Cuba Reports No COVID-19 Cases in Prisons

Cuban prisons remain without reporting cases nor outbreaks of Covid-19, while applying a comprehensive prevention and control plan to prevent the introduction and spread of the disease, health authorities reported on Thursday.

In a press briefing, the director of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Public Health, Francisco Durán, explained that penitentiaries throughout the island apply rigorous measures to minimize risks of entry of the SARS-Cov2 coronavirus, according to the direction of Medical Services of the Ministry of Interior.

Among the actions stand out the disinfection of hands at points of access to the units and the prohibition of entry to workers or visitors with feverish symptoms, respiratory symptoms or without face mask.

Durán explained that inmates who enter from the community are placed in isolation for 15 days to detect possible cases before they infect other inmates.

Likewise, the number of people in visits is limited and measures are reinforced in the areas of admission, observation, evaluation and diagnosis, as well as in waiting areas, visitors’ and conjugal rooms. The specialist added that twice a day the active investigation is carried out with the aim of identifying people with symptoms, to immediately isolate them in areas prepared for it, and if necessary, there are assurances for transfers to hospitals.

Another measure was the distribution to the entire prison population and staff of the homeopathic medicine aimed at increasing the body’s immunological response to the virus.

Durán highlighted the differentiated attention to certain groups of prisoners, such as those with HIV-AIDS and pregnant women.

The senior official emphasized that the Interior Ministry has as a priority the application of any measure that is necessary to prevent the entry of Covid-19 into prisons.

So far in Cuba there is a total of 1,235 confirmed cases with the new coronavirus, as well as 43 deaths and 365 recoveries.