PANAMA CITY, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Panama has confirmed its first case of monkeypox, in a 30-year-old man who is currently receiving medical attention, Minister of Health Luis Sucre announced Tuesday.
The diagnosis immediately activated contact tracing to avoid the spread of the virus, Sucre said at a press conference in the Panamanian capital.
Sucre said that according to scientific analysis, monkeypox is contracted mainly through close contacts.
In spite of the first monkeypox case, the health measures announced last week regarding the lifting of the mandatory use of face masks as of July 11, both in open and closed spaces, will move forward, he added.
The exception to the lifting of the mask mandate will be health facilities, both public and private, as well as public transportation. ■