by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:27 PM ET, Mon June 24, 2019
Officials from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Punta Cana have announced the removal of liquor dispensers in the minibar of guestrooms at its resort in the Dominican Republic.
According to the New York Daily News, Hard Rock Punta Cana general manager Erica Lopez said the decision to remove the alcohol dispensers was not a result of the highly-publicized deaths in the Caribbean country.
The Hard Rock Punta Cana also said in a statement it is also working with a United States health care facility to ensure that the clinic at the resort "is complying with all international and U.S. standards of care."
Over the last year, at least 12 American tourists visiting the Dominican Republic have died, including two deaths at the Hard Rock Punta Cana.
"The Ministry of Public Health in the Dominican Republic has released further information on the American tourists who passed away in 2019, including autopsy findings that reveal these deaths were unrelated and from natural causes and pre-existing conditions," officials from Hard Rock Punta Cana said in a statement.
"We are deeply saddened by these unfortunate incidents, and extend our sincerest sympathy to the families of those affected," the statement continued. "We will continue to respect the privacy of our guests and their families."
The U.S. State Department said there were 25 reported tourist deaths in the Dominican Republic in 2015, 18 in 2016 and 17 in 2017, with only 13 deaths confirmed for 2018. The number of deaths this year on the island is not unusual.
Investigations into the 2019 deaths are still ongoing, and Dominican authorities reported they have not yet found any connection between the cases.
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