President Danilo Medina has asked the Senate to maintain the National State of Emergency. The Presidency says the extension will give the government time to complete plans for a gradual reduction in Covid-19 stringency measures affecting economic activities. The request was addressed to Aristides Victoria Yeb, acting president of the Senate. The ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) has a majority in the Senate, where the bill is expected to pass on Wednesday.
If approved, this would be the third extension of the original state of emergency that was established as of 19 March 2020 (Decree 134-20). The first national emergency period was for 25 days, followed by two periods of 17 days apiece that expire on 17 May 2020. The government has requested the National State of Emergency continue from 18 May through 11 June 2020.
If the bill passes in the Senate during the convened Wednesday session, it will then move to the Chamber of Deputies.
The provision enables the government to make expedited procurement purchases and take actions that affect the right to transit of the Dominican people. Investigative journalists have presented clear evidence of Ministry of Public Health, National Health Service and Ministry of Defense purchases plagued with serious irregularities.
Despite the emergency state, the government has not been able to source sufficient inputs to maintain a stable amount of diagnostic tests. In the press briefing on 12 May 2020, the Public Health Minister Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas says that the government lab at times has accumulated 2,500 tests for lack of inputs. He said this explains the delays in people tested that have to wait up to two weeks to get results. The representative of the Pan American Health Organization in the Dominican Republic, Dr. Alma Morales said that the country yet does not meet the criteria to begin opening up. She said that the country has not been able to maintain a consistent number of tests.
The Dominican Republic is a member of the Central American bloc and is the nation to show the worst handling of the health and economic crisis. Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Panama have all had more effective management of the crisis.
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Listin Diario
Listin Diario
See the epidemiological bulletins at:
John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center
Ministry of Public Health
13 May 2020