The United Kingdom has a mandatory 11-day quarantine for travelers from the Dominican Republic

STARTING AT 04:00 a.m. ON JUNE 30

 Haiti and Uganda were also included

The United Kingdom Government will require mandatory hotel quarantine for eleven days for all travelers from the  Dominican Republic.

The United Kingdom added the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Uganda to the red list of risk countries,  in the hope of slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

This latest reorganization of the United Kingdom government travel traffic light will come into effect from 4:00 a.m. on June 30, where it states that any arrival after this date will go to the hotel’s mandatory quarantine, at the cost of £ 1,750 per person.

It has also joined nations such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Turkey in 56 high-risk countries.

On the other hand, the Dominican Republic, Tunisia, and Uganda are also among the countries added to the Northern Ireland red list.

Dominican Republic registers its greatest recovery in tourist arrivals in June

MITUR PROJECTS THIS MONTH IT WILL CLOSE WITH 390,000 FOREIGN VISITORS

 Tourist flow increases in the country despite restrictions in key source markets.

 The development of Pedernales will give a significant boost to the leisure industry.

The recovery of the arrival of tourists to the Dominican Republic is still in full swing, thanks to the mass vaccination process in the country; a sign of the positive progress of the leisure industry in the DR is that June will close with 390,000 foreign tourists, being the strongest in the recovery of the sector since the pandemic began.

This was indicated by the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, who specified that 300,000 tourists had arrived in the country as of Thursday, June 24, a sample of the results of the Government’s efforts.

On the other hand, Collado announced a reorganization plan and the construction of a boardwalk in Pedernales as part of the tourism development actions in the province.

He stated that they would begin with designing the boardwalk in an area that past governments have historically forgotten.

The owner of the Mitur stressed that the Pedernales tourism development plan includes 3,000 rooms, an airport, and restaurants, which means a boost to tourism development in the region.

“It has started a development process that will not stop in this southern area,” he said after ensuring that this region has been forgotten for more than 100 years.

The first passenger cruise from the United States marks the sector’s “new dawn”

According to the owner company, the Celebrity Edge became the first cruise ship to sail with passengers from a United States port on Saturday after a 15-month ban due to the pandemic and thus marked the beginning of “a new dawn” for the sector.

Port Everglades, located in Fort Lauderdale (Florida), said goodbye to the cruise company Celebrity Cruises, part of the Riyal Caribbean Group.

“#Hope floats. Today marks the rebirth of our company and our industry as our beautiful Celebrity Edge sets sail for a new luxury experience that will once again fuel people’s love of travel,” he wrote on Twitter. Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of the company.

In command of the cruiser, It carries almost 1,100 passengers, 36% of its capacity, of which the vast majority vaccinated, as is 100 percent of the crew, is Kate McCue, the first and still only American woman to captain a major cruise ship.

According to the company, the ship set sail for Mexico and the Bahamas for a seven-night trip, which precisely a month ago received a green light from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for today’s departure.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, cruise ships can avoid test trips if 98% of the crew and 95% of the travelers are vaccinated against COVID-19.

“This is a momentous navigation that we have been preparing for a long time,” said Richard Fain, president of the Royal Caribbean Group, who stressed that “travel is a powerful catalyst for positive change in our world.”

“There is nothing more enriching in life than being exposed to new cultures, sights and experiences, and nothing more luxurious than doing it aboard a Celebrity cruise,” he added.

Brian Abel, Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations for Celebrity Cruises, said: “We have looked forward to this day, not only because it represents a return to service and doing what we love to do most, but because we know that for many the return of cruises is a symbol of the return of the world to normality. “

Named “one of the best places in the world” by Time magazine, Celebrity Edge made its maiden voyage in 2018 and is considered one of the most innovative cruises in the world.

The design is designed so that passengers feel more connected to the sea and the ports they visit.

It has, among other things, luxurious two-story villas with private pools.

“The week after our entire industry was on land, this past March, I started a #HopeFloats tradition of honking the ship every night so the world would know that we were not only safe, but we were thinking about the from home and expecting the same for them, “said Captain McCue.

With the Celebrity Edge now at sea, eight of the 14 ships in the Celebrity Cruises fleet have plans to return to sail in 2021 and are ready to take their passengers to destinations in the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska Galapagos.

Celebrity Cruises has established new health and safety measures following guidance from public health authorities, government agencies, and its own health and safety team and experts to provide passengers with the peace of mind they need to enjoy their trip fully.

At the beginning of June, Judge Stephen Merryday of the Federal Court of the Middle District of Florida, based in Tampa (on the west coast of Florida), approved a petition raised by the state authorities in a lawsuit against the government CDC that remains open and ongoing.

DeSantis asked the courts to act against the “conditional navigation order” issued by the CDC in October, which contains a series of measures so that shipping companies can resume their operations with cruise ships from US ports.

As of July 18, the judge decided that the CDC guidelines for cruises departing from Florida will not be a rule but a recommendation.

Merryday’s decision marks a victory for Florida Governor Ron Desantis, who said, “the CDC has been wrong all along and they knew it.”

According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents 95% of the companies with oceanic cruises, between March and September 2020, these companies had global losses of 77,000 million dollars, 23,000 million in salaries 518,000 jobs. 

Tourism announces investment of RD $ 300 million in Sosúa

Puerto Plata, DR

The Government will initiate a rescue plan for the Sosúa municipality, with an investment of more than 300 million pesos to get the nightlife out of the downtown area, as part of the plan to return the Puerto Plata province to its splendor as a tourist destination.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, in the framework of a meeting with the country’s tourism press at Ocean World, Cofresí.

Collado assured that Puerto Plata deserves more, and that is why they have been on specific issues for the destination, such as the Luperón treatment plant that had been paralyzed for more than 15 years and the Long Beach plant with more than ten years on standby. He added that President Abinader would come to deliver the Puerto Plata treatment plant.

Regarding Sosúa, he reaffirmed the investment to remove the nightlife that affects that destination and will promote parking lots for 600 vehicles, a plaza for vendors, access to the beaches, and the adaptation of the Cabarete beach.

Cable car
The Minister of Tourism assured that the Puerto Plata cable car will not be privatized but will be renovated and taken to its maximum splendor, strengthening the board.

He reaffirmed that neither the La Puntilla amphitheater nor any other tourist facilities in the province would be privatized.

Adompretur
Collado announced the allocation of RD $ 27 million to construct the Dominican Association of Tourism Press (Adompretur) premises and a museum to strengthen the work of the country’s tourism press.

The official assured that the sector’s recovery results from the joint effort of all for an industry that represents 15% of the country’s GDP and impacts the entire national economy.

New record
The Minister of Tourism said that in June, the country has received 278,000 tourists, projected that the month would culminate with a record of 378,000 visitors. He promised that they would continue to carry out the necessary work to guarantee the total recovery of the sector, strengthening international promotion with initiatives that enhance domestic tourism, ensuring the transparency and efficiency of its management.

The meeting was attended by Senator Ginette Bournigal, Governor Claritza Rochtte, Mayor Roquelito García, Vice Ministers Patricia de Moya, Igor Rodríguez, among others.

IN POINTS
Collado assured that he is not interested in commissions, neither for advertising, nor for international promotion, nor for the works carried out to promote the development of destinations. “I come here to work with honesty and transparency,” he said.

Dominican Republic will request negative PCR tests or vaccination card from travelers from 18 countries

Santo Domingo, DR.

The Dominican Republic will ask for negative PCR tests or vaccination cards from travelers from 18 countries to enter the country as a measure to stop the advance of the coronavirus; authorities reported this afternoon.

The decision is contained in a resolution of the Civil Aviation Board (JAC), where it toughens measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 variants in the country by requiring the presentation of negative PCR test or vaccination card to passengers from 18 countries wishing to enter the Dominican territory.

“As of today, all passengers arriving in the Dominican Republic from Australia, United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Ireland, Democratic Republic of Congo, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Syria, Sweden, Monaco, Thailand, Tunisia, Brazil, South Africa and India the presentation of a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to arrival or presentation of a vaccination card no more than 3 weeks after the last dose was administered,” explained Marte Piantini.

The measure also applies to all passengers coming from those countries arriving in Dominican territory from a third country and those who have been in those countries for fourteen days or less.

The measures will be effective as of June 28, 2021, and may be extended by the Aviation Board, informed José Marte Piantini, president of the JAC.

“Through the efforts made by our President Luis Abinader with the, National Vaccination Plan, we have achieved an extraordinary management of the pandemic with a total of 7,482,545 doses applied. According to data from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the effort made by our government places the Dominican Republic among the first five countries in the region that have better managed the crisis derived from the pandemic,” said Marte Piantini.

The resolution also states that crew members coming from the countries mentioned above must present their vaccination card or PCR test and be confined to the hotel where they are staying.

Marte Piantini stated that these new restrictions to the aforementioned countries “will keep the population protected from the emergence of new strains of COVID-19 that have affected other nations.”

The JAC is integrated, in addition to its president, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Tourism, the Legal Advisor of the Executive Branch, the Director-General of the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute, the Executive Director of the Airport Department; the Commander General of the Air Force of the Dominican Republic, the Director-General of the Specialized Corps in Airport Security and Civil Aviation; Nasim Antonio Yapor Alba and Fernando Hiram Taveras, as representatives of the Private Sector, Andrés R. Marranzini Grullón, as representative of the Private Tourism Sector, and Paola Plá Puello, as secretary of the JAC.

Carnival to return to Puerto Plata and La Romana with vaccinated passengers

ITS HORIZON AND VISTA CRUISES WILL OPERATE AS OF JULY

The shipping company is grateful for the support of the CDC and other federal agencies in the United States.

Cruise ship passengers must present proof of vaccination against Covid-19.

Carnival will start operating again in the Amber Cove Port of Puerto Plata, having 100% of its crew vaccinated and allowing 95% of the passengers to be vaccinated, understanding that 5% are child passengers, less likely to suffer Covid-19. The first voyages would take place on July 6, 16, 20, and 30.

It would call on La Romana twice, on July 15 and 29, before docking in Puerto Plata with the operations. The Carnival Horizon has a capacity of up to 6,538 passengers and 1,423 crew members.

The first ship to sail will be the Carnival Vista from Galveston, Texas, on July 3, followed by the Carnival Breeze, which will sail on July 15, according to a press release.

The cruises are available to passengers who have received their final dose of a Centers for Disease Control (CDC)-approved Covid-19 vaccine at least 14 days before the start of the cruise. They must present proof of vaccination.

“We appreciate the progress and support from CDC and other key federal agencies for our U.S. restart. However, the CDC’s current requirements for cruising with unvaccinated passengers will make it very difficult to provide the experience our guests expect, especially given the large number of families with younger children who sail with us,” said Christine Duffy, president of the cruise line.

“As a result, our alternative is to operate from the United States during the month of July with vaccinated guests,” she said.

The Carnival Horizon will also sail in July from the port of Miami. The company did not provide further details on the specific health protocols it will maintain onboard but indicated that it would provide weekly updates for booked guests.

Crew members on Carnival ships will be vaccinated, and Duffy noted that they have received “strong support” from both Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, as well as other state and port officials, to make vaccinations available to cruise line staff, which has expedited the restart process.

Abinader requests another 45 days of state of emergency

If approved, the new extension would begin on July 14 and end at the end of August

Santo Domingo, DR

President Luis Abinader asked the National Congress for an extension of another 45 days of the State of Emergency under the justification of continuing with special measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) in the country.

“Thanks to the curfew and the other social distancing measures adopted during the State of Emergency, control over the disease has been achieved, which is why it is necessary to maintain and modulate them, while ensuring a gradual and safe economic reopening,” points out as the primary motivation President Luis Abinader.

The document also indicates that the maintenance of these extraordinary measures and the advancement of the special vaccination day has managed to “control” the level of contagion.   

The request was sent to the president of the Senate, Eduardo Estrella, and received in the Upper House yesterday.

If approved, the new extension would begin on July 14 and end at the end of August.     

The Dominican Republic has been under a state of emergency without interruption since the end of July of last year. From March 18, 2020, only the country has been out of these measures for two weeks at the beginning of July to realize the previous presidential elections.

Curfew

Yesterday the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, ordered the same curfew schedule between Wednesday, June 23 and Wednesday, June 30, of the same month.

The president’s disposition is contained in Decree 398-21, with which he kept the curfew hours the same until next Wednesday, June 30 of the current year.

“The only measure that remains without effect is the closure of the binational markets, whose operation will be regulated from now on by the competent authorities,” says the provision issued by the Dominican president.

So far, the curfew in the Dominican Republic is differentiated between two groups of provinces.

From 6:00 in the afternoon to 5:00 in the morning with a grace of free circulation until 9:00 at night, it works in the National District and the provinces Azua, Bahoruco, Barahona, Dajabón, Elías Piña, El Seibo, Hato Mayor, Hermanas Mirabal, Independencia.

Also La Romana, María Trinidad Sánchez, Monsignor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, San Cristóbal, San José de Ocoa, San Juan, San Pedro de Macorís, Sánchez Ramírez, Santiago Rodríguez, Santo Domingo and Valverde.

In the other seven provinces, Duarte, Espaillat, La Altagracia, La Vega, Samaná, Santiago, and Puerto Plata, the curfew hours work from Monday to Sunday 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. am.

Dominican Republic is closer to achieving herd immunity, says Public Health advisor

He explained that the authorities carry out a massive vaccination campaign to reach 70% of the inoculated population in 60 days.

With the administration of seven million vaccines nationwide, the Dominican Republic exceeds 50% of people inoculated with at least one dose, which brings the country close to the 70% needed to reach herd immunity, indicated the COVID-19 advisor of the Ministry of Health, Eddy Perez Then.

As of June 20, 7,012,445 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the country; these, 4,541,739 correspond to the first dose and 2,470706 to the second dose.

“We are talking about more than 50% of the population has already received one or two doses, which is extremely important. We are possibly among the most advanced countries,” he said.

The COVID advisor explained that the authorities carry out a massive vaccination campaign to reach 70% of the inoculated population in 60 days.

“We are doing a more proactive vaccination campaign, precisely to try to reach what it leaves us traced in 60 days, to have 70% of the population already covered,” he said.

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Public Health starts pilot test of COVID-19 tracking in Guachupita
Perez Then pointed out that the vaccination, together with the launching of the pilot plan for case tracking and other strategies that Public Health is carrying out in the country, could relax the measures against the coronavirus.

This Monday, the Ministry of Public Health started the pilot test of contact tracing in Guachupita to detect and prevent contagions of COVID-19.

The journey is being carried out in conjunction with the School of Medicine of the Dominican University O&M (O&Med), Two Oceans in Health (2OiH), and the network of community youth in the sector.

“If we can continue to increase vaccination and if we can do this type of thing (contact tracing) at the national level, we understand that we will make an impact quickly (in COVID), we cannot say a specific time,” explained Perez Then.

Nearly half the tourists are from the US

Santo Domingo.- The arrival of tourists has reached 1,435,107 during the first five months of the year, according to the data published this week by the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD).

Almost half of the visitors, 649,679, have come from the United States, while the other major source market for tourists to the Caribbean —Canada— remains closed to foreign travel as a measure to curb expansion. of COVID-19. However, official data indicate that 7,308 Canadians arrived in the Dominican Republic between January and May of this year.

The Civil Aviation Board (JAC) authorized the first charter flights from Canada between November 2 and April 23, 2022. These are 148 passenger and cargo flights that promise to reactivate one of the largest emitters of tourists to the Dominican Republic in the high season.

Dominican Republic, the seventh country in America with the highest percentage of vaccinated population

Concerning the world, the Dominican Republic enters the list of the 30 countries with more than 20% of its population vaccinated.

Santo Domingo, DR

The Dominican Republic ranks as the seventh country in the American continent with the highest percentage of its population vaccinated against COVID-19.

Data provided by the portal “Our World in Data” indicate that the country, as of June 17, had 21.5 percent of the population inoculated with both doses of some vaccine against COVID-19.

Concerning the world, the Dominican Republic enters the list of the 30 countries with more than 20% of its population vaccinated.

Within the continent, Chile is the country with the most vaccinated people, with 48.3 percent of its population, followed by the United States with 44.4 percent; Uruguay, 38.2 percent; Antigua and Barbuda, 24.8 percent; Dominica, 24.8 percent; Barbados, 22.1 percent and the Dominican Republic with 21.5 percent.

The country outnumbers large nations such as Canada, which has 17.1 percent of its population inoculated with both doses; Mexico, 12.3 percent; Argentina, 8 percent and Colombia, 8.5 percent.

The data also collected by the Our World in Data platform does not record any details of the vaccination in Haiti, while in Venezuela, it only establishes 0.8 percent of its inoculated population.

Concerning the world, the data collection platform indicates that to date, 9.8 percent of the world’s population is fully vaccinated against the virus.

Vaccination day

The most recent data published by the Ministry of Public Health indicates that 6,675,351 doses of vaccines against COVID-19 have been applied until June 17.

Of these, 4,344,495 were first dose vaccines and 2,330,856 second dose, and therefore the same number of people are fully vaccinated.

This Friday, the Government continues with the National Vaccination Day in the national territory, but with a particular focus during this weekend in the southern and eastern part of the Dominican Republic.

On the same day, the Minister of Public Health, Daniel Rivera, visited a hospital in the Barahona province. He assured that to free that province from the coronavirus, 49,000 people should be vaccinated.

Despite this, the day in this province began with great timidity because the doses of the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac arrived after 12:00 noon on Friday, according to correspondents of this medium in the South.

Likewise, they indicated that the rains that affected the national territory caused the citizens of that southern part of the country to be timid.

In another order, the epidemiological bulletin on the situation of COVID-19 in the country, released by the Ministry of Public Health, reported 1,784 cases in the last 24 hours, with 55,027 active cases and a total registered of 315,815.

In the case of deaths, the bulletin reported six deaths that occurred in the last 24 hours, for a total of 3,754.

Flights between the Dominican Republic and Canada to resume in November

Santo Domingo, DR

After about fifteen months of air traffic between the Dominican Republic and Canada being interrupted by coronavirus restrictions, commercial and cargo flights will be reactivated again in November, with the operation of 148 charter flights for tourists and freight.

The information was offered by the JAC Civil Aviation Board president, José Marte Pintiani, who explained that flight operations would begin from November 2 to April 23, 2022.  

Regarding the volume of flights, Marte Piantini explained that the Civil Aviation Board (JAC) approved 148 new passenger and cargo charter flights to the Canadian airline Swoop Airlines, distributed on the routes Ontario / Punta Cana / Ontario and Toronto / Punta Cana / Toronto.

He stressed that these approvals would reactivate passenger transport between the Dominican Republic and Canada after 15 months closed due to the pandemic’s protocols and restrictions.

He said that before the closure of air borders due to the effect of the pandemic caused by COVID-19, Canada was among the main emitters of passengers to the Dominican Republic.

“The Dominican Republic has managed to become one of the countries in the Americas with the best performance in the face of the difficult situation of the pandemic,” said the president of the JAC.

Referring to the measures taken by the government to mitigate the effects of Covid-19, he explained that compared to other countries in the region, to date, the State has supplied more than six million doses of vaccines through the Plan. National Vaccination, promoted by the government.

According to data provided by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Dominican authorities have managed to apply at least one dose to 57.37% of the population per 100 inhabitants, which represents 18% of the total vaccinated population, and places the country as the fourth in the region to present better management of the pandemic.

During the JAC plenary meeting, 32 passenger and cargo charter flights were also approved to the French air operator Corsair on the Orly / Punta Cana / Orly air route, whose operations will be from December 11, 2021, to March 28, 2022.

Meanwhile, among the charter operations approved to start from the end of June are those authorized to Edel Weiss, with 18 flights connecting from Zurich, Switzerland to Punta Cana, from June 30 to July 29, 2021; and connecting the city of Warsaw, 19 operations were approved for Blue Panorama Airlines, starting on June 26 and ending on October 30, 2021.

Twenty flights to World 2 Fly were also approved to connect Madrid, Spain, with Punta Cana, from July 26 to October 30, 2021.

The Civil Aviation Board JAC is the highest body in matters of civil aviation in the country. It meets every 15 days to dictate the measures and legislation on air traffic, as established by Law No. 491-06 of Civil Aviation of the Dominican Republic.

The 3rd Health and Wellness Destination Guide is published

To strengthen the positioning of the Dominican Republic as a competitive and safe health tourism destination in the face of covid-19, the Dominican Association of Health Tourism (ADTS) and AF Comunicación Estratégica published the third edition of the Health and Wellness Destination Guide.

The presentation was made within the framework of the 5th International Congress of Health and Wellness Tourism, which took place on June 9th and 10th, 2021.

The guide, a publication of the Medical Tourism Association (MTA), is a tool that seeks to show the international community the main attributes of the country.

The president of the ADTS, Dr. Alejandro Cambiaso, affirmed that this edition seeks to strengthen the position of the Dominican Republic as a safe destination, “differentiating ourselves from our competitors as a nation that has managed the pandemic in a timely manner, showing a fatality rate lower than the vast majority. of the countries of the region, through the application of internationally endorsed biosafety protocols, and being innovative with initiatives such as the safe tourism assistance plan”.

Meanwhile, Amelia Reyes Mora, vice president of the ADTS and president of AF Comunicación Estratégica, stated that “this publication highlights the Dominican Republic as a reliable international destination for medical tourism, and offers extensive information on the main players in the medical tourism value chain. Likewise, she points out that this initiative is aligned with the presidential and national development goals of diversifying the country’s tourism portfolio”.

The guide is edited in the English language and will have great international diffusion and visibility.

“It is an ideal instrument to guide international patients in the process of choosing a reliable healthcare provider. Those interested will be able to find out details about health and wellness centers, hospitals, hotels, airports, financial institutions, and existing investment opportunities in the country”, she pointed out.

In turn, they highlighted that the Dominican Republic has a strategic geographical position, ideal climate, political and social stability, health professionals trained in centers of excellence and accredited centers, and in the process of international accreditation.

“These comparative advantages position the Dominican Republic as the main destination for health tourism in the Caribbean region and second in all of Latin America, according to the Medical Tourism Index”, they specified.

The third edition of the Health and Wellness Tourism Guide is a unique opportunity for the institutions involved in this sector to promote their products and services.

This guide will be available in eBook format from Apple Books and Amazon Kindle.

Likewise, its content will remain in its entirety on the websites of the Medical Tourism Association, ranked number one in the world in Google searches on health tourism topics.

In addition, it will be on the website of the Dominican Association of Health Tourism, airports, and hotels. Likewise, through the digital channels of the Ministry of Tourism of the Dominican Republic (MITUR), Ministry of Foreign Relations (MIREX), consulates, and Dominican embassies abroad.

Guide link – https://destinationguide.medicaltourism.com/dominican-republic/

Spirit plans to fly to Santo Domingo from Miami airport

STARTING NEXT OCTOBER 6 OF THE CURRENT YEAR

By the end of the year,  Spirit Airlines plans to fly from Miami International Airport (MIA) to 30 destinations in the United States and Latin America starting October 6, 2021.

According to the airline, you still need to make a public presentation outlining the routes you intend to operate before getting a space at the airport terminal and counter.

If its routes are approved, Spirit will make the first flights from this airport on October 6, linking MIA with  Atlantic City, Newark, Atlanta, Baltimore, Bogotá, Medellín (Colombia), Guatemala City (Guatemala), Port-au-Prince (Haiti), and Santo Domingo Dominican Republic).  On October 7, the route to San Salvador  (El Salvador) will begin.

Subsequently, on November 17, it would begin its services from MIA to  Barranquilla,  Cali,  San Pedro Sula  (Honduras),  San José  (Costa Rica),  San Juan  (Puerto Rico),  Boston,  Chicago  O’Hare,  Cleveland,  Dallas -Fort Worth,  Houston  Intercontinental,  Denver,  Detroit,  Hartford – Bradley,  Las Vegas,  Myrtle Beach,  LaGuardia,  Orlando,  Philadelphia, and Raleigh-Durham, while on November 18 Spirit will begin trips to  St. Thomas  (the Virgin Islands of the United States).

The US low-cost airline informed that it would not modify its itinerary at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport since it is the main gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean.

Spirit currently maintains service from seven of the ten largest airports in Florida: Orlando, Miami, Tampa, Fort Myers, Pensacola, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach.

The United States relaxes the alert level for trips to the Dominican Republic

THE MEASURE CONSTITUTES AN INCENTIVE FOR THE DOMINICAN TOURISM SECTOR

 The country has improved its position by moving from level 4 to position number 3

In what represents a great relief and step forward for the recovery of Dominican tourism, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) of the United States issued a Health Advisory for level 3 travel for the Dominican Republic due to the Covid-19, thus making its position more desirable since the country was at level 4—the least safe rating.

The State Department recommends that its citizens “reconsider traveling to the Dominican Republic due to Covid-19,” but the new health notice represents an incentive for the Dominican tourism sector.

It should be noted that last week the CDC also relaxed its recommendations for another 60 countries to which it had previously recommended its citizens not to travel due to a high level of Covid-19.

On the CDC page, when detailing the country information, the United States Government reports that the Dominican Republic has 304,428 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 3,686 confirmed deaths.

“Medical care is limited, the availability of ICU beds is limited, and hospitalized patients may be at increased risk of exposure to Covid-19. Therefore, US citizens, including those considering travel for elective surgery, are encouraged to postpone travel due to considerations including the significantly reduced availability of emergency medical care,” the portal says.

The United States embassy in the country published the information on the flexibility to level 3 for travel to this Caribbean nation.

Azur Air guide return of Russian tourism to the Dominican Republic: requests to operate 110 flights to the country

IN THE PERIOD FROM JUNE 23 TO OCTOBER 29, 2021

José Marte Piantini, president of the Civil Aviation Board ( JAC ), reported that the Russian air operator Azur Air requested a special permit to operate 110 flights from Russia to the Dominican Republic that would provide some 39,000 seats.

The official explained that the new itineraries requested by the Russian airline would cover the routes from Novosibirsk to La Romana and vice versa, also from Novosibirsk to Punta Cana, and from that same town to Novosibirsk, Ekaterinburg or-Punta Cana-Ekaterinburg, in the period from June 23 to October 29, 2021.

Marte Piantini took advantage of the session to present to the plenary session the first fruits of the working day within the framework of the participation of the delegation of the Civil Aviation Board in the last International Tourism Fair ( Fitur 2021 ), in which they were Iberia and British airlines operations approved to operate the London- Punta Cana-London and Madrid -Punta Cana- Madrid air routes.

British and Iberia, the first of British origin and the second Spanish, respectively, will start their operations under the code-share modality to offer air services to the Dominican Republic during the summer season.

Likewise, the Spanish airline Wamos Air, whose executives also announced within the framework of Fitur their intention to resume their regular operations to the country, renewed their Operating Permit to start their air operations this summer season, offering regular passenger transport services, cargo and mail on the Madrid- Santo Domingo -Madrid and Madrid-Punta Cana-Madrid routes, according to Noticias Sin.

Collado affirms tourism does not represent a health risk in the country

“NORTH AMERICAN TOURISTS, WHO REPRESENT 80%, DO A PCR TEST WHEN THEY LEAVE”

He indicated that the tourist areas reflect a low rate of positivity

The tourist areas reflect the lowest rates of positivity of Covid-19 in the Dominican Republic, below 0.40%, so it does not represent any threat to the health of Dominicans or visitors.

This was reported by the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, at the time of stating that tourism does not represent any health risk in the country, by ensuring that the positivity in airports is at 0.39%, as well as the random tests that are carried out. to tourists when they arrive in the country.

“North American tourists, who represent 80% of tourists who are arriving in the country, when they leave they do a mandatory PCR test in hotels and there the positivity is 0.30%,” said the official.

Collado indicated that the tourist enclaves do not represent any risk to the health of the Dominicans, in addition to the strict protocol that is applied in each hotel center to guarantee the health and well-being of visitors and employees.

“Do not be misled. Under no circumstances does tourism represent any risk to the health of Dominicans and if it had been the case, the president would have taken measures a long time ago,” he emphasized.

For his part, the president, Luis Abinader , explained that, by showing the low levels of positivity of Covid-19 in tourist enclaves and airports, the positive, direct and indirect impact that the tourism industry has on the economy and people it’s very good.

“What does it mean when tourists come to the country?” “It means jobs, it means taxi drivers working, agricultural producers selling to hotels, which means tourism throughout its value chain,” said the president.

President Abinader is confident that when the DR pandemic passes, it will have a stronger tourism sector, “so that it continues to create jobs.”

These statements were offered at the inauguration of the road reconstruction of the Duarte-KM 58 road section that connects with the Natturi Crossing , in San Cristobal , which will have a direct impact on the ecotourism development of the area.

In addition, the reconstruction of the Playa Los Cuadritos, Nigua road access, the reconstruction of the bridge over Arroyo Sanaguá, which entailed an investment of more than 211 million pesos.

The works will provide better access to visitors to the beautiful tourist destination full of history, culture, and nature, authorities highlighted.

Abinader today presents a national pact for the water sector

Santo Domingo, DR

President Luis Abinader will lead today the National Commitment for the Water Pact (2021-2036) in a ceremony to be held at the National Palace.

The president will explain the process and deliver the document with the National Commitment Proposal for a Water Pact 2021-2036 to the Economic and Social Council (CES).

It is a proposal that involves the sum of 8.9 billion dollars. It is intended to create a solution to the water problem in the short, medium and long term, through a State policy, agreed with the society.

The activity will be attended by the institutions that make up the Water Cabinet.

The activity is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. in the Las Cariátides hall of the Government House, where the Minister of Economy, Planning, and Development, Miguel Ceara Hatton, will speak on the “Contextualizations on the water sector in the Dominican Republic,” in his capacity as president of the Water Cabinet.

Likewise, the president of the CES, Rafael Toribio, will speak on the management of this social consultation body.

On December 29 last year, President Abinader created the Water Cabinet and appointed Gilberto Reynoso as its executive director to elaborate a national strategy regarding this resource to be executed in 15 years.

Promotional video of the Dominican Republic with Lewis Hamilton goes viral

The Ministry of Tourism confirmed to Diario Libre that the advertising campaign is current.

The Dominican Republic’s beautiful beaches, historical monuments, culture, and the joy of its people are combined with one of the most popular and exciting sports in the world, Formula One. This is to promote the country as a first-class tourist destination.

The advertising campaign, whose actuality was confirmed to Diario Libre by the Ministry of Tourism, has one of the leading figures of this pastime, the world-famous British racing driver Lewis Hamilton, awarded on multiple occasions with the most important prizes of Formula 1. He has won the most races in the history of the competition.

The video shows the most representative tourist landscapes of the Dominican Republic; in social networks, some people began to speculate about the possibility of creating conditions in the country to carry out races of this sport, as it was raised on several occasions in the past elections by some candidates.

JAC reports Dominican Republic mobilizes 816,813 passengers in May, air sector has recovered 69%

The airports of the Dominican Republic mobilized a total of 816 813 passengers through the airport terminals, representing 69% of the total passengers transported in May 2019 (1, 185, 842 passengers), surpassing with this, its previous month, April 2021, which had closed with 57% concerning April 2019; this was announced by the president of the Civil Aviation Board (JAC), Dr. José E. Marte Piantini.

The JAC informed that it has known and approved 138 flights under the Special Permit modality, which will be operated from June to October this year. “These 138 special flights represent for the country an estimated direct income of US$77.6 million, positively impacting tourism and the country’s economy,” said Marte Piantini.

The Board also approved 1,601 round trip charter flights from June through October of this year. According to these official figures, these flights represent direct revenues estimated at US$686 million.

The President of the JAC assured that with the approval of these special flights to and from the country, it is confirmed that the Dominican Republic is a destination that has a lot of potential in terms of growth amid the pandemic.

Marte Piantini recalled that the Civil Aviation Board grants Special Permits to established airlines to operate routes that are not contained in their operating permits, aiming to explore their commercial viability to regularize them in the future.

Among the approved special flights, 80% (110 flights) will be operated to and from Russia on the Ekaterinburg/Punta Cana/Ekaterinburg, Novosibirsk/LaRomana/Novosibirsk, and Novosibirsk/PuntaCana/Novosibirsk routes. These operations represent a contribution of 39 000 new seats in the period from June 23 to October 29, 2021.

Finally, it is expected that by the end of 2021, the country’s airport terminals will reach a total of 9.2 million passengers in arrivals and departures, which would represent a 64% recovery compared to 2019, which registered 14.5 million passengers in arrivals and departures.

These 9.2 million passengers would mean an estimated contribution to GDP of around US$8 400 million.

ANNEXES:

Road to full recovery:

The month of May 2021 closed with a total of 816 813 passengers mobilized through the country’s airport terminals, this amount representing 69% of the total passengers transported in May 2019 (1 185 842 passengers), surpassing April 2021 with 57% over April 2019.

The projected months of June to December total 5.9 million passengers in arrivals and departures, which is expected to December 2021 the country will achieve recovery of 80% compared to December 2019.

A total of 9.2 million passengers in arrivals and departures is expected by the end of 2021, representing a 64% recovery compared to 2019, which registered 14.5 million passengers in arrivals and departures.

These 9.2 million passengers in arrivals and departures would mean an estimated contribution to GDP of around US$8.4 billion.

Red Air Dominicana ready to start operations

The new Dominican airline Red Air received the certificate of operation from the Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC), allowing the start of its operations in the Dominican Republic.

The general director of IDAC, Román E. Caamaño, formally handed over the AOC operation certificate to the president of Red Air, Héctor Gómez, who expressed his gratitude to the aeronautical authorities for their support in obtaining the operating permit.

As part of the personnel available to Red Air for the start of its operations, there are 5 Dominican pilots as well as the cabin personnel, also Dominican.