2020 – Page 72

In a press conference, Tourism Minister David Collado said the ministry would send inspectors to verify that hotels comply with the approved health protocols for Covid-19. Dominicans have responded to promotions, filling hotel rooms on weekends. The Ministry of Tourism acknowledges that resorts and hotels around the country were booked full for the past long …

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The Ministry of Public Health has said the Covid-19 virus is “under control” in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic right now is enjoying “the first flattening of the curve.” Yet, it takes but two weeks for the spread of the virus to spring back. Online videos are showing thousands of people gathering in violation …

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The Vice Presidency and the Ministry of Economy are prioritizing initiatives that can revert the present situation where the Dominican Republic leads in teenage pregnancies in Latin America. Vice President Raquel Peña, who is also the Abinader Health Cabinet coordinator, said that working on these challenges is a priority for President Luis Abinader. She said …

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The Santo Domingo metro and skylift have extended their operating hours. The new schedules were announced after the government reduced the circulation curfew to 9pm to 5am Monday to Friday and 7pm to 5am Saturday and Sunday (Decree 504-20). The metro will now operate from 6am to 8pm Monday to Friday and from 6am to …

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According to the Central Bank, government tax collections were down 14% and government spending is up 24% for the first half of the year. The statistics reflect the unexpected spending for Covid-19 and the change of administrations. The Central Bank reports that revenues are 7.5% below the estimates included in the supplementary budget passed to …

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New York Consul General Eligio Jáquez says Dominican expats can expect better services from the Dominican government. The New York Consulate is the most important in the United States. Jáquez estimates it serves a population of 1.2 million Dominicans. He says the call center expects to assist Dominicans so they do not have to go …

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President Luis Abinader announced on Monday, 28 September 2020, the government will be subsidizing low-income students to keep these from dropping out. The new program allocates money to pay for university studies. The program mostly benefits students enrolled in private universities. Low income students pay very little or nothing at the state university. The Ministry …

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Engineer Serafín Canario, the general manager for the Punta Catalina 720MW coal-fired power central, says Unit 1 of the power plant will be off the grid for around six days for repairs. Canario mentioned problems with the filtering system and others. He says the problems were detected in October 2019, when the Public Electricity Corporation …

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The Ministry of Foreign Relations (Mirex) announces savings of around RD$2.6 billion a year with the cancellation of 781 people who did not comply with the requirements to work in the Dominican foreign service. The savings are around RD$222.6 million a month. Deputy Minister for Bilateral Foreign Policy José Julio Gómez explained the cuts were …

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Ethics Agency director Milagros Ortiz Bosch was at the Ministry of Public Health on Monday, 28 September 2020, to collect evidence of what could be the first case of corruption of an Abinader administration officer. The agency has promised to prosecute government officers incurring in corruption. The former Vice President said the government would report …

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