resources assigned to attend the pandemic was $1,4 billion, of which $969.5 million were paid and $435.8 million remained in accounts pending payment year.

- Of the $969.5 million that were paid, $187.5 million come from specific loans for the health issue, the rest was financed from the common fund.

- Of the $435.8 million accounts payable, $57.5 million come from specific loans for the health issue.

- For Panama Solidario, $1.07 million, of which $150 million came from specific loans for the program.
In health, from $74.8 million, $37.5 million come from specific loans for this sector.