For several weeks collaborators of different companies have had to leave their jobs due to flu or symptoms similar to those of COVID-19, an issue that has been worrying representatives of micro, small, medium and large companies in the Dominican Republic.
Faced with this situation, the president of the National Council of Private Enterprise (Conep), Pedro Brache, considered that one should look at what other countries are doing, since omicron cycles are shorter and “this strain will be the dominant one in the country.” “Lowering the quarantine days would be the right thing to do,” he suggests .
He also recommended following the vaccination process, wearing masks and washing hands very frequently.
For his part, the president of the Dominican Confederation of Micros, Small and Medium Enterprises (Codopyme), Luis Miura, pointed out that companies that closed for vacations must ensure that employees take the tests.
“I am very concerned with the issue of absenteeism,” he said, “and not only absenteeism, but the positivity and the number of asymptomatic people there are. My recommendation is that, upon reinstatement of their work, everyone requires a PCR test or that companies test their employees to avoid contagion in the work environment and to avoid the spread of COVID-19 “.
He added that from the private sector it is necessary to take internal measures, count on the Ministry of Labor to be able to reinforce these measures and demand the third dose of the anticovid vaccine.
He highlighted that, due to the composition of the MSMEs that have one to three employees even from the same family, if one or more are positive, the business could close.
“In the case of small companies this could affect a production line or it affects a department that reduces the operations of the companies. In the case of medium and large companies it is different, but it can also affect you”President of Codopyme
He said that, between the shortages, the slow start of the year in economic matters and the wave of COVID-19 there may be a slowdown in the national productive apparatus.
“We hope that the government, as it has done so far, can take the necessary measures, and force and help the private sector to apply the necessary measures so that we can face this fifth wave that we are experiencing,” said Miura.
Ideally, companies that were closed for vacations, he added, ask for a negative COVID-19 test for their employees, just like in schools, bars and restaurants.
“If the use of mandatory masks does not begin to be required everywhere: public transport, public spaces, work spaces and the third dose of the mandatory vaccine, we are going to see that this wave will extend beyond February and this is dangerous ”, he warned.
