Steve Harvey is hosting the “Soul and Sand Festival” at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Punta Canta on Oct. 10-14.
What We Know:
- Nine American tourists have died while vacationing in the Dominican Republic within the past year. The most recent occurring on June 13.
- Two of the deaths occurred at the same hotel where Harvey is hosting the jazz event.
- Robert Wallace, 67, and David Harrison, 45, both fell ill and died during their stays at the hotel. Harrison suffered a heart attack and pulmonary edema and Wallace’s cause of death has not been confirmed. Wallace’s niece told Fox News that her uncle became ill after consuming a drink from the hotel bar.
- Hard Rock officials released a statement saying, “We can assure you, the safety and health of our guests is now and has always been our highest priority. We currently implement beverage protocols, including purchasing sealed and unopened products from licensed and reputable vendors, as well as daily inspections of all products served throughout the hotel bars and in-room liquor dispensers.”
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The festival is still set to go on despite the troubling trend of unfortunate deaths.