Thursday’s (March 19) declaration of a state of emergency in the Dominican Republic may have come too late as confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus more than doubled on Friday (March 20)—jumping to 72 infections.

The island nation, which shares its borders with Haiti, reported no cases 24-hours prior and had a total of 34 confirmed cases on Wednesday (March 18).

All members of the

Chamber of Deputies approved provisions submitted by the Executive Branch of

government to declare the extraordinary measures as the Spanish Caribbean country

struggles to contain the coronavirus.

The Dominican Republic confirmed the region’s first case of COVID-19 on Sunday, March 1; two people have died from disease-related complications over the following days.

The state of emergency, which will be in

effect for 25 days, will allow President Danilo Medina to provisionally

suppress freedom of transit and adopt other containment measures in the country’s

COVID-19 response.

According to local media reports, 15 airlines

have asked the Civil Aviation Board (CAA) for special permits to transport

thousands of foreigners stranded in the country.

It’s not clear when these flights would take place, however, further noted that airlines that “requested the special permits to operate shuttle flights will depart from Las Americas International Airport (AILA)and Gregorio Luperón International Airport, in Puerto Plata”.Dominican Today

On Wednesday, President Medina announced that the Dominican Republic would close its land, sea and air borders for 15 days, effective 6:00 am Thursday.

The only exception to the sweeping measure allowed for the departure of foreign citizens who want to return to their countries of origin, and the arrival of planes, cargo ships, and fuel ships to “guarantee supplies to the population,” Medina said.

As at 4:54 pm Jamaica time, the Caribbean’s

confirmed tally has jumped to 258 cases of the novel coronavirus.