Cuba Reinforces Measures to Fight COVID-19 Outbreak in the Country

Havana, only preceded by the province of Guantanamo in terms of incidence rate of positive cases of COVID-19 in the last 15 days, will henceforth live without neglecting a set of organizational and epidemiological control measures, which seek to counteract the complex situation created by the new coronavirus in a territory that is always a reference of how things are going in the country.

Cuba Reports 666 New Cases of COVID-19, 4 Deaths

During the meeting of the Temporary Working Group for the Prevention and Control of the new coronavirus that took place this Wednesday at the Palace of the Revolution, the Governor of the capital, Reinaldo Garcia Zapata, listed guidelines that the authorities of the capital have set because, among other reasons, the spread of the disease in all municipalities, and the increase in the report of confirmed cases.

A strategy aimed at protecting health professionals has been devised, and the quality control of the samples taken in the PRCs is to be increased, García Zapata informed via video conference, at the meeting led by the President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz Canel.

At the meeting, the Governor of Havana spoke of the efforts made to seek greater bed capacity in hospitals, the strengthening of intensive and intermediate care units in the health system, as well as to place greater emphasis on active research with particular interest in the vulnerable population.

Likewise, he made reference to the control actions of the biosecurity controls; and highlighted the need to strengthen in these times the remote work, in those entities and organizations whose missions are not essential.

García Zapata stated that it is important to maintain the productive levels that are vital for the State, and a highly sensitive issue such as the distribution, as equitably as possible, of basic products for the population must not be neglected.

OTHER TERRITORIES IN THE ANALYSIS

The videoconference, as usual in this type of meeting, makes it possible to analyze how the provinces are doing in the fight against COVID-19. This time, during this moment of exchange, the Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, asked several territories about how the processing of PCR samples is going: the general response indicates that the delays of previous days have been overcome.

From their particularities, and taking as a starting point concerns of the population or other problems that are coming to light, the authorities of the provinces were drawing priorities or explaining efforts undertaken at this minute. From Pinar del Río, for example, it was learned about more rigorous epidemiological measures; from Artemisa, those present could be informed about how, despite the spread of the disease, the epidemiological panorama is under control; and from the province of Mayabeque, where there is also spread of the new coronavirus, it was learned about the rigorous attention to the municipalities where the levels of incidence of confirmed cases are maintained.

In the province of Matanzas, the municipality of the same name and the municipality of Cárdenas -the areas with the highest number of cases in the territory- are being rigorously examined, and in general, isolation measures and the necessary disinfection of high-risk places are not neglected.

At the same time, the province of Villa Clara gives priority to the investigation and seeks other approaches in communication, which allow increasing among people the perception of risk before COVID-19. Ciego de Avila emphasizes screening and quantifies its hospital capacities; Santiago de Cuba acts proactively in the face of indiscipline; and Guantanamo, where the situation is complex, closely monitors primary health care.