Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, 5 things to know before traveling post COVID

Happy New Year! I hope 2021 brings you all and more than you wish for! I spent the last week of 2020 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic with my family. It is my usual family tradition during the holidays and we were still able to keep the tradition while taking precautions. The world is still in the middle of a global pandemic. This was our second time flying as a family since the pandemic (the first was to San Francisco in November.) We flew Delta because they still currently operate at 60% capacity (the middle seat is still empty till March) I will share a future post on flying since the pandemic soon.

Why we chose Punta Cana for our Christmas holiday

My swimsuit and coverup are both by  Andrea Iyamah.

Punta Cana is a 3-hour flight from Atlanta.

We wanted to limit our flight time, so DR made sense. Plus the 80 plus degree weather was definitely a draw to visit this Caribbean country.

Wearing Evarea bikini top and bottom. My sunglasses are by Gucci (they’re sold out)

A resort that had everything we needed

We stayed at the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana, an all-inclusive family resort for good reason. We had no plans to leave because of COVID. This resort not only has a sister resort (Hyatt Zilara) next door,(an adult-only resort that we had access to) it boasts a total of over 10 different restaurants to eat & 24-hour room service. It is a vast resort that at capacity accommodates over 1000 guests and while we were it was about 40% capacity (we spoke to staff to confirm this.) Our resort has a private beach, lots of pools, a kids club, a spa, a water park, so so much! This was my first time staying at an all-inclusive hotel and this resort exceeded my expectations. The service was top notch! See my Punta Cana highlights for some of what I shared on social. The protocols they had in place was impressive. Every single staff had a face mask and an eye google plus gloves. Buffets were served not the other way around and all restaurants had prepackaged silverware.

My bikini top and bottom are by Norma Kamali

My bikini top and coverup by Agua Bendita. Hoops are by Baublebar & sunglasses by Chloe

Blouse by LoveOhLou, jeans by Zara, purse by FWStyle, sandals by Brothervellies Sunglasses Rayban

Unlike some other Caribbean countries, DR recently opened back up for tourism. 

Our resort opened in November 2020. Safety precautions are super important to me, so finding a resort that took extra care in doing this was important. Since the pandemic began, I have stayed in numerous hotels and this resort was the first stay that required a temperature check.

Maxi by PatBo, sandals by Sarah Flint, clutch by FW Style, earrings by Leigh Miller 

Free health care coverage

Between now and March all international tourists arriving on commercial flights and staying at a hotel will be granted during the check-in process a temporary, free health coverage plan that provides coverage for emergencies in the event of an infection or exposure to COVID-19 while in-country. Yes, DR is protecting you and I absolutely love that the government is doing this!

Curfew in place

To control the outbreak of COVID-19 in DR, from January 1 to 10, 2021, there is an established curfew in place Monday through Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Even on NYE, the curfew was 7 pm. That is how serious they’re about containing this virus. We couldn’t leave our resort past the curfew time, which was fine by me:)

Dress by 16 Arlington, shoes Aquazurra, arm candy LAGOS, clutch FW Style.

 

Other things to know

They do not require a COVID negative test, however, they perform random tests on visitors. 3-5%.

You will be required to complete a lengthy form health-related upon/before arrival. Sharing your activities prior to visiting and plans while in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

P.S.

This is not a sponsored blog post. I am sharing my honest review. I didn’t leave my resort so I have no idea what was going on beyond the walls. All my photos were taken at my resort. I felt safe throughout my stay and I also did all I could to avoid crowds. Including eating early or later in the day.  To find out more about what the government is doing in the Dominican Republic as far as safety click HERE. See more travel content HERE.