Panama Minister of Health reports that protocols and measures are being put in place for lotto entities to resume operations

On Thursday, Panama Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, reported that protocols and measures are being put in place, for lotto entities to restart selling activities.

Sellers will have the possibility to start selling lottery tickets again, with the adaptations necessary in place. The vast majority of lotto sellers are elderly and forming crows of people gathered to buy tickets is putting them at risk of getting COVID.

Sucre mentioned ‘A large part of the people who sell [tickets] are elderly, and usually, to buy they form groups of people who are crowded together. This is something that worries us’.

After the pandemic, extreme caution and regulations are being considered for any business to resume its activity, and the reopening of the lottery installations will only take place if said measures are applied to the sellers of the National Charity Lottery (LNB).

Sucre mentioned to the local news outlets last week ‘There is already a protocol that was given to the General Directorate of Public Health regarding the reopening of the Lottery.

This is being worked on by that team, and once they finish making adjustments, they will pass this protocol to us and we will discuss it (..)

‘We are not saying that we are not going to open [the lottery], but we have to find a way, fulfilling technical and scientific criteria”

Telemetro informed that the LNB is already starting to incorporate these measures with the objective of starting their activities as soon as possible.

As stated by the Vice Minister of Commerce and Industry of Panama Omar Montilla, there is some criticism to be expected in this operation once its put into action, but the economic relevance that the lottery has on the region and the jobs it offers need to be taken into consideration.