COVID-19

planner wrote:

That is between them and the hotel  I believe. The govt does not pay for this anymore

The Covid insurance ended last July 2021.   Newspaper said the hotel charge very low fee to the guest affected with covid and have isolated areas where they must stay while recovering.

It reads that way from the last Bulletin but there is conflicting information.

Faced with a wave of COVID-19 cases, the wait for medical attention lengthens

https://noticiassin.com/pais/ante-ola-d … ga-1215473

Given the more than 49 thousand cases of covid-19 that have been reported so far this year, there are already several hospitals and clinics in the National District that are operating at their maximum capacity, while the surroundings of Health centers continue to be scenes of sadness and pain for those who wait for news of their relatives infected with coronavirus..............

From what is being seen in the USA, ICU case rises lag infections by 2 weeks and deaths rises lag by 3 weeks, so the coming days will be critical.

lennoxnev wrote:

It reads that way from the last Bulletin but there is conflicting information.

Faced with a wave of COVID-19 cases, the wait for medical attention lengthens

https://noticiassin.com/pais/ante-ola-d … ga-1215473

Given the more than 49 thousand cases of covid-19 that have been reported so far this year, there are already several hospitals and clinics in the National District that are operating at their maximum capacity, while the surroundings of Health centers continue to be scenes of sadness and pain for those who wait for news of their relatives infected with coronavirus..............

From what is being seen in the USA, ICU case rises lag infections by 2 weeks and deaths rises lag by 3 weeks, so the coming days will be critical.

I read in the newspaper that all clinics and hospital reduced in 50% the covid beds, so is possible that a clinic only have 5 beds for covid and all full, that do not mean they are collpased.

Another thing I have noticed is that every day the amount of test increase and amount of positive cases stay between 5,000 and 6,000.  I saw a report of arround 31,000 test

According to the Bulletins over recent weeks, there is no change in numbers of beds available in hospitals and those reports do no suggest a collapse.

And whilst there have been more tests (18,862 first time tests yesterday), especially in provinces which is all good, the day positivity is still very high in the upper thirties and the 4 week positivity is now back up to near record levels in all provinces along with very high actve case numbers.

Ask yourself, how many cases of covid are you personally aware of here in DR now?

I suspect if you are like me and my extended family, the answer is very few throughout the provinces and capital where they live. Perhaps it hasn't reached too many for now.

I suspect the many cases of seasonal 'gripe' - another coronavirus - is giving us a false security of infection, but we should read the recent warning posted by R&RinDR on 8th January who were fully vaccinated and caught the virus here to understand the real symptoms and how it feels.

Let's hope DR does better as a whole than Europe and USA.

7,439 new cases reported yesterday with a day positivity of 38.71% and 40,948 active cases. Hospitalizations all up, but still with plenty of capacity and 5 deaths.

Latest Bulletin for yesterday reports 5544 new cases with a day positivity of 40.56% with 13,670 first time tests, 30.73% 4 week positivity, 34,564 active cases and 39% ICU occupancy.

https://hoy.com.do/5544-casos-nuevos-de … ominicana/

Since 11th January day positivity has been 38.71%, 38.46%, 39.90%, 39.99%, 38.52%, 35.93% and today at 40.56%.

The level of infection and transmission is still high with increasing hospitalization to the extent it has now passed the levels seen with the Delta wave already, but apart from a reported shortage of medical staff this should not be stretching the system yet.

Omicron has not yet reached my part of DR as far as I can determine, and friends and family in the capital and in other provinces are still not reporting symptoms. Cases still seem to be concentrated in the urban areas of the capital, Santiago, Puerto Plata and  Cibao towns.

I have people all over this country  that I know who have it or had it.  The only places that do not have it seems to be the campo!

Casa de Campo has lots of covid.  I would question government stats. Many covid sufferers are getting sick and not testing.....

Of course, the 1st person gets sick - gets tested- and the rest of family subsequently get it.
Why bother to test the others - they know what it is !!

Without testing it’s impossible to know whether it’s Covid-19 or the flu. I just got back from a month at Dominicus. I had flu -like symptoms about a week after I arrived, fever, body aches, vomiting and diarrhea. Lasted about 36 hours.I thought it was maybe Omicron. A lot of people were sick there with the same symptoms. I had a PCR test and it was negative, so probably just the flu.

Gaspesie wrote:

Without testing it’s impossible to know whether it’s Covid-19 or the flu. I just got back from a month at Dominicus. I had flu -like symptoms about a week after I arrived, fever, body aches, vomiting and diarrhea. Lasted about 36 hours.I thought it was maybe Omicron. A lot of people were sick there with the same symptoms. I had a PCR test and it was negative, so probably just the flu.

A lot people had covid, recovered and never wento to get tested.

If they never got tested how do they know they had Covid!!!???

Well Gaspesi, if you have the symptoms, then you know.   Not everyone has symptoms, atleast not not at first. And it is good if you dont use the resources to verify you have covid, because you already know.  If you must return to work, then you do need a negative test so then just wait 5-7 days after you have symptoms, and  you will see if the covid is gone (so your not passing it to others).    Its my understanding with people who I know who had it, you can test negative after a few days, but you might still not feel good.  So thats likely what happened to you.  You had it, but by the time you had a test the covid was gone but did its work on you.

The current flu and omicron are very similar.  Without testing it's impossible to know for sure.  We know numbers are much higher than reported.  Everything else is speculation and needs to be limited.

Thank you Planner. That’s correct. Just because you have similar symptoms doesn’t mean that you have had Omicron. You can only confirm that through testing.

planner wrote:

The current flu and omicron are very similar.  Without testing it's impossible to know for sure.  We know numbers are much higher than reported.  Everything else is speculation and needs to be limited.

So true, I just checked the last report, not that may test collected, but its looks like starting to go down again, only 3,177 test and 163 positive.  Lets see in few more days after the extra long weekend we just had.

Public Health reports two deaths from Covid and 2,272 new cases

https://eldia.com.do/salud-publica-repo … os-nuevos/

Yes less testing over the last few days and a day positivity down to high twenties - 29.70% yesterday but that is still very high. ICU has hit 40% too. But a good sign is the numbers of active cases down to mid 20sk - that might reflect more 2nd testing rather than first time tests and affect day positivity.

The results from the end of this week might be interesting reading to see if the travel and teteos of the long weekend reflect in figures.

Interestingly Duarte has seen some very high figures which may relate to the baseball in SFM.

It appears the high numbers still largely reflect the cities and big towns and for the other 50% of the country where life is very much an open air affair most of the time, the spread is taking time to appear.

In my extended family including the many that reside in SD East and West (and visted us this weekend) and in various provinces including here in Monte Plata and Sanchez Ramirez, we know zero recent cases which is remarkable considering the many towns in these parts have decent populations in the 20s and 30sk.

Back to my theory that the spread so far has been in the cities and larger towns primarily and spread in indoor locations found there such as offices and malls - and baseball stadiums. Most cases to date have been seen in DN, Santo Domingo( noticably less so that DN because mixing is often in the street), Santiago, Puerto Plata, Espaillat (Moca), La Vega, La Romana, SPM, San Cristobal, Barahona, Valverde (Mao), San juan, Bonao and now Monte Cristi.  Surprisingly La Altagracia, the tourist hub, is not showing many cases but after Friday in Higuey that may change. Now we need to see if it spreads into the lesser populated areas and smaller towns with more outdoor living and the past 4 days has been an ideal scenario for this as families travelled widely.

In summary, so far DR is doing much better than many other countries with Omicron but the wave of infections is spreading through Latin America now, so don't let the guard down yet.

And sad to say there is another variant that they are watching.  Good grief.

planner wrote:

And sad to say there is another variant that they are watching.  Good grief.

https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/covid-19/variants-concern

Note - I have no idea how accurate the next link is but it looks balanced on the surface

https://fortune.com/2022/01/21/what-is- … n-denmark/

I just read that the goverment is evaluating to provide again of free covid insurance for tourist.

Dominican Goverment is evaluating to give again free covid insurance for tourist staying in registred hotels.

This would just be a reinstatement of what was previously provided.

Of course -
that 's why it reads 'Again'

Omicron has subsided but not gone away in DR with day positivity in the mid teens these days.

This variant didn't get out beyond urban centres to any large extent and let's hope it stays that way.

It is still affecting places like Puerto Plata which reported by far the highest cases nationally today.

I am intrigued why DR has got off so lightly with Delta and Omicron and why the death rate is so low. Well, maybe a new study in Israel is proving my suggestions posted here before - vitamin D. Most folks in DR, especially outside city work scenarios get plenty of this vitamin naturally through sunlight and add that to out door living and Vitamin C intake.

Israeli study offers strongest proof yet of vitamin D’s power to fight COVID

Bolstering previous research, scientists publish ‘remarkable’ data showing strong link between vitamin deficiency, prevalent in Israel, and death or serious illness among patients

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-s … ght-covid/

It tends to explain the problems Europe and the USA have faced where people have low Vitamin D levels. And in much of Africa like DR they are not seeing severe or indeed any cases with low levels of vaccination. In the recent Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament in Cameroon, there were no major issues too.

President Abinader just removed all restrictions for Covid masking and vaccine cards in public spaces!

🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

Not surprising that this was coming but the surprise is how quickly it happened.

It is voluntary now to wear masks but they are still encouraging vaccination which is confusing.

Is covid over? With low levels of vaccination in many parts of the world and only just over half in DR, I wonder if and where the next mutation will come from?

Anyhow, DR has done well and perhaps the genetic make up here, as a new Imperial College new study suggests, has kept covid from many here and time to give folk some relief.

Yes, one thing that cannot be denied is how little we were impacted by all of this....
At least from my viewpoint, there was little impact....
the metropolitan areas felt it more

well, i will keep.my mask until the whole world has a larger % of vaccination for my sake . my personal opinion

god bless all

Oscarsahony Sanchez wrote:

well, i will keep.my mask until the whole world has a larger % of vaccination for my sake . my personal opinion

god bless all

Im doing the same, good that now the mask will be cheaper.

I believe in the rule of it is your house, your rules….Moderator has the ability to removed anything they deem off topic, ect.  I want to say thank you for what you do.  Peace & Blessing. Bobby

Be aware if travelling soon. This may change but it is as below for now.

We await to hear from the banks too.

Some private businesses say they will keep the mask requirements as is their perogative.

Use of masks and other measures continue in force at airports in the country

https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2 … s-del-pais

The restriction measures and the sanitary protocol that is applied at the Las Américas International Airport and other terminals operated by the company Aeropuertos Dominicanos XXI (Aerodom) remain in force despite the announcement of suspension made by President Luis Abinader.

In the case of Las Américas Airport, this Thursday security controls and restriction measures continued to be applied to passengers and visitors who entered and left the country through this airport terminal.

"The restriction measures against the coronavirus are still maintained here, without variation," said Luis López, director of Communications of the concessionaire Dominican Airports XXI Aerodom.

López specified that Aerodom is waiting for the Civil Aviation Board (JAC), as the regulatory body for airport operations, to officially issue what the new specific measures for airports will be........

Good info.  My office building has mask policy in common areas still.

Here in San Pedro this morning I took a bus to come to work and every body was using mask.   Dont know if is only perception but I think that now is wearing more people the mask in closed places or crowed.

There was no change in mask use from before and after the removal of mandatory use from what I have seen in the interior and the capital.

Masks are still almost universally used in the bigger supermarkets and malls and in banks too and for public transport.

My understanding talking to Dominicans here is that masks are a means of avoiding covid and whilst they are maskless at home they put them on when in public places.

Simple recommeded measures in crowded indoor places have worked in the urban centres in DR.

Do I need a Covid test to enter R.D.?  I was informed that it was not needed, though to check here just in case.
Thank you.

Mis D wrote:

Do I need a Covid test to enter R.D.?  I was informed that it was not needed, though to check here just in case.
Thank you.

The DR has never required tests for entry, but they have always had a policy of random testing of entrants. I don't know if they are still doing the random testing or not. It was always a small percentage of those arriving.

Vaccines held by DR start expiring soon.

https://hoy.com.do/gobierno-dominicano- … trazeneca/

Most of the vaccines held by DR will not expire until 2023 (70/80%) and they will be Sinovac with a 2 year shelf life. Some AZ vaccines expire this coming month as will Pfizer vaccines with shelf lives of 9 months to a year.

People who want to get their schedule completed and boosters this year need to be aware. At this point I doubt DR will be buying any new stock.

If you are on a Sinovac booster plan, you should be good for a year.

The punta cana airport about half of staff was wearing masks. The plane departing someone got kicked off for not wanting to wear one as required and threatened flight attendant. They blamed it on DR not requiring it now.

Both my wife and I are over 60 and had our Pfizer booster shot in Las Terrenas just before Christmas last year.
Does anyone know if they are giving a second Pfizer booster in LT and how long after our third shot would we be eligible ?

I believe it is  3 month wait and not sure where you can get it.