The Dominican Republic will reopen for tourism on July 1.
In a COVID-19 preparedness and response webinar on Tuesday, the country's health and tourism experts expressed confidence that the Caribbean destination is on pace to safely open its borders to international visitors in three weeks' time.
Executive Director of the Presidential Committee for COVID-19 Emergency and Sanity Affairs, Dr. Amado Alejandro Baez said that the DR will reopen airports by the start of July, adding that the country will implement national policies and respond based on local situations rather than reopen based on regional impact.
The news was somewhat anticipated as, last month, the country's Ministry of Tourism said that airports, hotels and restaurants could begin phased reopenings as early as July 1 under the fourth phase of the country's COVID-19 de-escalation plan.
However, not all hotels will reopen their doors on July 1, officials reiterated. Therefore, travelers should confirm with their individual property before making plans to visit.
While the Dominican Republic has been among the hardest-hit countries in the Caribbean during the COVID-19 crisis, reporting more than 20,000 confirmed cases and over 500 deaths as of Tuesday afternoon, the country has been working hard to build up its response and slow the spread, reporting more than 12,000 recoveries in the same time frame.
Visitors should still be expected to follow social distancing guidelines, among other now-common safety protocols upon arrival.
The Dominican Republic's July 1 reopening date is on pace with many coveted destinations across the region as well as around the globe. Like many places in the Caribbean, the DR's economy is heavily reliant on tourism and has thus been hit hard by the pandemic.
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