The Ministry of Health (Minsa) has issued a series of recommendations for the population of Colón province for the end-of-year festivities to prevent accidents from the use of pyrotechnics and illnesses from consuming spoiled food. Margarita de Villarreal, coordinator of the Minsa/Colón childhood and adolescence program, stated that it is important to remind parents or guardians of children about the danger of pyrotechnics, as they can cause serious injuries that can instantly change a child's quality of life. She pointed out that injuries are often irreversible, such as burns to the eyes from using pyrotechnic devices, which can be prevented by keeping children away from where pyrotechnics are being used. At the same time, she advised not to store pyrotechnics in pockets where they can generate heat, to place these devices in a safe place away from children, and not to allow children to handle these explosive devices. In case of an accident with these devices, go to the nearest health facility with the minor to receive timely help. It is also recommended to protect pets from the noise by placing them in a place away from the pyrotechnics and playing relaxing music for them. Likewise, Felipe Lee, head of Food Control and Veterinary Surveillance at Minsa, recommended that people purchase food in places where it complies with the cold chain, such as ham or turkey, which must be properly frozen and not exposed to the sun or the environment. He emphasized that this bad practice initiates the process of bacteria formation in the products. Lee added that salads with mayonnaise should be prepared as close to consumption as possible, as once used, they can spoil an hour after being at room temperature. While also washing fruits correctly for a period of about 15 minutes in containers with water before placing them in containers for consumption. Other recommendations for children include keeping them away from the stove where food is being prepared to prevent burns. Health centers and policenters remain operational during the end-of-year festivities to attend to any emergency that may arise in the city of Colón, the Transístmica area, the Gatun Lake sector, Costa Abajo and Costa Arriba.
