The Presidency announced last night it had issued Decree 349-21 ordering new circulation restrictions to reduce the new spread of Covid-19 in the country. The measures will be in effect from Wednesday, 2 June through Wednesday, 9 June 2021. The new curfew is Monday to Friday from 6pm to 5am and Saturdays and Sundays from 3pm to 5am. The three-hour free circulation period continues. The government also ordered dry law to be daily from 3pm a 5am.
The measures are applicable in: the National District and the provinces of Santo Domingo (Greater Santo Domingo), Azua, Bahoruco, Barahona, Dajabón, Elías Piña, El Seibo, Hato Mayor, Hermanas Mirabal, Independencia, La Romana, María Trinidad Sánchez, Monseñor Nouel, Montecristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa, San Juan de la Maguana, San Pedro de Macorís, Sánchez Ramírez, Santiago Rodríguez and Valverde.
The exceptions to the extended curfew are the provinces of Duarte, Espaillat, La Altagracia (Punta Cana), La Vega (Jarabacoa and Constanza), Puerto Plata, Samana and Santiago, where the curfew will be from 10pm to 5am from Monday to Friday and from 9pm to 5am on Saturdays and Sundays.
The intention is to reduce mobility and people gathering when new highly transmissible variants of the virus are in circulation.
The government will be carrying out mass vaccination operations from Thursday to Sunday in Greater Santo Domingo and the province of San Cristóbal. While there are vaccines available, there is a generalized apathy, especially among young people in getting vaccinated. Given this situation, the government will be taking the vaccine campaign to the barrios.
Several medical societies are recommended lockdown for at least a week to counter the recent spread of the disease and high demand for hospitalization.
The government also ordered that public schools close for in-person learning and continue exclusively with the distance learning programs.
The government also ordered the shutdown of the bilateral markets with Haiti from Wednesday, 2 June to Wednesday, 9 June.
The announcements were made after an emergency four-hour government council meeting at the Presidential Palace on 31 May 2021.
Read more in Spanish:
Presidency
Hoy
Listin Diario
El Dia
1 June 2021