Dominican Republic: Government to suspend inbound air and sea transport due to COVID-19 March 19 /update 1

President Medina announces the suspension of inbound air and sea transport as of March 19 due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic; confirm flight itineraries
Read all related news alert(s):
Dominican Republic: Authorities extend nationwide curfew through December 22 /update 21
Dominican Republic: Authorities extend nationwide curfew through December 1 /update 20
Dominican Republic: Authorities extend nationwide curfew until November 12 /update 19
Dominican Republic: Government extends curfew until October 17, reduces hours /update 18
Dominican Republic: Authorities announce state of emergency and curfew extensions from September 3 /update 17
Dominican Republic: Authorities announce new entry requirements as of July 30 /update 16
Dominican Republic: Authorities impose nationwide nighttime curfews July 21 /update 15
Dominican Republic: Government declares state of emergency July 20 /update 14
Dominican Republic: Over 45,000 COVID-19 cases confirmed as of July 15 /update 13
Dominican Republic: Authorities to allow international tourism to resume from July 1 /update 12
Dominican Republic: Authorities lift curfew from June 28 /update 11
Dominican Republic: Authorities announce extension to nationwide state of emergency until June 30 /update 10
Dominican Republic: Authorities announce extension to nationwide state of emergency until June 13 /update 9
Dominican Republic: Authorities announce extension to nationwide state of emergency until June 1 due to COVID-19 /update 8
Dominican Republic: Authorities announce extension to nationwide state of emergency until June 1 due to COVID-19 /update 7
Dominican Republic: Curfew and state of emergency extended nationwide until May 17 /update 6
Dominican Republic: Curfew and state of emergency extended nationwide through April 30 /update 5
Dominican Republic: Curfew extended for 15 days from April 3 /update 4
Dominican Republic: Government adjusts nationwide nighttime curfew March 27 /update 3
Dominican Republic: Government implements two-week nighttime curfew from March 20 over COVID-19 concerns /update 2
Dominican Republic: Government confirms first COVID-19 case March 1
Event
On Tuesday, March 17, President Danilo Medina announced the suspension of all inbound air and maritime transport - except for those transporting goods - to limit the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The directive will take effect at approximately 06:00 (local time) on Thursday, March 19, for an initial period of 15 days. Outbound flights will continue to transport foreigners out of the Dominican Republic to their home countries. The country's sole land border with Haiti has been closed as of March 16. Additionally, all schools and entertainment centers will be closed. Non-essential businesses have been ordered to shut down, though exemptions will be made for pharmacies, markets, grocery stores, and banks.
To date, there have been over 20 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country. Further international spread of the virus is anticipated over the near term.
Context
The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Human-to-human and patient-to-medical staff transmission of the virus have been confirmed. Many of the associated fatalities have been due to pneumonia caused by the virus.
Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic.
Pneumonia symptoms include dry cough, chest pain, fever, and labored breathing. Pneumonia can be contagious and can be transmitted from human to human. The influenza virus, or the flu, is a common cause of viral pneumonia.
Advice
Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.
To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:
- Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
- When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
- If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the virus.
Copyright and Disclaimer
GardaWorld is the owner or licensee of all intellectual property rights in the material presented on this website. All such rights are reserved.
The use of this website and its material is subject to the Terms of Use and accordingly you must not use any content from this website for commercial or other analogous purposes without our consent,
including but not limited to any deep-linking or framing in order to copy, distribute, display or monitor any portion of the website.
If you have any questions or are interested in distributing any content from this website, Contact us for more details.