The newly installed US government, led by Joe Biden, said one of its priorities was to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Based on this, as one of its main measures, it announced that all travelers arriving from another country will have to be subject to a mandatory quarantine.
This measure, if effective, would affect the flow of American tourists to the Dominican Republic, considered the president of the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants (Asonahores), Rafael Blanco.
Blanco explained that, according to the information he has, this is not yet confirmed, but it is in the process of being evaluated internally by the United States government.
Local measures
President Asonahores stressed that in the meantime, starting January 26, the Dominican Republic is ready to start applying antigen tests to tourists to diagnose Covid-19, mainly Americans, as announced on Monday by the Tourism Office headed by the Minister of Tourism, David Collado.
Collado indicated that the test will be covered by the Dominican government and that this is being done to continue to promote the recovery of the tourism sector. That is why there is a greater emphasis on travel coming from the United States, because this country is the main source of tourists.
The US government’s move could put an end to domestic action.
What Biden said
Biden has pledged to step up measures to combat the pandemic, which has left thousands dead in his country, and one of them is subject to mandatory quarantine of travelers entering its territory.
“Those traveling to the United States from another country should be tested before boarding a plane and quarantined on arrival,” the president said.
Airports
Airport authorities are working on the final logistical preparations that will be applied at domestic airports in response to the requirements of several countries that require a negative Covid-19 result for the entry of their citizens or foreign visitors.
The Director of the Airport Department (DA), Víctor Pichardo, held meetings with the Ministry of Public Health, the Specialized Airport Security and Civil Aviation Corps (CESAC) and representatives of the country’s airports to define the logistics to be applied in air terminals, before the requirements that completes the details and requirements of several countries that require negative results of Covid-19 for the return of their citizens and tourists.
“It is about launching this initiative designed through the Cabinet of Tourism, especially to respond to countries that have requested various Covid-19 tests to enter their territory, such as PCR and antigen,” Pichardo said. held in public Headquarters of Health, headed by Minister Plutarco Arias.
It is reiterated that tourists will have access to Covid-19 tests through hotels, covered by the Travel Assistance Plan, other passengers must go to the airport with their results, made 72 hours in advance and present them to the airline at the time of verification. -outside.
Likewise, all passengers are urged to previously investigate the type of test required by the country of destination, whether PCR or antigen.
Pichardo stressed that the meeting strengthens the processes that his management implements from the beginning in various airports in the Dominican Republic, for which he thanked the Ministry of Health, CESAC and airport representatives for their collaboration and integration, so that the sector works optimally.
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New stems
U.S. President Joe Biden explained that the move is due to new strains of the virus detected in other countries, at a time when more than 400,000 people have died in the United States due to the pandemic, a number that exceeds the number of American soldiers killed in the country. during World War II.
No interference
The US president also said he would ensure that scientists and experts could work free of “any political interference and make strictly science-based decisions” to meet the challenges of the new coronavirus.