SANTO DOMINGO — The D.R. has announced new safety measures that include stricter controls on food and beverage inspections in resort areas.

The D.R.’s Minister of Tourism, Francisco Javier Garcia, announced the new measures yesterday. The destination is working to allay concerns in the wake of the high-profile deaths of more than half a dozen U.S. tourists.

According to reports, D.R. properties will have to “provide inspectors with detailed food handling protocols as well as comprehensive information on all food and beverage suppliers.”

When guests check in, front desk staff will review emergency procedures, plus an emergency centre is being established in Bavaro in Punta Cana. There will also be closer monitoring of the medical services provided by resorts including the qualifications of doctors, nurses and other medical team members.

The D.R. has seen its visitor numbers drop in the wake of the publicity surrounding the tourist deaths. In June, Garcia said the deaths were not part of a mysterious wave of fatalities but a medically and statistically normal phenomenon that has been lumped together by the U.S. media.