The ministry of tourism of the Dominican Republic has reopened its borders for international travellers.

The decision marks the start of phase four of the de-escalation process of the measures announced by the high-level commission for the prevention and control of coronavirus.

“The Dominican tourism industry is now open and receiving visitors in a responsible manner and complying with the recommendations of national and international organisations on hygiene, disinfection and social distancing,” said the minister of tourism, Francisco Javier García.

“From the moment visitors arrive in our country, they will find that the measures implemented guarantee a safe and pleasant experience so that they can enjoy the attractions that have made us the main tourist destination in the Caribbean,” he added.

To help both consumers and trade who are looking to capitalise on this re-opening and plan ahead a new Dominican Republic Travel Resource Centre, has been launched.

The resource is an initiative designed to deliver accurate, up to date information to future visitors and answer frequently asked travel questions.

The platform allows visitors to listen to Covid-19 industry updates from trusted sources and provides live chat assistance for any questions that they might have.

In an effort to ensure safe and efficient air travel to the country, additional protocols will be implemented at airports.

This begins with upon arrival, all passengers will have their temperature checked as they disembark the plane.

If a passenger registers a temperature above 100.6 F degrees or presents any other symptoms, airport authorities will administer a rapid Covid-19 test and initiate the protocols for isolation and treatment of the case.

In addition, airport terminals have established guidelines requiring social distancing as well as the mandatory use of face masks for employees and passengers.

As part of immigration and customs forms provided by the airline or by Dominican authorities, passengers will be required to fill out and submit a health affidavit.

Through this form, passengers declare they have not felt any Covid-19 related symptoms in the last 72 hours and provide contact details for the next 30 days.