Archive for September, 2020
Hotels ordered to limit occupancy to 60% to keep physical distancing
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 weekend. People responded to the discounts on stays ranging from 20 to 50%.
Tourism Minister Collado announced that 19 hotels of eight chains are participating in new programs that offer great deals and vacation financing. The Domestic Tourism Incentives Plan begins on 1 October in alliance with the Reservas, Popular, and BHD Leon banks.
Collado mentioned Riu, AMResorts, Bahía Príncipe, Meliá, Viva, BeLife, Barceló, Hard Rock and Casa de Campo have deals with steep discounts.
Collado said the effort seeks to contribute to the recovery of the tourism industry but at the same time to the emotional health of Dominican families that have been in lockdown mode since March 2020. Collado says the government expects 10,000 hotel room nights to be filled from now to December.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Sep 30, 2020
2021 National Budget Bill hits the trillion
President Luis Abinader, Vice President Raquel Peña, and the Council of Ministers met at the Presidential Palace on Monday, 28 September 2020, and approved the National Budget Bill for RD$1.037 trillion. This is the first time a trillionaire budget is presented. The bill is scheduled to be submitted to Congress by 1 October.
Hacienda Minister Jochi Vicente said the government expects to receive RD$746 billion in revenues and to spend RD$891 billion.
The deficit would be about 3% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Vicente said the public debt of the non-financial sector in the 2021 budget could reach 59.3% of the GDP.
Hacienda Minister Vicente said that focus is on stabilization and recovery. “We expect the economy to have fully recovered by the end of 2021 and in 2022,” said the minister.
The previous National Budget was for RD$997.1 billion.
Source: DR1, N Digital
Sep 30, 2020
Ivermectin to people who suspect they may have caught the virus
It’s not on the official list for Covid-19 treatments, but in the Dominican Republic, physicians at private and public hospitals regularly prescribe the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin to people who suspect they may have caught the virus. The reasons: The drug is readily available at pharmacies without prescription, is a low cost, and has low side effects with the correct dose.
Dr. Jose Natalio Redondo of Grupo Rescue with hospitals affiliated in Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, and La Romana says they have treated around 6,000 patients with ivermectin with a high success rate.
The advantage of ivermectin, says Redondo, is that it is a well-known and studied drug because it has been used for more than 30 years in humans and for about 45 years in animals. He said more than one trillion doses per year are prescribed without side effects all around the world.
He explained that the current dose for a person weighing between 80 and 90 kilos is six or seven tablets in total, which can be administered all together or in daily doses, preferably in the early stage of symptoms. “Our group is giving all six together in the emergency room to patients with COVID,” he said.
Diario Libre published on Tuesday, 30 September 2020, the findings of an Argentine scientific study that proves that the drug reduces the viral load of the disease.
Source: DR1, Listindiario
Sep 30, 2020
Education Minister explains preparations for 2020-2021 school year
In a meeting with media directors on Tuesday, 29 September 2020, Education Minister Roberto Furcal confirmed that distance learning for public school children starts 2 November. He said television, radio, and the Internet will be used to reach the students. He said most public school teachers had already received their laptops, and the teachers’ training in distance learning had begun on 18 September. He said connectivity is the main obstacle to online learning.
He presented the Ministry of Education’s “Safe Education for All” plan. He said the national and international bidding process is underway to purchase devices needed for online education programs. He said that ministry technicians are at work to produce the contents. The ministry is producing 20 masterclasses on topics to prepare better citizens. Furcal announced that meanwhile, provisions are underway to renovate the schools for when in-person learning can resume.
Source: DR1, Acento
Sep 30, 2020
Ministry of Tourism fines hotel with RD$1 million for violating health protocol
Tourism Minister David Collado announced on his Twitter account on 30 September 2020 that the Riu Bambu is being fined RD$1 million for violating the health protocol. Hotels represented by the Association of Hotels & Tourism (Asonahores) and the Ministry of Tourism had agreed to the Covid-19 health protocol established in Resolution DJ-03/2020.
Collado said that the management of the hotel said the situation would not happen again. “The owners of the hotel apologized to the local authorities and the President of the Republic, and assured us that the situation presented last weekend will not happen again,” said Collado. He said if there is a repeat, the Ministry would close the resort.
Over the Mercedes Day long weekend, a video showing a packed hotel and people violating physical distancing and other protocols circulated on social media.
Collado said that over the long weekend, the Ministry of Tourism inspectors verified that most hotels complied with the safety and hygiene measures.
Source: DR1
Sep 30, 2020
Last updated April 7, 2024 at 12:19 am