COVID-19

Tourism numbers continue to climb

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 17:00:01 +0000

Tourism numbers continue to climb admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 17:00

Friday, May 27, 2022

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Original Article

Overnight tourist arrivals in the first two months of 2022 soared in comparison to the same period in 2021, with the 26,225 visitors representing the Virgin Islands’ slow climb to regain numbers it saw prior to the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown.

However, the territory has still only regained a small percentage of pre-pandemic numbers for the same period in 2020.

The latest statistics reported by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation showed that January and February arrivals were up 1,673.2 percent over January and February 2021, shortly after the territory reopened to tourism.

January 2022 saw a total of 12,326 overnight visitors, representing a 1,283.4 percent increase over January 2021. February saw even more, with 13,899 arrivals, an increase of 2,263.8 percent over February 2021.

By contrast, January 2021 saw just 891 arrivals, and February 2021 saw even fewer, at 588.

However, the numbers also showed the VI has a lot of ground to recover to reach levels seen in pre-pandemic January and February 2020, when the territory saw 65,320 visitors for both months.

At a press conference in February, then-premier Andrew Fahie said that in 2021, the Virgin Islands received about 60,000 visitors altogether. This included almost 33,000 travellers through the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, more than 20,000 through the Road Town ferry terminal within 10 months, and more than 6,500 through the West End ferry dock within seven months.

“We are already seeing that the trend is upward for 2022,” Mr. Fahie said at the time, with the January and February numbers bearing that out.

The BVI Tourist Board has noted that overnight tourist arrivals fell by 37 percent last year from 2020 levels.

Meanwhile, cruise ship tourism also continued on a path of slow recovery after taking a major hit during the early days of the pandemic.

Cruise passenger arrivals totalled 68,604 for the months of January and February 2022, representing a healthy start to the year but still falling far short of the pre-pandemic 178,574 seen in January and February 2020, according to the CTO.

In the same two months in 2021, cruise tourism had not yet restarted.

Reporting on the VI delegation’s visit to the Seatrade conference visit in Miami last month, Deputy Premier Kye Rymer announced last week that a push to cater to smaller, luxury cruises is expected to result in 417 cruise calls in the upcoming season, with 79 multiple-call days, including visits to the sister islands.

Though the cruise industry continues to cope with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, it expects a return to 96 percent capacity by July, officials said.

At least two new cruise ship brands, Mr. Rymer added, have confirmed calls to the VI for the 2022-2023 season: Virgin Cruises and the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.

The VI delegation gave “special focus” to these smaller luxury cruise lines, which often stay for multiple days and spend time in the sister islands, aligning well with the rest of the VI’s high-end market, according to the deputy premier.

The VI delegation met with at least 12 cruise companies and several regional port partners, he added.

The post Tourism numbers continue to climb first appeared on The BVI Beacon.

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British Virgin Islands

Caribbean

Pier park grants $1.6m in rent concessions

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 17:00:01 +0000

Pier park grants $1.6m in rent concessions

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 17:00

Monday, June 6, 2022

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Business - The BVI Beacon

Original Article

Pier park grants $1.6m in rent concessions

More than $1.6 million in rent concessions were granted to about 70 tenants at the Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park between April 2020 and February 2021 to offset their losses due to pandemic-related shutdowns, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said in response to a question from Opposition Leader Julian Fraser last Thursday in the House of Assembly.

The premier added that concessions were also granted between October 2019 and March 2020 to tenants who requested them, totalling $132,914.03.

Mr. Fraser also asked what percentage of the rent was conceded, and Dr. Wheatley promised to find out and report back.

Additionally, the opposition leader asked the premier whether he “thinks it is fair to merchants at the pier park to be issued with eviction notices” and “if he is aware of the notices issued, and how many were issued.”

However, Dr. Wheatley responded, “No eviction notices were served. I have been advised that there are no evictions.”

Rather, he said, tenants were sent a notice of their duty under their lease agreements to pay the reduced rent.

“Please also note that Tortola Pier Park Ltd has obligations to shareholders, other stakeholders and to the upkeep of the facility,” he explained.

Pushback

However, Mr. Fraser pushed further.

“I think the premier needs to get ahold of the records to see for himself when he talks about eviction notices not being issued,” he said, adding that some tenants were “still hurting” and seeking additional assistance.

‘Concerned tenants’

In the same line of questioning, Mr. Fraser claimed that 31 “concerned tenants” of TPP wrote a letter to government in March 2021 concerning possible evictions, and asked whether the premier intends to meet with them.

Dr. Wheatley replied that he has been in office only for a few weeks and has not been able to meet with the tenants yet.

“I have asked about the reference letter, and I am still unable to obtain a copy,” he said. “However, I have spoken to the minister of communications and works, under whose portfolio the pier park now falls, and we are both willing to meet with tenants if they still wish to do so.”

Duty-free numbers

Also in the HOA last Thursday, the premier provided numbers suggesting that duties collected from licensed duty-free operators at the pier park — who are exempt from paying duty on the goods they sell to visitors but not on the goods they sell to residents —totalled almost $346,000 for the period 2016 to 2020.

Since the duty-free programme was implemented in 2016, duties collected from such merchants have been steadily rising. Dr. Wheatley’s numbers suggested that they hit a record high of $113,195.85 in 2019, only to plummet the following year in the wake of the pandemic, bottoming out at $16,791.60.

In 2016, Dr. Wheatley’s numbers suggested, the duties collected totalled $49,855.36; in 2017, $76,280.94; and in 2018, $89,221.44.

However, some of these numbers were different from those provided by previous governments.

In March 2020, in response to a similar question from Mr. Fraser, then-Premier Andrew Fahie said that $284,626.45 in customs revenue was collected from licensed duty-free pier park merchants from 2016 to 2019, and provided data for each of those years, citing a figure of $29,564.29 for 2016.

However, in response to a similar question from Mr. Fraser last May, Mr. Fahie said no customs duty was collected from the park in 2016, its first full year of operation.

Those figures, in turn, contradicted figures provided in 2017 by the previous government: In June 2017, then Premier Dr. Orlando Smith said licensed duty-free vendors sold about $2.1 million worth of goods to residents in 2016 and paid $87,107 in customs duties.

Concerning the subsequent years, in May 2019, Mr. Fahie blamed the 2017 hurricanes for the lack of ready data, claiming that it had to be manually cross-checked for accuracy and would require more time. He listed $78,371.62 in customs revenue for 2017; $88,677.56 for 2018; and $88,011.98 for 2019.

Last Thursday, Dr. Wheatley said he attached an appendix showing the “amount of duties conceded on duty-free grounds” for the same period.

HOA Public Relations Officer Linton Leonard said he was working to provide the Beacon a copy of the information contained in the appendix, but it was not yet received by the Beacon’s press time yesterday afternoon.

Duty-free issues

The territory’s duty-free system was hastily implemented in mid-2015 to allow licensed vendors at the pier park to import tax-free the goods they sell to visitors. Customs officials have reported headaches in administering the system, particularly in accounting for goods sold to visitors versus those sold to residents. Duty-free vendors told the Beacon in 2017 and again in 2019 that they charge the same prices to every customer, then pay the customs fees themselves. However, some vendors have been penalised for making untrue customs declarations.

FOB value

In response to further questions from Mr. Fraser last Thursday, the premier said the “free on board” value traded by duty-free operators from 2016 to 2020 was $38,016,279.50.

FOB is a price that includes all charges up to the point where the goods are shipped from the port specified by the buyer. The ratio of goods and services sold locally versus those exported duty-free for the period is 1:11, he added.

However, the premier did not know the answer to Mr. Fraser’s question about gross sales numbers for duty-free goods during the period, explaining that the Customs Department “does not capture or record statistics on gross sales for any industry.”

British Virgin Islands

Caribbean

COVID-19 Update: 87 new cases recorded

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 14:50:01 +0000

COVID-19 Update: 87 new cases recorded

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 14:50

Friday, June 17, 2022

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Barbados Today

Original Article

COVID-19 Update: 87 new cases recorded

Eighty-seven people, 40 males and 47 females, tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, June 16, from the 436 tests carried out by the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory. The cases comprised 16 persons under the age of 18, and 71 who were 18 years and older. There were 24 people in isolation facilities, while 1,040 were in home isolation. As at June 16, there were 471 COVID-19 related deaths. The public health laboratory has conducted 696,504 tests since February 2020, and recorded 82,730 COVID-19 cases (37,695 males and 45,035 females). Under the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19, the total number of persons with at least one dose is 162,526 (71.2 per cent of the eligible population). The total number of fully vaccinated persons is 153,199 (56.5 per cent of the total population or 67.1 per cent of the eligible population). The eligible population represents those persons who are 12 years and older. (BGIS) window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot('/27575914/BTInsideArticleCovidAd', [[250, 250], [300, 250]], 'div-gpt-ad-1631125303402-0').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.enableServices(); }); --> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1631125303402-0'); }); -->

Barbados

Caribbean

Timely contribution to Princess Royal hospital

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 01:00:01 +0000

Timely contribution to Princess Royal hospital

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admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 01:00

Thursday, May 19, 2022

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Community | NOW Grenada

Original Article

Timely contribution to Princess Royal hospital

A “timely contribution” to Princess Royal, the lone hospital on the island of Carriacou, is how health officials described a contribution of supplies from the New York-based Kayak Roots and Culture Organisation.

The donation, consisting mainly of sanitary items, is particularly useful in combatting the recent surge in Covid-19 cases in the State of Grenada. It was handed over to the Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs by Bensford Roberts, the group’s representative in Carriacou.

The Kayak Roots and Culture Organisation was formed in the aftermath of the outbreak of the Covid pandemic in 2020. Although still young, the organisation was able to make the contribution because of donations from its members, Roberts said.

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs, Dr Vernesta Noel-Smart, thanked the group for their contribution, saying it helps in a positive way in fighting the Covid-19 virus on the island.

Among those also present at the handing over ceremony were the Administrator of the Princess Royal Hospital, Marissa Alexis McLawerence, and the hospital’s Matron, Therese Hamlet.

Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs

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Caribbean

Vacancy: Facilitators for Community Based Tourism Workshops

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 01:00:01 +0000

Vacancy: Facilitators for Community Based Tourism Workshops admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 01:00

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Original Publisher

Community | NOW Grenada

Original Article

Vacancy: Facilitators for Community Based Tourism Workshops

CVC is looking to build the capacity of CBOs in Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia and Grenada in CBT over the course of a 2-day workshop. Therefore, we are looking for 3 facilitators with experience in Community Based Tourism in each of the 3 pilot Islands able to stage the workshop. Please apply by Friday, 3 June 2022.

View the full post Vacancy: Facilitators for Community Based Tourism Workshops on NOW Grenada.

Caribbean

The nutrition of food: Building the immune system

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 00:10:01 +0000

The nutrition of food: Building the immune system

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admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 00:10

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

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Lifestyle | NOW Grenada

Original Article

The nutrition of food: Building the immune system

by Jeaniel Whint for Grenada Agro Tourism

The immune system can be called your body’s soldier!

Did you know that 70–80% of the immune system is in your gut? The gut and immune system support each other to promote a healthy body. The gut microbiome acts as a gatekeeper/trainer to the immune cells also called T-cells. These teach the body how to differentiate between invaders such as viruses, bacteria and other foreign bodies which may attack and weaken your body’s tissues and immune system.

At present, we are in the middle of a global pandemic due to the Covid-19 virus and require foods with nutraceutical value that build our immune system. Nutraceuticals are known as “a substance that may be considered a food or part of a food which provides medical or health benefits, encompassing prevention and treatment of disease.”

Pure Grenada, the Spice of the Caribbean boasts functional foods such as lemongrass, ginger, orange, French cashew, lime, vitamin and minerals such as Vitamin C, zinc and Vitamin D which are packed with immune building properties. They aid the building of the immune system and benefit the gut microbiome. Grenada’s national dish is the ubiquitous “oil down” with the primary ingredient, breadfruit, now touted as a superfood. The reality is that the majority of foods grown in Grenada by farmers, and especially the members of Grenada Agro Tourism are organically grown using traditional methods. Eat seasonally so the foods are fresh.

Adding these functional foods to your diet such as ginger also offers the additional benefits of reducing inflammation, bloating, and alleviating excess gas.

Zinc, which is an essential mineral to multiple functions in the body is especially essential to men’s health as it plays a role in prostate health, testosterone levels, and overall sexual health. Zinc is not produced by the body and must be consumed through foods like fish including tuna. So, on your travels to Grenada visit the Melville Street Fish Market for fresh daily caught tuna for your next meal.

Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin is both a hormone produced by the body and a nutrient we can consume by eating healthy foods. It also aids the absorption and retention of calcium and phosphorus, both of which are critical for bone building, reducing inflammation, and improving the overall immune system. So, enjoy your time in the sun on one of Grenada’s many beautiful beaches!

French Cashew Lemongrass Smoothie

1 tablespoon lime juice (fresh)
2 French cashews
5 sprigs lemongrass
2 cups coconut water

Instructions: Blend and allow to sit for 15 minutes before consuming.

Orange Lemongrass Grilled Tuna

2-3 steaks Yellow Fin Tuna
¼ cup orange juice
1 lime
20 sprigs lemongrass
Pinch of salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Instructions: Marinade (blend the orange juice, lime, lemongrass, salt and pepper together, allow to sit for 15 minutes). Marinade the fish in ¾ of the lemongrass mixture. Grill the tuna for 2-3 minutes on each side. Pour the remainder of the marinade on the grilled fish. Serve with breadfruit, salad or steamed vegetables.

Jeaniel Whint is a Grenadian born Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Chef located in Toronto, Canada and the Director of Cherry Blossom Wellness Services.

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Caribbean

World Social Work Day 2022

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 00:00:02 +0000

World Social Work Day 2022

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admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 00:00

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Original Publisher

Lifestyle | NOW Grenada

Original Article

World Social Work Day 2022

World Social Work Day is celebrated across the world every year. This year it took place on 15 March.

This is in recognition of the hard work of Social Workers around the world. The 2022 theme ‘Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind’ highlighted an opportunity for the social work profession to engage all social work networks and the community they work within to make contributions to shared values and principles. The theme also presented a vision and action plan to create new global values, policies, and practices that develop trust, security, and confidence for all people and the sustainability of the planet which enable all people to have their dignity and worth respected through shared futures.

The Covid-19 pandemic is a global public health issue; the greatest success in controlling the pandemic has been achieved where there has been a high level of mutual trust between the government, the professionals, and the communities, working towards the same goal.

Therefore, it makes sense to create a partnership to co-design and co-produce a global solution to the Covid-19 pandemic, which in turn can lead to creating global solutions for all kinds of issues resulting in concrete, healthy, socially equitable, and environmentally sustainable solutions for both the short and long term.

Like other professions, social workers have had to battle with the challenges faced by the Covid-19 pandemic and had to find innovative measures in reaching service users; additionally, some countries have had to tackle the refugee crisis and displaced individuals. Social work has taken on a new dimension in Human Rights-based advocacy in responding to issues.

In recent times, Grenada has been faced with its own challenges such as severe flooding and land erosion. There have also been numerous issues of social matters highlighted in social media. Mental health continues to be a grave concern; there are insufficient resources to support persons in crisis in the community.

We have also seen an increase in death by suicide in young men. Possible contributing factors may be the increase in alcohol and drug use among young people, unemployment and unresolved issues resulting from early life traumas.

As social workers, we have an ethical responsibility to raise awareness about these problems. Early intervention will assist in promoting wellbeing and preventing illness, thus reducing the need for hospitalisation and fatality.

GAPSW would therefore like to see the strengthening of services to meet those needs and other requirements of vulnerable individuals and communities. We are pleading with our Government to invest in the development of adequate resources to prevent an escalation of this problem which will definitely have a detrimental impact on society as a whole.

It is no longer feasible to close our eyes and work in our little silos, all vying for small pots of the same money, we have to work in collaboration, across disciplines to create change, a silent revolution that recognises human rights at its core and is inherently respectful of each and every one of us, however different.

What we need is a world which allows politicians, professionals and communities to work beyond national and regional borders, to foster cross-sectoral dialogue and action. We need to address health and economic disparities, nationally, regionally and internationally. This will require the co-design and co-production of effective systems to increase the collective resilience to respond to future challenges. We need to recognise our interdependence as a planet; we need global commitment for concrete action to help advance solutions, for our children and grandchildren to inherit a better world.

This statement is submitted by the Grenada Association of Professional Social Workers (GAPSW), who are recognised members of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW).

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Grenada

Caribbean

Despite increase in Covid-infected patients, hospitalization decreases

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 21:50:01 +0000

Despite increase in Covid-infected patients, hospitalization decreases

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 21:50

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

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Local – Dominican Today

Original Article

Despite increase in Covid-infected patients, hospitalization decreases

Santiago, DR
Admissions due to Covid-19 are increasing moderately in the health care centers of this city of Santiago, where yesterday there were only three in public hospitals, but a higher number in private hospitals.

The provincial director of Health, Virgilio Gutiérrez, warned that the public and private centers have drastically reduced the number of beds available for patients with the virus so that the percentages can generate a false perception.

The official indicated that if there is undoubtedly an increase in the number of infections as it is happening in the country, the level of hospitalization is significantly reduced. For this reason, in all the private clinics in Santiago, there are only 105 beds available.

Gutiérrez expressed that the level of hospitalization in the private centers is close to 50 percent, but with such a reduced number of beds, the admissions are minimal.

“There is a clinic that barely has 16 beds to attend Covid cases and today it has 15 patients admitted, almost one hundred percent, but this is due to the scarce availability of beds to attend this disease”, said the official.

He said that of those admitted, almost all of whom are in private centers, nobody is in intensive care or assisted respiration since the high levels of vaccination determine that the disease affects people less intensely.

The provincial director of Health expressed that the number of people vaccinated with at least two doses in Santiago is close to 70 percent, and the vaccination and testing centers are still operating.

Dominican Republic

Caribbean

Covid-19: The main focus is in the capital city

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 21:50:01 +0000

Covid-19: The main focus is in the capital city

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 21:50

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Original Publisher

Local – Dominican Today

Original Article

Covid-19: The main focus is in the capital city

The largest records of new positive cases are held by the National District, which yesterday reported 200 new infections.

Santo Domingo, DR
The daily positivity of the Covid-19 virus in the country is almost 20%, with the registration yesterday of 746 new positive cases, bringing to 1,642 the total number of new infections detected in the last 48 hours.

The 817th report issued by the health authorities also registered an increase in the number of patients in critical conditions, from 19 patients reported the day before to 23 who were admitted yesterday to Intensive Care Units.

New infections
The 746 new positive cases were captured in 6,212 samples processed in the last 24 hours, placing the daily positivity at 19.29% and the accumulated positivity of the previous four weeks at 8.84%. Active virus cases continue to rise; yesterday was reported at 4,215 nationwide.

Major outbreaks
The highest number of new positive cases was reported in the National District, which reported 200 new infections yesterday, followed by Santo Domingo province, with 159 cases; Duarte with 74; La Altagracia with 71 and Santiago with 58 recent reports.

National records on the behavior of the pandemic indicate that 593,324 positive cases have been diagnosed in the country, out of a total of 3,414,919 laboratory samples processed to confirm or rule out the presence of the virus.

7.9% bed occupancy
Regular bed occupancy in the country’s Covid-19 hospital network remained at 7.9% yesterday with the admission of 187 patients, while ICU bed occupancy is 3.9% with 23 hospitalized patients, two under ventilation.

No new deaths from Covid-19 were reported yesterday, so deaths remained at 4,382, with a case fatality rate of 0.74% and a mortality rate of 419.39 per million population.

Of the deaths due to Covid-19 complications, the country records 23.09% had hypertension as comorbidity, and 14.45% were affected by diabetes.

FIGURES
Risk groups
Of the risk groups, 71,086 children under 20 years of age have been diagnosed; 1,885 pregnant women and 2,333 health care workers. Greater Santo Domingo is the area with the highest reports of Covid-19 deaths, with 893 positive cases reported in Santo Domingo and 685 in the National District.

Dominican Republic

Caribbean

Three strains cause rise in Covid-19 infections

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 21:40:01 +0000

Three strains cause rise in Covid-19 infections

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 21:40

Thursday, June 16, 2022

Original Publisher

Local – Dominican Today

Original Article

Three strains cause rise in Covid-19 infections

The country’s health authorities insist that it cannot yet be identified as the sixth wave of the pandemic because there is no new variant of the virus.

Santo Domingo, DR
In the last few weeks, the BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants of the omicron variant of Covid-19 have been circulating in the country, both identified in the National District and Santo Domingo province, causing a greater increase in the number of infections.

Yesterday, these demarcations reported 505 new cases out of the 737 cases reported in the last 24 hours at the national level.

While in the other provinces of the country, only the circulation of the BA.2 subvariant has been identified, according to the results of sequencing done at the Dr. Defilló National Laboratory in 1,603 samples taken between May 13 and June 13.

Yesterday, the country registered an increase in hospitalizations due to the disease with the notification of 214 patients admitted in regular beds and 29 in intensive care, contrary to the previous day when 187 and 23 patients, respectively, had been reported. Three patients were on ventilation.

New positive cases
The epidemiological bulletin number 818 reported yesterday 737 new positive cases of the virus detected in a total of 7,598 samples processed in the last 24 hours, placing the daily positivity at 16.56%, lower than that reported the day before, which was around 20%, and that of the last four weeks at 8.75%.

Active virus cases rose yesterday to 3,739, with Greater Santo Domingo registering the highest number of new infections, with 505 cases reported out of the 737 reported in the last 24 hours.

In Peravia province, for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 100 cases were reported in one day.

So far, according to the Director of Epidemiology, Dr. Ronald Skewes, despite the increase in the number of patients admitted, the country’s hospital system has not been stressed, and bed occupancy is low about the installed capacity.

Sixth wave
Although they recognize that in the last weeks, the cases and positivity of the virus show an increase, the health authorities insist that it cannot yet be identified as the sixth wave of the pandemic since no new variant of the virus has been identified in the country, but the same sub-variants of the omicron are still circulating.

The Minister of Public Health, Daniel Rivera, and the Vice-Minister of Collective Health, Eladio Pérez, reminded us that no new virus variants had been identified in the country. When the same variant circulates, it is not considered a new wave. They said that there are countries where the BA.5 subvariant of omicron predominates, but it has not been identified in the country.

They reported that the current week had seen a slight increase in the virus indicators, which may be a sign that cases are beginning to decline, and highlighted that 41% of the country’s municipalities had not registered cases in the last three weeks.

They explained that the transmissibility rate has also been dropping, standing this week at 3.9 per symptom onset and 2.7 per notification date.

They assured that prevention interventions are being carried out, reinforcing the delivery of masks and the collection of samples. They emphasized the importance of people maintaining preventive measures such as using masks in massive and closed places, hand washing, and completing their vaccination schedules, the demand for which, they assured, has been increasing.

5% positivity in schools
The Minister of Public Health emphasized that even though the highest infections are in children under 20 years of age, the cases in schools are low, maintaining a positivity rate below 5% and that in schools where cases have been identified, they have acted quickly according to the protocol.

Dr. Rivera said that if the schools apply the established Covid-19 protocol, the school calendar can continue as normal, without interruption, and reminded that school vacations are not far away.

Meanwhile, Dr. Skewes highlighted that for 20 weeks, the Dominican Republic had maintained an incidence below 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, which is a very good indicator, and gave examples of other countries where this incidence is much higher.

Main focal points
The capital city
The main focus of contagion is the capital, with 505 positive cases reported yesterday.

Baní
Peravia province has the highest number of infections, with 101, a figure that had never reached that territory since the beginning of the pandemic on March 1, 2020.

It is followed by San Cristóbal, with 18 and San Pedro de Macorís, with 16 cases.

Dominican Republic

Caribbean