The Ministry of Public Health’s Epidemiology Department Coronavirus Bulletin #248 reports 640 new PCR confirmed cases. The previous 7-day nationwide average for PCR confirmed cases is 669 cases.
The increase reflects more testing is being carried out. 5,615 first PCR tests were carried out in time for the 21 November report deadline. The government is reaching out to the population in shopping malls, government offices and companies. The previous 14-day average is up to 4,237 after several days of more than 5,000 PCR tests. President Abinader announced on 16 November that the country can process 10,000 PCR tests a day, yet labs have not had the demand for the tests.
The 4-week positivity rate is 11.01%, while the 24-hour positivity is 11.40%. The number of reported active cases has risen for the fourth consecutive day and is now at 23,548, up significantly from last week.
While the Ministry of Public Health Covid-19 team has been reporting a marked decline in demand for tests for the past month, more fixed stations for testing and expanded services at public hospitals is being set up to catch the disease early and isolate sick people. The Ministry has also undertaken corporate testing.
Officers at the Ministry of Public Health have complained people are not showing up to test themselves early. Testing is free through 23 November 2020 at the Galeria 360 shopping mall in Santo Domingo, another effort by the government to reach out to the population.
Meanwhile, the country continues under the declaration of a National State of Emergency at least through 1 December 2020. The Ministry of Public Health is concerned that home and friends’ gatherings and increased mobility could lead to the same virus flare-ups that have affected other countries worldwide. The changes are due to pandemic fatigue and the cooler weather in the northern hemispheres leading to people gathering inside. The good weather year-round allows for people to gather outside in the Dominican Republic. A large number of restaurants have alfresco dining and are packed with people seeking to enjoy time with friends and relatives outside the home.
There continue to be sporadic outbreaks in Greater Santo Domingo and the provinces. This situation is why the Ministry of Public Health continues to recommend keeping curfew and preventive measures. President Luis Abinader himself has said that relaxing measures could lead to the surges in cases seen abroad. Dr. Ronald Skewes, director of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Public Health, is against reducing the restrictions. And Administrative Minister Jose Ignacio Paliza said that the Dominican government has no plans to reduce restrictions because they are working and “health is first.”
Public Health Minister Plutarco Arias has recommended declaring Christmas Eve a holiday on 24 December and that Dominican families gather for lunch rather than the traditional dinner on the day. The curfew hours are from 9pm to 5am Monday to Friday, and 7pm to 5am on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
As per Bulletin #248, with the deadline of 21 November 2020, the Ministry of Public Health has registered 138,410 confirmed cases since the first case on 1 March 2020. Partial curfew has been in place since 18 March 2020.
The number of deaths is 2,310. In a population of more than 10 million, the fatality rate is 1.67% over the past four weeks. This number has been consistently dropping for the past two months. The fatality rate per 1M inhabitants is 221.08. Dominican treatment for the disease has been relatively successful in the region. The Ministry of Public Health reports that the country’s 221 fatality rate per 1M compares favorably to the average 1M inhabitants’ fatality rate for the Americas that is at 672.
Worldometer lists the 1M deaths per inhabitant rate for the Dominican Republic at 212. According to the 1M deaths statistics, fewer people have died of Covid-19 in the Dominican Republic than in Spain at 911, Brazil at 793, Argentina 814, the United States at 791, the United Kingdom at 809, Italy 825, Colombia 687, France 746 and Canada 302, all major markets for Dominican tourism.
The Ministry of Public Health report #248 keeps an upward trend for hospitalization units. 24% of Covid-19 hospital beds are occupied (687 of 2,881 total available). 37% of the intensive care units for Covid-19 are taken (185 of 500 beds).
The past 14 days bulletin results are:
Bulletin #248: 138,410 confirmed cases, 640 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.67%, fatality rate per 1M is 221.08.
Bulletin #247: 137,770 confirmed cases, 986 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, two in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.68%, fatality rate per 1M is 220.89.
Bulletin #246: 136,784 confirmed cases, 601 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 8 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, three in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.69%, fatality rate per 1M is 220.70.
Bulletin #245: 136,183 confirmed cases, 1,026 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 8 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.69%, fatality rate per 1M is 220.22.
Bulletin #244: 135,157 confirmed cases, 460 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 3 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.70%, fatality rate per 1M is 219.46.
Bulletin #243: 134,697 confirmed cases, 494 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 4 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.70%, fatality rate per 1M is 219.17.
Bulletin #242: 134,203 confirmed cases, 479 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 1 death is reported in the past 24 hours, the same one that occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.70%, fatality rate per 1M is 218.79.
Bulletin #241: 133,724 confirmed cases, 499 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.71%, fatality rate per 1M is 218.69.
Bulletin #240: 133,225 confirmed cases, 671 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.71%, fatality rate per 1M is 218.40.
Bulletin #239: 132,554 confirmed cases, 918 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 6 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.72%, fatality rate per 1M is 218.21.
Bulletin #238: 131,636 confirmed cases, 371 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.73%, fatality rate per 1M is 217.64.
Bulletin #237: 131,265 confirmed cases, 134 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 3 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.73%, fatality rate per 1M is 217.45.
Bulletin #236: 131,131 confirmed cases, 528 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, none having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.73%, fatality rate per 1M is 217.16.
Bulletin #235: 130,603 confirmed cases, 421 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 deaths are reported in the past 24 hours, one having occurred in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.74%, fatality rate per 1M is 216.97.
Greater Santo Domingo continues to lead in most reported cases. As of 21 November at 6pm, the deadline for Bulletin #248, the most confirmed cases were reported in the National District (36,362) and the Santo Domingo province (28,032). The numbers account for 46% of the 138,410 confirmed cases nationwide.
Other provinces with more than 500 confirmed cases are: Santiago (14,953), La Vega (5,376), La Altagracia (5,053), San Cristobal (4,961), Puerto Plata (3,796), Duarte (3,758), La Romana (3,394), Espaillat (2,838), San Juan de la Maguana (2,328), Barahona (2,076), Azua (2,065), Sánchez Ramírez (2,123), Monseñor Nouel (2,008), San Pedro de Macoris (1,845), Peravia (1,362), Maria Trinidad Sanchez (1,313), Hermanas Mirabal (994), Baoruco (989), Valverde (977), Independencia (715), Santiago Rodriguez (679), Monte Plata (604), San José de Ocoa (578), Pedernales (564), Samaná (560) and El Seibo (548).
The Ministry indicates that the newest allocated cases (more than 9) reported for 21 November 2020 update deadline are: National District (195), Santo Domingo (116), Santiago (65), Duarte (48), La Vega (42), Espaillat (30), San Cristóbal (28), Puerto Plata (26), Monseñor Nouel (26), La Altagracia (10) and Sánchez Ramírez (10).
Haiti reports 9,214 confirmed cases and 232 deaths, for the 21 November 2020 deadline. The number of deaths for Haiti has not been maintained since 26 October. The Ministry of Health in Haiti has reported a spike in cases, but has not updated the statistics.
In the Americas, the Dominican Republic is now ranked 12th in confirmed cases after the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Canada, Ecuador, Bolivia and Panama.
See the Ministry of Public Health epidemiological
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John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center
University of Washington Health Data
University of Oxford Covid Tracker
Worldometer
Our World in Data
SICA
22 November 2020