The 4-week Covid-19 positivity rate is at 11.79%, with the 24-hour positivity rate at 10.00, as per Covid-19 Bulletin #1,019 dated 1 January 2023. The downward trend in cases continues.
The number of Covid-19 registered cases in the Dominican Republic for Bulletin #1,019 was just 16, a low reflecting probably that people stayed away from medical care on the New Year holiday. Only 160 first-time lab tests were carried out at registered labs.
The number of Covid-19 cases is said to be much more, with most going undiagnosed or diagnosed with home antigen kits. With very few exceptions, most cases are being treated as a cold at home.
The Ministry of Public Health is encouraging people to up their vaccination status, with a third, fourth or fifth vaccine that are available for free in the Dominican Republic. The analysis of samples from people recently infected with Covid-19 confirms the subvariant of the Omicron strain, known as XBB, is circulating in the country. The new variant is not worse than the Omicron, but does spread rapidly. The symptoms are a cough, runny nose and fever.
The number of Covid-19 cases had increased as the weather is now chilly in the evenings and early mornings. More people are congregating inside, meaning greater possibilities for spreading the virus. But most people are just seeing Covid as a seasonal cold.
The number of active cases is at 560. The seven-day active cases average is now 599 with a marked downward trend.
Except in hospitals, every day less people wear facial masks in the Dominican Republic. Nevertheless, in recent days, given the impact of seasonal influenza, more people are again using face masks as a preventive measure.
As per Bulletin #1,019, with the deadline of 1 January 2023, the Ministry of Public Health has registered 659,211 PCR or antigen-confirmed cases since the first case on 1 March 2020. The number of first time lab tests was 160 for 1 January 2023. No PCR tests were carried out for the #1,019 deadline that coincided with the New Year holiday.
As of the 1 January 2023 deadline, 4,384 persons are reported to have died of the disease in the Dominican Republic, a nation of more than 10.8 million adults since March 2020. The 1M/death rate is at 395 compared to the 2,780.91 average for the Americas region. The fatality rate in the DR is at 0.68%. The fatality rate per 1M inhabitants is 419.58.
As per the 1 January 2023 deadline, the cases continue to again be concentrated in Greater Santo Domingo and Santiago. For the New Year’s Day holiday, only 16 lab-recorded cases were reported for the National District.
The Ministry of Public Health says people in the Dominican Republic should take up again enhanced hygiene measures, mask wearing and social distancing to avoid falling ill the new Covid-19 variants, but more so with seasonal influenza and dengue, respiratory syncytial virus. The government has made available hundreds of thousands of free flu vaccines at regular vaccination stations nationwide.
2 January 2023