Several legislators showed divided opinions regarding the legality or not of asking citizens to present their vaccination cards against COVID-19 in order to enter public and private places.
While a majority assure that collective rights are above individual rights when it comes to a pandemic, others understand that this measure is illegal and unconstitutional.
Among the congressmen who are in favor of being asked for the vaccination card are Bautista (Bauta) Rojas Gómez, Juan Dionicio Restituyo and Lía Díaz. Only the spokesman for the bloc of deputies of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), Gustavo Sánchez, disagreed.
The senator for Hermanas Mirabal, Bautista (Bauta) Rojas Gómez, considered that collective rights are above individual rights and that since it is a pandemic, the decision adopted by the health authorities to establish the requirement to request the health cards is correct. vaccination against COVID-19 in public and private places, as well as to offer public transport service and other activities.
The doctor and former Minister of Public Health hopes that, with the new measure, which he considers should have been established during the state of emergency, “a herd immunity” will be generated in terms of epidemiology, so that more than 80 percent of the population is inoculated.
“From the life point of the strategy to face the pandemic, it is correct as it is also legal because Law 41-01 establishes that in the presence of an epidemic and more than one pandemic, the Ministry of Health must take the necessary measures to safeguard health. of the population ”, he expressed.
The leader of the People’s Force stressed that the right to health is a fundamental right of all citizens.
The deputy of the Broad Front, Juan Dionicio Restituyo, agrees with his criteria, who stressed that anyone who does not want to be vaccinated is within their rights, but must stay at home so as not to go out to infect others.
“Everyone has to get vaccinated because it is a pandemic. Those who are not vaccinated cannot enter a session, they cannot enter any place that is closed and there are crowds, ”he said.
He stressed that the right to health is a constitutional right and that the Public Health law guarantees that it is the responsibility of the State to guarantee the health of citizens.
For the Perremeista senator Lía Díaz, this measure adopted by the health authorities is also correct.
Although the doctor admitted that the Constitution protects the rights of citizens not to be vaccinated, she affirmed that the country and the world are facing a pandemic and that the only way to control it is by guaranteeing that a majority of citizens are vaccinated.
He stated that the inoculation will help citizens to stop using the masks.
“It is also our responsibility to vaccinate and take care of citizens,” he said, admitting that collective rights are above individual rights.
“Simulated enforcement”
But Gustavo Sánchez, the spokesman for the block of deputies of the Dominican Liberation Party, does not agree with the “simulated obligation” of requiring the vaccination card and thus urging citizens to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
He affirmed that he is sympathetic when entering a restaurant requires the vaccine.
However, he rejected that in order to offer “public services such as transportation, hospitals, schools”, it is not contemplated in the law to force a citizen to present a vaccination card.
Although he clarified that in no way does he want to induce people not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and specified that prohibiting access to citizens is something that the law does not conceive.
He alerted the authorities that chaos could be generated when, before offering the public service, such as, for example, in the Santo Domingo metro, citizens are asked to take out their vaccination cards, because it will contribute to the agglomeration of people.
For him the government authorities are adopting improvised measures.
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