Panama is resuming the gradual reopening of businesses and places of worship after five months of lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. An elderly parishioner at the Iglesia del Carmen, in Panama City told the French News Press that she was overjoyed to have mass in person for the first time in five months. On Monday, churches, hair salons, retail shops and car lots also reopened. The hair salons and barbershops will operate with appointments only and at 50% of their capacity, as the country tries to reenergize the sluggish economy. The government has also allowed public and private construction projects to resume and reopened non-governmental organizations to resume operations. Panama has confirmed more than 82,000 coronavirus cases and more than 1,700 deaths.
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