The  Ministry of Health has opened an investigation following the outrage expressed by Panama’s hard-hit  Restaurant, Bar and Club Owners Association  after a meeting  in Jimmy's Greek restaurant of  deputies of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), that flouted  restrictions in force to prevent the spread of the coronavirus,  

The meeting took place despite the fact that the Executive ordered the temporary closure of all restaurants in the country, as part of the measures to cope with COVID-19 and was also attended by PRD secretary-general, Pedro Miguel González.

“Given the events of the last few hours, it is impossible to overcome the level of anger and outrage when seeing how the administrators of a traditional restaurant with known ties to a political party make fun of an entire country, opening its doors in frank disrespect for the rules that they demand the most disciplined behavior as they are all experiencing a pandemic, ” says an Association statement.

The union highlighted that in the 100 days of the pandemic the situation has been critical and that they have strenuously faced this socioeconomic and health challenge, but that the attitude of those who participated in the meeting held at the Parrillada Jimmy's restaurant shows the highest contempt not only because of the harsh health crisis in the country but also because of the unusual lack of the h solidarity towards all businesses in this sector.

"Because of the imminent danger of promoting the spread of a terrible murderous virus in open defiance of the mandates of the Ministry of Health, today we join the national protests vigorously against the irresponsible act that more than corruption represents a fact of barbarism towards the sacrificed citizenship and, without a doubt, a slap loaded with arrogance towards the companies that we are suffering and losing everything since March 11, 2020 ”, the Association says.

"We appeal to the most serious investigations and, to prove the irregularities reported in social networks and the journalistic media, to the most exemplary and energetic punishment in strict law for each of the parties involved in what constitutes yet another act of disrespect towards the sanitary norms and towards the authorities in general during this confinement ” concludes the statement.

The PRD  in its l Twitter account said that social distancing measures were kept at all times. They do not explain how they managed to settle into a restaurant whose operations - like those of the entire sector - were suspended by order of the Health Ministry, reports La Prensa.