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The government of the Dominican Republic made a new communication saying that beneficiaries of the government's program to economically help the poor and recently unemployed during this COVID crisis don't have to go anywhere to get their help card from government offices to the public. Megacentro was mentioned as one of the places nationwide where a long line was formed by people searching for their help card, as I speculated in the previous post.
To prevent a line forming, beneficiaries are going to get a call from the government telling them when they are suppose to go to approved establishments (mostly supermarkets). Once they are in the check out line, they simply need their cédula number (similar to a social security number in the USA) and the government will pay part or all of the bill on the spot.
The long line in the previous video was simply a miscommunication effect between what the people are suppose to do in this COVID crisis vs what is normally done to get economic help from the government.
There has been another public announcement from the government of the Dominican Republic. Starting yesterday Friday April 3 everyone that test positive for COVID will get treatment from the hydroxychloroquine drug. The government will pay for the entire cost of the drug, so it's free for all in public and private hospitals, plus those with a mild form of COVID quarantined to their homes.
I think the DR is the only country with that widespread measure so far. The country got a large shipment of the drug a couple of days ago.
If it does works out, expect to be used widespread everywhere citing the success there. They tried it on several people that were on respirators due to COVID with much success. That's the reason the government is making the drug universal for all COVID cases.
In the case of Dr. Félix Antonio Cruz Jiminian was on the verge of death. As a last resort they tried it on him and within a day his situation started to improve. Very shortly he was taken off the respirator because he didn't need it, and now he has a few days that was removed from ICU. I mention his case for two main reasons, first its a very recent case (not even a week old since he started to get better) and he open a clinic in the north of Santo Domingo for the poor and completely free for them. He's very famous due to that.
This is him (image appears from 0:20; he's also on the image of the video before the play button is pressed)..
Unfortunately his son came positive for COVID this week, most likely infected from his father. Poor guy was in severe distress for what his father was going through, even saying to Dominican media that he didn't know what to do. I'm sure it must be a shock for anybody to see their father, who was healthy and normal, very quickly descend to the verge of death. Luckily for him, he has two things in his favor. One is his young age and the other is probably this new drug treatment that is now supplied to all positive COVID cases in the country.
Today, April 5, 2020; the Dominican Air Force was flying several helicopters through the sky of various part of the country with the Dominican flag underneath. The act was meant as an uplifting spirits due to the Coronavirus quarantine and curfew that is currently affecting the country. Some amateurs took video of the gesture in various parts of the country.
Now, the meaning of the Dominican flag is as follows. The blue squares = freedom, red = sacrifice for the country, white cross = the union of all the colors and races of the Dominican people and keeps the country together (a fact represented that it visually keeps the flag together). In the middle is the coat of arms of the country which distinguishes from all others by having a Latin cross (used by Christian religions) and a Bible opened to one of John’s book with the frase: “The truth shall make you free”. On top of the coat of arm is a ribbon with the words: God, Liberty, and Country. At the bottom of the coat of arm is another ribbon with the words: Dominican Republic. On one side of the coat of arm is a branch of a Laurel tree and on the other side a frond from a royal palm tree, both native to the island.
The country has the official name of Dominican Republic, but it’s also called Santo Domingo (same name as the capital city) and Quisqueya (kiss-kay-yah). In fact, the people refer to themselves as Dominicans decades before the Dominican Republic was established as an independent country. The name of the people actually derives from the “Domingo” part of Santo Domingo.
Pedrito is at it again showing the situation on the streets of La Habana. Cuba has finally put in place the quarantine and ‘social distancing’ (again, despite its existence people are still too close to each other).
At a certain part of the video he was approached by a female police officer asking him to turn off the camera. He did but left the audio on, and she didn’t just threaten him for filming, but she also threaten ‘his family’ that views his videos. She also claimed that she will report him and that he will not be making any videos again. Then he went somewhere else, filmed them (including the police) and says that the police gave him ugly looks, but this time nobody went up to him. He says that he can film anything in public and post them on Youtube, because what he says and show of Cuba is all positive.
I guess that’s the price of living in a dictatorship, instill fear on the people for basically nothing.
The Colombian capital of Bogotá during the Coronavirus crisis.
Situation in Puerto Rico due to Coronavirus.
Panama is one of handful of countries in Latin America with gender based quarantines (women allowed on streets certain days, men on other days).
Convicts in Guatemala among makers of masks to fight pademic.
Nicaragua celebrates festivities of Semana Santa with no government ordered prevention of Coronavirus. It's been three months since Daniel Ortega addresses the people, a very rare absence from the president there. Rumors is that he caught the virus, but who knows.
Sex workers get aid during Coronavirus in Mexico City. PD. For Americans from the USA, unlike in most of the USA prostitution is legal in most countries of Latin America.
Seems rather irresponsible of Nicaragua to allow those gatherings. We'll see how that is works out for them.
I know at least in Guatemala they shut down Semana santa gatherings. People usually go to the beach in droves, but the the beaches were shut down. Some people still tried to go, but they were intercepted by the cops.
The economic effect of Covid-19 in Latin America already has predictions from the World Bank. It's expect that the economies of the following countries will have the following growth for 2020 (starting with the worst).
According to the title of the piece, the World Bank is estimating that the Dominican Republic and Guyana are the only two countries in Latin America & The Caribbean that will avoid an economic recession due to the crisis of Covid-19.
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Thanks for sharing...I am hopeful of being able to visit Medellin in July or August. Aside from my concern of a second outbreak over the summer and scrambling to get back home if such is the case, I was wondering if safety might be more of an issue this visit if there is severe economic damage. If the negative predicted decline of only 2 percent materializes for Colombia I do not think that will change the safety equation much...yes/no?
Quote:
Originally Posted by AntonioR
The economic effect of Covid-19 in Latin America already has predictions from the World Bank. It's expect that the economies of the following countries will have the following growth for 2020 (starting with the worst).
According to the title of the piece, the World Bank is estimating that the Dominican Republic and Guyana are the only two countries in Latin America & The Caribbean that will avoid an economic recession due to the crisis of Covid-19.
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