The High Commission for the Prevention and Control of Covid-19 announced measures that seek to prevent an upsurge in infections in the municipality as a consequence of the religious procession that took place in Puerto Plata city on Sunday, 26 April. The government and local authorities are accused of negligence and violation of social distancing rules.
As of Bulletin #40, with confirmed cases as of 27 April 2020, Puerto Plata had 198 positive cases and 13 people confirmed dead from the coronavirus.
The government says that how the Sunday people agglomerations spread the disease will not be known for another eight days. Presidency Minister Gustavo Montalvo, who is the coordinator of the High Commission, detailed the measures taken to prepare for a surge in cases in the province. These include:
Limitation of circulation of people in the municipality of Puerto Plata for 7 days, as of 29 April. Militarized access to the city. Only food and necessary supplies will enter, under strict health controls.
Obligation of keeping 2-meter distance between people in public areas.
Rapid blood test campaign to detect asymptomatic and suspected cases. Those testing positive will be sent to home isolation or to new isolation centers. These are being set up in Cabarete (102 beds) and Monte Llano (72 beds).
Availability of free PCR confirmation tests for those testing positive for the rapid response antibody blood tests.
Opening of the entire network of primary care services, provision of hospitalization and intensive care beds.
Permanent session of the Provincial Committee for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Response, with the participation of public and private entities.
Activation of the local and provincial coordination of the Emergency Committee of the Center for Emergency Operations (COE)
Speaking during a visit in Puerto Plata on Tuesday, 28 April, the Public Health Minister, Dr. Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas, said there is a reinforcement of police control in the province to ensure the epidemiological cordoning off of the city is adhered to. This means that the access roads to and from the municipality of San Felipe de Puerto Plata are closed off and people are only allowed to enter under strict military supervision over the next seven days.
The meetings were called after the government reacted to a religious procession held on Sunday, 26 April. Dr. Sánchez Cárdenas estimates involved 5,000 people that followed the cross-bearing pilgrim as he made his way to a city beach, in flagrant violation of social distancing rules in place during the present National State of Emergency. What was more scandalous, though, was that the caravan was escorted by the police, transit agents and 911 Emergency System firetruck, with the escort beginning once the pilgrim left the town of Villa Altagracia, north of Santo Domingo. At no time did the Dominican authorities intercede to put a stop to the illegal and disease spreading activity in these times of Covid-19. In Puerto Plata, the procession was escorted by a vehicle of the city government.
Defense Minister Rubén Darío Paulino Sem said on 28 April he had met with the authorities of Puerto Plata, the provincial emergency committee and the commander of the La Unión Air Base. He said the Ministry is appointing General Quintana to handle a new task force for Puerto Plata.
Journalist Altagracia Salazar in her Sin Maquillaje radio talk show on 29 April, observed that the new mayor of Puerto Plata, Roquelito García, was not present at the meetings called by Dr. Sánchez Cárdenas to take measures to combat a new spread of the disease after the allowing of the religious procession. García won the city government for the opposition party, the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM). She speculates García was not invited by the central government authorities.
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Altagracia Salazar – Sin Maquillaje
El Caribe
29 April 2020