Dominican Republic (DR) Ministry of Tourism Reassures Travelers

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, Nov. 18, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dominican Republic (DR) Ministry of Tourism reassures visitors that the isolated case of cholera contracted in Haiti by a citizen visiting his family in that country has been diagnosed and successfully treated at a hospital in the Dominican Republic (DR). Due to careful DR monitoring and prevention systems, the 32-year-old Haitian construction worker who returned to the DR last Friday with symptoms of the intestinal illness, was quickly hospitalized and is in stable condition.  

During a press conference, DR Minister of Health Bautista Rojas Gomez, accompanied by Dominican Medical Association president Dr. Senen Caba and Pan-American Health Organization representative Lilian Reneau-Vernon, said there was no reason to be alarmed. The DR has a well-organized public education, awareness and monitoring campaign to prevent the disease from spreading into the country. No locally originated cholera cases have been reported in the DR and the possibility of contracting cholera in the DR is very remote.

The DR government is working closely with U.S. government agencies and international partners in support of the Haitian government's response to the cholera outbreak in that country.  The top priority of the response is to save lives and control the spread of disease in Haiti or to any country from Haiti.

In the clinical history of the DR, there has never been a case of cholera that was contracted in the country.  The DR has advanced water and sewage systems, modern communications and technology systems, advanced health and medical facilities and institutions, excellent transportation systems and well-developed infrastructure with a strong culture of hygiene that makes the incidence of cholera or spread of the disease in the country highly unlikely.

The DR is located on the eastern two-thirds of the large island of Hispaniola in the central Caribbean region. Haiti occupies the western third of the island. From Punta Cana on the DR's East Coast, one the country's most popular tourism areas, it is a 10- to 12-hour drive or approximately 400 miles (633 kilometers) to Haiti's capital with numerous mountain ranges separating the two countries.

DR Tourism Update:

• All of the DR's eight international airports are open and receiving commercial flights. All flights in/out of the DR are running smoothly. All of the DR's six national airports are operating normally.
• All of the DR's cruise terminals, seaports and marinas are open, operating effectively and receiving visitors.
• All of the DR's beaches, hotels, resorts and tourism businesses are conducting normal business operations.
• The DR government is poised to assist in the international effort to preserve lives for all people on the large island of Hispaniola, should the need arise.
• All of the DR's security, health, communication and transportation systems are all operating normally and effectively.

For more information on the Dominican Republic and the tourism regions of Punta Cana, Santo Domingo, Santiago, La Romana, Samana and Puerto Plata, visit: www.GoDomincanRepublic.com.

The Dominican Republic's first tourist was Christopher Columbus in 1492. Rich in history, the DR has developed into a diverse destination offering both Dominican and European flavors to more than one million U.S. visitors each year. Named #1 Golf Destination in Caribbean & Latin America by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators, the DR boasts 25 designer golf courses, upscale resorts, pristine nature, and sophisticated cities and quaint villages filled with warm Dominican people. The DR features the best beaches, fascinating history and culture, and is a chosen escape for celebrities, couples and families alike. Visit the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism's official website at: www.GoDominicanRepublic.com.

SOURCE Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism

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