NEWS AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. Sept. 8, 2020: A Caribbean island that reopened to international tourists in July, now has almost 100,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.
The Dominican Republic, which remains the epicentre of COVID-19 in the region, reached 99,898 cases Monday as its death toll rose of 1,865. The DR also saw 565 new cases in a 24-hour period along with 19 new deaths.
The news comes as The Dominican Republic, in an effort to boost its tourism industry and lure travellers, is offering health insurance to visitors even as Expedia data reports that interest in vacations on the island remains high.
This as Dominican Today news reports that famed actor, producer, and director Vin Diesel as well as television host Raúl de Molina are currently vacationing on the island at the Casa de Campo resort.
Elsewhere in the Caribbean, Guyana, Jamaica, Aruba, Belize, Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago continue to see a spike in new cases daily.
Guyana saw the second highest number of new cases in the CARICOM region Monday, adding 92 to reach 1,560 while reported another 79 new cases Monday to send the total to date to 3,103. The island, which opened to tourists in June, also reported 1 new death to send the death toll to 33.
Cuba added 43 new cases to reach 4,352 while Aruba also added another 33 new cases of the virus Monday to reach 2,482.
Belize added 46 new cases to reach 1,307 while Trinidad and Tobago reported 27 new cases as its confirmed case load moved to 2,482.
T&T also reported 3 new deaths Monday to uptick to 37 while Guyana’s death tally increased by 1 to 47 while Cuba also saw a new death that up ticked its total to 102.
Suriname reported 6 new deaths Monday to reach 91, while The Bahamas reported 2 new deaths Monday to reach 58. Aruba’s and Belize’s death tally increased by 1 as well to 15 and 16, respectively.
