Dominican Republic has low COVID-19 infections in tourist areas

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Government published this Monday, for the first time, a COVID-19 medical bulletin focused on the tourist areas of the country, to expose the low incidence of the disease in these regions and try to promote the reactivation of this economic sector, the main one in the country.

The bulletin, prepared by the Ministry of Public Health, highlights that in the last week 36 new infections were registered in the five main tourist regions of the country.

Since the start of the pandemic, 227 people have died in these regions from the coronavirus, of which two were registered in the last 24 hours, specifically in the Cabarete and Sosúa area, in the north of the country.

The Punta Cana region, the country’s main tourist pole, had 5 new infections in the last week, according to the bulletin data.

The document highlights that tourist areas accounted for 0.8% of all infections during the week, “which shows a much lower level of risk in these locations.” In addition, the bulletin provides data on rapid tests carried out on passengers at airports, with two positives among 1,829 tests carried out between September 4 and 20.

THE STRONG IMPACT OF TOURISM

Tourism suffers a strong impact due to the pandemic and has registered drops close to 88% in both July and August, the first months after the reopening of borders.

Nearly 54,000 foreign tourists arrived in July and 50,000 in August, compared to the nearly 400,000 a month in those months of 2019. To encourage tourism, the Dominican Government has offered tourists, until the end of the year, insurance free health that covers any medical emergency.

COVID-19 IN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY

Across the country, the Ministry of Public Health reported 7 deaths and 494 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours on Monday, a number of infections that show a slight downward trend. Since the arrival of the pandemic in the country, last March, 108,783 infections and 2,054 deaths have accumulated throughout the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican authorities have practically doubled the number of beds available for COVID-19 since the beginning of August when the health system came under greater pressure due to the increase in infections derived from the measures to reactivate the economy.

Currently, 901 people are hospitalized for COVID-19, of which 226 are admitted to intensive care units (ICU) and 124 of them require mechanical ventilation.

The hospital bed occupancy rate is 26%, while ICUs are at 41% of their total capacity, which currently amounts to 562 beds.

Since last July 20, the Dominican Republic reapplied the state of emergency and the curfew, which has variable hours depending on the different provinces of the country.

The Government also maintains the prohibition of operating nightclubs, casinos, and other activities that involve crowds of people, and has also decided that the school year will be held virtually.