The Ministry of Public Health’s Epidemiology Department Coronavirus Bulletin #371 reports 389 new PCR cases for the Wednesday, 24 March 2021 deadline. The cases compare to the 7-day nationwide average for PCR confirmed cases that is 427. For more than a month now, the number of PCR reported cases has kept under 1,000.
As per Bulletin #371 with the deadline of 24 March 2021, the Ministry of Public Health has registered 250,968 confirmed cases since the first case on 1 March 2020. Labs carried out 3,235 first PCR tests. The number of PCR tests compares with the 14-day average now at 3,533. The country can process 14,000 PCR tests a day.
The 4-week positivity rate is 10.76%, down from the previous day. The 24-hour positivity for the day is 12.02%, down from the previous day. The number of reported active cases dropped to 37,631, down (-73) from the previous 24 hours. The active cases have been consistently declining.
Despite the reduction in curfew hours and the significant increase in mobility, Covid-19 seems to be under control and spread declining in the Dominican Republic, as of the 24 March bulletin. The fewer Covid-19 cases are occurring as the nation is immersed in a nationwide inoculation drive. There is concern, nevertheless, that the Easter Week holiday could bring a spike in cases.
As of 24 March, more than 800,000 persons of the targeted 7.8 million people have been vaccinated. Medical workers and those 68+ years and older, and those 60+ with co-morbidities were the first to be vaccinated. Also, pubic school school teachers and health care workers. Those 18+ accompanying a person of 80+ are included in the first phase priority group. The government is vaccinating elite athletes that need to travel abroad for international competitions. On Sunday, 22 March, the government also began to vaccinate military and the Police. On 24 March the government said it began to provide the second vaccination dose for those already vaccinated in the country.
The government has slowed the pace of vaccinating as it awaits new batches of vaccines. A shipment of 1 million Chinese vaccines arrived on Wednesday, 17 March at Las Americas International Airport but these were to start the application of the second dose vaccinations, and continue with targeted priority groups, such as the military and police. Another large batch of vaccines purchased from China is expected this March, yet no firm date has been given. The National Vaccination Plan calls for next vaccinating those 65+ years old who have made appointments through https://www.vacunaterd.gob.do
Regarding testing in the Dominican Republic, private labs have special facilities for those requiring results in time for travel abroad. Results of 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 and Spain are requiring all entering the country to show negative results of a PCR test carried out within 72 hours before the traveler’s scheduled departure to those countries. The US requires travelers to show negative antigen or PCR test results taken within 72 hours of the arrival to US territory.
Six Covid-related new deaths are recorded for the Tuesday, 23 March 2021 deadline, yet the bulletin reports two deaths occurring in the previous 24 hours of the deadline. The Ministry of Public Health says the larger number of total reported deaths are due to general delays in the hospitals’ paperwork. The authorities register 3,295 Covid-19-related deaths since March 2020.
On 16 March 2021, the government issued Decree 171-21 that extends curfew on Good Friday, 2 April. On that day, curfew will be from 7pm to 5am, with a three-hour free transit. The executive act also instates a ban on alcoholic beverage sales in public places (resorts are the exception) on 2, 3 and 4 April, the peak days of the Easter holiday. A ban on alcohol consumption and sale in public places is also instated for those three days. Otherwise, the government maintains the preventive measures in place that have shown to be effective in slowing the pace of the spread of the virus.
Decree 171-21 establishes that from 18 March to 15 April 2021, the curfew is from 9pm to 5am on Monday to Friday. There is a three-hour free transit window on Monday to Friday (to 12am-midnight, up from 10pm), regardless of whether the day falls on a holiday, with the exception of Good Friday, 2 April 2021. Keeping the curfew means that on Saturdays 20 March and 27 March and Sundays 21 and 28 March 2021, the curfew will start at 7pm with a three-hour commute period (until 10pm).
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. Theaters have resumed showings under health protocols. Schools continue officially closed for in-person learning.
Hotels and resorts continue to operate under previously established less restrictive health protocols. This means that alcoholic beverages are available at restaurants and bars within the resort or hotel areas that are under the tourism protocols. Otherwise, Decree 171-21 has banned the consumption of alcoholic beverages in public places on 2, 3, 4 April, Friday to Sunday of the Easter holiday. The Ministry of Tourism issued a special resolution DJ-007/2021 whereby many of the restrictions in Decree 171-21 would apply to tourism destinations and resorts.
The government began to vaccinate for the Covid-19 virus on 16 February 2021. The first phase of vaccinations covered the around 12,000 front-line staff at clinics and hospitals that see Covid-19 patients. Two first batches of 20,000 and 30,000 doses of Covishield arrived from the India Oxford-AstraZeneca manufacturing plant since 15 February 2021. The next shipment was one of 768,000 doses of Sinovac/Coronavac vaccine that arrived on 23 February 2021 from China for the continuing of the National Vaccination Plan. The government received a 1 million batch of Sinovac vaccines on 17 March 2021 that are primarily being used for second doses. An additional large shipment from China is expected later in March, yet no date has been given. The Dominican government has also contracted vaccines with UK manufacturers of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech and others, through the World Health Organization-Covax Facility.
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 and is mandatory. Mask-wearing is relaxed in beach properties.
The Dominican Republic continues under a National State of Emergency. The Presidency enacted Decree 95-21 that extends the National State of Emergency for another 45-day period from 2 March to 15 April 2021.
By regional standards, the Dominican Republic has been relatively successful at treating Covid-19 and keeping the number of deaths low. For the 24 March 2021 deadline, Worldometer lists the 1M deaths per inhabitant rate for the Dominican Republic at 302. According to the same 1M deaths statistics, fewer people have died of Covid-19 in the Dominican Republic than in the United Kingdom at 1,856, Italy at 1,768, the United States at 1,681, Spain at 1,591, France at 1,428, Brazil at 1,409, Colombia at 1,217, Argentina at 1,208, Germany 905, Russia at 662 and Canada at 599, all major markets for Dominican tourism and countries with overall better health systems.
The number of deaths continues relatively low. As of the 24 March 2021 deadline, 3,295 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 is 1.31%. The fatality rate per 1M inhabitants is 315.36. Dominican physicians’ diverse treatment for the disease has been relatively successful in the region. The Ministry of Public Health reports that the country’s 315.36 fatality rate per 1M compares favorably to the average 1M inhabitants’ fatality rate for the Americas at 1,261.80.
The Ministry of Public Health report #371 indicates 18% of Covid-19 hospital beds are occupied (454 of 2,569 total available), up from the previous day. 28% of the intensive care units for Covid-19 are taken (145 of 523 beds), down 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 seven days bulletin results are:
Bulletin #371: 250,968 confirmed cases, 389 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 37,631 active cases, 6 deaths are reported for the deadline, and two reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.31%, fatality rate per 1M is 315.36.
Bulletin #370: 250,579 confirmed cases, 402 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 37,704 active cases, 6 deaths are reported for the deadline, and one reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.31%, fatality rate per 1M is 314.78.
Bulletin #369: 250,177 confirmed cases, 401 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 40,158 active cases, 8 deaths are reported for the deadline, and one reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.31%, fatality rate per 1M is 314.21.
Bulletin #368: 249,776 confirmed cases, 313 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 40,208 active cases, 3 deaths are reported for the deadline, and one reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.31%, fatality rate per 1M is 313.44.
Bulletin #367: 249,463 confirmed cases, 474 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 40,494 active cases, 3 deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.31%, fatality rate per 1M is 313.16.
Bulletin #366: 248,989 confirmed cases, 487 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 40,548 active cases, 7 deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.31%, fatality rate per 1M is 312.87..
Bulletin #365: 248,502 confirmed cases, 523 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 40,505 active cases, 5 deaths are reported for the deadline, and two reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate is 1.31%, fatality rate per 1M is 312.202.
Greater Santo Domingo continues to lead in the number of reported PCR cases. As of 24 March 2021 at 6pm, the deadline for Bulletin #371, the most confirmed cases have been reported in the National District (72,191) and the Santo Domingo province (50,181). The numbers account for around 48.7% of the 250,968 confirmed cases nationwide.
Other provinces are: Santiago (27,717), La Vega (10,073), La Altagracia (9,238), La Romana (7,631), Puerto Plata (7,587), San Cristóbal (7,481), Duarte (6,424), Espaillat (5,158), San Juan de la Maguana (3,740), Monseñor Nouel (3,456), San Pedro de Macoris (3,389), Sánchez Ramírez (3,145), Maria Trinidad Sánchez (3,081), Azua (3,132), Barahona (2,641), Valverde (2,464), Hermanas Mirabal (2,340), Peravia (2,134), Baoruco (1,361), Monte Plata (1,232), Monte Cristi (1,142), Santiago Rodriguez (1,146), Dajabón (1,050), Independencia (976), Samaná (890), El Seibo (882), San José de Ocoa (808), Hato Mayor (819), Pedernales (642) and Elías Piña (407) as of the 24 March 2021 deadline.
The Ministry indicates that the newest allocated cases (more than 9) reported for 24 March 2021 update deadline are: National District (131), Santo Domingo (104), Santiago (28), La Romana (22), La Altagracia (14), San Juan de la Maguana (14), and San Cristóbal (13) and San Pedro de Macorís (10).
Haiti reports 12,732 confirmed cases and 251 deaths, for the 24 March 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 person education has continued regularly in Haiti, and most people do not wear masks.
In the Americas, the Dominican Republic is now ranked 12th in confirmed PCR cases after the United States, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Canada, Chile, Panama, Ecuador and Bolivia.
Read more:
Decree 171-21
Decree 95-21
Decree 133-21
VacunateRD
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
25 March 2021