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Public health officials have recorded a sharp uptick in acute alcohol poisoning cases across the region over the latest 24-hour monitoring window, new data from the Emergency Operations Center (COE) confirms. In total, clinical teams responded to 200 confirmed cases of alcohol poisoning requiring urgent medical intervention during this period — a 38% jump from the 145 cases registered in the preceding comparable monitoring cycle. What has raised particular public concern is the inclusion of nine underage patients, all falling between the ages of 11 and 17, in the latest count of those needing treatment for alcohol-related poisoning. Alongside the spike in alcohol poisoning incidents, the COE also released data on foodborne illness linked to the Easter holiday period. To date, 73 people have sought and received medical care for symptoms of food poisoning connected to holiday gatherings and public dining over the Easter weekend. The COE has not yet released additional details on the geographic distribution of cases, patient outcomes, or potential sources of the contaminated food linked to the holiday illnesses, and has not announced any formal public advisories accompanying the latest case count updates.

In the Altos de Chila sector of Cangrejos district, near the Granito de Mostaza community home in Sosúa, Puerto Plata, a coordinated multi-agency effort has successfully rescued an at-risk adult who was found abandoned in the area.

The operation was triggered after local residents noticed the man’s vulnerable condition and raised alarms to relevant oversight bodies. While the individual is not a minor, his obvious poor health and unsafe living situation prompted immediate action from the Prosecutor’s Office for Children and Adolescents (NNA) and the National Council for Children and Adolescents (CONANI), which quickly passed along the report to public health teams to enable a rapid response.

A dedicated ambulance from the Dominican Ministry of Public Health was dispatched to the location without delay. Emergency medics transported the man to a local public health center, where he has since been admitted for comprehensive medical assessment and ongoing specialized care tailored to his needs.

Witnesses who observed the rescue effort confirmed that the intervention unfolded far faster than expected. The quick action from coordinated authorities is widely credited with preventing potentially life-threatening complications for the man, who was already in fragile health when he was discovered.

Public officials have highlighted that this successful rescue serves as proof of the value of cross-institutional collaboration when addressing emergency cases involving vulnerable populations. They reaffirmed the government’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding the rights and well-being of people who face heightened risk of neglect or abandonment.

In the wake of the rescue, authorities have issued a public call for all community members to report any suspected cases of abandoned or at-risk people they encounter. Early reporting, they note, is critical to allowing response teams to act quickly and deliver effective support before situations escalate.

This incident has also reignited public discussion about the urgent need to strengthen national and local public policies focused on supporting unhoused populations, expanding social inclusion initiatives, and reinforcing systemic protections for the most marginalized groups in Dominican society.

As holiday crowds prepare to gather for Easter Sunday celebrations across the Dominican Republic, the nation’s Emergency Operations Center (known locally as COE) has activated a two-tiered alert system across 17 provinces, citing elevated risks of widespread water-related hazards.

Two provinces, Monseñor Nouel and San José de Ocoa, face the higher of the two alert levels, a yellow warning, marking them as areas at greatest risk of hazardous flooding. The remaining 15 jurisdictions under alert – including the capital’s National District, the larger Santo Domingo province, Sánchez Ramírez, Hermanas Mirabal, Puerto Plata, San Cristóbal, Santiago, Espaillat, Duarte, Samaná, La Vega, La Altagracias, Monte Plata, Hato Mayor, and El Seibo – are placed under a lower-level green alert.

Across all affected regions, officials warn that rising water levels are possible in natural waterways including rivers, streams, and mountain ravines, with the added threat of sudden flash flooding and urban inundation that can catch communities off guard during the busy holiday weekend.

Beyond inland flood risks, COE has issued additional safety guidance for marine activities along a large stretch of the country’s coastline. From the northwestern border province of Monte Cristi extending east to Isla Saona, operators of small, medium, and structurally fragile watercraft have been strongly advised to stay anchored in port. This advisory comes in response to the development of dangerous ocean swells paired with moderate to strong winds that create unstable, high-risk conditions for small vessels.

For recreational beachgoers – a large demographic expected to travel to coastal areas over the Easter holiday – the agency has issued a critical warning about powerful rip currents, which are among the leading causes of drowning incidents at beaches. It is urging all swimmers and members of the public to exercise extreme caution when entering the water, and to check in with local lifeguard and rescue services to confirm current safety conditions before accessing any beach.

For all other sections of the Dominican Republic’s Caribbean coastline, no movement or activity restrictions have been put in place at this time.

Pre-emptive alerts from national emergency and meteorological agencies failed to prevent a mass stranding incident in central Dominican Republic over the Easter holiday weekend, when the overflowing Nizao River left dozens of visitors and local residents trapped in isolated communities of San José de Ocoa province.

Alcedo de los Santos, mayor of Rancho Arriba municipality, clarified the root cause of the crisis that unfolded on Holy Saturday, pushing back on common assumptions that the incident stemmed from recreational bathers ignoring safety warnings in the river. He explained that regional authorities had completed evacuations of all riverside resorts before floodwaters began to rise, clearing the river and its immediate banks of any visitors. The true source of the crisis, he told local newspaper Hoy, was the simultaneous evacuation of recreational groups scattered across a far wider area.

Fifteen small rural communities beyond the Nizao River are popular destinations for campers and ecotourism enthusiasts, who flocked to the region over the four-day Easter holiday weekend. Once flood warnings were issued, all of these visitors attempted to exit the area at the same time, triggering crippling traffic jams on the region’s already inadequate rural road network. “There were too many vehicles on the road and unfortunately those who couldn’t get out in time were the ones who were left behind,” de los Santos said in his interview.

The mayor added that local infrastructure conditions exacerbated the gridlock. Narrow local roads, combined with informal, random parking by visitors, left no room for vehicles to maneuver and extended traffic delays long enough for floodwaters to cut off the exit route. The Nizao River spilled its banks around 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, right as the stream of returning vacationers hit its peak, submerging the only exit road and leaving those who had not crossed stuck in the isolated communities on the opposite side.

In the aftermath of the overflow, dozens of people remain trapped, with many requiring emergency shelter and basic assistance. De los Santos confirmed that he personally facilitated shelter for roughly 25 stranded young travelers who had been exploring the mountain and river areas, hosting the group at the local town hall after they were left with no accommodation options for the night.

As of Monday, the situation remains unresolved, with many trapped people expected to miss the return to their workplaces. “It’s still raining today, and they’re stuck on that side,” de los Santos noted, adding that communication with the affected groups is a growing source of concern. With many visitors running low on phone battery, their families back home are left in the dark about their safety, amplifying anxiety around the incident.

On Holy Saturday, Greater Santo Domingo’s normally vibrant urban landscape fell into an unusual, profound stillness. The sprawling capital’s streets, avenues and residential neighborhoods, which typically hum with daily commerce and movement, saw a sharp drop in activity, with sparse traffic, empty thoroughfares, and most businesses shuttered for the religious holiday.

Following the mandatory full shutdown of public life on Good Friday, the traditional period of religious reflection extended into Holy Saturday, bringing a near-total pause to routine commercial activity. Once-bustling corridors were reduced to a quiet lethargy, with foot traffic and vehicle movement dropping far below typical weekend levels. Nearly all retail shops, beauty salons, and non-essential service businesses remained closed for the observance, leaving only limited operations for food-focused establishments to serve residents who stayed in the capital over the holiday. Grocery stores, small local food vendors, and roadside fried food stands were among the only businesses welcoming customers.

Streets lined with parked cars signal that most locals opted to stay home for the holiday, with the usual city soundtrack of honking horns and blaring music entirely absent. Even Santo Domingo’s iconic Malecón, the waterfront boardwalk that usually draws crowds of locals and visitors, remained nearly deserted. Salt air drifted across the quiet promenade, where the ocean lay calm with barely a ripple, and only small groups gathered to chat on benches or complete casual exercise on foot or bicycle.

Across residential neighborhoods, residents adapted to the slow holiday pace in small, personal ways. In Ensanche Espaillat, local resident Fiordaliza Capellán set up two inflatable swimming pools outside her home for her grandchildren to enjoy, noting that police had removed an identical setup the day before in an adjacent street. Unlike many local families, Capellán opted not to prepare the traditional holiday dish sweet beans this year, citing both the high cost of the ingredient and the large volume she would need to make to share with neighborhood friends. She did, however, keep the tradition of preparing fish for Good Friday. The high price of sweet beans was a common complaint across the city: on Diego Colón Street in Los Mina, an unidentified local resident voiced frustration over the inflated cost of the staple holiday ingredient.

For other locals, the quiet holiday brought unhurried, low-key celebration. Roberto, a Los Mina resident, joked that his Good Friday plans centered on generous amounts of rum, a tradition he planned to continue through Holy Saturday, noting that a nearby private club charged only 200 pesos for adult entry to its swimming pool, with free admission for children under five.

In the Villas Agrícolas neighborhood near Nicolás de Ovando Avenue, community members came together to build a makeshift public cooling station on the sidewalk, running three shower pipes connected to a shared water pump where neighborhood children and adults could cool off in the warm holiday weather. Longtime local resident Sandino Henríquez, who has lived in the area for more than 60 years, explained that the group removes the shower heads each night to prevent theft by water truck operators. On Saturday, Henríquez gathered with neighbors to share bread topped with avocado and tuna, while local youth prepared pots to cook a communal meal of fish, rice, and beans later in the day. “We don’t have many plans, just drinks, food, and turning on the shower for a dip,” Henríquez said.

Despite the near-standstill of daily activity, law enforcement and security agencies maintained a heavy visible presence across the capital, continuing patrols and monitoring to preserve public order throughout the holiday. Police officers conducted routine stops and checks across the city, even as vehicle and pedestrian volumes stayed far below normal.