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| - Voters in the Dominican Republic went to the polls on Sunday despite global fears over the coronavirus pandemic as the Carribbean country held municipal elections. Health authorities have recorded 11 Covid-19 cases and no deaths amongst the population of 11 million people. As a precautionary measure, the government decided to suspend for a month flights to and from Europe, China, South Korea and Iran from Monday. Anyone having spent time in one of those countries over the last two weeks is required to put themselves in quarantine. Large scale gatherings have not been banned but health authorities advised people to avoid mass gatherings during the elections, in which 7.4 million people are eligible to vote. Officials at voting stations have been told to give priority to people showing flu-like symptoms or coughing, and for voters to remain at least a meter away from each other. Central election commission president, Julio Cesar Castanos, said the country was showing the entire world it could pull off "a peaceful, free and egalitarian election." The election was supposed to take place a month ago but had to be delayed due to a problem with the electronic voting system. In some polling stations in the capital Santo Domingo, AFP reporters saw voters wearing face masks and carrying hand sanitizers. "I took precautions and came with anti-bacterial gel," said Josefina Zeron, a voter. str-gde/tup/ayv/bc/jm
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