Alert: Health Alert – Flight Cancellations and Hospital Shortages

March 18, 2020.

Health Alert – U.S. Embassy U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo (March 18, 2020)

Location:  Dominican Republic

Event:   Flight Cancellations and Hospital Shortages

The President of the Dominican Republic announced a number of measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 on March 17.  Effective at 6 am on March 19, the President has suspended arrival of incoming passengers and has effectively closed the borders of the Dominican Republic for an initial period of 15 days.  While the President announced that outbound flights will continue to ferry foreigners out of the Dominican Republic to their home countries, some flights have been cancelled and there could be a further reduction in availability of departing flights.   All travelers are advised to contact their airlines for more information as soon as possible.  Given the unpredictable nature of the global COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on travel, U.S. citizens who wish to depart the Dominican Republic should do so immediately.

The Embassy has advised personnel that medical care is likely to become severely limited and hospitalized patients may have an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Actions to Take:

Assistance: