DR News
The Dominican Republic is facing an outbreak of chickenpox and over the last week more than 880 cases were reported. The Epidemiologic Department at the Ministry of Public Health registered during the four weeks 3,316 cases that represent an increase of 14% over the same period last year. Chicken pox is a virus that regularly attacks people during the summer, although tropical climate favors its appearance during any time of the year.
Officials from the Ministry of Public Health recommend quarantining patients in their homes and not allowing contact with other persons who have not had the illness. Persons with chickenpox should not go to work or school or church until the outbreak, the tiny blisters have dried up, in around five days.
Chickenpox is caused by a virus that generally affects children and is not dangerous. It is not one of the illnesses on the recommended vaccination list followed by the Dominican public health sector and that is backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.
Chickenpox is not on the Broad Program of Immunizations (PAI) list because it is not considered a health risk. Nevertheless, officials recommend avoiding that those infected scratch the outbreak and damage the skin because this can produce major infections. Affected persons should bath two or three times a day and keep hands clean and fingernails short.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
May 25, 2018
The incapacitating drug, scopolalamine (burundanga), is making rounds in the Dominican Republic, the National Police has confirmed. The drug is blown into faces or soaked into business cards. The Police are warning to think twice before grabbing a piece of paper from a stranger under any pretext.
A report in Listin Diario relates the experiences of local victims of the drug, but likewise, tourists are said to be also targeted.
The drug is known to create a zombie-like state in its victims, leaving the person with no ability to control their actions, and at risk of emptying their bank accounts, handing over all belongings or opening up their homes. Incidents are reported for nightclubs and bars. The victims are both young women and wealthy-appearing men.
Police spokesman Frank Durán has called people to steer clear of persons soliciting directions to banks and other commercial establishments. He said the drug is inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
Source: DR1, Policianacional
May 22, 2018
Acting US ambassador in the Dominican Republic, Robert Copley, alerted the Dominican Republic to the poor track record in transparency, environmental and labor and local community development associated with Chinese investments and loans in other parts of the world. Reportedly, Copley met with President Danilo Medina on Thursday, 17 May 2018, for an hour when he expressed the official concern and “disappointment” on the Dominican establishing relations with China last month. The meeting occurred after the Dominican Republic severed 77-year old relations with Taiwan as a condition to sign a formal agreement with China.
The diplomatic ties request was signed in China by Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas and Administrative Minister of the Presidency Jose Ramon Peralta.
Copley said the position of the United States is that it respects the right of the Dominican Republic to establish relations with another country. However, the US government feels the timing was off. He also expressed concern that the country could take on loans that could affect the Dominican environment, labor and communities.
Copley remarked on issues with the track record of Chinese investments in Latin America and Africa.
Responding to the ambassador’s remarks, China Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lu Kang, said, in a press conference on 18 May 2018, since the US established relations with China in 1979, it is difficult understand why the US government wants to prevent other countries from entering into formal relations with the Chinese government.
He said: “China stands ready to develop friendly cooperative relations with other countries around the world on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the one-China principle. Since last year, China has established diplomatic ties with Panama and the Dominican Republic. It once again demonstrates that the one-China principle has been universally acknowledged and endorsed by the international community. As a principle of righteousness, it corresponds with the will of the people and the irresistible trend of the times.
“We are strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the above-mentioned remarks by the US side. The US established diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China in 1979 and acknowledged in the three China-US Joint Communiques that there is only one China in the world and that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole China. So, it baffles us as to why the US side wants to prevent other countries from recognizing the one-China principle and normalizing relations with the People’s Republic of China? We urge the US side to abide by the one-China principle, honor the clauses and its commitments in the three China-US Joint Communiques, refrain from making irresponsible remarks at other countries’ decisions to develop ties with China, and stop exploiting cross-Straits relations to interfere in China’s internal affairs.”
In the Dominican Republic, the Chinese commercial representative Fu Xinrong said the Copley statement is an intromission into Dominican affairs and irresponsible comment.
Prior to the signing of full-fledged diplomatic relations, Chinese investment in the Dominican Republic was already growing with several new companies beginning operations.
Source: DR1, Listindiario
May 22, 2018
On Sunday, 27th May Mother’s Day is celebrated in the Dominican Republic. In the Dominican Republic Mother’s Day is always held on the last Sunday of May. It is the day you should thank your mother in a very special way, overloading her with gifts. The gratitude of the children for the mother is high. To help the children express their gratitude, the flower shops and the many boutiques and shops are making special offers on washing machines, refrigerators, gas stoves, television sets, clothing and shoes. In Sosúa in El Batey, Sosúa Abajo and Charamicos we see flags outside the shops and shop windows decorated, to present the special Mother’s Day offers to lure the sons and daughters to buy their mother a present to express their gratitude for her.
But it is also a tradition for the Herman Strauss foundation and the military Airbase to provide gifts like food and other stuff for mothers from poor families.
Source: Sosua News
May 22, 2018
Last Friday, Sosúa Sharks, the basketball team from Sosúa, have won the tournament ‘Torneo de Baloncesto Superior XXIV 2018 Puerto Plata’ for the third time. A great performance. The team played several matches on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays against teams from Puerto Plata, Montellano, Santiago, Maimón and Sabaneta and lost only two games.
In the finals they played against the Las Cotorras from Puerto Plata, just as in 2015. They had to play against their opponent seven times in two weekends. The Las Cotorras or parrots won the first two games, but the rest of the games was won by the Sharks. After the presentation of the victory trophy the celebration went off. The team went to Charamicos, honking their horns and celebrating with a wildly enthusiastic crowd. Sosúa Sharks would like to thank their sponsors Hispaniola Beach, Gansevoort Playa Imbert, Ferreteria Luciano, Cable Delancer and Ahnvee Resort & Sports for their support. Thanks to these sponsors, the team was able to prepare for the tournament and appear in an appropriate team uniform.
Source: Sosua News
May 22, 2018
According to the well-known political figure Eduardo Estrella, the founder of the Dominicans for Change (DXC) party, the Dominican government was “ungrateful” towards Taiwan, when it unexpectedly broke relations last week with its former partner.
Estrella said that the Dominican recognition of the People’s Republic of China was especially unfortunate considering the fact that just a few months ago the country had received 90 SUVs, two helicopters and 100 motorcycles that were donated by Taiwan to the Ministry of Defense.
Estrella noted that the spokesman for the Presidential Palace (Roberto Rodriguez Marchena announced on 30 April 2018 that they had just informed the ambassador from Taiwan moments before making the public announcement about the break in relations and the forthcoming signing of diplomatic ties with the PRC.
Estrella said that the Dominican government has been continually referring to the expected arrival of millions of Chinese tourists that, in his opinion, is just never going to happen.
Estrella said that he is not opposed to the new relationship with the People’s Republic of China. But, he warned that the Dominican Republic needs to prepare itself in order to deal with this new commercial partner because the Dominican Republic is at a very real disadvantage in every aspect.
Source: DR1, 7dias
May 20, 2018
Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas was in Montevideo, Uruguay on 16 May 2018 where he signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation of Consular Services with the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Uruguay. The next step is for the Minister of Foreign Relations Rodolfo Nin Novoa of Uruguay to visit the Dominican Republic in the second half of the year for the signing of the agreement that would eliminate the requirement of tourism and business visas for Dominicans and Uruguayans. Vargas says this will mean an increase in the flow of tourists and investors between both countries.
The agreement also establishes a task group and the training of officers of both ministries, the exchange of information, experiences and documentation, and development of joint projects in consular matters.
During the meeting in Uruguay, Vargas and the Dominican delegation also focused on the possibility of the Dominican Republic advancing to member status in the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI). At present the DR is an observer nation. Also participating for the Dominican Republic were Alejandro de la Peña and Hugo Rivera.
Source: DR1, Mirex
May 20, 2018
PLD senator Adriano Sánchez Roa said that if in January 2019, polls show that President Danilo Medina is the favorite pre-candidate, the Dominican Constitution would be “adjusted” to respond to the “wish of the people.” The 2015 Constitution bans President Danilo Medina from seeking re-election in 2020.
Nevertheless, the ruling party senator says that based on the January 2019 polls the party will choose the highest ranked PLD politician since that official would be the best candidate for the party.
“In January, the leader who gets the highest percentage in the polls is a clear indication that the public has identified the most popular candidate, and frankly, that is all I need to see. If the polls conclude that the most popular candidate is Leonel Fernández, then our party should choose Fernandez as our candidate. If it is the Minister of Education, we should support him. Now if the highest ranked candidate is the President of the Republic and that is the interest and desire of the people, then the legislators will have to adjust the Constitution to whomever the people want,” he said.
Fellow PLD senator Dionis Sánchez said that the Constitution does not permit President Medina from seeking reelection and said that subject should not be touched.
Former President Leonel Fernández (1996-2000, 2004-2008, 2008-2012) aspires to be the PLD candidate in 2020.
Source: DR1, Hoy
May 20, 2018
Dominican students in Sweden, Ivanna Read and Rosa Guzman, were honored with the awards of Global Swede 2018 ambassador’s by the Swedish governmental Swedish Institute during their studies in Sweden. Global Swede is an annual award given to international students from different Swedish universities, who have excelled in academia in the areas of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. This initiative seeks to form long – term relationships with outstanding international students in Sweden and create bridges of multicultural and transnational networks.
The awards were presented to the students in a solemn ceremony by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden and the Swedish Institute. The two Dominicans were selected from thousands of eligible international students in Sweden.
Rosa Guzman studies at International Projects Management at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenberg. She has been involved over the past two years in the welcome committee for new students at the university.
Ivanna Read studies a master’s program in Strategic Communication at Lund University. During her two-year stay in Sweden she has participated as a blogger at the studyinsweden.se website.
The ceremony was presided over by the Minister for European Affairs and Trade, Ann Linde; Director General of the Swedish Institute Annika Rembe; and the Head of the Unit for the Promotion and Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Sweden, Camilla Mellander. Also present were a representation of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Sweden, members of other diplomatic missions and public and private sector of the Scandinavian country.
Source: Lunduniversity
May 20, 2018
The Tax Agency (DGII) announced the start of the application of the collecting of US$10 tourist card fee on all airline tickets issued abroad. Dominicans and foreigners with Dominican legal residency (including those with visas and accredited diplomats) and those traveling on small planes of 12 passengers or less can request to be reimbursed, as these persons are exempt from paying the tourist card fee.
Likewise, these same categories of persons are exempt from paying the tourist card fee when purchasing their tickets in the Dominican Republic to a Dominican travel agency or airline company based here.
To request to be reimbursed for the US$10 fee, the online link is:
https://www.dgii.gov.do/TturistaWeb/…strarReembolso
Source: DR1
May 15, 2018
