COVID-19

"If one wants the tourist thing its time to go check into a resort or head back home."

Closing beaches mean resorts on beaches have to close? More details need come to come out.

At Easter, Civil Defense close most 'public' beaches and bathing areas but this does not affect the so called 'tourist' beaches. They also lock down communities when we get tropical storms passing for safety reasons.

Basically there is a desire to keep crowds of Dominicans off public beaches particularly at weekends and this started at a municipal level in Puerto Plata and has extended to Sosua and maybe other places. The Civil Defense declaration maybe a short term safety measure until we hear the detail of the controls that come after the decree is declared.

Under law  ALL beaches are public. So closing beaches means ALL of them.   That does  not mean closing resorts.  However lets wait and see  what happens today.

An announcement is expected today. Please do not spread rumors.  Wait for the official decrees.

But you forget access to beaches do not always have a public right of way and so whilst a property owner may not own the beach from the set back line to the sea, that's the public part, getting onto that beach is an impossibility for all but his guests.

I don't believe Civil Defense will be bothering any resort guests who chooses to take a dip in the sea by venturing beyond the hotel property line from their beach side loungers.

Anyhow it is an interesting subject to understand the extent of the powers that Civil Defense have under Ley 147-02 and Reglemento 874-09,

http://defensacivil.gob.do/transparenci … 874-09.pdf

and Ley 61-13 and Ley 147-02.

Coronavirus: Oxford vaccine can train immune system

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-53469839

A coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford appears safe and trains the immune system.

Trials involving around 1,077 people showed the injection led to them making antibodies and white blood cells that can fight coronavirus.

The findings are hugely promising, but it is still too soon to know if this is enough to offer protection and larger trials are under way.

The UK has already ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine.

This is great news coming from the team that are using techniques developed for MERS and SARS and is well underway with large scale trials already.

A peer reviewed article on the phase 1 and 2 results has been published in The Lancet just now.

No hype here!

List of all the closed beaches and bathing places are given in this article:

https://hoy.com.do/playas-y-balnearios- … -covid-19/

They say all are closed even those missed off the list, which includes the so called 'tourist' beaches in the country.  To be expected.

Bulletin #123     

Total number cases        53956     Increase   1101
Total deaths                        993      Increase       12
Total recovered                25561    Increase      467
Total active                        27402    Increase      622
Total tests                        216481    Increase    3396     Day positivity    32.4%

Spread of new cases

DN                                        399
Azua                                        13
Barahona                                1
Daurte                                     35
Elias Pina                                 1
El Seibo                                    1
Espaillat                                   3
La Altagracia                          63
La Romana                             18
La Vega                                    31
Maria TS                                  16   
Pedernales                               8
Peravia                                     26
Puerto Plata                            12
Hermanas M                            1
Samana                                    7
San Cristobal                           35   
San Juan                                   20
SPM                                          38
Sanchez Ramirez                    10
Santiago                                   97
Monsenor N                             13
Hato Mayor                               2
Santo Domingo                        227
Not Specified                            24

Reports say the main testing lab. in SD has run out of testing accessories so no testing today.

Well that is darn worrying!

lennoxnev wrote:

List of all the closed beaches and bathing places are given in this article:

https://hoy.com.do/playas-y-balnearios- … -covid-19/

They say all are closed even those missed off the list, which includes the so called 'tourist' beaches in the country.  To be expected.

What do hotels on beaches do? Close?

Did you see the beaches of Bavaro or Bayahibe on that list?

Very few hotels are open now and those tourists who stay at one of those hotels will have a fine vacation.

Whilst the rest of us have a quiet night and weekend with the new curfews.

All means ALL... I haven't confirmed but suspect the resorts with beaches are no different.  The resorts don't own the beaches...

Doesn't Bavaro and Punta Cana fall under La Altagracia?

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … DE20246050

https://bavarodigital.net/defensa-civil … -abiertas/

Is that good enough.

Apparently applies to the hotels to Playa Dorado too.

Logically they close too AS IN MOST CASES THESE ARE PUBLIC BEACHES

And the fighting on social media has started. Wow. Just wow. 

IMHO  this is for the best.  I do think the two different  curfews are just confusing but oh well.  Lets see if they enforce!

I believe this should clarify the beach issue DRvisitor...

COVID-19 July 20, 2020 | 2:25 pm
Civil Defense clarifies hotel zone beaches to remain open in DR
The Civil Defense explained that the beaches of the hotel zones of the main tourist destinations in the country remain open. The agency announced a list of 227 points in rivers, lakes, springs and popular-use beaches near urban areas that were closed, but clarified that the decision does not apply to beaches in the country's tourist areas. This measure seeks to maintain physical distance due.

https://dominicantoday.com/dr/covid-19

I know its clear as mud for me...lol

This will piss off a lot of Dominicans and expats not in those areas!

Yes clears up hotels but what if you have use airbnb on the beach? What is considered hotel zone?

And in some tourist areas beaches have been closed by municipal decree.

I think the point is, not whether they are open, but whether you should go there.  We don't always need police and governments to tell you what is dangerous for you.  In this COVID case the answer is pretty clear to me.  Stay home.  I frankly don't care if the beaches are open or not and I manage apartments and use AIRBNB.  Right now, I think there should be NO visitors and everyone should stay home except for essentials until this clears up.  My Apartments are available but I would rather not have any short term rentals at this time.  It's not worth the hassle.  Even 3 times the rate, still not interested.  At least 3 more months and then let's take another look at the situation.

For me the big problem now is, they should close the airports, especially no visitors from actively contagious countries.  Even if they go to the resorts, they are mixing with locals.  If they carry the virus, do you seriously think it won't be transmitted to the locals...

The program lacks proper controls so therefore, STAY at HOME!

I agree with you.  I am going nowhere that is not essential. 

My concern in this country is the many many people with so little income.  I hope the govt extends the programs in place!

It is beginning to look like the authorities see the solution in curfew, closing beaches, mask wearing, hand washing and voluntary social distancing.

On that basis we may be in the same or a worse situation in 45 days.

History may have a lesson for us -
The solution isn't difficult really - albeit not too palatable

Can we learn from history?

The Bubonic Plague - 1665

Eyam England

1665 plague outbreak
Main article: Great Plague of London

See also: Protective sequestration

The history of the plague in the village began in 1665 when a flea-infested bundle of cloth arrived from London for Alexander Hadfield, the local tailor.[14] Within a week his assistant George Viccars, who noticing the bundle was damp, had opened it up.[15] Before long he was dead and more began dying in the household soon after.[16]

As the disease spread, the villagers turned for leadership to their rector, the Reverend William Mompesson, and the ejected Puritan minister Thomas Stanley. They introduced a number of precautions to slow the spread of the illness from May 1666. The measures included the arrangement that families were to bury their own dead and relocation of church services to the natural amphitheatre of Cucklett Delph,[17] allowing villagers to separate themselves and so reducing the risk of infection. Perhaps the best-known decision was to quarantine the entire village to prevent further spread of the disease.

The plague ran its course over 14 months and one account states that it killed at least 260 villagers, with only 83 surviving out of a population of 350.[16] That figure has been challenged on a number of occasions, with alternative figures of 430 survivors from a population of around 800 being given.[16] The church in Eyam has a record of 273 individuals who were victims of the plague.[18]

Survival among those affected appeared random, as many who remained alive had close contact with those who died but never caught the disease. For example, Elizabeth Hancock was uninfected despite burying six children and her husband in eight days. The graves are known as the Riley graves after the farm where they lived.[14] The unofficial village gravedigger, Marshall Howe, also survived, despite handling many infected bodies.[16]

The village's actions prevented the disease from moving into surrounding areas.[19]

Bulletin #124

Total cases                        54797      Increase    841
Total deaths                          999      Increase        6
Total recovered                 25976     Increase    415
Total active                         27822     Increase    420
Total tests                          218826    Increase   2345     Day positivity   35.9%

Spread of new cases

DN                                      272
Azua                                     17
Barahona                              2
Duarte                                   5
Espaillat                                 2
Independencia                    10
La Altagracia                        66
La Romana                           12
La Vega                                 28
Maria TS                               15
Pedernales                           52
Peravia                                  13
Puerto Plata                         16
San Cristobal                       27
San Juan                                5
SPM                                      30
Sanchez Ramirez                13
Santiago                             105
Monsenor N                          6
Monte Plata                          1
Hato Mayor                           2
Santo Domingo                  160
Not Specified                       -18

Change on beaches

Civil Defense clarifies beaches will remain open during state of emergency

https://www.diariolibre.com/actualidad/ … BG20265411

However, still closed in Puerto Plata municipality and Sosua municipality!  I've not seen their  city bans lifted.

Gustavo Montalvo explains the reinforcement of measures adopted by the High Level Commission to reduce contagion risk COVID-19

https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias/gus … alto-nivel

Really nothing new here other than gyms closed again, restaurants on home delivery or using outside terraces or all windows and doors open with spaced tables and colmados can only serve drinks to go.

It is more of the same hoping the Dominican public will socially distance voluntarily.

No mention whatsoever about flight arrivals.

With not enough testing, DR does not know the extent of the spread of covid19 in the main tourist areas.

Tourists could be bringing in the virus asymptomatically or during incubation. Equally they could get infected here.

So it is good to keep an eye of the positivity rates in the tourist zones.

During the last 4 days the positivity in La Altagracia (East Coast) has been 37% with 201 new cases. In Puerto Plata the positivity has been 39% with only 175 tests during this period - which is very low for such a populated province. Samana has only had 13 tests and all positive - even worse (it is one of the low risk provinces btw for curfew).

Are the health protocols strong enough? Should flight arrivals still be allowed? What are the local provisions medically for tourists with hospitals at near full capacity? Should evacuation insurance be mandatory for tourists with local insurance to cover any local covid19 costs like Aruba?

Bulletin #125

Total confirmed cases       56043     Increase   1246
Total deaths                           1005    Increase          6
Total recovered                    26466   Increase      490
Total active                            28572   Increase     750
Total tests                             222586  Increase    3760   Day positivity    33.2%

Spread of new cases

DN                                           453
Azua                                            4
Barahona                                  62
Duarte                                       10
El Seibo                                       2
Espaillat                                      4
La Altagracia                             32
La Romana                                11
La Vega                                      38
Maria TS                                     8
Peravia                                       14
Puerto Plata                              11
Hermanas M                               1
Samana                                       1
San Cristobal                              33
San Juan                                      11
SPM                                               2
Sanchez Ramirez                       13
Santiago                                      172
Santiago R                                    35
Monsenor N                                 2
Monte Plata                                  2
San Jose                                        31
Santo Domingo                           244
Not Specified                                50

Several of the shorter curfew provinces showing high numbers today. The virus is everywhere.

From the London Telegraph

New Covid-19 mutation 'helping outbreaks spread faster around the world'

Mutation known as D614G spreads more quickly but is not associated with increased risk of death, professor says




A new mutation of Covid-19 is now the most dominant strand of the virus globally and is forming clusters more quickly in the UK than the original virus from Wuhan, an expert has warned.

Professor Nick Loman, of the University of Birmingham, who is part of the Covid-19 Genomics Consortium, said the mutation, known as D614G, has an observable impact on cases in humans.

While it is not thought the new form of the virus causes a greater risk of death or lengthier hospital stays, it is helping outbreaks spread more rapidly across the world.

The findings come after scientists analysed more than 40,000 genomes in the UK and found D614G mainly increases transmissibility in human cases, according to Professor Loman.

"It exists in the spike protein, which is a very important way that the coronavirus can enter human cells, and we have been noticing in the UK and worldwide that this mutation has been increasing in frequency," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"This mutation was predicted first by computer modelling to have some impact on the structure of that protein and the ability of the virus to bind and enter cells and then quite recently was shown in laboratory experiments to increase the infectivity of cells."

Prof Loman said he suspected the new mutation would not impact the process of finding a vaccine for Covid-19, particularly given its prevalence globally.

"This is the most dominant mutation – it's about 75 per cent of cases," he continued.

"This increase in this mutation is a worldwide phenomenon. The original virus out of Wuhan had the D-type, but the G-type has become much more dominant across the world, including the UK."

He sought to dampen concerns that the fresh mutation might mean the pandemic is about to be plunged into a deadly new phase, saying the impact was apparently confined in a small way to transmissibility.

He added: "It's a small impact, we think, and we're not completely confident about that, but we found by testing what happened in the UK that the viruses that contained the G-type of mutation seemed to form clusters of cases faster, which ended up being bigger than viruses with the D-mutation.

"We didn't see any significant association with survival and the length of hospital stays with this mutation – we don't think this mutation is important in changing virulence. The effect seems to be on transmissibility."

The president of the Association of Bars of the Colonial City (Abzocol), Grace Heyaime, indicated that 30% of bars and restaurants have had to close and regretted that "so far we continue to receive inconsistent news, announcements of new ways of operating , Of schedule".

He stressed that the measures of the Dominican Government are not working because the country has already been in a "quarantine" that has not given results because the agglomeration of people occurs in little controlled environments, pointing out that this is not the case for restaurants and bars.

“We present and work with a protocol, and once again labor law is suppressed. And it has changed so much that we are already in general uncertainty, ”he said during a press conference.
The owners of the establishments stated that they do not agree with the provisions made by the current authorities, so they are working on some suggestions to present to the next president of the Republic from August 16, Luis Abinader.

https://www.arecoa.com/protagonistas/20 … do-cerrar/

Interesting and scary  times for sure.

Waldo deplores dramatic situation of the Dominican family due to coronavirus
Says more restrictive actions are needed to control the coronavirus

https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2 … oronavirus
.......
He said that the units in Santo Domingo and Santiago are completely full and that it is even reaching the point that family members have to be listed in order to give way to their patients in intensive care units.......

He said that in the Marcelino Vélez Santana hospital in Santo Domingo there are 36 doctors affected by Covid-19 and that is why for more than three weeks the CMD has been advocating for the state of emergency to be launched with specific measures to prevent the virus continues to spread.

He said that the measures that have been adopted now see them as very timid, with closed spas and open beaches, because more restrictive and strong actions are needed to control the spread of the coronavirus.

Dr. Waldo Ariel Suero offered these statements while meeting with the next Minister of Public Health, Plutarco Arias.

Exactly....weak measures so far and stronger actions will be needed as the situation deteriorates in the coming days and weeks.

Wow.  That is bad.  We need stronger restrictions and strong enforcement!

And we need it now.  Today in Santo Domingo there are people everywhere and not enough social distancing or proper use of masks!

Is there a real solution for specific areas like Santo Domingo where population density is too small in many parts?

I don't have an answer to that question.  So where else in the world are living conditions similar and what did they do?

India ?

surely , other countries have 'barrios'... poor , congested living quarters
Not good for containment....

Brazil..........
all doing poorly

You are wrong on this. The most densely populated places are often where there are high rise apatrments housing large families
So think US central cities. Hong Kong. Singapore workers apartments, Chinese cities, London inner city apartments and some of the heavily populated tall apartment blocks found in Brazilian, Mexican and Colombian cities.

Fact was that the virus spread most in SD in the middle class central tall apartment zones first before spreading to low rise barrios where there is lack of water and less educated population.

High rise buildings increase popultaion density especially when you have large families.

They are bad environments to evade covid19. Ditto high density hotels.

Thanks for this!

Bulletin #126

Total confirmed cases       57615    Increase    1572     Record
Total deaths                           1006   Increase           1
Total recovered                   26905    Increase      439
Total active                            29704   Increase     1132
Total tests                            226693   Increase     4107    Day positivity     38.3%

Look at 'not specified' and be aware of new software installation at national lab. before jumping to conclusions on DN

Spread of new cases

DN                                         1334
Azua                                           41
Baoruco                                       1
Barahona                                   24
Duarte                                        39
Elias Pina                                     1
El Seibo                                      22
Espaillat                                      3
Independencia                          1
La Altagracia                             89
La Romana                                31
La Vega                                       37
Maria TS                                     10
Pedernales                                  2
Peravia                                        14
Puerto Plata                               26
Hermanas M                                4
San Cristobal                              65
San Juan                                      13
SPM                                              22
Sanchez Ramirez                       30
Santiago                                     118
Santiago R                                    1
Valverde                                        2
Monsenor N                                19
Hato Mayor                                 17
Santo Domingo                          210
Not Specified                              -604