ANDra strange environment. Difficult. Uncomfortable. We were near and far. But the activity was formal and of great importance to the country. A modern center at the service of surveillance and security was inaugurated. At this time he will be fully dedicated to everything related to the fight to control the expansion of COVID-19. Then he will be at the total service of National Security.
I had never thought of being in an activity of the President of the Republic, Danilo Medina, without being able to greet him with a handshake or a hug. This is how we had greeted each other on four previous occasions when we had met in some places during his mandate that ends next August.
Behind that dark mask of the ruler, I sensed that he had outlined a smile when greeting the communicators and officials who accompanied him this Wednesday at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense. A slight movement of the head, and his eyes fixed on those present, also with covered faces, made me have that feeling of “cordial greeting at a distance” from the ruler.
Is that the coronavirus or COVID-19 has changed the behavior, behavior and even the way of thinking of Dominicans and much of humanity.
What brought about the approach of President Medina, his officials and the media at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense, was the opening-delivery of the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cybersecurity and Intelligence Center (C5i) and Big Data health, monitoring unit that will lead what has been called “The war against the coronavirus or COVID 19”, which will comprise 12 state institutions, headed by the ministries of Public Health, the Presidency and Defense.
This pandemic that has humanity on its knees and that has left 260 deaths and 5,300 confirmed cases in the country until yesterday, according to the latest bulletin issued by official organizations, has been effectively dealt with, to the point that, according to the President Medina, this is among the 10 countries that has made decisions in favor of the population more quickly.
However, President Medina assured that the Dominican Republic cannot be asked for magic in handling the crisis of the new coronavirus.
“We are not magicians,” said the president at the inauguration of the Big Data center to curb the coronavirus in the country, and assured that no nation in the world was prepared to face COVID 19. “Some have learned from the mistakes of others. Some have learned from successes. This is trial and error. Some are watching us, “added the president.
Medina announced that the Government is preparing a new plan for the national economy so that small companies can survive, because the idea “is to fight the virus on the one hand, while working on the other to maintain the companies.”
He specified that, although this has been one of the countries that has applied the most restrictions in terms of economic activities, it has acted rationally in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and despite the fact that the industrial sector has decreased its activities, it has maintained its operations.
He explained that, thanks to the control maintained by the authorities, the main economic sectors have continued to operate during the crisis, particularly citing the electricity, agriculture and fuel sectors.
“The entire food production chain is working. You cannot speak of a total closure, that’s why we apply the PHASE plan, ”said the head of state, who for the moment ruled out accepting the request of some companies to be allowed to open.
He argued that “we must continue waiting” and asked the population not to despair in this situation, because there are only two measures to control the virus, restrictions and isolation
“It is a risk to be demanding that the country lift the restrictive measures it has because the population is despairing. There is no one here who is interested in keeping the measure. The first who wants to get out of this is the government, but they are circumstances that oblige you, “explained President Medina, adding that” that moment will come, because we are preparing with a new plan so that small companies can survive. At the same time that we fight the virus we work for the other, but without despair ”.
The dilemma
President Medina admitted that the new coronavirus affected the Dominican Republic at a socially delicate moment, due to the proximity of the elections.
KNOW MORE
Get scared
President Danilo Medina admitted that the new coronavirus affected the Dominican Republic at a socially delicate moment, due to the proximity of the municipal elections and recalled that when the first case detected in the country was released, sectors of the opposition immediately said that they were trying to create fear so that the population would not vote.
Wait
He said that the government’s mission is to reach the limit of flattening the virus and apparently it is reaching the moment when the positive cases are decreasing, but still it is necessary to wait to vary the emergency measures that currently exist.
Risky
“It is a risk to lift the measures. There is no one here interested in maintaining those measures. We are observing the process, we will see how this evolves. If it is necessary to continue, we will continue ”, warned President Medina.
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