A week after the United States requires travelers entering that country to pass a negative Covid-19 test with a validity period of less than 72 hours, the country does not yet have a specific plan or protocol that will make them accessible in a timely manner, although the authorities ensure that it is being worked on.
The requirement going into effect on the 26th of this month will increase the already high pressure the country’s laboratories have to respond to the demand for diagnostic tests for Covid, especially given that only at Las International airport America, José Francisco Peña Gómez has an average of 2,200 to 2,300 passengers traveling to the United States every day.
The Department of Health, which was consulted in this regard, reported yesterday that it has and will facilitate antigenic testing to meet the Covid test demand from travelers going to North American territory, although it did not provide them with details about the access protocol it will provide to the population, while the tourism cabinet reported that it has held meetings to develop a plan that will be released today.
As the requirement to present the negative test for the SARS-CoV2 virus has not yet come into effect, travelers assured Listín Diario that there are already airlines that are demanding it, putting more pressure on the Dominican population than it has been for weeks. encountered difficulties accessing it due to the increasing demand in laboratories.
PCR and antigen
The Department of Health reported that it has enough diagnostic tests for the Covid-19 virus, including antigen tests, to meet the demand of people traveling to the United States.
The Department of Health Deputy Secretary of Corporate Health Ivelisse Acosta recalled that the US statement speaks not only of PCR tests, but viral tests, including antigenic tests, and that the country has both.
He said the CDC statement speaks of viral tests that could be PCR or antigen and the country will use it and has agreed to run antigenic tests.
For weeks, the complaints and indictments of the population in the country have increased because of the difficulties they face in making appointments in the laboratories authorized to take samples and to take the PCR test for the diagnosis of the Covid-19 virus. processing. .
Tourism cabinet
The tourism cabinet, in turn, reported that it has met with the private sector in recent days to develop a plan that meets the United States’ requirements on the negative Covid test with a validity period of no more than 72 hours, and that the details of the plan will be announced this morning.
In written statements, Secretary of Tourism David Collado said the government has an answer to that question and explained that every detail of the plan has been communicated to the US Embassy, which was involved in the search for the solution. on that topic.
A meeting on this topic took place last Wednesday, in which the Minister of Health, Plutarco Arias and David Collado, as well as Rafael Blanco, Andrés Marranzini and Paola Rainieri from the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants (Asonahores); Mónika Infante and Tony Yapur, from the Airports Association.
In addition Ramón Roselló, from Inverotel; the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Board, Marte Piantini; Víctor Pichardo, director of the airport division and representatives of the Ministry of Defense, Public Health reported in a tweet.
More than 2,000 travelers
The measure announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC, of the United States, indicates that beginning Jan. 26, all passengers entering North American territory will have to submit a negative test for the Covid coronavirus. 19.
On average, 2,200 to 2,300 passengers travel daily to US cities through Las Américas International Airport, according to statistics from last December through the airport terminal.
In the month of December, the total number of passengers departing to the United States via the AILA was 67,805 people, according to airport statistics, for a daily average of 2,250 departing travelers.
Gregorio Luperón International Airport, in Puerto Plata, recorded the departures to US territory of 5,600 passengers to various North American cities last month.
VIRUS
Infection.
Passengers who have contracted the virus and who are departing for the United States after the said date will also be required to provide laboratory documentation that they have already had the infection and recovered from it.
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Many passenger flights depart daily from the country’s airports to cities in the United States such as New York, New Jersey, Brooklyn, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and others.