The spread of Covid-19 in the Dominican Republic has been slowly rising in urban areas in the Dominican Republic.
After the economy’s opening on 20 May 2020, there has been a sustained increase in the pace of new cases. The intense interaction of pre and post presidential election days is said to have caused a faster spread of the disease. Provinces, where there had been little Covid-19, reported outbreaks in May and June, as politicians feverishly campaigned in the final weeks leading to the 5 July 2020 presidential and congressional election.
According to Coronavirus Bulletin #115 of the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology, the Dominican Republic has 44,532 confirmed cases, including a record high of 1,418 new cases. The number of PCR tests reported for the bulletin is 3,538.
The tally of deaths is now 897, including 17 new registered deaths. The daily average number of deaths for the past 14 days is 12.2.
As of Bulletin #115, 3,639 patients are hospitalized. Of these, 234 patients are in intensive care units. Covid-19 hospitalization capacity is reaching a peak, and the government says more units need to be habilitated to meet the rising demand.
The fatality rate, the number of reported deaths per number of confirmed cases, continues to decline with the increase in testing. It is now at 2.01% per million inhabitants. Nevertheless, the positivity rate over the past four weeks has risen to 26.11%, considered high. World experts advocate opening the economy when the positivity rate is at 5%.
Previous bulletin results have been:
Bulletin #114: 43,114 confirmed cases, 1,199 new cases, 880 deaths, 16 new reported deaths
Bulletin #113: 41,915 confirmed cases, 1,125 new cases, 864 deaths, 22 new reported deaths
Bulletin #112: 40,790 confirmed cases, 1,202 new cases, 842 deaths, 13 new reported deaths
Bulletin #111: 39,588 confirmed cases, 1,158 new cases, 829 deaths, 8 new reported deaths
Bulletin #110: 38,430 confirmed cases, 302 new cases, 821 deaths, 17 new reported deaths
Bulletin #109: 38,128 confirmed cases, 703 new cases, 804 deaths, 10 new reported deaths
Bulletin #108: 37,425 confirmed cases, 1,241 new cases, 794 deaths, 8 new reported deaths
Bulletin #107: 36,184 confirmed cases, 1,036 new cases, 786 deaths, 11 new reported deaths
Bulletin #106: 35,148 confirmed cases, 951 new cases, 775 deaths, 10 new reported deaths
Bulletin #105: 34,197 confirmed cases, 810 new cases, 765 deaths, 11 new reported deaths
Bulletin #104: 33,387 confirmed cases, 819 cases, 754 deaths, 7 new reported deaths
Bulletin #103: 32,568 confirmed cases, 752 new cases, 747 deaths, 14 new reported deaths
Bulletin #102: 31,816 confirmed cases, 443 new cases, 733 deaths, new reported deaths 7
Bulletin #101: 31,373 confirmed cases, 754 new cases, 726 deaths, new reported deaths 8
The average testing over the past 14 days is at 3,095 PCR tests. The numbers of diagnostic tests carried out over the past 14 days [the difference between the PCR tests reported since the past bulletin] are: 3,538 (Bulletin #115), 3,590 (Bulletin #114), 3,425 (Bulletin #113), 4,087 (Bulletin #112), 3,654 (Bulletin #111), 1,098 (Bulletin #110) 2,627 (Bulletin #109), 3,645 (Bulletin #108), 3,186 (Bulletin #107), 3,496 (Bulletin #106), 2,916 (Bulletin #105), 3,210 (Bulletin #104), 2,711 (Bulletin #103), 2,148 (Bulletin #102).
The statistical reports do not include rapid response blood antibody tests or patients diagnosed with tomography or other means. The Dominican Republic has a population of more than 10 million people.
As of Saturday, 11 July 2020 at 4pm, the most confirmed cases continue to be reported in urban areas where most of the tests are carried out. Santo Domingo province (12,435) and the National District (12,364) have 55.6% of cases or 24,799 of 44,532 cases nationwide. Santiago (3,533), San Cristobal (2,293), La Vega (1,637), La Altagracia (1,197), La Romana (1,082), Duarte (1,037), Espaillat (950), Azua (865), Puerto Plata (688), Barahona (669) and Sánchez Ramírez (508) are other provinces that have 500 or more accumulated cases.
The most new cases or recently allocated cases reported for the 11 July deadline are: the National District (323), Santo Domingo province (266), Santiago (182), San Juan de la Maguana (82), La Altagracia (47), La Romana (37), San Cristóbal (32), Puerto Plata (30), Duarte (27), San Pedro de Macorís (26), Azua (25), María Trinidad Sánchez (22), La Vega (21), Sánchez Ramírez (20) and Elías Piña (13). The Ministry of Public Health reports 10 or less confirmed cases in 17 other provinces.
The number of recorded cases is dependent on the availability of PCR tests that continues to be very scarce, especially in the provinces where test waiting lists are long. In the private sector, when available, PCR tests can cost RD$9,000, despite government order for the test to be covered by medical insurance.
Haiti reports 6,727 confirmed cases and 139 deaths, as of 11 July 2020.
In the Americas, the Dominican Republic is now ranked 12th in confirmed cases after the United States, Brazil, Peru, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Panama and Bolivia.
See the Ministry of Public Health epidemiological
bulletins
Read more statistical analysis at:
DR1 Forums
John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center
University of Washington Health Data
University of Oxford Covid Tracker
Worldometer
SICA
13 July 2020