The government of the Dominican Republic is taking measures to strengthen the capacity of the destination to respond to the entry requirements of source markets. The ministry of tourism and the ministry of public health have announced new measures to strengthen the capacity of the destination to respond to new requirements for all visitors to the country.

The ministry of health will donate 400,000 antigen tests as part of the Traveller Assistance Plan currently provided by the state to international visitors staying at hotels in the Dominican Republic. These antigen tests will be part of the free plan currently offered up until 31 March.

The rapid antigen tests required by the UK and other governments will be administered to hotel guests at no costs by the technical health personnel in the hotels and the result will be certified by the ministry of public health.

Regarding countries that require PCR testing for entry, the ministry of tourism highlighted that the current capacity of the laboratories is 11,000 tests per day, which guarantees sufficient capacity for locals and visitors.

Additionally, over the next three weeks there will be an increase of 40 per cent capacity to ensure that no travellers would encounter any problems when returning to their country. The hotels will aid guests in making appointments for PCR testing, but those costs will be covered by the traveller.

“The Dominican Republic continues to be committed to offering a safe tourism experience both to those who visit us and for all Dominicans involved in the industry’s supply chain. Therefore we are continuously reviewing measures to offer our visitors the necessary facilities to enjoy a holiday and a return trip with complete peace of mind,” said Dominican Republic tourism minister David Collado.

Until 31 March all international tourists arriving by air and staying in a hotel have a free medical coverage plan that covers all types of emergencies, including possible contagion of Covid-19.