The High Level Government Commission for the Covid-19 announced on the evening of 18 March 2020 that 13 more persons have tested positive for the virus in the country. Of these, only one case is reported to be of local transmission, that of a woman in Villa Riva (Duarte province) who imported the decease from Spain, was told to self-isolate, but did not do so and spread the virus.
The commission reported that a large number of the recent cases are tied to travel on board the Costa Favolosa cruise ship. 110 Dominicans arrived from a cruise on that ship, and another 26 Dominicans left on the same ship. It was later learned there were cases of Covid-19 on the ship. Of the 26, 17 Dominicans were able to return from Guadeloupe and are hospitalized at the National Police hospital. More travelers are expected to arrive and will also be isolated.
The High Commission announced the tests offered now by private labs nationwide, indicating that these are being carried out for RD$4,300 but need to be prescribed by a neumologist, infectologist, epidemiologist, or internist. The government lab, the Laboratorio Nacional Dr. Defillo continues to carry out the tests without cost. The Ministry of Public Health has a hotline for people to call in case the two key symptoms of fever and dry cough. This is 809 686-9140, or 809 200-4091 for toll free calls from provinces from 8am to 8pm. There is also a WhatsApp telephone at 829 542-7009.
The commission also announced the second death attributed to coronavirus in the country. It is an 80-year old Spaniard who had flown in from Spain-France recently and suffered from diabetes and hypertension. Two days after he arrived, he began to suffer complications and was tested positive for the virus. The first death is that of a Dominican woman who resided in Spain and caught the virus. She suffered from HIV and tuberculosis.
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El Dia
19 March 2020