Covid 19 and Dominican Republic economy

The World Health Organization has warned leaders against relying on COVID-19 lockdowns to tackle outbreaks — after previously saying countries should be careful how quickly they re-open.

WHO envoy Dr. David Nabarro said that such restrictive measures should only be treated as a last resort, the British magazine The Spectator reported in a video interview.

“We in the World Health Organization do not advocate lockdowns as the primary means of control of this virus,” Nabarro said.

“The only time we believe a lockdown is justified is to buy you time to reorganize, regroup, rebalance your resources, protect your health workers who are exhausted, but by and large, we'd rather not do it.”

Nabarro said that there's significant harm caused by tight restrictions, particularly on the global economy.

“Lockdowns just have one consequence that you must never ever belittle, and that is making poor people an awful lot poorer,” he said.

He added that lockdowns have severely impacted countries that rely on tourism.

“Just look at what's happened to the tourism industry in the Caribbean, for example, or in the Pacific because people aren't taking their holidays,” Nabarro told the outlet.

“Look what's happened to smallholder farmers all over the world. Look what's happening to poverty levels. It seems that we may well have a doubling of world poverty by next year. We may well have at least a doubling of child malnutrition.”

The UN agency previously warned countries against lifting lockdowns too soon during the first wave of the virus.

“The last thing any country needs is to open schools and businesses, only to be forced to close them again because of a resurgence,” said Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

But Tedros had urged countries to bolster other measures, including widespread testing and contact tracing, so they could safely reopen and avoid future lockdowns.

“We need to reach a sustainable situation where we have adequate control of this virus without shutting down our lives entirely, or lurching from lockdown to lockdown — which has a hugely detrimental impact on societies,” he said.

https://nypost.com/2020/10/11/who-warns … ic-damage/

The article being mentioned by Stan in context.

The comment in the article calling the virus a "chinese Communist Virus"  was and is  a disservice.  That got it flagged! Period.

Stating your opinions is absolutely  fine.  Repeating or reposting comments like the one above is not.

I am in agreement in many ways. I do believe lockdown is a last resort or to be used  carefully. We are NOT in lockdown.  We are in a curfew, big difference.

For me,  my opinion, its about balance!  Balancing the need to protect the most vulnerable and keep the economy going. I get that. I  am keeping  almost  50  employees going!   Its not easy but its necessary.  I also do everything I can to protect myself and my employees from getting sick.

A blanket statement or  judgement of what is being done helps no one!

Unfortunately I copied and pasted the article that did use CCP. David Nabarro did not use that term in his message.

The reposting of comments or articles that are relevant to the conversation is 90% of the posts on Covid 19 thread. Keeping a open mind will go a long way in one's education.

There is little difference between a  lockdown or curfew if business cannot open.

We all have our differences of opinion and for me, that's okay.

There is no lockdown in the DR.

There is a curfew.

People are going about their daily business throughout the country and the business activity is greater than before covid19 in 95% of the country. Most business by far is conducted in the 16 hours outside curfew and many businesses and people have adjusted to complete other activities within that time too. Expats should stop trying to dictate life here in DR for the sake of their pleasure time.

If expats go beyond their tourism communities, they would see plainly that most Dominicans have adapted to the restricted movement imposed by curfew.

This past week I have been in large towns in the Cibao and in the capital as well as rural DR and life is beyond normal for all but night owls. Who really cares about western bar culture here? It just isn't Dominican. Domincans sure miss their Sundays but they have started early these days!

Just get on with living using your mask and social distancing and using disinfectant gels, and we (worldwide) will all be able to live as well as is possible until hopefully some cures and vaccines become widely available and impact the spread of this virus in maybe 2 years.

The people that promote doing nothing are a minority getting disproportinate publicity and in reality are just asking for this to continue and subdue economies for many more years to come. It is self interest, politically motivated and scientifically unproven. Some aspects of economic life just don't fit these times with excessive social interaction. They must change and not the basic controls needed to restrict covid19.

Our President has got it right and also understands his country. Tourism is suffering worldwide and isn't going to recover so soon and he is putting measures in place to take advantage of an uptick in the years to come. But if covid19 spreads uncontrollably it has less of a future.

Look at the mess in USA and Europe now from too lax an approach. You can't do nothing. Politicians have a responsibility for all their citizens and all economic matters, not just a dissenting few want to rebel and who need nightlife. Where was society before oil lamps and electricity?

Get on with life and stop fretting in your bubbles. Just take the recommended precautions, adapt and live.

Unfortunately Stan if you are not here you do not see what is actually going on.    It is almost business as usual.

For that reason our  rate of positivity is till ridiculously high! 

There is no lockdown, we are nowhere near lockdown.  Hell we barely have curfew!

'planner', I was in the capital Saturday past and frankly I have never seen such traffic jams and gridlock.

I regularly drove out of town in the past on Duarte and the traffic I encountered this time was massive and was down to volume.

Cotui is hectic every day. Bonao too. It is hectic everywhere. Mask use is very good in the towns and the main businesses do take all the precautions.

It is hell busy everywhere. I guess I don't live near hotels, restaurants and bars but nor do the vast majority of us.

With new police chiefs provincially they are taking things more seriuosly now re mask use and curfew. The local police officer here made it known that the new chief in Monte Plata had demanded that colmados comply with curfew this week in the villages - or at least no music this past weekend. I enjoy a cold one or extra viejo at my colmado outside in fresh air. Plenty of time to enjoy before curfew. Way to live in the campo.

Positivity has been in the 12-13% range for the last two days, so curfew can work effectively for DR if enforced.

Yes the cities are RIDICULOUS.  Traffic is stupid and part of this is due to limits on public transportation. They are at  60% capacity so more of these horrible vehicles on the streets clogging up traffic.

I agree enforcement is key.  We still have  massive parties going on in the barrios but its not limited to the barrios.  Breaking up gatherings in more well to do areas is also pretty common now!

They also need to enforce the limits in the resorts and on the beaches.   I was in a resort on Friday evening on business,  the buffet restaurant was at  90% capacity!  I walked out.

Apparently on Saturday the pools and beaches were full again!   This is not how it needs to be done.

You are correct Planner, I have not been in DR since last January before all this madness began. Perhaps I am out off touch with how life in DR is getting by. I am fully aware of what is going on in Europe and the middle east. I do not know of any country in Europe with a curfew in place. Many if not most have restrictions like bars and restaurants closing.

We are almost business as usual. Its downright scary sometimes honey.   No social distancing,  sometimes no masks.   Like nothing is going on.  Many do not believe its trye here!   

Most bars are shut down still. But restaurants etc are open!

I arrived at Santo Domingo last week, spent a few days and now in the North Coast. It appears to me that everyone is now used to wearing masks, social distancing etc.

I spent the month of December in Dubai. Everything was open and no curfews in effect. Europe and Canada are now imposing curfews. Montreal curfew 8 PM to 5 AM. Montrealer's feel that is drastic but I am sure most in DR would see that as a relief. 

As I see it the curfew imposed in DR will have a opposite affect for what the government hopes for. Today, Saturday as I am preparing for my own house arrest, I went to local grocery store to pick up items I missed during the week. What I witnessed was mass gatherings of people trying to get their food supply stocked up for the week. Social distancing was out the window.

What will be next when it is proven that curfews/lockdowns don't work.

That has been the normal here for weeks.  This is not new from this curfew. 

Stores don't restrict entry and have not for months. 

Countries have used curfews and lockdowns to their advantage. 

Those who do it half ass for some reason are shocked when it doesn't work.  Well, duh!!!!

StanR, it is good that you are now seeing in person that Dominicans can't easily observe even the most basic requirements of social distancing.

A couple of months back, business owners were strictly applying measures at their premises and were limiting access to people, taking temperatures and applying hand gels or alcohol and no admittance without a mask. Supermarkets, farmacies, ferretias, banks and other places were disciplined.

The conglomerations of people at night often drinking without control was restricted as was mobility from beyond your place of abode by the nightime curfew.

Case numbers and positivity dropped down to under 10% with active cases down to 18k.

But they relaxed the curfew hours with the onset of the festive season to appease Dominicans and asked for voluntary assistance in avoiding transmission using the sanitary recommendations. And in doing so they gave a confused message and many businesses stopped the other sanitary controls. They proposed a lax regime for nochebeuna and nochevieja. Plenty of Dominicans arrived from abroad, most from the USA, without proper health screening too.

And not surprisingly Dominicans being Domincans started partying and thinking this virus was beat and started ignoring all the controls.

And the case load started to grow along with positivity and active cases. The hospitals started filling up such that a stricter curfew and more enforcement of all measures was introduced before nochevieja and continues now with some small relaxations from Monday.

We should also recall that when DR lifted the curfew in June this year, that cases, positivity and hospital occupation exploded. And only after its reintroduction again did the situation improve to the better place we were in mid November.

Strong enforced curfews and sanitary measures have worked effectively for DR and it is the only way this country will get back to where it was a few months ago albeit it will take several weeks now. And we won't have the vaccine route to a freer life for many months either.

Dominicans can't voluntarily social distance during daytime nor night unless they are forced to. As such, curfew is a proven effective tool to control the spread of covid19 in DR.

As for other countries and use of curfews that is for other forums to debate.

Very well said!

You ain't seen nothing yet.

Love it Planner , so true some are doing it 1/2 "A" , maybe they should mediate first? Krumite

Well said lennoxnev : we all want all this basic rights and maybe without any responsibilities but this is a worldwide problem and is not going away anytime soon . We tend as a society to address things after it happens rather than doing the prevention. I will abide with every local law once we are there and trust me I hate using the "pamper" as I call it on my face, but I have to be responsible to others and lastly my wife and myself. Blessings well said. " we can all beat this thing" Krumite