Tomas Strengthens And Continues Moving Toward Haiti And Dominican Republic

It could again become a hurricane on ThursdayTomas V03

BREAKING NEWS: Winds for Tropical Storm Tomas increased to nearly 50 mph Tuesday on the Caribbean waters, as the system continues moving toward Haiti and south-east of Jamaica and Cuba, according to the National Hurricane Center of the USA.

The storm could again become a hurricane on Thursday as it moves towards west at 19 km/h.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Tomas was headed west across the central Caribbean Sea after causing deaths and widespread destruction as a category 1 hurricane during the weekend.

At 5 a.m. EDT, Tomas was 355 miles south of Port-au-Prince, Haiti and 445 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, moving west at 12 mph.

Tomas is blamed for at least 12 deaths in the southern town of Soufriere on St. Lucia, the island’s tourism minister told Caribbean Media Corp.

Prime Minister Stephenson King said the southern town of Vieux Fort received extensive damage and was virtually inaccessible because of landslides triggered by Tomas.

A hospital and primary school in the east coast village of Dennery lost their roofs in the storm while a number of vital bridges were washed away.

King said the vital banana industry had been severely damaged by Tomas.

In neighboring St. Vincent and the Grenadines, damage caused by Tomas was described as the worst in living memory by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.

Fortunately, he said, no loss of life was reported.

Tomas was downgraded to a tropical storm Monday afternoon yet there were fears it could regain strength when it nears Jamaica.

Monitor the progress of Tomas in our section Hurricane season 2010

Dominican Republic Live, 02.11.10

Tomas becomes a tropical depression and moves slower

Tomas Dominican Republic V03It remains a threat for Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Cuba

BREAKING NEWS: Tropical Storm Tomas fizzled into a tropical depression Wednesday even as forecasters predicted the deadly storm could regain strength and barrel into quake-ravaged Haiti in days.

At 11 a.m., the National Hurricane Center said Tomas, downgraded to a depression overnight, was struggling to hold together. Its sustained winds had dropped to 35 mph and, if it does reorganize, forecasters now doubt it can regain hurricane strength.

Regardless of wind speed, Tomas still remained a major potential rainmaker and serious threat for both countries. Forecasters predicted Tomas could dump 5 to 10 inches of rain over Haiti and up to 15 inches in isolated spots.

Tomas tore across Saint Lucia Saturday as a category one hurricane on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, killing at least 12 and wiping out the island’s key banana crop, causing millions of dollars in damage.

At 1200 GMT Wednesday, the center of Tomas was some 660 kilometers (410 miles) southwest of the Haitian capital Port-Au-Prince, packing winds of 55 kilometers (35 miles) per hour and moving at seven kilometers (five miles) per hour, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center reported.

Tomas weakens to a depression but is still expected to re-strengthen, the NHC warned.

Officials in Haiti — still recovering from a devastating January earthquake and struggling to halt a cholera outbreak — the Dominican Republic and Cuba should closely monitor the storm’s progress.

Tomas could pose a significant threat to those areas later in the week, the NHC said.

A hurricane watch was also in effect for Jamaica. On the current forecast Tomas will make landfall near Les Cayes in Haiti, possibly by the weekend, and march across the country towards the open Atlantic.

The NHC said that Tomas is expected to re-strengthen during the next 48 hours. As Haiti prepared to evacuate tens of thousands ahead of the storm, US naval commanders ordered the USS Iwo Jima to steam toward Haiti with humanitarian aid.

What should you do if you plan to travel to Dominican Republic this week ?

The Ministry of Tourism is informing visitors concerning the decisions token by the government and the security measures being implemented on the south coast, which they think will be the most affected.

The warning applies from the area from the Altagracia province in the East – to Pedernales, which including hotels in Barahona, Santo Domingo, San Pedro de Macoris, La Romana, Juan Dolio and Punta Cana.

The COE has declared a green alert and asked local population and visitors to keep away from rivers, streams and creeks where the volume of water could be a threat.

The authorities are taking measures to ensure the protection of tourists, so do not worry to much if you plan to travel to the country this week, and remember the most important thing is to stay informed.

Monitor the progress of Tomas in our section Hurricane season 2010

Dominican Republic Live, 03.11.10

Dominican Republic monitors the progress of Tropical storm Tomas

Tomas Dominican Republic V066 provinces placed on yellow alert, authorities realize preventive evacuations

BREAKING NEWS: Tomas became again a tropical storm in the southern Caribbean, which led Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cuba, to issue warnings and alerts, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States.

The Emergency Operations Center (COE) of the Dominican Republic has issued a yellow alert for six provinces and a green alert for another ten areas as the country prepares to be affected by Tropical Storm Thomas.

The yellow alert was issued for the provinces of Barahona, Pedernales, San Juan de la Maguana, Elías Piña, Independencia and Bahoruco, where the COE instructed last night to relief agencies to carry out preventive evacuations in most risky areas.

Green alert remains for Azua, Dajabón, Montecristi, Santiago Rodríguez, La Vega, Espaillat, Hermanas Mirabal, María Trinidad Sánchez, San Cristobal and Duarte.

Gen. Juan Manuel Mendez Garcia, director of the Emergency Operations Center urged relief agencies to place emphasis on evacuations in those areas where flooding, landslides and penetration of the sea has occurred before.

The COE urges the residents of the South, Southwest and Northwest regions as well as resident of border area to take precautionary measures against floods for today, Thursday, Friday and Saturday due to the amount of rain expected in those days.

Flood warnings in the provinces of Duarte and San Cristobal are mostly effective for the Bajo Yuna and the municipality of Villa Altagracia. Fishing activities were suspended throughout the coastal area of the Barahona Peninsula, according to the recommendations of Onamet.

In Santo Domingo and its municipalities, on Thursday, the sky will be cloudy.

Monitor the progress of Tomas in our section Hurricane season 2010

Dominican Republic Live, 04.11.10

Tomas becomes an hurricane as it affects Haiti and Dominican Republic

Level alerts increased because of flooding risks

BREAKING NEWS: Tomas has reached hurricane strength in the Caribbean as it heads toward earthquake-ravaged Haiti. The hurricane’s maximum sustained winds early Friday are near 130 kilometres per hour.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami says some additional strengthening is expected.Hurricane Tomas is located about 280 kilometres west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and is moving northeast near 15 kilometres per hour.

On the forecast track, the center of Tomas will pass near western Haiti this morning, near or over extreme eastern Cuba today, and near or over the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands later today or tonight.

The storm is expected to cross over Haiti’s southwestern tip then swirl through the strait that divides Haiti from Cuba.

Level alerts increased in Dominican Republic

Faced with the effects of Hurricane Tomas, which yesterday caused heavy rains, the Center for Emergency Operations (COE) ordered alerts for 26 provinces and the National District.

The agency increased the yellow alert to RED for Barahona, Bahoruco, Pedernales, Independencia, San Juan de la Maguana, Elias Piña, Montecristi and Dajabon.

At the same time, the provinces of Azua, Santiago Rodriguez, Valverde, La Vega, Espaillat, Hermanas Mirabal, Duarte, Maria Trinidad Sanchez, and San Cristobal are under a yellow alert. In the latter city (San Cristobal) strong rains caused the flooding of 123 houses in the Moscu sector.

And Santo Domingo, the National District, Monte Plata, Sanchez Ramirez, San Jose de Ocoa, Samaná, Peravia, Monsignor Nouel, Santiago and Puerto Plata are all under a green alert.

The COE called on the residents of these provinces and those located on steep hillsides vulnerable to landslides to take precautions. The COE also urged persons living near areas where sewer problems cause urban flooding and, above all, those living near rivers and streams, to take measures against flooding.

The National Meteorological Office (Onamet) has maintained its alert for high winds and abnormal wave action as well as breakers between Barahona and Pedernales.

Flights cancelled between Dominican Republic and Haiti

Four flights from Dominican Republic to Haiti planned for Friday were cancelled because of the approaching hurricane Tomas.

The four flights belong to the MAS airlines, said Yolanda Manan, spokeswoman for Aeropuertos Dominicanos, which operates six airports in the country.

Monitor the progress of Tomas in our section Hurricane season 2010

Dominican Republic Live, 04.11.10

Latest balance of Hurricane Tomas in Dominican Republic

Tomas Dominican Republic V08Evacuation of 13,230 people and 76 communities are partially cut off

BREAKING NEWS: The persistent rains caused by Hurricane Tomas in Dominican Republic in the last three days has forced the evacuation of 13, 230 people, damaged 2.646 houses, and partially cut off 76 communities.

The Director of Emergency Operations Center (COE), Juan Manuel Mendez, reported that in some slums in the capital and in various villages to the southwest and the west of the country, 13 230 people were evacuated, 2 646 homes affected, and that 76 communities were partially cut off.

Mendez said that only 1,335 people were housed in the shelters set up by relief agencies.

According to the latest reports, four bridges collapsed or were affected by the downpours, which have left several villages cut off.

The bridge of Alcantarilla, in Barahoruco, was affected by floods, as well as the bridge of Sánchez road, in the community of Galeón, in Peravia. In Pedernales, the communities of Banano, Cabeza de Agua, La Altagracia and los Arroyos were also cut off since the river La Agüita damaged the bridge.

In San Cristóbal, the rain damaged the bridge Catarey, cutting off the communities of Lechería, Los Guineos, La Lomita, Reparadero, Mayor de Ley, Maizal, and Guácima.

Dominican Republic Live, 08.11.10

More than a million people live thanks to tourism in Dominican Republic

The sector brings 4.100 million dollars to the Dominican economy

BREAKING NEWS: Tourism generates 4.100 billion dollars per year for the Dominican economy, said Monday the ASONAHORES president, Julio Llibre. He also said it was necessary to approve more laws projects that encourage foreign private investment.

Many tourist countries adopt incentive policies, and we can not stay out of this context if we want to be competitive. He also said a urbanism plan should be developed in order to improve the surrounding areas of tourism projects.

However he noted that the education of the people was necessary for the Dominican Republic to become a leader of tourism. He said the tourism sector contributed over 20% of GDP generation, noting that this is the most important sector of the Dominican economy.

All the action in the country depends on tourism, since this sector generates more than 4,100 millions dollars per year for the Dominican economy, 3 times more than goods exports, he said.

Llibre added that last year, tourism contribution to economy represented 240% of goods exports contribution, adding that this undoubtedly has an important impact on the nation’s economic events, and on social stability.

Juan Bancalari, ADETI president said that tourism generated more than 200 thousand direct jobs and more than a million people live thanks to tourism in the country.

Dominican Republic Live, 09.11.10

The Dominican Republic could become the main congress tourism destination in the Caribbean

Congress Dominican Republic V04According to the president of the Association of Tour Operators

BREAKING NEWS: The president of the Association of Tour Operators (Opetur), Elizabeth Tovar, has indicated that the Dominican Republic has all the necessary characteristics to become the center of congress tourism in the Caribbean.

Mrs. Tovar noted that the Dominican Republic was linked by many flights to traditional and emerging markets, and had many hotel rooms, two aspects that could allow the country to become the main congress tourism destination in the Caribbean.

No other Caribbean country has 57 000 hotel rooms, with such a complete tourist offer with sun and sand, great food, mountain tourism and a Colonial Zone which is ideal for historical tourism, said Mrs. Tovar.

The president of Opetur regretted that despite all these advantages, a congress center wasn’t built yet in the country.

The Dominican Republic should focus on building a convention center, since the hotels’ congress centers are not sufficient to meet the growing demand of congress tourism in the Caribbean.

Dominican Republic Live, 10.11.10

The Inter-American Development Bank will finance projects for 1.900 millions dollars

Logo Inter American Development Bank V12As part as the National Development Strategy

BREAKING NEWS: The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will finance projects in the country for 1.900 millions dollars over the next four years, in areas like fiscal support, electricity, and institutional competitiveness.

Manuel Labrado, IDB representative in the country, said that this financing actions are part of the National Development Strategy that will be developed over the next 20 years.

We will support macroeconomic and fiscal sustainability of government said Labrado. He also said that the IDBwould support the power sector strategic plan.

He reported that the IDB and the World Bank will support the financial sustainability of the energy sector.

The electricity sector budget represents the fourth part of the one dedicated to education and more than the budget dedicated to health.

The IDB, according to a note from the Ministry of Economy, will support the Solidarity Program until 2013, as well as road infrastructure and diversification of tourism.

Dominican Republic Live, 11.11.10

Ecuador and the Dominican Republic want to strengthen commercial relations

Ecuador Agrarian Landscape V01Between 18,000 and 30.000 Ecuadorian tourists visit the country each year

BREAKING NEWS: Ecuador is interested in strengthening its trade relations with the Dominican Republic, since many Ecuadorian investors’ are interested in turning the country into a distribution center of perishable goods in the area.

Ecuador is the third largest flowers exporting nation after Colombia and the Netherlands and the fifth trading market of shrimp and seafood in the world.

Ambassador of Ecuador in Dominican Republic, Carlos Lopez Damm, said it was important for both countries to begin working on specific issues in order to achieve economic complementarity through cooperation and technology transfer for example.

According to Damm, Ecuadorian investors are more and more interested the Dominican market. He revealed that five major companies from Ecuador wanted to come to Dominican Republic in order to organize a flower show, an event that could take place between 15 and 20 January, 2011, in the facilities of the Export and Investment Center (CEI-RD).

Other businessmen also seemed interested in supplying 13% of the food demand of Dominican hotels, in order to complete the 87% that are ensured by local food production.

Dominican Republic receives 4 million tourists a year, and from theses visitors, between 18 000 and 30 000 come from Ecuador.

Dominican Republic Live, 12.11.10

USA and Dominican Republic launch a program to strengthen agricultural exports

Agricultural Sector Dominican Republic V06A fund of 180 million pesos is created

BREAKING NEWS: The governments of the United States and the Dominican Republic launched on Friday the Program for Strengthening Agricultural Export Capacity of the Country, which involves the creation of a fund of 180 million pesos.

This amount represents the cost of the 25.000 tons of wheat that will be donated to the Dominican Republic by the United States government in order to be sold on the local market and produce funds.

The program aims to strengthen country’s export capacity and to enhance trade with neighboring Haiti.

Additionally, the agreement establishes a $ 200,000 grant for training programs which should be implemented over a period of two years.

The announcement was made at a ceremony at the National Palace in presence of the United States representative, Christopher A. Lambert, the Minister of Economy, Planning and Development Temístocles Montás, and Salvador Jimenez, Agriculture Minister.

This fund will finance projects that aim to improve technical capacity and organizational infrastructure of the agricultural sector in Dominican Republic, and to create infrastructures such as quarantine stations.

M. Montas, said the program also seeks to improve the existing trade between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Another objective is to improve the health standards for animal and plant products.

The main purpose of this program is to support the efforts of the Government and other institutions to suit the requirements and standards of international markets, increasing the competitiveness of agricultural exports, in order to be inserted into the global economy.

To help the Dominican Republic on these issues, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) sponsored during the 2008-2010 period more than forty seminars, workshops, conferences, training and visits.

Additionally, U.S. authorities have conducted multiple workshops to train national experts on prevention and management of swine fever.

Dominican Republic Live, 15.11.10

Dominican Republic is making efforts to protect the hawksbill turtle

Hawksbill Turtle Dominican Republic V09The sale of products derived from this animal is strictly prohibited

BREAKING NEWS: The economic official and representative of the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, Chris Pierson, highlighted the efforts made by the country to protect of the hawksbill turtle, during the regional workshop of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

The workshop was organized by the Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD), in coordination with the United States Department of the Interior, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the USA (NOAA), the Embassy of the United States of America in Santo Domingo, the NGO TRAFFIC, and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the Dominican Republic.

The meeting was headed by Environment Minister, Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal, who urged the governments of the countries of the region to forge alliances with local governments and social organizations in order to fight for the protection of natural resources and biodiversity.

The threat of climate change, coupled with the disproportionate activities of the trade of endangered species, and the impunity that exists concerning crimes against nature, are threatening the lives animals on the planet and future generations, said Fernandez Mirabal.

Delegates from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize and Panama, as well as representatives of the CITESScientific Authority, assisted to the event.

The Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is one of the most beautiful marine species that live in our seas and oceans.

While scientists, environmentalists and environmental institutions struggle to preserve the hawksbill turtle, we have in our hands the best and most important weapon for its preservation: Not buying any product made from Carey.

Unfortunately, tortoiseshell items and other turtle products are widely sold in Santo Domingo and other parts of the coast, although the law prohibits the capture, killing, and trade of this animal.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Environment Ministry) announced that in the past two years, more than 4.435 pieces of handicrafts made from tortoise shell were seized.

We urge all tourists to not contribute to the degradation of this beautiful marine species by buying these objects.

Dominican Republic Live, 16.11.10

The Dominican Republic will host the V Americas Competitiveness Forum

Americas Competitiveness Forum Dominican Republic V03With the participation of important public authorities, entrepreneurs and experts

BREAKING NEWS: The Dominican Republic was selected to host of the V Americas Competitiveness Forum to be held in the country in October 2011.

Vice President Rafael Alburquerque said that one of the fundamental reasons why the country was chosen with the support of all member countries to host this international event was the significant progress made by the Dominican nation’s in competitiveness sector.

Mr. Alburquerque expressed himself during the opening ceremony of IV Americas Competitiveness Forum, and thanked the member countries for their choice.

This election is a recognition of the international community to the efforts realized by President Leonel Fernandez to place the country as a great destination for global investment, said Albuquerque.

He cited as examples of the country’s progress in the area of competitiveness, the actions to facilitate processes of creation and functioning of enterprises, the strengthening of transparency and property rights, and the formulation of an effective National Development Strategy (END) based on 4 strategic areas and which aims to strengthen competitiveness.

He explained that the END goal is achieve a more articulate, innovative and sustainable economy.

The Fourth Forum of the Americas Competitiveness brings together public authorities, entrepreneurs and experts of the 34 countries of the region, in plenary sessions, panel discussions, concurrent sessions and bilateral meetings, in order to exchange ideas on how to increase competitiveness in the current economic context.

During the Forum, expert also discussed about specific and urgent problems, including issues such as eco-innovation and environmental technologies, education and development of labor, business development and small business and international trade, customs, logistics and supply chain, among other.

Rafael Alburquerque headed the Dominican official delegation that attended the event, from which were also part Eddy Martinez, director of the Dominican Center for Export Promotion (CEDOPEX), Andrés Vanderhorst (son), director of the National Competitiveness Council, Luisa Fernandez, executive director of the National Free Zone Council and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Clara Quiñones.

Dominican Republic Live, 17.11.10

Ecuador will receive assistance from Dominican Republic

The country is an example of success in tourism

BREAKING NEWS: The Ecuador ’s ambassador in the country, Carlos Lopez Damm, said Wednesday that his government has initiated concrete actions to receive technical assistance from the Dominican Republic in order to create a more effective tourism promotion policy, since the country is an example of success in tourism.

The Ecuadorian diplomat gave the information during a visit to the Minister of Tourism Francisco Javier Garcia.

Mr. López Damm said Ecuador was very interested to learn from the experience of the Dominican Republic in tourism industry. He said that the Dominican Republic has become a leader in the tourism sector, thanks to the success achieved in promoting it as a destination in the Caribbean.

It is a mechanism that we want to apply in Quito, he said. He also highlighted the excellent work done by the current Minister of Tourism  Francisco Javier Garcia.

Ecuador is willing to offer its experience on the conservation and adaptation of historic centers in the country, said Mr. Damm. For his part, Francisco Javier Garcia said the country was ready to offer any assistance in tourism to Ecuador and of course, to also learn from its experiences.

Dominican Republic Live, 18.11.10

Cholera has reached Dominican Republic, it could kill 10,000 people on the Hispaniola island

Cholera Dominican Republic V08The cholera is not a threat for tourism sector

BREAKING NEWS: Haiti’s cholera outbreak could kill 10,000 people, health officials warned Wednesday, amid fears the epidemic which has claimed hundreds of lives may spill beyond the country’s borders.

Our projections show that we could have around 200,000 cases of infection in Haiti over the next six to 12 months, Pan-American Health Organization regional advisor Ciro Ugarte told AFP.

If the fatality rate (of four to five percent) is maintained… we may have 10,000 dead, said Ugarte, stressing that would be the worst case scenario.

Isolated cholera cases have been found in the Dominican Republic — it shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti — and as far away as the southern US state of Florida, prompting local officials to take precautions.

Haiti’s health ministry said Wednesday that 1,100 people have now died since cholera was first detected in the nation in late October. The number of people hospitalized also grew to a total of 18,382.

The cholera outbreak — the first in half a century in the impoverished Caribbean nation — is bringing new chaos to Haiti ravaged in a January quake, which killed 250,900 people and left 1.3 million homeless.

And health officials fear the disease could spread like wildfire if it infiltrates Haiti’s squalid refugee camps around the capital where hundreds of thousands of quake refugees live in cramped and unsanitary conditions.

The cholera epidemic cannot be stopped, especially in places where there is a lack of safe water supply, basic sanitation, Ugarte said. The cholera could spread beyond Haiti, in the Dominican Republic and beyond.

The disease has surfaced for the first time in the Dominican Republic, with one person who crossed over the border from Haiti being treated for vomiting and diarrhea. The Dominican Republic, a popular tourist destination, was in a pre-epidemic phaseHealth Minister Bautista Rojas Gomez said on local television.

Dominican President Leonel Fernandez held an emergency meeting with his cabinet Wednesday to brainstorm on ways to combat the disease. Dominican officials worry fears of infection could have a devastating impact on their tourist industry, the country’s main income generator.

This really is a serious danger, Santos Ramirez of the Dominican Medical Board warned. Cholera could become a pandemic if it spreads on this side of the island. We must avoid a disaster of that scope.

Public Health authorities admitted that seven possible cases of cholera are being investigated in the Dominican Republic. Two cases were detected in the municipality of Santo Domingo East. A Haitian affected by cholera is being treated in an hospital, while in the Maternity hospital Los Mina a Dominican of eight months was placed under observation after presenting symptoms that corresponds to cholera.

And Florida officials confirmed to AFP that a woman who recently visited relatives in Haiti had tested positive for cholera in the southern US state.

Florida — home to a large Haitian community of about 240,000 people who travel frequently to the nation — is already on alert for any outbreak of the water-borne disease.

There are claims the outbreak emanated from septic tanks at a base for Nepalese peacekeepers where some believe infected feces leaked into a tributary of the Artibonite River, used by locals for drinking and bathing.

The rumors sparked violent protests this week against the UN troops, in which two Haitians were killed and 20 people injured, including six peacekeepers. The UN force, known as MINUSTAH, issued a statement linking the protests to presidential elections and calling on Haitians not to allow themselves to be manipulated by the enemies of stability and democracy.

The desperate situation has left public health experts with little option but to focus on the bottom line: trying to stop the rash of fatalities from the bacteria-based disease that travels mainly through contaminated water.

We felt that the best strategy with this outbreak was to focus on preventing death, said Jordan Tappero, who leads the CDC team on cholera response in Haiti.

The CDC is rotating more than 350 staffers in and out of the country on 30-day assignments, as they try to train locals and health officials in the fight against the fast-spreading disease.

Cholera « is a great hitchhiker. It travels by contaminated water, food or an individual who may be asymptomatic or developing symptoms,  » said Tappero.

MINUSTAH has said it has tested some of the Nepalese and found no trace of cholera, and health officials have said that although Haiti’s cholera is a south Asian strain this is no smoking gun as the strain is very common.

The case of cholera in Higuey is not a threat for the tourism sector

The president of the Association of Hotels and Tourism of the Dominican Republic (Asonahores), has ensured that the detection of a case of cholera in the country was no threat for the tourism industry.

Julio Llibre, said that the case of cholera in Higuey was isolated, and was controlled by the authorities. Llibre has pointed out that cholera is a disease that if treated early, it is manageable and represents no serious danger. He asked to not to be magnify the situation, which according to him is under control, and urged people to follow the Public Health Ministry advises.

Learn more about cholera here

Dominican Republic Live, 19.11.10

3.6 million passengers used Dominican international airports from January to October 2010

Aeroports Dominicains V04According to the Consortium Dominican Airports of 21th Century

BREAKING NEWS: A total of 3.6 millions passengers used the four international airports of the country between January and October 2010, revealed the Aerodom Consortium.

According to this data, provided by the management of Communication and Public Relations, the airport of Las Americas was used by 2.6 millions of Dominicans and foreigners passengers, in a period of ten months, which represents an increase of 11.9% compared to 2009.

On another hand, the Gregorio Luperon International Airport of Puerto Plata, welcomed 783,000 passengers, which represents an increase of 17% compared to 2009.

According to the statistics, over 50 percent of travellers that used these airports were tourists of different nationalities who visited the Dominican Republic, mostly Europeans.

The report indicates that since the Ministry of Tourism relaunched tourism in Puerto Plata, the number of foreign visitors increased by more than 23%.

In Samaná, the number of passengers who used the Catey International Airport, which is also managed by the Consortium Aerodom, was of 103 688 in January-October period, registering an increase of 20 percent if compared to 2009.

Dominican Republic Live, 22.11.10

9th National Population and Housing Census 2010 begins tomorrow

National Population Housing Census Dominican Republic V4Everything is ready according to authorities

BREAKING NEWS: Tomorrow begins the IX National Population and Housing Census 2010. The process will continue until 30 November and it is expected to count 2,500,000 households.

Although these are working days, the National Statistical Office (ONE in Spanish) is asking the population to have someone at home on the weekend in order to speed up the process of collecting the data by the 44,000 census takers who are backs by 21,000 supervisors.

During a press conference, Pablo Tactuk, the ONE director, reported that the Census will have a cost of RD $1.0 billion, of which RD $400,000,000 were spent on supplies and training, and RD $600,000,000 will be spent in the process of obtaining the data.

One expects that within a month they will be able to give preliminary results on the total population by gender and province. Later, in 10 months, they expect to have the other details that are collected in the census questionnaire.

The process will begin this Wednesday with a reconnaissance of the territory, and it will be on Thursday, 25 November when the census begins to collect information, starting at 8 in the morning until nighttime.

Appointments will be made available for night visits by census takers for those that work. ONE guaranteed that the families can open their doors to their personnel without any fears for their safety.

Dominican Republic Live, 23.11.10

Dominican Republic will receive funds from the European Union and World Bank

To support education and health

BREAKING NEWS: The Dominican Republic will soon receive 32.7 million euros from the European Union (EU) for general budget support and the education sector.

The information was provided Domingo Jiménez, Director of the European Funds for Development and CEO of Multilateral Cooperation, who said 25 million euros will be disbursed very soon.

Mr. Jimenez said this was the largest contribution made by the EU to the Dominican Republic. He explained that 60 million euros (more than three billion Dominican pesos) will be disbursed through 2013.

He said that the formal education sector will receive in the next 10 days, 7.7 million euros.

The World Bank Board approves US $150 million loan for the Dominican Republic

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved a US $150 million loan on November 23 for the Dominican Republic to support the introduction of a results-based accountability system to measure progress in social protection, mainly education and health, in order to expand human capital and improve the transparency and quality of public spending.

The World Bank ’s support complements the Social Cabinet’s actions to guarantee, through the Solidaridad program, access to education, health and nutrition in more than 600 thousand poor households, said Rafael Alburquerque, Vice-president of the Dominican Republic.

The World Bank recognized the advances the country has made in transforming the Solidaridad Program, which is now integrated in other social programs. Efforts by the Social Cabinet and the Health and Education Ministries are focusing on issues like increasing human capital and closing the supply and demand gap in education, health and nutrition.

These operations are contemplated in the budget approved by the National Congress and will help us end this fiscal year in satisfactory fashion, said Vicente Bengoa, Finance Minister of the Dominican Republic.

Dominican Republic Live, 24.11.10

IX National Census of Population and Housing postponed until beginning of December

National Census Population Housing 2010 V03In order to be better prepared

BREAKING NEWS: With the same energy with which it began, the IX National Census of Population and Housing was postponed until beginning of December. Last night, the director of the National Statistical Office (ONE), Pablo Tactuk, announced the postponement until December 1st.

At the end of the day, the office of the President issued Decree 649-10 in which it ordered the celebration of the census from the 1st to the 7th of December, 2010, citing as the cause the need for a longer period to link together the different processes that ONE has launched, in order to assure the quality of the stages of distribution of the materials, the field work and the processing.

While in a press conference held in the office of the ONE, Tactuk cited reasons such as the work to reprocess that imply deferring by a week the census, so that the supervisors can receive the corresponding materials opportunely.

The ONE director guaranteed the payment of the per diems for the courses that the census takers and the supervisors took. Tactuk said that today at the latest or tomorrow Friday they would pay the RD $1,200 and RD $1,800 that had been agreed to for the six days of training that these persons attended.

Dominican Republic Live, 25.11.10

Air Antilles Express airline will offer commercial flights to Dominican Republic

International Airport Isabela V02To the International Airport of La Isabela, starting December 17th

BREAKING NEWS: In order to expand its international development, Air Antilles Express will open on December 17th, 2010 its first regular commercial flight to the International Airport of La Isabela, located in Santo Domingo Oeste, just 10 miles away from downtown businesses of the Dominican capital.

The lack of high capacity aircrafts and the dimension of the La Isabela Airport, which was built just 4 years ago, favors the increase of passenger flow through this terminal.

Air Antilles Express will arrive to Santo Domingo arriving from Fort-de-France and Pointe à Pitre with 3 weekly flights on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, allowing customers to schedule comfortable business and leisure trips.

Air Antilles Express aims to carry about 6000 passengers per year with these new flights, thanks to its reputation of being a punctual and regular airline that offers flexible combinations of prices and attractive promotional offers throughout the year.

The regional carrier Air Antilles Express, which will soon celebrate its 8th anniversary, is the second largest company in the French Antilles.

From its bases in Fort de France and Pointe à Pitre, AIR ANTILLES EXPRESS carries about 220 000 passengers a year on its commercial and charter flights, to St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, St. Lucia, and to the airports of Punta Cana, La Romana and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

The fleet, which has 1 Twin Otter with 19 seats and 2 ATR 42-500 with 48 seats, will be completed in the coming weeks with 2 new aircraft: a second Twin Otter, which will serve the destinations to St. Barts, and a third ATR.

These new aircraft will also allow the company to strengthen its historical flights between Fort de France and Pointe à Pitre and to St Martin Grand Case where AIR ANTILLES EXPRESS is the leading airline since summer 2010, with more than 60,000 passengers between June and October 2010.

Dominican Republic Live, 25.11.10

Dominican Government guarantees cholera will not affect tourists

The country has a reliable sanitary system

BREAKING NEWS: The government guaranteed that neither cholera nor any no other disease will affect tourists who visit the Dominican Republic, affirming that his country has a reliable sanitary system.

So far we aren’t having any type of inconvenience because it’s clear that Dominican Republic has a sanitary structure which allows it to confront cholera and other diseases, said Tourism Minister Fransisco Javier Garcia.

He also denounced that there’s an international campaign taking advantage of Haiti’s cholera epidemic to detour to other nations the tourists headed to Dominican Republic.

The official talked to reporters in Jarabacoa during the inaugural of the first stage of the Jarabacoa Country Club, whose main promoter is his predecessor Felix Jimenez.

Dominican Republic Live, 26.11.10

Air Antilles Express inaugural flight arrived to Dominican Republic

Air Antilles Express Dominican Republic V06Santo Domingo – Guadalupe route will open in December

BREAKING NEWS: A delegation of officials, industrialists and a lawmaker from the French territory Guadalupe arrived Friday in the Higuero International Airport aboard the Air Antilles Express inaugural flight, marking the start of its Santo Domingo-Guadalupe route.

The delegation headed by French Deputy Gabrielle Louise Carabain, president of the France-Dominican Republic Friendship Group, was received by France ambassador Roland Dubertrand, Airports Department director Arístides Fernández Zucco, and Airports management company Aerodom senior executive Michael Nicolás.

Erick Koury, president of the airline, thanked the Dominican authorities, after stating that Air Antilles Express will open three weekly flights from December 17th from the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.

Santo Domingo is very important for the development of our company, Koury said, adding that during the last ten years the volume of passengers of the French islands to the Dominican Republic increased from 10 000 to 42 000.

Francisco Fernández, Mayor of Santo Domingo Norte, expressed his gratitude to the France enterprise. Feel at home, he said.

Dominican Republic Live, 29.11.10

Atlantic storm season closes today

Historic Hurricane Season 2010 Atlantic V01A very active season for Central America and Haiti

BREAKING NEWS: The 2010 Atlantic storm season was twice as active as normal but what really amazed forecasters was that a record 12 hurricanes formed but never made landfall in the United States.

The hurricanes and 19 named tropical storms over the Americas and the Caribbean during the June 1-November 30 season did contribute to some of the worst flooding in decades in Central and Southern America.

Quake-hit Haiti was spared a direct hit, although Hurricane Tomas, which killed 14 people as it ravaged towns in the tourist island of Saint Lucia, still claimed at least 20 lives and aided the spread of deadly cholera.

The season is among the five most active on record, said experts Philip Klotzbach and William Gray of Colorado State University.

A normal season sees an average of 11 tropical storms and six hurricanes — six of them major storms reaching category 3 or higher on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale. Klotzbach and Gray attributed the high activity to the combination of anomalously warm Atlantic basin sea surface temperatures and a rapidly developing La Nina event, which sees cooler sea surface temperatures.

These favorable cyclone-enhancing conditions led to favorable dynamic and thermodynamic conditions for storm formation and intensification, they added.

The hurricane season was disastrous in Central America, which saw its worst rainy season in half a century as floods and landslides killed more than 300 people, with most victims in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Many more were left homeless and storms caused billions of dollars in damage, although many hurricanes had weakened to tropical storm status by the time they made landfall.

The activity was 198 percent more than the 1950-2000 average for named storms, 203 percent more for hurricanes and 217 percent more for major hurricanes, according to the experts.

Hurricane Alex, the first of the season in late June, prompted a five-day shutdown in clean-up efforts of the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the biggest in US history. Beaches, shorelines and marshes lay smeared with thick patches of oil in its wake.

Alex also killed 22 people in northeastern Mexico, destroyed over 40,000 homes and caused an estimated two billion dollars worth of damage.

The United States lucked out this time, with no major direct impact. Many storms formed over the North Atlantic, passing over or near Bermuda but causing no casualties and petering out in the ocean without making landfall.

Hurricane Earl, which at one point reached category four strength with winds of 136 miles (220 kilometers) per hour, was the most powerful hurricane to threaten the US Northeast and New England since 1991.

But the storm never made landfall, instead lashing the northeastern US seaboard with heavy rains and strong winds, disrupting holiday plans for millions. Yet it moved in parallel with the coast, only making landfall in the eastern Canadian province of Noca Scotia and weakening dramatically with limited damage.

Dominican Republic Live, 30.11.10

Atlantic storm season closes today

Historic Hurricane Season 2010 Atlantic V01A very active season for Central America and Haiti

BREAKING NEWS: The 2010 Atlantic storm season was twice as active as normal but what really amazed forecasters was that a record 12 hurricanes formed but never made landfall in the United States.

The hurricanes and 19 named tropical storms over the Americas and the Caribbean during the June 1-November 30 season did contribute to some of the worst flooding in decades in Central and Southern America.

Quake-hit Haiti was spared a direct hit, although Hurricane Tomas, which killed 14 people as it ravaged towns in the tourist island of Saint Lucia, still claimed at least 20 lives and aided the spread of deadly cholera.

The season is among the five most active on record, said experts Philip Klotzbach and William Gray of Colorado State University.

A normal season sees an average of 11 tropical storms and six hurricanes — six of them major storms reaching category 3 or higher on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale. Klotzbach and Gray attributed the high activity to the combination of anomalously warm Atlantic basin sea surface temperatures and a rapidly developing La Nina event, which sees cooler sea surface temperatures.

These favorable cyclone-enhancing conditions led to favorable dynamic and thermodynamic conditions for storm formation and intensification, they added.

The hurricane season was disastrous in Central America, which saw its worst rainy season in half a century as floods and landslides killed more than 300 people, with most victims in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Many more were left homeless and storms caused billions of dollars in damage, although many hurricanes had weakened to tropical storm status by the time they made landfall.

The activity was 198 percent more than the 1950-2000 average for named storms, 203 percent more for hurricanes and 217 percent more for major hurricanes, according to the experts.

Hurricane Alex, the first of the season in late June, prompted a five-day shutdown in clean-up efforts of the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the biggest in US history. Beaches, shorelines and marshes lay smeared with thick patches of oil in its wake.

Alex also killed 22 people in northeastern Mexico, destroyed over 40,000 homes and caused an estimated two billion dollars worth of damage.

The United States lucked out this time, with no major direct impact. Many storms formed over the North Atlantic, passing over or near Bermuda but causing no casualties and petering out in the ocean without making landfall.

Hurricane Earl, which at one point reached category four strength with winds of 136 miles (220 kilometers) per hour, was the most powerful hurricane to threaten the US Northeast and New England since 1991.

But the storm never made landfall, instead lashing the northeastern US seaboard with heavy rains and strong winds, disrupting holiday plans for millions. Yet it moved in parallel with the coast, only making landfall in the eastern Canadian province of Noca Scotia and weakening dramatically with limited damage.

Dominican Republic Live, 30.11.10

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