On 1 March 2020, the first case of Covid-19 was diagnosed in the Dominican Republic. It marked a before and after in life in the Dominican Republic.
The first patient was Italian tourist Claudio Pascualini. He would be hospitalized at the Ramon de Lara Hospital at the San Isidro Air Force Base where he remained for an extended 54 days because he continued to test positive despite an apparent recovery.
Covid-19 vaccinations in the Dominican Republic did not begin until 16 February 2021. Two years later, the Dominican Republic posts 5% positivity rates, and a downward trend in cases. The country has suffered five waves of the disease, with the last two – Delta and Omicron – declining relatively fast. This is attributed to the vaccinating of most of the population with the combination of Sinovac and Pfizer vaccines.
Nevertheless, the health authorities are discouraged that the 70% overall vaccination rate has not been met. The government has secured vaccines for three doses for the population, but the population has not responded as expected and hundreds of thousands remain to get vaccinated at the more than 1,400 vaccination stations nationwide, with hundreds more now open at public schools all around the country.
A report in El Dia says that the government may soon eliminate several of these stations because of the decline in persons seeking the vaccinations, including the boosters. 15.2 million doses have been applied and 5.8 million persons have at least two doses. The number of vaccines applied for the 27 February 2022 deadline were 9,771. The seven day average is now at 11,414.
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Diario Libre
El Dia
DR1 News – Covid-19 Bulletin #711
1 March 2022