The Ministry of Public Health’s Epidemiology Department Coronavirus Bulletin #318 reports 1,507 new PCR cases for the Saturday, 30 January 2021 deadline. The cases compare to the 7-day nationwide average for PCR confirmed cases that is 1,445.
The number of PCR-confirmed cases is at 214,060 for the 30 January bulletin. Labs carried out 6,952 first PCR tests. The number of tests compares with the 14-day average, 6,998. The country can process 14,000 PCR tests a day. The government says sufficient PCR tests are available. Private labs are announcing special facilities for those requiring results in time for travel abroad.
The two largest private labs (Referencia and Amadita) say that tests results will be provided the same day for those testing after 2pm in select labs nationwide.
PCR tests can be had in 24 hours for those presenting a valid airline ticket at Referencia Lab branches in Santo Domingo, Santiago, Puerto Plata, La Romana and Punta Cana. Antigen tests results can be had in three hours at Referencia and Amadita labs in the same locations. Nevertheless, travelers are recommended to make arrangements with extra time.
Canada is requiring all entering that country to show negative results of a PCR test carried out within 72 hours prior to the traveler’s scheduled departure to Canada. The US requires travelers show negative antigen or PCR test results taken within 72 hours of the arrival to US territory.
The 4-week positivity rate is 19.85%, continuing on a downward trend after the rise in in cases following the Christmas holidays. The 24-hour positivity for the day is 21.68%. The number of reported active cases is now 53,861, slightly down from the previous day.
Twenty Covid-related new deaths are recorded for the Saturday, 30 January 2021 deadline, four occurring in the previous 24 hours of the deadline. The authorities register 2,666 Covid-19-related deaths since March 2020.
Epidemiology director, Dr. Ronald Skewes explained on 26 January that there are delays in registering the Covid-19 deaths because these need to be approved by the Pan American Health Organization prior to their recording. He also explained the lag is because regional centers delays in reporting the deaths. Dr. Skewes said the delays in reporting are also because the health centers accumulated cases over the Christmas and New Year holidays. He also attributed the increase in deaths to the increase in hospitalized cases, including more patients in intensive care units. Only in the past week has the number of hospitalizations and ICU patients begun to decline.
Restrictive lockdown measures continue in place as per Decree 37-21 to contain the disease’s spread. From 27 January to 8 February 2021, the curfew is from 7pm (up from 5pm) to 5am. There is a three-hour free transit window on Monday to Friday (to 10pm, up from 8pm), regardless of whether the day falls on a holiday. On Saturdays 1 and 7 and Sundays 2 and 8 February 2021, the curfew starts at 5pm with a three-hour commute period (until 8pm). This compares to the previous more restrictive shutdown at noon.
Open-air public spaces, such as parks and boulevards, can be used for activities other than social gatherings and always complying with preventive health protocols. Gyms, restaurants and bars are allowed to reopen to 60% of their capacity. A maximum of six persons per table is allowed, among other health protocols. Religious ceremonies are allowed three days a week, as long as they keep within 60% of the capacity of the church and churchgoers must keep their masks on during the service.
Hotels and resorts continue to operate under previously established less restrictive health protocols.
The Ministry of Public Health continues to mandate keeping to the preventive measures of mask-wearing and physical distancing in public spaces and hand hygiene. In the cities, mask-wearing is the norm.
The Dominican Republic continues under a National State of Emergency. Congress authorized a 45-day extension from 12 January 2021 through 26 February. Pandemic fatigue, increased mobility and home and friends’ gatherings have led to increased cases in the past month.
By regional standards, the Dominican Republic has been relatively successful at treating Covid-19 and keeping the number of deaths low. For the 30 January 2021 deadline, Worldometer lists the 1M deaths per inhabitant rate for the Dominican Republic at 244. According to the same 1M deaths statistics, fewer people have died of Covid-19 in the Dominican Republic than in the United Kingdom at 1,559, Italy at 1,465, the United States at 1,361, Spain at 1,247, France at 1,164, Argentina at 1,056, Brazil at 1,052, Colombia at 1,054, Germany 688 and Canada at 528, all major markets for Dominican tourism and countries with notably better health systems.
As per Bulletin #318, with the deadline of 30 January 2021, the Ministry of Public Health has registered 214,060 confirmed cases since the first case on 1 March 2020. Partial curfew has been in place since 18 March 2020.
The number of deaths continues relatively low. As of the 30 January 2021 deadline, 2,666 persons are reported to have died of the disease in the Dominican Republic, a nation of more than 10.9 million people. The fatality rate for the first time in months increased. It went up to 1.25%, after many months of declining. The fatality rate per 1M inhabitants is 255.16. Dominican physicians’ diverse treatment for the disease has been relatively successful in the region. The Ministry of Public Health reports that the country’s 255.16 fatality rate per 1M compares favorably to the average 1M inhabitants’ fatality rate for the Americas at 1,009.10
The Ministry of Public Health report #318 indicates 39% of Covid-19 hospital beds are occupied (1,056 of 2,712 total available), down from the previous day. 54% of the intensive care units for Covid-19 are taken (292 of 541 beds), up from the previous day. The hospitalization statistics are for all the country. Hospitalization demand in Greater Santo Domingo, Santiago and other major cities is much higher than the national average.
The past 14 days bulletin results are:
Bulletin #318: 214,060 confirmed cases, 1,507 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 20 deaths are reported for the deadline, and four reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.25%, fatality rate per 1M is 255.16.
Bulletin #317: 212,553 confirmed cases, 2,141 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 24 deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.24%, fatality rate per 1M is 253.24.
Bulletin #316: 210,412 confirmed cases, 1,802 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 23 deaths are reported for the deadline, and one reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.25%, fatality rate per 1M is 251.33.
Bulletin #315: 208,610 confirmed cases, 1,155 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 24 deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.25%, fatality rate per 1M is 249.13.
Bulletin #314: 207,455 confirmed cases, 1,150 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 15 deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.24%, fatality rate per 1M is 246.83.
Bulletin #313: 206,305 confirmed cases, 1,143 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 19 deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.24%, fatality rate per 1M is 245.39.
Bulletin #312: 205,162 confirmed cases, 1,216 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 14 deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.24%, fatality rate per 1M is 243.58.
Bulletin #311: 203,946 confirmed cases, 1,439 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 18 deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.24%, fatality rate per 1M is 242.24.
Bulletin #310: 202,507 confirmed cases, 1,362 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 17 deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.24%, fatality rate per 1M is 240.51.
Bulletin #309: 201,145 confirmed cases, 1,473 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 14 deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.24%, fatality rate per 1M is 238.89.
Bulletin #308: 199,672 confirmed cases, 1,549 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 12 deaths are reported for the deadline, and three reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.24%, fatality rate per 1M is 237.55.
Bulletin #307: 198,123 confirmed cases, 1,532 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 9 deaths are reported for the deadline, and two reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.25%, fatality rate per 1M is 236.40.
Bulletin #306: 196,591 confirmed cases, 1,625 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 13 deaths are reported for the deadline, and three reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.25%, fatality rate per 1M is 235.54.
Bulletin #305: 194,966 confirmed cases, 1,848 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, five deaths are reported for the deadline, and one is reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.26%, fatality rate per 1M is 234.29.
Greater Santo Domingo continues to lead in the number of reported PCR cases. As of 30 January 2021 at 6pm, the deadline for Bulletin #318, the most confirmed cases have been reported in the National District (60,209) and the Santo Domingo province (41,724). The numbers account for around 48% of the 214,060 confirmed cases nationwide.
Other provinces with more than 500 cases are: Santiago (23,854), La Vega (8,920), La Altagracia (8,040), Puerto Plata (6,995), San Cristóbal (6,433), La Romana (6,223), Duarte (5,886), Espaillat (4,509), Monseñor Nouel (3,198), San Juan de la Maguana (3,123), Sánchez Ramírez (2,834), Maria Trinidad Sánchez (2,741), San Pedro de Macoris (2,698), Azua (2,491), Barahona (2,437), Valverde (2,007), Hermanas Mirabal (1,887), Peravia (1,766), Baoruco (1,243), Monte Plata (1,023), Santiago Rodriguez (948), Montecristi (948), Independencia (874), Dajabón (813), Samaná (764), El Seibo (761), San José de Ocoa (748), Pedernales (604) and Hato Mayor (596). Elías Piña province, on the border with Haiti, is the only province to register less than 500 cases. Elías Piña reports 360 cases for the 30 January 2021 deadline.
The Ministry indicates that the newest allocated cases (more than 9) reported for 27 January 2021 update deadline are: National District (465), Santo Domingo (283), Santiago (280), La Altagracia (68), La Romana (54), Puerto Plata (50), La Vega (49), Duarte (31), María Trinidad Sánchez (25), San Cristóbal (24), Espaillat (23), Montecristi (23), Azua (17), Valverde (17), San Pedro de Macorís (15), Hato Mayor (14), Barahona (11) and Monseñor Nouel (10).
Haiti reports 11,533 confirmed cases and 245 deaths, for the 30 January 2021 deadline. Experts attribute the low number of deaths in Haiti in part due to extensive vaccinating of babies with the tuberculosis vaccine and widespread use of ivermectin for parasites that have raised the immunity of the population.
In the Americas, the Dominican Republic is now ranked 11th in confirmed cases after the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Canada, Panama and Ecuador.
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See the Ministry of Public Health epidemiological
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John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center
University of Washington Health Data
University of Oxford Covid Tracker
Worldometer
Our World in Data
31 January 2021