In the new commercial reality in which customers value food free of any virus or bacteria, producers and international distribution chains are forced to reinforce their safety systems to reduce the risk of selling contaminated products.
Months ago, it was reported that in China, processed and frozen meat products arriving from abroad were detected with the presence of the coronavirus.
After restrictions were imposed on people's mobility during the holiday season to stop the spread of covid-19, Panamanian authorities reported that as of January 14 there will be a return to the process of "gradual and asymmetric reopening.
In a press conference, the Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, informed that due to the fact that a balance was achieved in the incidence of covid-19 cases, it was decided to lift the quarantine that had been in place since the beginning of the year and as of January 14 the curfew for the entire country will be from 9:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m. the following day.
The rules for food companies and producers, on the management of food allergens, were approved. These rules can be adopted by the legislation of each country and thus harmonize the requirements of trading partners.
The standards, which will apply to cereals containing gluten, crustaceans and their products, eggs and egg products, fish and fishery products, peanuts, soybeans and their products, milk and milk products, and nuts and their derivatives, were approved by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC43), the body responsible for all actions related to the implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme and which focus on protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in their marketing, reported the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC).
Scheduling medical checkups for the staff, preparing the housing modules to maintain social distance and adapting the logistics of transporting people are challenges that the sugar mills will face during the 2020-2021 harvest.
The sugar cane harvest that is about to begin represents a source of employment for thousands of people in the region and in this context of the propagation of covid-19, the companies will have to face multiple challenges to get the harvest going.
Since the pest represents a threat and is capable of destroying crops in a very short time, moving large distances in one day, a state of phytosanitary emergency was declared in the country due to a significant increase in the number of flying locusts.
In order to reactivate economic activity in Panama, the authorities of the Ministry of Health published in the Official Journal the guidelines of strict compliance for companies and workers.
Using technology to measure the flow of visitors, reducing the furniture available in the food courts and implementing product deliveries in the parking area are part of the changes that the region's shopping centers must apply in this new reality.
Because of the threat of the spread of covid-19, since mid-March in Central America, the authorities agreed to close the shopping centers.
Allowing the operation of economic sectors with low density and lower risk of transmission of covid-19, with the respective biosecurity measures, is the request of the Panamanian business sector to begin to revive the economy.
In this scenario of health emergency and spread of covid-19, businessmen have already held talks with both the Ministry of Health (MINSA) and the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) on the gradual opening of activities that lead to the resumption of work in sectors that commit to do so through strict compliance with general and specific protocols approved by the authorities, explains a publication by the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP).
Because of the measures restricting mobility in the main markets for Nicaraguan exports, there is uncertainty among businessmen, who fear that the prices of their products will be affected in this situation.
Following the outbreak of covid-19 in the world, the authorities in the U.S. and several countries in Europe and Asia, have ordered the closure of shopping centers, bars, restaurants and cafes, a situation that has caused the drop in consumption globally.
Some of the effects of the health emergency and the restrictions decreed by the government on the real estate sector in Guatemala are the cancellation of appointments with clients and the suspension of projects and contracts.
In the case of residential construction, businessmen anticipate that a considerable drop could be reported later, since the drop in remittances combined with the increase in unemployment, will affect the willingness to build or buy a house.
In response to the country's health crisis, 15 banks have granted a 90-day extension for their customers to make their personal credit card, home mortgage, vehicle and personal loans.
Until March 31st, the financial institutions that confirmed that had granted the extension to their clients are BAC Credomatic, Banco General, Banistmo, Banco Nacional, Global Bank, Multibank, St.
Because alcohol gel not meeting minimum requirements is marketed in Nicaragua, local laboratories are asking the government to expedite the process of granting permits for the manufacture and registration of the product.
The health crisis generated by the spread of covid-19 has caused alcohol gels that do not meet the requirements established by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be sold on the local market.
In order to mitigate the effects that will derive from the covid-19 crisis, businessmen of the industrial sector of Guatemala ask the government to adjust the measures in aspects such as banking, credit, labor and tax.
Economic activity will be reduced, which we are already experiencing. Therefore, it is important to take measures at both the health and economic levels to reduce the impact, explains a statement from the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala (CIG).
In Central America, it is estimated that the sectors that could expect a severe impact on sales in the coming months are Transport, Entertainment and some sub-sectors of Industry and Trade.
The "Information system for the Covid-19 Impact Analysis on Business", prepared by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, measures the degree of impact that the crisis will have on companies according to their sector, during the coming months.
Identifying critical business needs and setting up plans on how to maintain supplies and operations, as well as establishing communication channels with suppliers to be informed in case of any eventuality, are part of the advice for companies.
The coronavirus has already affected the world economy, and its effects do not seem to stop. With countries in quarantine, financial markets in the black and international trade diminished, the economic outlook is not very encouraging, explains a document from the Guatemalan exporters' union.
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