COVID-19: national responses and cooperation

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. A very good afternoon; ambassadors, representatives of the member states to the Organization of American States (OAS); ambassadors, representatives of the permanent observers; Mr. Secretary General of the OAS; alternate representatives. Our Permanent Mission wishes to welcome the Permanent Observer of Spain, Ambassador Carmen Montón Giménez, and wishes her every success in her new duties.

I wish to begin by expressing our solidarity with all the permanent observers for the irreparable loss of human life in their territories due to the COVID-19 pandemic that afflicts us worldwide. The Mission of the Dominican Republic wishes to reiterate its thanks both to the Chair of this Permanent Council and to the Department of External and Institutional Relations of the OAS for continuing to hold these meetings with the permanent observers, today in virtual form.

We wish to keep working closely with each of you and to continue strengthening dialogue, cooperation, exchange and the promotion of partnerships; especially at this moment, when the pandemic gives us the opportunity to reinforce multilateral work.

During this time of quarantine, the Dominican Republic has taken numerous measures to counter the economic, social and health problems that the health challenges we face today present to us daily. To cite only some, we began with the declaration of a state of emergency in March, placing restrictions on the population’s freedoms of movement, association and assembly, which remain in force to this moment, as well as the temporary closure of all non-essential businesses.

To strengthen the fight against COVID-19, President Danilo Medina created the Emergency and Health Management Committee. A dedicated national telephone line was also opened for questions related to COVID-19, and more than twenty hospitals were prepared to treat cases caused by this virus.

Mr. Chair, throughout this time the Dominican Government directed that in the public administration employees over sixty years of age, and those with certain special health conditions, remain at home for the duration of the crisis. During this period remote work and remote education were also encouraged. Telecommunications companies, moreover, were prohibited from suspending or cancelling services to the population or charging for late payment. The minimum payment on credit cards was eliminated, and the interest rate on credit card consumption fell to 1% a month. To help producers, it was agreed with the Banco Agrícola that loans falling due would be extended by sixty to ninety days. Certain taxes on the hotel sector were temporarily suspended, and the annual corporate tax was divided into four payments.

Other measures were national preventive days of cleaning and deep disinfection in all the educational centres of the country, public and private, in the prisons and in the streets, as well as fumigation campaigns. At this moment, a mask is required in all public spaces.

Mr. Chair, in our country a survey of the main national products was carried out to verify their current availability, which showed that food production in the country has not been affected so far and that prices have shown no significant change.

As this Organization knows, food security is of the highest importance to the country and must be a priority of our administration. So that no Dominican lacks food on the table, the Social Plan of the Presidency distributes food rations to the most vulnerable sectors. The Ministry of Education, in coordination with the National Institute of Student Welfare, has a program for distributing food rations in the extended-day schools.

The temporary aid program “Quédate en Casa” was launched, through which the eight hundred and eleven thousand families who today hold the Solidaridad card and receive a monthly payment had their “Comer es Primero” component increased for two months. A further six hundred and ninety thousand families classified as poor or vulnerable by the single beneficiary system were identified so that they too receive temporary support from “Quédate en Casa”. In addition, an extra monthly payment was assigned to more than three hundred and fifty thousand households whose heads are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus.

Two thousand new shops were added to the Social Supply Network to prevent any shortage of products and to respond effectively to the increase in demand these measures generate. Some 5.2 million Dominicans were protected by the Employee Solidarity Assistance Fund and the “Quédate en Casa” program. It was directed that seventy thousand new households throughout the country, including informal workers, be admitted to the temporary “Quédate en Casa” program.

During April and May, a large group of essential personnel in health, emergency and security services was compensated with a special incentive. It must also be said that from the start of the pandemic the Dominican Government took great care to include the country’s most vulnerable population in aid programs.

Mr. Chair, the full economic and social reopening is taking place in phases, so as to avoid a greater spread of the coronavirus and to live with COVID-19 safely. No fewer than fourteen days are passing between phases, to allow time to analyse how each behaves and its impact on the population.

The first phase began on May 20, when micro and small enterprises resumed work with 50% of their staff, while medium and large companies began with 25% of their employees. The staged reopening includes physical distancing, the avoidance of crowds, the mandatory use of masks at work, in the streets and in public places, and hand washing.

The second phase began on June 3; at this stage private public-transport units were activated, as were the shops inside shopping centres. Micro enterprises brought back 100% of their staff and small enterprises 75%, while large and medium companies are operating with a ceiling of 50% of their employees.

If everything continues according to the calendar, and with a positive course of the pandemic in the national territory, we will enter phase 3 on June 17, when small and micro enterprises of up to fifty employees will be able to work with 100% of their workforce, while companies with more than fifty workers will be able to use up to 75% of their employees. Likewise, from this phase on, religious services may be held three times a week.

The fourth phase will begin on July 5. All companies will be able to bring back 100% of their staff. Tourism will be reactivated, with hotels and airports opening. Gyms and restaurant dining rooms will also open. To prevent contagion, all companies will require mandatory protocols of prevention, distancing and hygiene, as well as temperature checks and testing. Places of entertainment and other activities involving crowds will remain closed at least until August 24. Schools and institutions of higher education will remain closed, and the start of the school and university calendar will be announced later.

Mr. Chair, my delegation wishes to take this moment to thank all the permanent observers who have extended a hand of solidarity to cooperate with the Dominican Republic at this time of pandemic. Among other forms of help, we also seek expert advice on strategies that can be applied to support the work of recovery after COVID-19.

On another note, one might say that many things in life pass through a before, a during and an after. This pandemic found us all unprepared, and we have only been able, suddenly, to live this during, with many uncertainties and learning lessons every minute. We have done so at a high cost in human lives, but with courage. A great challenge awaits us after the pandemic, when we will all have to put our most resilient selves into practice. Overcoming this misfortune is a task for everyone. The steps forward that the Americas had been taking are being snatched away as this pandemic grows in our region.

It is from now on that this Organization needs its allies to face adversity by working even harder, and to equip ourselves with mechanisms that allow the region and its people to rise again. We need more help, cooperation of every kind, and to consolidate the partnerships and good practices of multilateralism in order to combat the aftermath of this terrifying phenomenon and prepare for a better future.

Thank you very much.