health

Eateries get good reviews

Health officials finally had some good news for the general public as restaurant inspections in the sector of Calle 50 and Calle Uruguay failed to turn up any major infractions.

Inspectors from the Departamento de Protección de Alimentos (Depa) and the Ministerio de Salud (Minsa) went into several establishments last Friday. The results were positive, they said.

Depa Director Reynaldo Lee said that the establishments checked were TGIFridays, Don Lee, Gauchos, La Bodeguita and Athens Pizza.

"Everyone was complying with the rules," he said. "Everything that we reviewed was correct." Today, Depa staff are headed to restaurants in the interior while Minsa inspectors will continue checking establishments in Panama City.

Restaurants that do not meet government standards face fines. Minsa has proposed posting signs at such establishments to warn customers of the health risks, but that has not been agreed on yet.

"We are analyzing the legal implications," said Lucas López, the director of Minsa's Región Metropolitana.