Panama's health minister Rosario Turner on Tuesday confirmed one coronavirus death case, the first virus-linked fatality in central America.
"Of the eight patients we are reporting, one person is in intensive care, another unfortunately died," Turner said during a press conference in Panama City, according to Al Jazeera.
The government said it would ban all mass gatherings including sporting events and concerts.
A 40-year-old woman in the central American country had tested positive for infection on Monday, the country's first case.
The unnamed woman had travelled from Spain and sought hospital care for fever and cough when she arrived in Panama, Turner was quoted as saying.
The woman, whose nationality was not disclosed, has since been sent home in stable condition, the minister added.
Over 118,000 cases of the novel coronavirus have been recorded worldwide, including more than 4,264 deaths, across 107 countries and territories, CNN reported.