Dominican government hardens curfew restrictions to counter COVID-19
The Health Cabinet of the Dominican Government announced more strict measures to counter the COVID-19 surge in the past few weeks, amid the Christmas holidays.
From January 1st to the 10th, the curfew is now from 5PM to 5AM, with two hours of free transit.
On Saturday 2nd and 9th and Sunday 3rd and 10th of January, the curfew is updated from 12 noon to 5AM.
At a press conference held at the National Palace, Vice President of the Dominican Republic Raquel Peña announced the measures after a meeting of the Health Cabinet, which she leads.
The new measures allow employees or contractors of restaurants, pharmacies or grocery stores to provide home delivery of cooked, raw food or medicines until 11:00PM, “exclusively during the exercise of their work functions”.
“The mandatory use of masks is confirmed in the national territory, in public places and private places of public use, as well as the other measures and protocols of social distancing adopted by the corresponding authorities”, says Decree 740-20, issued this morning by President Luis Abinader.
“The measures, no matter how hard or soft they are, will not work unless all the Dominican people cooperate with us, we all have to be able to do our part,” said the Vice President of the Republic and Director of the Cabinet, Raquel Peña.
Vice President Raquel Peña also explained that New Year festivities represent a risk for the increase in COVID-19 infections.
“We know that it is not easy to ask for new sacrifices, but the pandemic still has a few months to go until the vaccine arrives. The Dominican Government is actively negotiating the delivery dates for the first batches, ”stressed the vice president, highlighting that it will depend on all citizens, and not only the Government, that the measures are effective.