The measures announced by the Ministry of Health at Las Américas International Airport (AILA) regarding social distance and crowding in the arrival area of passengers have not yet been applied.
On the outside of the terminal, at the passenger exit, A large number of people could be attended on Friday stationed in the area waiting for the arrival of relatives to look for them.
People came, almost congregated, and stood behind the metal gates, waiting for their relatives to come out of the customs hall to greet them, amid noise and applause.
Nor were there National Police patrols inspecting the vehicles., as announced, despite the fact that some motorized units patrolled the perimeter of Route 66 in simple surveillance operations in light of the increase in the arrival of flights and passengers.
With the new preventive measures, the health authorities are trying to control the advance of the corona virus at the airport.
While passengers going abroad have to maintain social distance, wear masks and disinfect their hands before entering the immigration halls.
They must also pass through the thermal cameras installed in the access area to the terminal where their body temperature is measured, to each of the travelers to make sure they don’t have a high fever or other symptoms related to COVID-19.
To demand compliance with the measures, the health authorities settled in the terminal staff of the National Police, the Tourist Security Corps (CESTUR), the security of the Dominican Airports Company (XXI Aerodom) and the Specialized Corps of Airport Security and Civil Aviation ( CESAC).
Regarding people who do not respect the protocol, Aerodom communications director Luis López Mena complained that the measures are still not strictly enforced.
“We keep seeing families of 5 and 6 people coming from the city to receive a single passenger coming from abroad, “said López Mena.
Likewise, he indicated that it is necessary to be much stricter in complying with the measures on the part of the authorities so that people are made aware of the danger posed by contamination with COVID-19.
Regarding the violation of social detachment, he indicated that it is difficult to keep a distance due to the large number of people arriving every day.
According to data from the company that operates six of the country’s main airports, around 235,000 passengers are expected to visit the Dominican Republic this Christmas.
Of that figure 86% of travelers are expected to enter the country through the AILA.