It turned out to be “too good to be true.” No, if you were not vaccinated you can’t show up at the Santiago city hall and get RD$1,000 for getting vaccinated.
The Ministry of Public Health disallowed plans of Santiago city mayor, Abel Martínez to pay RD$1,000 per person getting vaccinated at the city hall on 27 October 2021. Martinez has argued the offer was an effort to boost vaccination in the province. The province of Santiago is in the bottom 10 of provinces with the lease persons fully vaccinated. In the province, religious leaders have spoken up against the vaccines.
Dr. Robinson Santos, director of the Public Health Cabinet, said on Thursday that it is authorizing the city government plan under no circumstances.
Santos clarified that the vaccination is going at a good pace in all the vaccination posts in Santiago. He said that vaccination centers have been massively crowded without any payment or incentive being offered ever since the government and businesses are requiring vaccination card to enter.
Dr. Santos said there are many vaccination stations in Santiago, including one very near the city hall. In Santiago, 66.5% of the population has applied the first dose of the vaccine; and 54% are fully vaccinated as of last week.
City mayor Abel Martinez, who had offered the RD$1,000 bonus, complained the disclaimer by the Ministry of Public Health was but “politics and gossip”.
“We understand that it is irresponsible of Public Health, to reject this day because the city council has been motivating people to get vaccinated,” said Martinez.
Santiago, the country’s second largest city, reports the second highest number of Covid cases per city in the country, only behind Greater Santo Domingo (National District and Province of Santo Domingo).
Abel Martinez is a former president of the Chamber of Deputies for the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD). He has announced his aspirations to be the presidential candidate for the PLD in the 2024 election.
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25 October 2021