President Mulino rules out a nationwide shutdown after the magnitude 7.5 earthquake: "The country is not going to stop"

President José Raúl Mulino announced the authorization of resources to address damage to health facilities, roads and bridges following the magnitude 7.5 earthquake. (Courtesy: Telemetro) President José Raúl Mulino announced, after the earthquake that shook Panama, that the extraordinary Cabinet Council authorized resources to address damage to health facilities, roads and bridges, while the Government keeps the country's essential activities running. The tremor reached a magnitude of 7.5 and led to the precautionary evacuation of patients from public and private facilities. Mulino toured the province of Los Santos, where he confirmed a reduction in the concentration of people at a health care center. The president explained that the director of the Social Security Fund enabled the hospital located next to the center he visited to progressively transfer patients. As he stated in remarks to Telemetro, the flow of people no longer represented the overcrowding observed earlier. The state response began with the channeling of the funds approved by the Cabinet. Mulino noted that the authorities are addressing health needs and the damage reported to roads and bridges in the area. The Minister of Public Works is working on the affected infrastructure, while the Cabinet Secretary is coordinating tasks together with the Minister of the Presidency. The goal, he said, is to keep the population informed about the daily evolution of the emergency. The president toured Los Santos and Tonosí to supervise medical care and the delivery of state assistance. (Screenshot: Telemetro) The president then headed to Tonosí, one of the localities included in his tour. There he stated that government aid was just beginning and assured that it will reach those affected. The assistance also includes international offers. Mulino mentioned contacts with the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog; authorities from the United States, through its secretary of state and secretary of war; and the governments of Central America. The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, offered support to Panama during a conversation with Mulino. The president also cited the willingness of Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and Costa Rica, whose president, Laura Fernández, spoke with him that morning. The European Community, international banking institutions and financial organizations allied with the Panamanian state also expressed their support. Mulino said those entities have helped and will continue to contribute financial resources. The aftershocks forced the temporary interruption of Metro service to inspect lines and equipment each time a strong movement is recorded. The Metro Bus faces the same safety protocol, so the president asked for patience regarding possible delays in traffic and services. The Government expected that, by Monday, the urban transportation system that moves one million people a day between the East, West and Center would be operating in a relatively orderly manner. Mulino ruled out that the emergency means halting national activity: "The country is not going to stop." José Raúl Mulino reported that the Cabinet Council approved funds to address damage to health facilities, roads and bridges, while the authorities kept the essential activities of the Panamanian country active. The Canal maintained its operations, albeit with the corresponding safety measures. "Zero problems with the canal," said the president, who maintained that the waterway had not halted its activity. Mulino said he had no personal knowledge of deaths following the earthquake, after a reporter noted that there were no serious injuries or deaths in the country. He also highlighted the resilience of the high-rise buildings in Panama City, where, according to him, residents remained in their homes within normal parameters for an irregular situation. The president recalled that Panama does not have a culture marked by this type of phenomenon. The last earthquake of comparable characteristics that he mentioned occurred in Bocas del Toro during the 1990s and had a localized impact. The Minister of Social Development, Beatriz Carles, reported from the Emergency Operations Center that her ministry deployed psychologists to take calls from people experiencing stress, depression, sadness, anxiety or thoughts related to the impact of the earthquake. The 147 hotline has psychologists available to respond to these inquiries and has sign language interpreters. The ministry is also participating in the care of shelters set up in the provinces together with the Ministry of Government and Sinaproc. Carles indicated that collection centers will be defined, presumably, through the governor's offices. The minister asked people to remain calm while structural inspections continue to guarantee the safety of the population.