Starting today, there will be checkpoints and patrols of the Dominican Ministry of Defense 24 hours a day to prevent crowds of people

The Ministry of Defense (MIDE) today launched a citizen control operation to support the effort of the Ministry of Health and the National Police, aimed at preventing the crowding of people on the roads and other public spaces to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

It is a permanent action 24 hours a day for an indefinite period, which includes preventive patrolling and the placement of roadblocks in the sectors where concentrations of people and the highest incidence of crime have been registered, MIDE reported.

The action is under the charge of the Joint Unified Command of the Armed Forces, which operates under the direction of Major General Estanislao Gonell Regalado, ERD. This development complies with the guidelines of the President of the Republic, Danilo Medina, on social distancing and protection of citizens to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, explains a note by MIDE.

He explains that teams distributed throughout the country are participating, made up of personnel from elite units, members of the Army, Navy and Air Force of the Dominican Republic, the Joint Interagency Task Force FTCI-CIUTRAN, and Intelligence personnel from the Armed Forces, in constant direct coordination with the National Police.

“Today we invite all Dominicans to reflect and get closer to God,” said Defense Minister Lieutenant General Rubén Paulino Sem, “because it is time to make positive changes in our lives and get closer and think more about others by doing good deeds.”

“We, as military personnel, even though we also live in such difficult times, respond to the call to fulfill our mission to protect and watch over our Homeland. You can also be a hero in this pandemic, fulfilling the duty to stay home,” he said.