COVID-19

My friend was talking to Cabo San Lucas Mexico today

Business as usual...

Crazy Crazy......
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Dominican Obedience



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mILcQ1qbmx8

Guided tour of the streets of Sosúa
The press officer Felix Corona of the town hall has put together a video production of a tour of Sosúa. With a camera in a car, he gave an impression of the extent to which the residents of Sosúa stay in their homes. Furthermore, whether they keep one and a half meters distance from each other in public areas, street, beach and supermarket. The tour starts from the Puerto Plata thoroughfare to Sosúa. Via Sosúa Abajo the tour continues to La Piedra in Charamicos, La Piedra is part of Charamicos. The tour then continues to the police station in El Batey where the commander of the National Police is spoken to.


The commander says that they carry out checks to ensure that every company is complying with the closure times and that after 8 o'clock in the evening there are no people outside. An ambulance arrives at that moment. The medical officer on duty says that there are no cases of corona victims in Sosúa yet. That it is also very quiet for them because there is little traffic and therefore few traffic accidents. Then the tour continues through el Batey. There are also few people on the street there. It is striking that hardly anyone keeps the distance of one and a half meters. In the coming period, additional information must be provided about this. But it is gratifying that no coronavirus infections have been detected in Sosúa so far. But alertness is still required.
https://www.sosuanews.com/index.php?id= … ;article=1

The Latest Report


Covid-19: 488 cases in DR, 10 deaths
The Ministry of Public Health in its Bulletin No. 7 dated 26 March reports that there are 96 more new coronavirus disease cases in the Dominican Republic, for a total of 488 cases. Of these, 108 are in hospital isolation and 367 in self-isolation at home. The increase in total cases is the lowest increase between reports so far this month of March, up 24%. As more testing becomes available, the numbers of positive cases are expected to increase.

1 March: 1 case. Italian who had arrived 22 February.
5 March: 2 cases (up 100%)
7 March: 5 cases (up 150%)
13 March: 11 cases (up 120%)
16 March: 21 cases (up 90%), 1 death
Classes called off, people ordered to stay home, telework

18 March: 34 cases (up 62%)
All flights canceled except ferry flights for tourists in the country

20 March: 72 cases (up 112%), 2 deaths
National Emergency State declared
Nationwide curfew from 8pm to 6am. Cancellation of Metro, OMSA buses and Skylift.

21 March: 112 cases, 3 deaths
22 March: 202 cases (up 116%)

23 March: 245 cases
24 March: 312 cases (up 54%), 6 deaths

25 March: 392 cases, 10 deaths
26 March: 488, cases (up 24%)

As of Bulletin No. 7 of the Ministry of Public Health, the positive cases of Covid-19 were located in:
National District: 235, up from 178
Santo Domingo Province: 55, up from 52
Santiago: 57, up from 53, 2 deaths
Duarte (San Francisco de Macoris): 43, up from 29, 4 deaths
La Altagracia (Higuey, Veron, Punta Cana): 11 cases
San Pedro de Macorís: 12 up from 10, 1 death
La Vega: 11, up from 8
Samaná: 7, 1 death
Sánchez Ramírez (Cotuí): 6
Espaillat (Moca): 10, up from 5
La Romana: 6, up from 5
Puerto Plata: 7, up from 5
San Cristóbal: 5, up from 4
María Trinidad Sánchez (Salcedo): 4, up from 3
Monseñor Nouel (Bonao) 3
Hato Mayor 2, up from 0
San Juan de la Maguana: 2, 1 death
Barahona: 2
Monte Plata:
Azua: 4
Independencia: 1
Valverde: 2, up from 1

Provinces without persons testing positive are: Montecristi, Dajabón, Santiago Rodríguez, Elías Piña, Bahoruco, Pedernales, San Jose de Ocoa and El Seibo.

Public Health Minister Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas says that around 25% of the persons who are tested have had positive results. To take the test, the person needs to have a physician prescription and at least two or three Covid-19 symptoms.

There are more calls to make this a 24 hour curfew.  It's coming, just a matter of when.

Govt is slowly releasing details.of their plans to help people.  Many of the credits to the tarjeta plan will happen April 1 apparently. Do not go shopping then, go before payday on the 30th if you can!

Increase today of 93 to 581 total confirmed cases with high risk transmission areas of Santo Domingo, DN, Santiago and Duarte.

Total of 20 deaths. 3.4%. 12 in Duarte province

If it becomes 24 hours how do you get food etc?

Ducketts

Here is the update on where the increases have occurred during the past day:

Santo Domingo District Nacional     +38
Santo Domingo rest                            +11
Santiago                                                +9
Duarte (SFM)                                         +16
La Romana                                            +3
Puerto Plata (incl Sosua/Cabarete)   +4
La Vega   (includes Jarabacoa)           +5
Hermanas Mirabel                               +1    mayoress Tavares
Samana                                                 +1
SPM                                                        +1
Monsinour Noeul     (incl Bonao)      +1
San Cristobel                                       +1
Barahona                                              +2
Azua                                                       +3
Peravia (includes Bani)                       +1

Some interesting trends.

DN has dropped and the confirmed cases has double in 4 days. A good sign but early days. What I have seen in this part of the capital which has more middle class and upper areas, is a good response to the measures asked.

Cases in the Cibao are rising - a worry with SFM being a big problem. 32 of total

Puerto Plata showing increases over a few days

Potential worries west of Santo Domingo in San Cristobel, Bani, Azua and Barahona and to watch with small and new increases in all.

Jury is out on rest of Santo Domingo where the majority of densely populated poor barrios are with a 4 day daily increase of: 1,12,1,13

In a 24 hour curfew you can leave for essential services work,  grocery stores and farmacies or medical attention. Nothing else is permitted.

Here is the issue with the numbers - they are so restrictive on who qualifies for the test that it is ridiculous!   

I personally know people who are 99% sure they have it and CANNOT get tested. They wont qualify until they are ready for a damn respirator!

Ducketts to give you an idea, here is the relevant part of the new emergency powers act from Turks and Caicos Islands which as a 24 hour curfew from tomorrow.

As planner says there will likely be allowance for very limited periods to go out for essentials.....i doubt the exercise in DR

Shelter in place

7A. (1) For the purposes of preventing, controlling and suppressing the spread the virus, every person shall, during the curfew period under regulation 7, remain confined to their place of residence (inclusive of their yard space) to avoid contact outside of their family, except—
(a) essential workers, who are directed to report to work by the person in charge of the service;
(b) workers who are required to work for businesses under regulation 7D;
(c) for essential travel to and from the doctor, grocery store, bank, pharmacy or to refuel;
(d) for outdoor exercise, whether alone or together with a family member living under the same roof, not exceeding an hour and a half per day between the hours of 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.;
(e) to attend urgent meetings of the Cabinet;
(f) to attend urgent meetings of the House of Assembly:
Provided that such person shall, at all times, adhere to the social distancing requirement

Cayman Islands is tightening the screws - I hear

This suggests a fair bit of bad news to come in Sanchez Ramirez over the next few days. The Cibao looks more of a worry by the day.

Two elderly in Cotuí asylum test positive for coronavirus

The information was confirmed by Dr. Antonio de Jesús Casso, who is the medical director of the geriatric center.

Two elderly people from the nursing home of the Inmaculada Concepción Lions Club, in Cotuí tested positive for coronavirus.

The information was confirmed by Dr. Antonio de Jesús Casso, who is the medical director of the geriatric center.

On the state of health of the affected people, the doctor referred local journalists to the Ministry of Public Health, the official institution to give information on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several units of the provincial directorate of the health entity presented themselves to the place to disinfect the institutions, which house 44 elderly people.

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … gn=related

They are at highest risk.  How very sad.  I have been to similar places and I can tell you that most care giversea. Well but they just don't have enough education or supplies to be able to manage this properly.

Increase of 138 to 719 confirmed cases and total of 28 deaths.

Not good news at all.

Update as to where the one increases reported today have occurred:

SD District National            48
Santo Domingo rest           13
Santiago                                24
Duarte                                     6
La Altagracia                          6
La Romana                             5
Puerto Plata                           2
La Vega                                  17
Hermanas Mirabel                6
SPM                                         2
Monsignor Nouel                  2
Espillat                                     1
San Juan                                  1
Sanchez Ramirez                   1
San Cristobel                          2
Azua                                         1
Monte Plata                            1

No cases yet      8 provinces
No new cases     7 provinces

Cibao is looking a worry with 57 of the new cases

La Romana, SPM and La Altagracia up 13

Santo Domingo all 61

Maybe time for 24 hour curfew or at least keep people at home and stop movement around the cities and between regions. There is too much car traffic happening for people in essential services and getting food and medicine. The population has been warned.

https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2020/03/28/610796/ministro-de-salud-explota-contra-supuestos-especuladores-con-la-cifra-de-coronavirus

Health Minister exploits against alleged speculators with the coronavirus number

The Minister of Public Health, Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas, exploded today against alleged speculators who, according to him, what they seek is to spread fear in Dominican society with uncertain figures about the behavior of the Coronavirus in the country.

He emphatically rejected that not all deaths in clinics or hospitals are due to Covid-19.

He explained that clinics that have cases of Covid-19 or death are obliged to report it to the National Health Service or to Epidemiology.

He considered as an abuse that the country's National Statistics System is being discredited with speculation.

"We are not going to enter that game," said Sánchez Cárdenas, visibly uncomfortable, after calling on the public not to pay attention to those people who want to panic the population.

"It is irresponsible to be playing with the statistics that are being offered," he said.

Slow testing

Regarding the slowness of the tests, the official said that there is no slowness in the tests, and that what has occurred is an over-demand of people who come to do it for a simple flu, based on fear and not on the protocol that is used. You must continue in these cases.

"Anyone who has been identified and has been cleared in the contact centers has been duly attended to," he said.

I totally agree here. Too many sensational comments on social media. The reporting is good and the level of testing for such a small country is decent for managing the spread which can be understood better by looking at the details over the past six days of detailed reporting rather than the headline number. The policies are good and proven, but clearly the compliance is not good enough and the government should tighten things up imo now.

Stay at home and only go out for essentials with self distancing is a proven strategy to beat this now community spread in quickest time.

deleted

This is an interesting read for those who wish to understand how a 24 hour curfew can work as is the case of the curfew that just came into effect today in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Governor in this link explains the curfew:

https://m.facebook.com/notes/turks-and- … 878289073/

It is not unusual to allow people out for essentials and exercise and this was the case in Hubei, china albeit controlled by community associations....and it worked quickly.

I imagine DR might follow the Michigan curve...similarities ~10 million in population, vast socio-economic splits in the population, mix of dense cities and very sparsely populated rural areas...our epicenter is Detroit where access to water has been an issue the Mayor is belatedly trying to address.  DR numbers seem to be tracking very similarly...Michigan is waterbound on 3 sides...but has a very active (until recently) international border...so hold tight everyone!  I hope I'm wrong...

[link under review]

https://www.bing.com/covid/local/michigan_unitedstates

I don't think so.

Michigan appears to have the virus  everywhere and accelerating

This is the DR 'bing' graph but is incorrect.

https://www.bing.com/covid/local/dominicanrepublic

We have had figures everyday and the flat no result day is in error and if the missing day is in there the rate of slope is fairly uniform, but this is early days and in DR we have far less cases per the same sort of population....for now at least with perhaps tougher lock down too. But it is not going to be enough because of too many people are out of the home.

One thing DR needs to do more is the large scale disinfecting of infected areas.

The army did this in San Francisco de Macoris and I read that yesterday the same was done in the La Paz sector of Santo Domingo which includes O& M university (closed) and public buildings. It happened in schools but they are closed. I read the supermarkets are spending time disinfecting each day. This may be happening elsewhere.

The Chinese did this large scale in Wuhan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLdwCdyiDCw

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/salud/cmd-advierte-cuarentena-nacional-es-impostergable-para-detener-el-coronavirus-MI17973258

CMD warns national quarantine "is urgent" to stop coronavirus

Eleven medical societies in the country sign the union's proposal

The Dominicano Medical College (CMD) and 11 medical societies called on the Government of the Dominican Republic to implement a mandatory national quarantine for 14 days in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus nationwide.

The statement notes that "the implementation of the mandatory national quarantine is recommended by the World Health Organization as the most effective way to stop the spread of the coronavirus infection."

During the quarantine period, the medical unions propose, basic services to the population should be maintained, especially the most impoverished.The letter addressed to President Danilo Medina, the Minister of Public Health Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas and the director of the National Service de Salud Chanel Rosa Chupany, maintains that in the absence of a vaccine or an effective drug for mass use against the disease, the mandatory national quarantine is a measure "that cannot be postponed and is timely."

The document is also signed by the Dominican societies of Pneumology, Epidemiology, Family and Community Medicine, Health Doctors, Intensive Care and Critical Medicine, Infectology, Cardiology, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emergenciology, and Internal Medicine.

It is what we need but I am not sure it will happen yet. 

Sadly many will die here due to lack of medical facilities, equipment and well trained staff.  Inabity for some to social distance is also going to continue being an issue.

And I agree about the BS all over social media.  Supposedly educated people pushing such crap.  And not just locals some of what I read that is written.or shared by expats is just mind boggling.

859 total cases, a daily increase of 140. Death total 39. A total of deaths 21 in Duarte province.

We all need to focus on staying safe and doing what we can.

Breakdown of daily increase:

Santo Domingo DN                  +55
Santo Domingo the rest          +22
Santiago                                      +7
Duarte                                         +18
La Altagracia                               +4
La Romana                                  +2
Puerto Plata                                +3
La Vega                                        +15
Samana                                        +1
SPM                                              +1
Monsignor Noeul                       +5
Espillat                                         +4
San Cristobel                              +1
Azua                                             +1
Monte Cristi                                +1
Santiago Rodriguez                   +2

Uplift in Greater Santo Domingo of 77 plus one in San Cristobel

Cibao up 54

SD will always be one to watch with one third of population and the increases outside DN where the poorer barrios lie are creeping up.

La Vega could be the next hot spot after Duarte.

I support a 24 hour or much longer curfew being called by many sectors or at very least the isolation of areas (Santiago mayor has called for this in his city) - which is relatively easy in DR due to limited road networks. Stop the remaining people movements surely must come now to keep this under control. People need to be forced to stay at home most of the time for a few weeks.

Again I believe this will happen as soon as the.govt support program is activated.

We need this immediately.  Hospitals are now full.  Already, many hospitals are out of beds and quarantine spaces.  Nurses and doctors don't have equipment.  This is why expats needed to go home.

You say Expats need to go home.  I can't speak for others but we have tried and there nothing available.

Our car is at Barcelona airport and our flight was/is from POP-BRU-BCN.  Added to which the Spanish and the French are allowing only authorised movements through their borders.

We were offered the possibility of a flight from SDQ-PAR but  this was impossible as I have underlying health issues, and there are no train services from Paris to the south of the country.

We can't travel via the US nor Canada as a transit Visa is required (for my wife) and I'm sure even if we could travel to the US embassy in SD they have far more important issues to consider, added to which a flight like this would be very difficult.

So we are truly stuck for the time being.  We are fortunate that we are in a house with garden and we can stay here for as long as it takes albeit our permission to stay in DR runs out on 8th June.  I don't expect this an immediate issue for the DR Gov.

If you have any other advice it would be welcomed.  Thanks

Ducketts

Ducketts
all that crap about expats going home is just that - CRAP
Zero flight s to almost anywhere

My UK daughter is stranded but will not return to London yet
No matter what

I think you are at less risk here... I am staying put

Just hunker down.... enjoy the weather, the vistas, the garden

UK has a run on seeds as many have begun planting....

Thanks for the kind message  Totally agree with you

Thanks

Ducketts

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/salud/gobierno-asegura-hay-capacidad-de-respuesta-en-centros-de-salud-para-pacientes-con-covid-19-KI17978772

Government ensures there is response capacity in health centers for patients with COVID-19

Indicates that despite the new cases reported, the health system is not yet saturated

The Minister of Public Health, Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas assured this Sunday that, despite the significant increase in people infected by coronavirus in the country, the health system is not saturated.

He stated that at a general level they have effective response capacity, since hospitals "are leaving and entering people frequently."

"We do not have yet to speak of a complete saturation of the system, because a separation is being made of what are positive patients, slight which are the majority of cases, which are, let's say, in wards, agencies and special classes, as has done in San Francisco de Macorís, where six apartments each with three rooms have been enabled, "he said.

He stressed that the Metropolitan Hospital of Santiago (Homs) has 17 isolation rooms and the Medical Union has 7 rooms, and that from today to tomorrow the Las Colinas hospital will be used to receive the necessary patients. However, those centers he cited are private.



[i]Minister of Health on rebounds and quarantine: "We will recommend more aggressive measures to the President"

Total quarantine is a possible option in San Francisco de Macorís

[link under review]

https://noticiassin.com/mueren-cuatro-envejecientes-en-asilo-de-cotui-dos-habian-dado-positivo-al-covid-19/

Four elderly people die in asylum in Cotuí, two had tested positive for COVID-19

SÁNCHEZ RAMÍREZ.-  Two of the elderly who tested positive for the coronavirus died and two others who were not tested also lost their lives.

Dionis Antigua Rodríguez, director of the Immaculate Conception Home for the Elderly in Cotuí, stated that there are eight elderly people with the virus in the place and that so far neither the Ministry of Public Health nor the National Council of the Aging Person (Conape) has helped them .

The Nursing Home had reported that three older adults housed would have tested positive for the COVID-19, so health professionals who work there requested intervention at the Ministry of Public Health site to ensure that the rest of the elderly and the nuns who live there become infected.

According to the president of the board, Dr. Cassó, they notified the province's health authorities about the situation, but ruled out that it was the disease on a medical visit.

However, as the symptoms worsened, the elderly were transferred to the Cotuí hospital where they took the tests and tested positive.

Two of the patients were admitted to a health center, while the other was sent to the asylum.

A third elderly man has symptoms, but his results are still pending.

Inside the asylum there are about 47 elderly and 13 people for their care, including nuns. But they do not have masks or gloves for their protection, so they ask for urgent help from the health ministry, denounces a communication sent to the media.



I do hope they isolate Cotui now like SFM. I suspect a lot of bad news to come for Sanchez Ramirez province.

I am still awaiting to read more on the recent spike in La Vega province.

Good grief this is horrifying!  This is an abuse of those poor people.

And yes the spread will be continuing.

Duckets -. What I said was: expats NEEDED to go home.   No one is going anywhere now. 

There are almost no flights going anywhere.

The healthcare system here is overburdened at the best of times.  I am not talking  private  I am talking public system.

For this govt to say they are not saturated is a joke.  On a regular basis they have no supplies, Imagine now!

Anyone with no insurance better have money.

They have now closed Santo Domingo East from DN.

They block the passage from Santo Domingo Este to the National District by the Juan Bosch bridge


https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … HH17985046


Capitaleños woke up this Monday with a blockade on the Juan Bosch bridge in the pass between the National District and Santo Domingo Este.

So far, the closure of the Juan Bosch Bridge has been verified where the people who live in the Santo Domingo Este municipality cannot cross into the National District.

It can be seen in the transmission made by Diario Libre that only a few vehicles manage to cross into the National District and most are returned by the same bridge.

People who dismount from public vehicles and try to cross into the National District are arrested and are not allowed to pass.

The measure has surprised the city, since it had not been announced by any channel, although voice notes have emerged from alleged military personnel in which it is said that "they are going to close Eastern Santo Domingo."

Hard to know what is going on. There was a live video of Puente Juan Bosch and they started letting some traffic through because the bridge was full of traffic and we saw police and military pulling over carros publico. Then the live video stopped. but back on as below.

The last report in Dairio Libre said they were trying to close off Zona Oriental.

https://www.facebook.com/DiarioLibre/vi … 736884195/

This is a mess, typical.  Anyone who went to work this morning early May not be able to get home.