The Ministry of Public Health’s Epidemiology Department Coronavirus Bulletin #245 reports 1,026 new PCR confirmed cases. The previous 7-day nationwide average for PCR confirmed cases is 556 cases.
The increase reflects more testing is being carried out. 5,875 first PCR tests were carried out in time for the 18 November report deadline. The government is reaching out to the population in shopping malls, government offices and companies. The previous 14-day average is 3,581 tests. President Abinader announced on 16 November that the country can process 10,000 PCR tests a day, yet labs have not had the demand for the tests.
The 4-week positivity rate is up slightly to 10.57%, while the 24-hour positivity is 17.46%. The number of reported active cases has risen for the fourth consecutive day and is now at 22,355.
While the Ministry of Public Health Covid-19 team has been reporting a marked decline in demand for tests for the past month, more fixed stations for testing and expanded services at public hospitals is being set up to catch the disease early and isolate sick people. The Ministry has also undertaken corporate testing. This week, the Ministry visited the Listin Diario for tests to its staff.
Officers at the Ministry of Public Health have complained people are not showing up to test themselves early. Testing is free through 23 November 2020 at the Galeria 360 shopping mall in Santo Domingo, another effort by the government to reach out to the population.
Meanwhile, the country continues under the declaration of a National State of Emergency at least through 1 December 2020. The Ministry of Public Health is concerned that home and friends’ gatherings and increased mobility could lead to the same virus flare-ups that have affected other countries worldwide. The changes are due to pandemic fatigue and the cooler weather in the northern hemispheres leading to people gathering inside. The good weather year-round allows for people to gather outside.
There continue to be sporadic outbreaks in Greater Santo Domingo and the provinces. This situation is why the Ministry of Public Health continues to recommend keeping curfew and preventive measures. President Luis Abinader himself has said that relaxing measures could lead to the surges in cases seen abroad. Dr. Ronald Skewes, director of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Public Health, is against reducing the restrictions. And Administrative Minister Jose Ignacio Paliza said that the Dominican government has no plans to reduce restrictions because they are working and “health is first.”
Public Health Minister Plutarco Arias recommends declaring Christmas Eve a holiday on 24 December and that Dominican families gather for lunch rather than the traditional dinner on the day. The curfew hours are from 9pm to 5am Monday to Friday, and 7pm to 5am on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
As per Bulletin #245, with the deadline of 18 November 2020, the Ministry of Public Health has registered 136,183 confirmed cases since the first case on 1 March 2020. Partial curfew has been in place since 18 March 2020.
The number of deaths is 2,301, including a recent high of eight deaths recorded and none in the past 24 hours.
In a population of more than 10 million, the fatality rate is 1.69% over the past four weeks. This number has been consistently dropping for the past two months. The fatality rate per 1M inhabitants is 220.22. The Ministry of Public Health reports that the average 1M inhabitants’ fatality rate for the Americas is 658.
Worldometer lists the 1M deaths per inhabitant rate for the Dominican Republic at 211. According to the 1M deaths statistics, fewer people have died of Covid-19 in the Dominican Republic than in Spain at 899, Brazil at 786, Argentina 801, the United States at 773, the United Kingdom at 783, Italy 781, Colombia 677, France 715 and Canada 295, all major markets for Dominican tourism.
The Ministry of Public Health report #245 keeps a slight upward trend for hospitalization units. 21% of Covid-19 hospital beds are occupied (677 of 3,217 total available). 38% of the intensive care units for Covid-19 are taken (201 of 532 beds).
The past 14 days bulletin results are:
Bulletin #245: 136,183 confirmed cases, 1,026 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 8 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.69%, fatality rate per 1M is 220.22.
Bulletin #244: 135,157 confirmed cases, 460 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 3 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.70%, fatality rate per 1M is 219.46.
Bulletin #243: 134,697 confirmed cases, 494 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 4 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.70%, fatality rate per 1M is 219.17.
Bulletin #242: 134,203 confirmed cases, 479 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 1 death is reported in the past 24 hours, the same one that occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.70%, fatality rate per 1M is 218.79.
Bulletin #241: 133,724 confirmed cases, 499 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.71%, fatality rate per 1M is 218.69.
Bulletin #240: 133,225 confirmed cases, 671 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.71%, fatality rate per 1M is 218.40.
Bulletin #239: 132,554 confirmed cases, 918 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 6 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.72%, fatality rate per 1M is 218.21.
Bulletin #238: 131,636 confirmed cases, 371 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.73%, fatality rate per 1M is 217.64.
Bulletin #237: 131,265 confirmed cases, 134 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 3 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.73%, fatality rate per 1M is 217.45.
Bulletin #236: 131,131 confirmed cases, 528 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.73%, fatality rate per 1M is 217.16.
Bulletin #235: 130,603 confirmed cases, 421 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, one having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.74%, fatality rate per 1M is 216.97.
Bulletin #234: 130,182 confirmed cases, 537 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, one having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.74%, fatality rate per 1M is 216.78.
Bulletin #233: 129,645 confirmed cases, 345 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, two having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.75%, fatality rate per 1M is 216.59.
Bulletin #232: 129,300 confirmed cases, 476 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 1 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, one having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.75%, fatality rate per 1M is 216.39.
There are record increases in number of cases in Greater Santo Domingo. As of 18 November at 6pm, the deadline for Bulletin #245, the most confirmed cases were reported in the National District (35,736) and the Santo Domingo province (27,657). The numbers account for 46% of the 136,183 confirmed cases nationwide.
Other provinces with more than 500 confirmed cases are: Santiago (14,755), La Vega (5,199), La Altagracia (5,013), San Cristobal (4,910), Puerto Plata (3,646), Duarte (3,596), La Romana (3,381), Espaillat (2,796), San Juan de la Maguana (2,309), Barahona (2,074), Azua (2,063), Sánchez Ramírez (2,040), Monseñor Nouel (1,917), San Pedro de Macoris (1,812), Peravia (1,359), Maria Trinidad Sanchez (1,276), Baoruco (987), Hermanas Mirabal (987), Valverde (974), Independencia (688), Santiago Rodriguez (671), Monte Plata (599), San José de Ocoa (577), Pedernales (564), Samaná (555) and El Seibo (547).
The Ministry indicates that the newest allocated cases (more than 9) reported for 18 November 2020 update deadline are: National District (436), Santo Domingo (285), La Altagracia (59), Puerto Plata (32), Santiago (32), Duarte (31), San Pedro de Macoris (3), La Romana (26), Monseñor Nouel (24), La Vega (21) and San Cristóbal (20).
Haiti reports 9,191 confirmed cases and 232 deaths, for the 18 November 2020 deadline. The number of deaths for Haiti has not been maintained since 26 October. The Ministry of Health in Haiti has reported a spike in cases, but has not updated the statistics.
In the Americas, the Dominican Republic is now ranked 12th in confirmed cases after the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Canada, Ecuador, Bolivia and Panama.
See the Ministry of Public Health epidemiological
bulletins
John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center
University of Washington Health Data
University of Oxford Covid Tracker
Worldometer
Our World in Data
SICA
19 November 2020