The Ministry of Public Health’s Epidemiology Department Coronavirus Bulletin #252 reports 1,258 new PCR confirmed cases. This is a recent high in confirmed cases. The previous 7-day nationwide average for PCR confirmed cases is 600 cases.
A record 7,002 first PCR tests were carried out in time for the 25 November report deadline. The government is reaching out to the population in shopping malls, government offices and companies, and more testing is being carried out. The previous 14-day average is at 4,677. The country has capacity to process 10,000 PCR tests a day. Bulletin 252 reports a all time high of 9,479 PCR tests (including follow up PCR tests) for a single day.
The 4-week positivity rate is 11.52%, again up slightly. The 24-hour positivity is a recent high of 17.97%. The number of reported active cases is now at 24,918, up more than a thousand cases from the previous day.
The Ministry of Public Health Covid-19 team had been reporting a marked decline in demand for tests over the past month. To reach out to the people, the Ministry has been setting up more fixed stations for testing and expanded services at public hospitals and places to catch the disease early. The Ministry has also undertaken corporate testing. It is unknown what percentage of the increase in cases results from the testing outreach programs or an actual increase in spread.
Meanwhile, Congress decided this week that the country will continue under the declaration of a National State of Emergency through 15 January 2021. The Ministry of Public Health is concerned that home and friends’ gatherings and increased mobility may lead to the same virus flare-ups that have affected other countries worldwide. Bulletin #252 shows a spike in the number of cases.
The good weather year-round allows for people to gather outside in the Dominican Republic. Many restaurants offer outside dining and are packed with people seeking to enjoy time with friends and relatives outside the home. Resorts and public beaches are also full of Dominicans seeking the freedom of outdoor outings with friends and family. Likewise, Black Friday shopping has crowds of people out on the streets and in stores.
The Ministry of Public Health continues to recommend keeping curfew and preventive measures. In the cities, mask wearing is the norm. President Luis Abinader himself has expressed concern people letting down their guard will lead to the surges in cases seen abroad. President Abinader has said there could be flexibility in the evening curfew for the 24 and 31 December festivities. But the President and the health authorities say the health indicators at the time will determine whether measures are relaxed or strengthened.
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 #252, with the deadline of 25 November 2020, the Ministry of Public Health has registered 140,922 confirmed cases since the first case on 1 March 2020. Partial curfew has been in place since 18 March 2020.
Despite the recent spike, the number of deaths continues to be low. As of 25 November bulletin, the toll of deaths in the Dominican Republic was 2,317 for a population of more than 10 million. The fatality rate is 1.64% over the past four weeks. This number has been consistently dropping for the past two months. The fatality rate per 1M inhabitants is 221.75. 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 683.
Worldometer lists the 1M deaths per inhabitant rate for the Dominican Republic at 213. According to the 1M deaths statistics, fewer people have died of Covid-19 in the Dominican Republic than in Spain at 942, Italy at 875, Argentina at 831, the United Kingdom at 838, the United States at 810, Brazil at 801, France at 775, Colombia at 702 and Canada at 309, all major markets for Dominican tourism.
The Ministry of Public Health report #252 keeps an upward trend for hospitalization units. 24% of Covid-19 hospital beds are occupied (685 of 2,865 total available). 36% of the intensive care units for Covid-19 are taken (181 of 502 beds). Units available for Covid-19 patients have declined recently.
The past 14 days bulletin results are:
Bulletin #252: 140,922 confirmed cases, 1,258 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 1.64%, fatality rate per 1M is 221.75.
Bulletin #251: 139,396 confirmed cases, 567 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 1.66%, fatality rate per 1M is 221.56.
Bulletin #250: 139,111 confirmed cases, 282 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 2 death are reported in the past 24 hours, one in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.66%, fatality rate per 1M is 221.37.
Bulletin #249: 138,829 confirmed cases, 419 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, 1 death are reported in the past 24 hours, none in the past 24 hours, fatality is 1.67%, fatality rate per 1M is 221.18.
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.
Greater Santo Domingo continues to lead in the number of reported PCR cases. As of 25 November at 6pm, the deadline for Bulletin #252, the most confirmed cases have been reported in the National District (37,195) and the Santo Domingo province (28,587). The numbers account for 46% of the 140,922 confirmed cases nationwide.
Other provinces with more than 500 confirmed cases are: Santiago (15,105), La Vega (5,458), La Altagracia (5,135), San Cristobal (5,015), Puerto Plata (3,913), Duarte (3,859), La Romana (3,443), Espaillat (2,847), San Juan de la Maguana (2,344), Sánchez Ramírez (2,164), Barahona (2,079), Azua (2,073), Monseñor Nouel (2,112), San Pedro de Macoris (1,908), Peravia (1,368), Maria Trinidad Sanchez (1,349), Valverde (1,030), Hermanas Mirabal (1,006), Baoruco (990), Independencia (715), Santiago Rodriguez (686), Monte Plata (642), San José de Ocoa (601), Pedernales (564), Samaná (561) and El Seibo (550).
The Ministry indicates that the newest allocated cases (more than 9) reported for 25 November 2020 update deadline are: National District (420), Santo Domingo (268), Santiago (69), Duarte (57), La Altagracia (49), La Romana (44), La Vega (40), Monseñor Nouel (40), Monte Plata (37), Puerto Plata (34), María Trinidad Sánchez (30), Sánchez Ramírez (24), San Pedro de Macoris (23) and Valverde (22).
Haiti reports 9,248 confirmed cases and 232 deaths, for the 25 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
bulletins
John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center
University of Washington Health Data
University of Oxford Covid Tracker
Worldometer
Our World in Data
SICA
26 November 2020