Sánchez Cárdenas says Dominican Government will not allow “unscrupulous” to do as they please without measuring consequences of the Covid-19

The Minister of Public Health, Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas, assured this Saturday in Santiago that the government will not tolerate unscrupulous people continuing to “do as they please” without measuring the consequences of the Covid-19 contagion.

Sánchez Cárdenas spoke during an operation in various sectors of this province and emphasized that the authorities are taking epidemiological measures and enforcing the citizen’s duty to wear face masks and maintain physical distance to prevent the spread of the pandemic.

“We are employing social co-participation in enforcing the citizen’s duty to use masks, to avoid uncontrolled crowding and close-contact social drinking as is being done; Furthermore, they will be subject to police action when these measures are violated. In that we are going to be strict to avoid it,” said the official.

Sánchez Cárdenas warned that anyone who walks without masks, promoting crowds, and the gathering of people to celebrate will be sanctioned.

On the 45 days of the state of emergency that the Executive Power is requesting, the Minister of Public Health maintained that if it is necessary to fence off the city, it will be implemented to prevent Covid-19 from gaining ground in the country.

The extension of the emergency, for 45 days, was approved this Friday by the 128 deputies from the different benches present. President Danilo Medina made the decision after having agreed with the new authorities that will take over from August 16.

This measure occurs in the midst of the transfer of government.

The state of emergency grants special and temporary powers to the President of the Republic to handle an immediate threat to the country and demands an immediate response.

With the declaration of emergency, restrictions could be provided, for as long as necessary, to the freedoms of transit, association, and assembly of people.

President Medina explains in his communication sent to the president of the Chamber of Deputies that “two simultaneous factors – on the one hand, the reactivation of economic activities and, on the other, the conduct of the electoral campaign – have produced a considerable outbreak in the number of infections, which represents a serious threat to the ability of the hospital system, public and private, to respond to the demand for medical care for people affected by Covid-19.”