Post-Covid-19 situation in Dominican Republic

Its life as normal here. There are NO measures, no changes no anything frankly.   Life went back to what it was.

There are maybe more remote workers here from other countries but that is the only thing I see.

@planner mask in medical facilities, some government buildings are still be used (if you want) not required.

I go in and out of medical facilities recently including HOSPITEN and no mask whatsover.  I have had  xrays, blood work,  several consults and NO mask. 

My Dominican wife and I moved down here about 6 weeks ago. We have yet to see or hear of anyone in her extended family/friends who have come down with Covid.

Note that just because no one has said anything does not mean that it didn't happen.

So have I and with due respect "yes" there were mask. As I said in my post it is NOT required but you have the option to where it if you want. Please remember, people at high risk still opt to wear a mask!

My point was they are not required.  Of course anyone who wants or needs to should wear a mask!!!

@planner agree , why I said that in my original post....

All is normal, I see some young people wearing masks, but it seems to be a fashion statement 😂

As a long time expat resident of the DR I can say this.

Around March 2020 we were faced with a choice: Going to Europe (NO thanks), stay at one of our homes in Florida (we feared we might get locked in and overstay our visas, so no again) or go back to the DR where we have a house on the North Coast.

I must say that we made the right choice! It was one of the oddly most reasonable countries to be in.

The DR has very open news channels to the US... you get CNN Int'l, CNN USA and CNN en Español as well as FoxNEWS.

The political reaction was however NOT related to Trump or not to Trump as seen in the US, and Fauci generated only limited excitement.

The medial class formed virtual study groups and by June 2020 published a treatment protocol using Ivermectin (which CNN evidently did NOT share that most of Latin America was fairly soon treating with what they downgraded as "Horse"-medicine.). The regiment included treating medical staff preventively every week, from the top floor to cleaning personnel. While we knew several people in Europe and the US who were declared "Covid deaths" we have known NONE personally or in our friendships in the DR.

Evidently, tourism suffered, but the influx of "la remesa" (Dominicans abroad sending money to family) actually went up.

BUILDING went up during 2020, 2021 and 2022 to the point that materials and workforce became extremely difficult to find.

New cars being bought left and right, and quite frankly, we observe the birth of a comfortable Dominican "young" (27-40 years old, academics with new family) middle class being able to buy $500'000 homes in Santiago and Santo Domingo and even small vacation homes on the coast. As matter of fact, Puerto Plata's aging Playa Dorada hotel complex, which just had started seeing older 2nd and 3rd row hotels being converted into condos and duplex townhomes is being bought up by over 80% Dominicans who are not part of the old oligarchy class... at back then $1800/m2 and now over $2500/m2!

While the DR too implemented the vaccine program, they didn't insist over 2 doses.

Very soon, even sooner than Florida, masks came down with few exceptions. Now they are down everywhere.

One of the first countries to NOT ask for proof of vaccine or Covid tests to re-activate tourism. However tourist flights were still down 50% compared to peak numbers before Covid, while cruise ship visits are up several 100%.

The DR is on track to be the highest median income country in the Caribbean, just few years after having been lifted from 3rd world country status to "Developing Country".

All in all, a little bolder than Florida and with much more limited abilities, it's been a huge success.  After observing other countries where governments took the opportunity to inflict ideology and power on their people, the DR sailed this one like a boss!

What worries me more lately, is the more and more noticeable resurgence of drugs and the damage they do. The Sex-tourism "clientele" is every lower and so are the "ladies" and there is a lot of carelessness  which seems to create obvious health problems.

The new drugs which are cheap and can be made "locally", seem to peddled by the same guys who now seem to take control over the "ladies" and it's horrid to watch the results in a country where only 15 years ago, drugs were not mentioned on the street.

... J-D. Sauser

@J D Sauser  in March and April it was very quiet because of quarantine. Then on July 1 when the government opened the borders was a mess. Shortly their after in the capital I seem to recall a complete shutdown which was necessary.. I still don't understand why supermarkets were open on Saturday only from 8 until noon.    So lock down all week to arrest the transmission of covid, then have the entire city in the supermarkets at the same time

Can we please stick to the topic of the thread. Let's not rehash this!

***

I left & returned Alberta Canada in Sep 2020 once flights re-started. As I returned to go back to work to raise y $$ for our house construction, I have only been able to return every Aug. From those short times back things were looking very "normal" around Moca. Also from my wife & her daughter, everything appears to good there. I look forward to getting home for good by Aug or Sep once I recover from surgery pending in May....

Everything is status quo in Santiago

Things seem to be status quo in Cabarete and Sosua.  BUT, I should add that I haven't been any place medical or government.  In February I went to the vet and no one had on masks. 

I forgot his name since he has not posted in awhile but what happened to the covid connoisseur?

@J D Sauser An outstanding essay on this topic.  Thank you!!