Dominican President Medina cites success of results of COVID-19 measures, warned of other measures, and extends curfew

President Danilo Medina stated earlier that the results of the measures implemented by the Government to control COVID-19 are beginning to be seen and urged the population to maintain social isolation and comply with the curfew.

In a national address, which began at 9:47 pm, the president showed optimism regarding the future of the Dominican Republic, despite the difficult situation generated by COVID-19 and the wave of deaths and infections that it is leaving worldwide and mourned the loss of life.

“In light of the data we have today, the truth is that, although we are approaching the contagion plateau, we are not yet in a position to let our guard down,” he said.

He warned that “reducing restrictions at this time could lead to a new spike in infections that we could not control. I want to announce today that the curfew will be extended until April 30, from 5:00 pm to 6:00 am.”
Surveillance on the streets will also be expanded and police and military control will be tightened for those who are not strictly traveling necessarily between 6:00 am and 5:00 pm.

He said that a well-structured operation of 100 brigades was established, led by the health leadership of the Armed Forces and the National Police in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health, distributed throughout the country, who visit all positive cases that the laboratories identify in their homes. 

“I ask you, once again, to help us save lives, to help us maintain space in hospitals so that we never see ourselves faced with the difficult decision of who to offer a respirator and who not,” he said.

He announced that it will be compulsory for people to cover their faces in public spaces “if they do not have masks, with what they have at their fingertips. But they must protect themselves and others.”

Medina reported that the FASE program, which since April 8 covers part of the salary of employees in the private sector, has already made its first disbursement to more than 707,000 employees, 605,766 who are suspended and 101,959 in the manufacturing sector who continue to operate with reduced hours.”

This program in its phases I and II supports 52,666 companies so that they do not fire their employees.
“In addition, today 900,000 households will receive the payment of their second fortnight and on Monday the remaining 600,000 will be completed,” he stressed.

“The efficiency and transparency with which they have implemented this plan has made it possible that they have already disbursed the first fortnight to the beneficiaries, for an amount of 4.1 billion pesos, which are bringing relief to all the municipalities and municipal districts of the country,”  said.

He said that about twenty hospitals have been conditioned throughout the national territory, with 3, 186 hospital beds and 124 ICU beds that we did not have before.