Several private companies are participating in Civil Defense and Red Cross efforts to reduce accidents to a minimum and assist travelers during the Easter long weekend. The Easter long weekend is the peak vacation time for Dominicans that travel both to their home towns and to resorts all around the nation. The telecommunications company Tricom announced it will be allowing free calls in the emergency long distance centers it is installing on principal highways and resort areas. The emergency calling stations will be located in toll booths in the Duarte and Las Americas highways. Tricom emergency call centers will also be set up at the Shell Primavera gas station in La Vega, Shell Gurabo gas station in Santiago, Shell Adesa gas station in Sosua, and the Shell Juan Dolio gas station. Another emergency call center will be located at the Tricom mini-telecommunications center in Boca Chica. The company also announced it is furnishing Civil Defense and Red Cross brigades with free cellular phones. Movimed, a private ambulance company, announced it will have units stationed on the Santo Domingo-Santiago-Puerto Plata highway, and the Santo Domingo-San Pedro-Higüey-Punta Cana route. Cadena de Noticias, a 24 hour news radio station, said it will be transmitting news of happenings all throughout the Easter weekend. Cadena de Noticias transmits on 92.5 FM and 1040 am for Santo Domingo. For listeners in the South and East, they can tune in at 89.9 FM and those in the North and Santiago can tune in at 1130 AM. Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus López Rodríguez urged Dominicans to not defile the Holy Week days with vulgarities and excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages. He called for prudence and the use of seat belts when driving. He said that the beaches will be full of people, and so will the churches. Reports from around the island indicate that all hotels are reserved to the gilt for the Easter long weekend. "From Luperon to Cabarete all hotels are completely reserved by local and foreign tourists," confirmed Cesar Jose de los Santos, Deputy Minister of Tourism for Puerto Plata. He forecast a record attendance to North Coast beaches for the Easter long weekend. He said some beaches have been closed because they are considered dangerous beaches. Furthermore, Civil Defense has prohibited bathing after 6 pm on the beaches.
