The increase in daily cases of covid-19 in the last week and the presence of the omicron variant is alarming the health authorities about the health, economic and political consequences that a new outbreak can unleash.
The last few days have been a matter of concern for the Cuban Government. The country has had seven consecutive days with more than one hundred new daily positives, a level that has not exceeded since December 6, with 35% more new positives than the previous week.
This points to a change in trend, when it seemed that the coronavirus was under control on the island after thirteen consecutive weeks of decline in the number of new cases of covid-19.
Faced with this prospect, the provincial authorities are beginning to resume restrictive measures. In Sancti Spíritus, for example, this Friday the suspension of parties and public activities “that lead to dangerous concentrations of people” was decreed, in addition to closing the discos. Manuel Rivero Avella, Health Director of the province, publishes the newspaper Escambray, recognizes that the epidemiological situation “has become more complex” and hence the measures have to be strengthened.
It has gone from between zero and four imported cases a day, from November 15 to 30, to a peak of 95 cases (out of a daily total of 328, almost 29%) this December 29 alone
However, the official clarified that the dinners “planned in institutions of Commerce, Gastronomy or Tourism” will not be suspended, which “are already sold almost in their entirety”, although they will make “special emphasis on physical distancing and disinfection of The surfaces”.
According to figures from the Ministry of Public Health, there has been a rapid increase in recent days (from the 76 cases registered on December 23, it has gone to 433 this Friday), after three weeks of stability in the minimum values of the last twelve months.
Lastly, the rise in imported cases stands out. Since Cuba reactivated international tourism on November 15, at least 555 positives originating abroad have been registered, according to data released by Health.
It has gone from between zero and four imported cases a day, from November 15 to 30, to a peak of 95 cases (out of a daily total of 328, almost 29%) this December 29 alone. This Friday there were 80 cases of covid originating abroad.
The Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, warned that the good previous data were not a reason to be confident. “The virus remains with us and the behavior of the epidemic in the past week is the best example of this,” he said.
The situation is worrying, although the numbers are far from the worst moment of the pandemic, lived in the middle of the year, when the new positives exceeded 9,000 cases a day and the deaths touched one hundred a day.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel said this week in a meeting with scientists that there are failures in border control and some epidemiological measures “are being breached.”
President Miguel Díaz-Canel said this week in a meeting with scientists that there are failures in border control and some epidemiological measures “are being breached.”
Portal Miranda explained for its part that, in this context and with the unknown of the omicron variant (of which 44 cases have been detected to date), it is “essential to reinforce measures to protect the country.”
Hence the measures that will start on January 5: in addition to presenting negative PCR, travelers must show a vaccination certificate from their countries of origin with the complete schedule of the vaccine applied. “Foreign travelers who arrive in Cuba and are part of the enrollment of international schools, scholarships in Cuban institutions, technicians and foreign collaborators who are housed, will carry out an eight-day quarantine in their respective centers, and a PCR will be carried out on the seventh day of your arrival “, Health specified.
These rules are in addition to those in force since December for travelers from African countries and other European countries.
The upturn in cases puts epidemiological control at risk in Cuba, which in November, with the positive trend shown by the pandemic on the island, had reopened schools and reactivated international tourism after the stoppage forced by the covid.
The increase now in cases – especially imported ones – puts the focus on the suitability of the reactivation of international tourism
The health authorities also trusted in the positive effect of the massive vaccination campaign that they have carried out in recent months with the three national formulas: Abdala, Soberana 02 and Soberana Plus.
Cuba, with 86% of its population immunized, according to government figures, is the second country with more than one million inhabitants with the highest vaccination rate, behind only the United Arab Emirates.
The increase now in cases – especially imported ones – puts the focus on the suitability of the reactivation of international tourism and raises again the dilemma between health and the economy.
The recovery of tourism is key in Cuba because it represents the second official source of foreign currency, only behind the sale of professional services abroad, and represents about 10% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
A more than important area in the midst of the serious economic crisis that the country is going through, exacerbated precisely by the closure of borders and the restrictions that forced the arrival of the pandemic in March 2020.
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