The Ministry of Public Health’s Epidemiology Department Coronavirus Bulletin #437 reports 1,384 new PCR cases for the Saturday, 29 May 2021 deadline. The number of cases continues to reflect the surge in cases only comparable to the peaks reported after the Christmas holidays in January 2021. Greater Santo Domingo concentrates most of the cases. The cases compare to the 7-day nationwide average for PCR confirmed cases that is 1,274, up from the previous day. The Ministry of Public Health has confirmed the Brazilian and UK variants of the disease are circulating in the Dominican Republic, causing the increase in hospitalizations.
As per Bulletin #437, with the deadline of 29 May 2021, the Ministry of Public Health has registered 291,910 confirmed cases since the first case on 1 March 2020. Labs carried out 5,933 first PCR tests. The number of PCR tests compares with the 14-day average now at 5,153.
The national 4-week positivity rate is 14.95%, up from the previous day. The 24-hour positivity for the day is 23.33%, down from the day before.
The number of reported active Covid-cases increased to 47,289, down (-799) from the previous 24 hours.
The nation is immersed in a nationwide vaccination drive as batches of vaccines are received from abroad. The vaccination drive is now in Phase III, open to persons 18+ as of 10 May 2021. The Dominican Republic is behind Chile, USA, Uruguay and Canada in vaccinated per 100,000 inhabitants.
As of the 29 May 2021 deadline, the University of Virginia Covid-19 Surveillance Dashboard indicates that 3,155,232 persons have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in the Dominican Republic and 1,033,751 persons had received two doses, around 13% of the target population over 18 years old. The government seeks to vaccinate 7.8 million people of the population of 10.8 million. In addition, there are plans to add those 12-18 years of age to the vaccination campaign once the Pfizer shipment of vaccines arrives.
Regarding Covid-19 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. PCR test results are usually given in 24 hours or less online.
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.
On Wednesday, 25 May 2021, the Abinader government issued Decree 346-21, extending the same curfew measures that expires on 30 May for all of the country, with the exception of Greater Santo Domingo. The curfew continues to be in place from Monday to Friday, starting at 10pm until 5am, with two-hour free circulation until midnight. On weekends, curfew is from 9pm to 5am, with the free circulation a.m., with free circulation again until midnight.
Greater Santo Domingo (National District and Santo Domingo province) is the exception with a more restrictive curfew. The curfew for Greater Santo Domingo is now that businesses need to close from 8pm to 5am curfew, with three hours of free circulation exclusively for people to travel to their residences. A ban on alcoholic beverage and consumption in public is ordered from 5pm to 5am.
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 and universities are gradually reopening to semi 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.
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 continuation of the National Vaccination Plan.
The government received a 1 million batch of Sinovac/Coronavac vaccines on 17 March 2021 that are primarily being used for second doses. An additional 50,000 Sinopharm vaccines from China were received in the same shipment of 17 March and were used to primarily vaccinate military and police forces.
An additional batch of 500,000 Sinovac/Coronavac from China arrived on 21 April 2021.
A 2 million batch of Sinovac/Coronavac vaccines from China was received on 5 May 2021.
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 first vaccines of the Covax Facility were received on 6 April, some 91,200 vials of Oxford/AstraZeneca. A second batch of Covax Facility vaccines arrived on 14 May 2021, with 187,200 vials of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines.
On 25 May 2021, a shipment arrived from China with another 1 million vials of Sinovac/Coronavac vaccines and syringes.
In total, the Dominican Republic has received 5,646,400 vaccine doses, of which 94% have come from China – 5,268,000 Sinovac and 50,000 Sinopharm vaccines.
Regardless of the widespread vaccination program, the Ministry of Public Health continues to mandate keeping to the preventive measures of mask-wearing, physical distancing in public spaces, hand hygiene and keeping to well-ventilated areas. In the cities, mask-wearing is the norm and is mandatory. As of recent weeks, mask usage is relaxed in ventilated public areas. Shopping malls and major stores continue to require the use of the facial masks.
The Dominican Republic continues under a National State of Emergency. The Presidency enacted Decree 245-21 that extends the National State of Emergency for another 45-day period from 31 May 2021 to 14 July 2021.
By regional standards, the Dominican Republic has been relatively successful at treating Covid-19 and keeping the number of deaths low. For the 29 May 2021 deadline, Worldometer lists the 1M deaths per inhabitant rate for the Dominican Republic at 331. According to the same 1M deaths statistics, fewer people have died of Covid-19 in the Dominican Republic than in Brazil at 2,156, Italy at 2,088, the United Kingdom at 1,873, the United States at 1,831, Spain at 1,708, Colombia at 1,708, Argentina at 1,692, France at 1,673, Germany 1,059, Russia at 830 and Canada at 670, all major markets for Dominican tourism and countries with overall better health systems.
No Covid-related new deaths are recorded for the 29 May 2021 deadline, including no deaths occurring in the previous 24 hours of the deadline. As of the 29 May 2021 deadline, 3,628 persons are reported to have died of the disease in the Dominican Republic, a nation of more than 10.8 million people since March 2020. The fatality rate is at 1.24%. The fatality rate per 1M inhabitants is 347.23. Dominican physicians’ diverse treatment for the disease has been relatively successful in the region. The Ministry of Public Health reports that the country’s 347.23 fatality rate per 1M compares favorably to the average 1M inhabitants’ fatality rate for the Americas at 1,581.38.
The Ministry of Public Health report #437 indicates 47% of Covid-19 hospital beds are occupied (1,194 of 2,552 total available), up from the previous day. Reports are that around 80% of Covid-19 beds in Greater Santo Domingo are occupied, not so in the rest of the country. 71% of the intensive care units for Covid-19 are taken (401 of 563 beds), up from the day before. These numbers reflect the new spike in cases that began in early May with the reduction in circulation restrictions. 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 result highlights are:
Bulletin #437: 291,910 confirmed cases, 1,384 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 47,289 active cases, two deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate per 1M is 347.23.
Bulletin #436: 290,526 confirmed cases, 1,238 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 48,088 active cases, two deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate per 1M is 347.23.
Bulletin #435: 289,288 confirmed cases, 1,254 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 47,050 active cases, two deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate per 1M is 346.46.
Bulletin #434: 288,034 confirmed cases, 1,765 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 45,915 active cases, two deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate per 1M is 346.46.
Bulletin #433: 286,269 confirmed cases, 1,702 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 45,211 active cases, zero deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate per 1M is 346.27.
Bulletin #432: 285,211 confirmed cases, 644 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 44,048 active cases, zero deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate per 1M is 346.27.
Bulletin #431: 284,567 confirmed cases, 838 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 44,186 active cases, zero deaths are reported for the deadline, and none reported happening in the past 24 hours. The fatality rate per 1M is 345.50.
Greater Santo Domingo continues to lead in the number of reported PCR cases. As of 29 May 2021 at 6pm, the deadline for Bulletin #437, the most confirmed cases have been reported in the National District (82,949) and the Santo Domingo province (63,862). The numbers account for 50% of the 291,910 confirmed cases nationwide.
Other provinces are: Santiago (29,691), La Romana (11,293), La Vega (10,401), La Altagracia (10,119), San Cristóbal (9,319), Puerto Plata (7,761), Duarte (6,999), Espaillat (5,545), San Pedro de Macoris (4,280), San Juan de la Maguana (4,366), Azua (3,572), Monseñor Nouel (3,545), Barahona (3,380), Maria Trinidad Sánchez (3,206), Sánchez Ramírez (3,171), Valverde (2,789), Peravia (2,664), Hermanas Mirabal (2,644), Baoruco (1,571), Monte Plata (1,476), Montecristi (1,354), Santiago Rodriguez (1,272), Dajabón (1,177), Independencia (1,124), Hato Mayor (981), El Seibo (950), Samaná (933), San José de Ocoa (914), Pedernales (736) and Elías Piña (428) as of the 29 May 2021 deadline.
The Ministry indicates that the newest allocated cases (more than 9) reported for 29 May 2021 update deadline are: the National District (582) and Santo Domingo province (319) in Greater Santo Domingo, reflecting the surge of the disease in the capital city area. Greater Santo Domingo concentrates around 50% of the nationwide spread of the virus.
Haiti reports 14,258 confirmed cases and 307 deaths, for the 29 May 2021 deadline. Health 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 nor exercise physical distancing. Recently, Haiti has been experiencing a spike in cases, attributed to the spread of new Covid-19 variants.
In the Americas, the Dominican Republic is now ranked 13th in confirmed PCR cases after the United States, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Canada, Chile, Panama, Ecuador, Bolivia and Costa Rica.
Read more:
Decree 319-21
See the Ministry of Public Health epidemiological
bulletins
VacunateRD
John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center
University of Washington Health Data
University of Oxford Covid Tracker
Worldometer
Our World in Data
University of Virginia Covid-19 Surveillance Dashboard
30 May 2021