HAVANA (AP) – In the midst of a growing spiral of coronavirus infections in Cuba, which this Saturday registered almost a thousand new cases, the authorities ordered restrictions at airports and the mandatory entry of international travelers to isolation centers.
“We were not able to comply with the protocols that were established,” said Dr. Francisco Durán, director of Epidemiology of Cuba in a television appearance. “Everyone is aware of the impact that the entry of international travelers to our country has had.”
Durán said that as of February 6, “mandatory institutional isolation will be imposed for all international travelers” as happened in the second quarter of last year and that, together with other measures, he achieved relative control of the progress of the pandemic in COVID-19.
For Cuban tourists and emigrants who permanently reside abroad, hotels will be set up that must be paid for by those people. Nationals who return or who habitually live on the island, as well as aid workers, will be transferred free of charge to special centers until the second negative test is applied, which is taken on the fifth day of arrival.
Only foreign diplomats and businessmen will be allowed in an exceptional way isolation at home.
Durán reported this Saturday that the highest number of infected in one day was reported, 910 people, in addition to three deaths. Since the pandemic broke out in March 2020, there have been 25,674 infected and 213 deaths. There are 5,100 active cases.
So far in January, 13,618 infections were detected, four times the December figure, which had 3,675.
The dramatic situation began when, starting in November, the authorities relaxed the restriction measures, including with the opening of the airports, although a protocol with tests for travelers was implemented, but that, given the figures, seems to have been ineffective.
In parallel, the Institute of Civil Aeronautics reported on Saturday that there will be a limitation on commercial flights, to be added to those that began this month.
The agency specified that, to the reduction in flights from the United States, Mexico, Panama, Bahamas, those from Jamaica and Colombia will be added. At the same time, flights with Nicaragua, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname remain with total suspension.
The only extra flights will be humanitarian in nature to return stranded passengers abroad.
Cuba had achieved control of the pandemic from March to November, even with entire cities free from contagion for more than 100 days, thanks to a house-to-house investigation, mandatory isolation and early treatment of cases.
In addition, at that first moment public transport was suspended – now in force, but with limitations – and classes, which were reopened and canceled again.
This outbreak of the coronavirus comes at a time of a severe crisis for Cuba, which last year had an 11% drop in its Gross Domestic Product and has practically paralyzed its main industry, tourism, while the United States maintains its sanctions.
