Resources for Staying at Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Staying at home will help stop the COVID-19 outbreak. If you are a U.S. citizen who is staying at home in the Dominican Republic, here are some resources – in English and Spanish – that may be of assistance.

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Contact Information:

If You Feel Sick

If you believe you have the symptoms of COVID-19, there are a number of resources:

The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Health has established a COVID-19 hotline. Please call *462 to speak to a representative for assistance and further instruction. Note: English availability is limited.

The Dominican Ministry of Health has launched a telehealth automated response system called Aurora-MSP that is available 24/7. Aurora-MSP is available via WhatsApp (809-449-6262 and 809-409-6262), via the Dominican MInistry of Health Facebook chat and via the Telegram Messenger application, username “AURORAMSPBOT”.

We also recommend you consult the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for specific information about the disease, including a symptom-checker.

For Questions About Health Insurance in the Dominican Republic

Note: U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide payment for medical services outside the United States.

Although any hospital in the Dominican Republic (as in the U.S.) is theoretically obliged to provide emergency care for a patient that lands in their emergency room until the patient is stabilized, most hospitals in the Dominican Republic require a deposit in cash or by credit card before they will proceed. They do not accept U.S. health insurance coverage or U.S. Medicare or Medicaid, neither of which is valid outside of the U.S. The final check-out payment can usually be in cash or by credit card.  Some credit card companies provide travel insurance for certain members.

Please refer to the U.S. Embassy Medical Assistance page for further information regarding health insurance and other medical providers in the Dominican Republic.

Protect Yourself 

The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. Watch this video to learn how to make your own face covering.

Mental Health

Your wellbeing is more than physical. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues may arise as the confinement period continues. These U.S.-based resources may be of help:

The Dominican Ministry of Public Health and the National Health System have compiled a list of psychologists that are offering mental health help via phone for Spanish speakers. Click here for more information.

The listing and links above are provided as a point of reference and are not intended to be exhaustive. The inclusion of a specific company or organization does not constitute a recommendation and the Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by the company or organization whose names appear on such lists. 

If you need immediate emergency assistance, please contact emergency services of the Government of the Dominican Republic:

Dial 911 from within the greater Santo Domingo area and major metropolitan areas. 

CESTUR (Tourist Police): 809-200-3500 or through their mobile app.

National Police: 809-682-2151 or 809-685-2020

About Domestic Violence

Self-quarantine and social distancing help reduce the spread of COVID-19, but for many dealing with domestic violence, staying home may put people at risk. External factors such as financial strain and stress compound the issue, and when the community is encouraged to remain in their homes, an abuser may take advantage of an already harmful situation. If you are experiencing domestic abuse, please contact emergency services at 911. For service in English, please call CESTUR at 809-200-3500 or through their mobile app.

For more information regarding legal and medical resources available to victims of domestic abuse or violence, please click here. Please note that these services may be operating at a limited capacity due to the pandemic.

There are also many resources available for online counseling in the United States. Here are a few:

Other Services

If you are looking for counseling, legal advice, or to help someone back home, here are some more resources:

The listing and links above are provided as a point of reference and are not intended to be exhaustive. The inclusion of a specific company or organization does not constitute a recommendation and the Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by the company or organization whose names appear on such lists.

An illustration of the Dominican Republic's territory with the Dominican flag behind it.

The Government of the Dominican Republic has declared a State of Emergency. 

A curfew is in effect from 7:00pm to 5:00am. Breaking of curfew may result in arrest and/or a fine, unless it is for a strictly necessary reason. The wearing of face coverings in public spaces is mandatory.  Watch this video to learn how to make your own face covering.

Social distancing measures remain in effect: non-essential businesses remain closed, and non-essential public services may continue to operate in a limited capacity.

The internal ban on travel between provinces was lifted as of 13 April 2020. Checkpoints are still in place, but travel is no longer restricted. This measure was to discourage internal travel during the Easter holiday.

If you are seeking to travel to the airport to board a flight to the United States, present your passport and ticket confirmation at the roadblock and inform them that you have a confirmed flight to depart the country.

The U.S. Embassy advises all U.S. citizens in the Dominican Republic to limit their travel while the State of Emergency is in effect and to comply with the instructions of the local authorities.

Daily information on the COVID-19 outbreak in Dominican Republic is available at the U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo website, here.

If you are feeling like you want to connect with other U.S. citizens, there are a number of virtual resources still going strong at this time.

Lions Club – Ciudad Colonial. Find other clubs in your area here.

Rotary Club – Santo Domingo, Bella Vista. Find other clubs in your area here.

American Chamber of Commerce

Dominican-American Cultural Institute – Santo Domingo

Dominican-American Cultural Institute – Santiago

International Women’s Club – Santo Domingo

The listing and links above are provided as a point of reference and are not intended to be exhaustive. The inclusion of a specific company or organization does not constitute a recommendation and the Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by the company or organization whose names appear on such lists.

Being confined at home without the freedom to shop at any time can be a source of stress and anxiety. The following resources are available to ensure you have food and other necessities for daily life, even when in confinement.

Supermercado Nacional, Supermercado Bravo, Grupo Ramos (La Sirena, La Sirena Market, Super Pola), PriceSmart, SuperFresh Market, City Market are open during the day with modified hours. Please check individual websites and/or social media pages to see the modified hours.

Delivery and pickup services are available for Supermercado Nacional, La Sirena, and SuperFresh. Please see the links for more information.

UberEats, PedidosYa, Glovo and Hugo App are available for online food delivery. Payment is made online or through the apps.

The listing and links above are provided as a point of reference and are not intended to be exhaustive. The inclusion of a specific company or organization does not constitute a recommendation and the Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by the company or organization whose names appear on such lists.

With a good Internet connection, families can access websites that offer learning tools for all levels.

  • YouTube channels such as “Smarter Every Day” and “Lab 360” offer educational videos and science experiments!
  • Other digital educational resources are offering a few weeks of free access to programs that typically have a monthly fee (Scholastic, BrainPop and Kahoot).
  • Study.com is offering a discount on its materials.

Supporting Students with Exceptional Needs

Online learning for children with special needs often involves additional considerations. Here are some resources for parents.

  • Looking for an educational app or website? Common Sense Media provides information and reviews on the best special education applications and websites based on recommendations by educators.
  • The Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities has a wealth of research on online learning for students with disabilities. This is not a turn-key resource for parents seeking online lessons, but studies, guidance, and policies.
  • Not specifically for children with special needs, PBS Kids offers many online education resources. If you can’t get in because access is blocked outside the United States, there are PBS Kids videos on YouTube.

The listing and links above are provided as a point of reference and are not intended to be exhaustive. The inclusion of a specific company or organization does not constitute a recommendation and the Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by the company or organization whose names appear on such lists.

Combating boredom is important. Here are suggestions for you and your family:

Read!

JSTOR,  a digital library that normally requires a subscription, is putting  6,000 of its ebooks and more than 150 journals online for free.

Scribd, an online library, containing ebooks, audiobooks, and magazine articles, is making all of its content accessible for free for 30 days.

Project Muse is making its academic content temporarily available. This includes the Music Library Association, which has articles on music history; the National Bureau of Asian Research; and the University of California Press.

Professional Sports

Complimentary offerings will provide access to full length and condensed replays of all games from the 2019-20 season, as well as an expansive archive of classic games and content. Check terms and conditions.

Virtual Opera

We can’t visit it right now, but we can appreciate the opera online.

Virtual Museum Tours

Now’s the time to appreciate many of the museums of the world online.

The listing and links above are provided as a point of reference and are not intended to be exhaustive. The inclusion of a specific company or organization does not constitute a recommendation and the Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by the company or organization whose names appear on such lists.

The Government of the Dominican Republic has made face coverings mandatory for all public spaces. Joggers going for a run during non-curfew hours should wear face coverings.

However, there are still resources available for staying fit indoors:

  • Club Body Shop is offering free live group classes via Instagram Live. See their Instagram page for the latest schedule. Classes are in Spanish.
  • Gold’s Gym is offering free live group classes via Instagram Live. See their Instagram page for the latest schedule. Classes are in Spanish.
  • SaraBeth Yoga offers free five to 30-minute videos in English.
  • This article from Shape.com lists 40 different options for free or free trial online workouts.

The listing and links above are provided as a point of reference and are not intended to be exhaustive. The inclusion of a specific company or organization does not constitute a recommendation and the Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by the company or organization whose names appear on such lists.

You should also have a plan for your pet if you get sick and are unable to provide care. Have extra food on hand and be ready to make the handover if necessary.

Many of the vets that remain open have changed their hours and procedures due to curfew. Please contact the clinics directly.

Santo Domingo

Santiago

The listing and links above are provided as a point of reference and are not intended to be exhaustive. The inclusion of a specific company or organization does not constitute a recommendation and the Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by the company or organization whose names appear on such lists.

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This is the official website of the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

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