The President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, sent another request to the Congress of the Republic to extend the State of Emergency for another 45 days.
This is the second time Abinader requests the national emergency extension, after assuming power amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The letter was sent to the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Alfredo Pacheco, last Friday, one week before the current term expires, ending on October 18th.
Article number 28 of Law 21-18 establishes that the Executive Branch may request the extension of the State of Exception, as long as the reasons that gave rise to its application prevail.
The document explains that “although the contagion of the disease has been contained, thanks to the measures adopted during the State of Emergency, it is still necessary to maintain some of these measures to achieve a safe social and economic reopening.”
It points out that this would avoid having to reactivate more severe measures and that when the possibilities allow it, social distancing measures could be made more flexible.
The last state of emergency was approved by the Chamber of Deputies on 28 August, barely two weeks after Luis Abinader took office.