Tougher Covid-19 measures for Christmas

[william webster]

The U.S. was not alone in suffering a resurgence this fall. Much of the world did. But many other countries responded to that surge with targeted new restrictions and, in a few cases, with an increase in rapid-result testing.​

Those measures seem to be working. Worldwide, the number of new cases has fallen over the past week.​

In some countries, the declines are large: more than 50 percent over the past month in Belgium, France, Italy, Kenya and Saudi Arabia; more than 40 percent in Argentina and Morocco; more than 30 percent in India and Norway.​

And in the U.S.? The number of new cases has risen 51 percent over the past month.​

The causes are not a mystery. The U.S. still lacks a coherent testing strategy, and large parts of the country continue to defy basic health advice. One example is Mitchell, a small South Dakota city, where deaths have spiked recently — including the loss of a beloved high school coach. Yet anti-mask protesters continue to undermine the local response.​

Among their messages at a recent City Council meeting, as Annie Gowen of The Washington Post reported: “Positivity defeats the virus.”​

 

[chico bill]

I wonder how many have been put out of work by the new edict? Reduced hours mean fewer shifts, fewer employees and reduced income.
Not-So-Merry Christmas Dominicans and definitely not a prosperous New Year

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

The somewhat temporary loss of two hours of retail time shouldn't have that much of an impact on staff or any single business. Where there is a front door there is usually a back door too.

 

[JD Jones]

Hard to understand, curfew 7P with 2 hours free transit to go home?????? On the 24 & 31 curfew at 7pm with free transit at 1:00 am

Check in spanish same confusion........&#@^*?

I don't see it as hard to understand. Everything has to be closed at 7, folks in cars have until 9. Pretty simple.

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

Any known impact on the delivery of food from restaurants or are the permits from the last curfew still in play for taxis, legit conchos and delivery people? If everything has to be closed by 7 I guess the availability of food deliveries will be cut off around 6 pm.

 

[JD Jones]

Any known impact on the delivery of food from restaurants or are the permits from the last curfew still in play for taxis, legit conchos and delivery people? If everything has to be closed by 7 I guess the availability of food deliveries will be cut off around 6 pm.

I'd guess the food delivery folks will have the permit issued by Intrant.

 

[josh2203]

Can I be controversial and say that compared to the nonsense in Europe where the rules change daily, at least in DR you just have a curfew to deal with.

Correct, but the way I have understood it is that the rules are changing there constantly as from the beginning they did not want to impose any strict rules, but as numbers rise, they are basically forced to do so.... I agree, it's definitely better here where we have no current threat that there is a lockdown coming or something else, just the curfew, it's much worse in Europe.

In Germany for example, they did not want to close the schools nor kindergartens whereas here they did not even attempt to open those. Now they will do that there as well...

The only thing that has come as a surpise here is that the more strict toque de queda started the same day they announced it...

 

[josh2203]

I'd guess the food delivery folks will have the permit issued by Intrant.

I don't know if this is true, but during the first 5pm-5am curfew, we ordered most of our groceries with home delivery, and the driver did sometimes arrive after 5pm, so I asked him and he told me that grocery drivers are supposedly exempt as well...

 

[Big]

I wonder how many have been put out of work by the new edict? Reduced hours mean fewer shifts, fewer employees and reduced income.
Not-So-Merry Christmas Dominicans and definitely not a prosperous New Year

No one cares. The thinking is "they will get by" and "we know what's best for them".

 

[NanSanPedro]

I wonder how many have been put out of work by the new edict? Reduced hours mean fewer shifts, fewer employees and reduced income.
Not-So-Merry Christmas Dominicans and definitely not a prosperous New Year

No one cares. Don't bother. They don't show up in the Wuhan virus score card.

 

[twoinsosua]

Thats one smart virus. I can't get it at 8.49pm but watch out come 9.07 pm.
In Vancouver the virus is "dumber", you can't get it until 10pm, yet in Toronto it is contagious all day.
Any updates on masks,are they mandatory in the DR or are they " recommended" ?

 

[twoinsosua]

Abinader is finding a way to undermine his early political popularity.
I wonder if he realizes that targeting alcohol is going to bring some big powerful families into the mix to fight his orders.
The control of the population by políticos only holds for so long. While I am sure he dines in back rooms, without a mask, on top floors of fancy SD restaurants and drinks the finest liquor till late hours, his poor countrymen must try to live on scraps - how long until worldwide revolts start to happen for such arrogance ?

Interesting you mention the revolts chico bill. Just last night I spoke with a friend who has a 19-year-old son. He and his friends are not buying into this. They call it a PLANdemic. The great reset. He told his parents ( who are total paranoid coviders), that he and his friends are getting tired of this and they are starting to organize.
I suspect revolts by our youth are coming soon. Tell a 19 - 30-year-old he cant go dancing, date, have sex, associate with friends,
can't work, no travel, and you have a recipe for disaster.
One other point he made to his parents- He and his youthful friends believe the Virus is real, they just think it's an old person's disease.

 

[cavok]

Thats one smart virus. I can't get it at 8.49pm but watch out come 9.07 pm.
In Vancouver the virus is "dumber", you can't get it until 10pm, yet in Toronto it is contagious all day.
Any updates on masks,are they mandatory in the DR or are they " recommended" ?

Mandatory everywhere except when on the beach.

 

[william webster]

The new decree explained in this article from Presidency website:

Los días 24 y 31 de diciembre habrá gracia de tránsito hasta 1:00 de la madrugada

SANTO DOMINGO. - El Poder Ejecutivo dispuso este martes reforzar las medidas sanitarias para mantener el control de la pandemia. Esto incluye cambios en el horario del toque de queda y mantener el distanciamiento social adoptado en el marco del estado de emergencia, con lo que se busca optimizar...

presidencia.gob.do

SANTO DOMINGO. - The Executive Power ordered this Tuesday to reinforce sanitary measures to maintain control of the pandemic. This includes changes in the curfew schedule and maintaining the social distancing adopted in the framework of the state of emergency, which seeks to optimize the prevention of the spread of COVID-19.

Through Decree 698-20 , signed by President Luis Abinader today, the modality and hours of the curfew are modified.

The measures provided in the decree come into effect from today December 15, 2020 and until the lifting of the state of emergency, including any possible extension of this or until some variation to such measures is provided.

Actions are taken in response to the current exponential increase in the spread of the disease at the national and international level.

This Tuesday's decree repeals decrees numbers 504-20, 554-20 and 684-20 related to the curfew, as well as their modifications.

Curfew

The Office of Information and Press of the Presidency communicated that, as of today, the rules that will govern in the different provinces are the following:

In the National District and the Santo Domingo, Santiago, Duarte, La Vega and Puerto Plata provinces, the curfew hours are the same every day, from 7:00 at night to 5:00 in the morning.

However, every day, people will have a grace until 9:00 pm to transit exclusively to their respective residences.

In the rest of the country, the curfew is established from Monday to Friday from 9:00 at night until 5:00 in the morning. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 7:00 at night until 5:00 in the morning.

As in the other provinces, on those days people will have a grace until 9:00 at night to travel exclusively to their respective residences.

Christmas Eve and New Years Eve

Exceptionally, on December 24 and 31, 2020, the curfew will apply throughout the national territory from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., in public places and private places for public use.

In these two days, only, the grace to transit from private places to the respective residences, will be until 1:00 in the morning of the next day.

The exceptions are maintained for medical personnel, members of the press, private security and those responsible for the distribution of goods such as fuel and food.

No more than 10 people in meetings

The Executive Power prohibited in the national territory the meetings of groups of more than 10 people in public and private places of public use.

Likewise, in commercial establishments such as restaurants and bars, only groups of a maximum of 10 people per table will be allowed, as long as 70% of the total capacity of the business is not exceeded.

In this case, compliance with the health and social distancing protocols adopted by the corresponding authorities for this sector is required.

Drinks ban schedule

Decree 698-20 includes the provision of the prohibition in the national territory, every day from 6:00 in the afternoon to 5:00 in the morning, the sale of all kinds of alcoholic beverages, in any of their presentations, for part of people or commercial establishments.

This initiative is adopted without detriment to measures of this nature that the Ministry of the Interior and Police may additionally adopt.

Mandatory use of masks

The measures ratify for the entire national territory the mandatory use of masks in public places and private places of public use, as well as the other measures and protocols of social distancing adopted by the corresponding authorities.

It is noted that non-compliance will be sanctioned with the provisions established by the General Health Law 42-01, of March 8, 2001.

Exceptions

Decree 698-20, in its article 4, establishes exceptions and, consequently, the following people will be allowed to circulate during the respective curfew hours:

-People dedicated to health services, such as: doctors, nurses, bioanalysts, paramedical personnel and pharmaceutical personnel.

-People with a medical emergency who need to go to a health center or pharmacy.

-Persons dedicated to private security work duly identified.

-Members of the press and other duly accredited media.

-Vehicle operators and technicians of companies and institutions that provide energy, water, telecommunications and solid waste collection services duly identified, exclusively during the exercise of their work functions.

-Operators of vehicles dedicated to the urban and interurban distribution of goods, supplies and fuel duly identified, exclusively during the exercise of their work functions.

-People who work in the industry and trade of food and medical and pharmaceutical products and are in transit to or from their places of work, provided they carry identification of an authorized company.

-International passengers and operators of private or commercial vehicles that are transferring them, as well as employees of the maritime and air transport sector duly identified, in transit to or from ports and airports.

-Employees of companies that provide funeral services, exclusively during the exercise of their work functions.

-Employees or contractors of the hotel, mining and free zone sectors, exclusively during the exercise of their work functions.

-Employees or contractors of restaurants that provide home cooked food services, which may circulate until 11:00 pm, exclusively during the exercise of their work functions.

-Employees and vehicles dedicated to the transport and distribution of food, merchandise and supplies, both urban and interurban, of the Social Plan of the Presidency, duly identified.

 

[twoinsosua]

I'll bring plenty of grade-A masks with me then. if I forget to put it on will I be charged with " mask murder"?

 

[CristoRey]

On my way up to Sosua in a few hours to party with friends, drink and have a good time. The Show must go on!.

 

[william webster]

Frank Rainieri: new restrictions against COVID-19 do not affect tourism

Employers are in favor of the measures

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … EA23325265

The new restrictions imposed by the Government to stop the expansion of COVID-19 will not affect tourism, a sector that is in a process of recovery, according to businessman Frank Rainieri said Tuesday.

Rainieri, who is president of the Puntacana Group, said that the new orders do not influence the dynamism of the sector because hotels have their parameters and operating protocols, and he understands that if the Government imposed it, it is because it knows the numbers of the pandemic .

"Therefore, we are confident that if that decision was made it is for the good of the country, and we have to understand that the well-being of all goes above personal interest," said Rainieri.

The Punta Cana International Airport (AIPC) is exceeding 200 weekly flights, a figure that had only been seen prior to March, the month when COVID-19 entered the country, the businessman said.

On his side, Pedro Brache, president of the National Council of Private Enterprise (Conep), pointed out that since the pandemic began, this body has always been in favor of the health of the people.

"The indicators have spoken, I believe that the measures correspond to the situation in the Dominican Republic today," added Brache.

Both employers spoke after leaving the recognition ceremony "Solidarity Entrepreneurs 2020" held by Mercado magazine in a hotel in the capital.

The new measures seem to be going down well generally. No push back here and rather the opposite because evening drinking and socializing ignoring social distancing and masks by younger folks is seen as the big problem causing spread of the virus by most. And some fexibility for the family get together for 24th and 31st.

Tourism in the main areas will not be affected. Businesses in Santo Domingo already close at 7pm so no change there.

The big change is the sale of alcohol ban at 6pm.

The mobility allowance for 24th and 31st is causing some concern.

The measures may perhaps put a cap on big futher increases in case load if enforced, but frankly I don't see the curfew and maybe alcohol sales hour ban being lifted anytime soon in the New Year, and perhaps cases will still increase with family reunions and arrivals from infected countries without proper airport controls. I hope not.

It is tough for owners of bars and drinks etc. that rely on alcohol sales but that is not the end of the world! Restaurants are flourishing at lunch time and colmados will sell just as much as now as people stock up at home. The economy and tourism will keep ticking along at an improving pace.

 

[CristoRey]

I think it's much better. Businesses shut at 7pm but you have 2 hours after that to get home.

Pension, retirement package, investments? What percentage of your
monthly income comes from holding a job down here that requires you getting
up every morning and going to work?
Rice and beans for thee but not for me.

 

[CristoRey]

Abinader is finding a way to undermine his early political popularity.
I wonder if he realizes that targeting alcohol is going to bring some big powerful families into the mix to fight his orders.
The control of the population by políticos only holds for so long. While I am sure he dines in back rooms, without a mask, on top floors of fancy SD restaurants and drinks the finest liquor till late hours, his poor countrymen must try to live on scraps - how long until worldwide revolts start to happen for such arrogance ?

Good question.

 

[NanSanPedro]

Mandatory everywhere except when on the beach.

Even outside? Because it's not enforced at all.