The coordinator of the High Commission for the Prevention of Coronavirus, Gustavo Montalvo, said in his daily televised address on Tuesday, 31 March 2020 that a bonus of RD$5,000 would be added to the wages of government workers that are working during the health crisis. Beneficiaries would be personnel of the Ministry of Public Health, National Health Service, Promese/Cal, 911 System, Armed Forces, National Police and Center for Emergency Operations.
Montalvo, who is also the Presidency Minister, said that the bonus would be paid in April and May. Physicians and senior officers of the Armed Forces and the National Police would receive incentives of RD$10,000 for the two months for their contribution in the fight against the pandemic. “As you know, all these public servants are doing an extraordinary job in these exceptional circumstances and deserve to be rewarded for it,” Montalvo said when making the announcement at the Presidential Palace.
The Minister of the Presidency also announced that the Ministry of Labor has authorized the Social Security Treasury not to apply surcharges or interest for late payments during the months of April and May to those employers who do not make the corresponding contributions for their employees on time.
“For the duration of the emergency period and up to 30 days after that, a waiver will be granted so that employers can register their workers without the escalation provided for in Resolution 471-02 of the National Social Security Council,” said the coordinator of the High Commission for the Prevention of Coronavirus.
This measure will also apply to those who use the Employee Solidarity Assistance Fund (FASE) established by the government to support workers in this crisis.
Montalvo said that fast response tests are now available at one of the private labs as of the afternoon of Tuesday. He said priority will be given to medical staff, police and military that have been on duty during the present pandemic. He said Dominicans returning from abroad will also be given access to the tests.
He explained that the rapid response testing is an indicator that serves to make preliminary identifications and with this the health service can optimize time and resources. “They are a valuable tool in our struggle, but any result has to be confirmed by PCR testing,” he said.
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1 April 2020