Cuba surpasses 1 Million COVID cases, govt puts stringent health protocols

Havana, Cuba: As the island surpasses the mark of one million COVID-19 cases, the Cuban government announces some stringent health protocols and guidelines to curb the spread of the contagious viral disease. According to new guidelines, people with severe COVID-19 symptoms and with underlying medical conditions will be admitted to the hospital facilities.

Healthcare authorities of Cuba makes home in care/ home isolation a priority to reduce the strain from the hospital facilities that are overburdened as the cases of the COVID-19 virus witnesses a soar.

Meanwhile, unvaccinated persons, pregnant women and post-partum women will be hospitalized only after they are tested positive for COVID-19. The health ministry advises the general public having mild COVID-19 symptoms and asymptomatic individuals to isolate themselves at their respective residences for a time period of around one week, that too under the epidemiological monitoring of a local doctor.

Besides this, as per the new coronavirus measures, preventive medication (medicines used to prevent a certain disease) will also be administered for the senior citizens and as well as for the other significant vulnerable classes.

The international travellers arriving in the island country will now be required to present evidence of vaccination, along with a negative polymerase chain reaction test, which should not be taken more than 72 hours prior to their travel to Cuba. Meanwhile, visitors arriving from South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique are required quarantine for a duration of 7 days at their designated hotels, with their own expenses.

Moreover, to ensure a safe environment for the students and the healthcare workers, the local governments have begun to sanitize the school premises, nursing homes, and psychiatric hospitals, to reduce the chances of virus transmission at the places.

Apart from this, the Cuban government called on the citizens to wear masks, frequently sanitize, avoid mass gatherings and maintain an adequate physical distance.

On Monday, Cuba recorded a total of 3,306 COVID infections, along with one death, taking the total toll to 1,002,499, as per the data shared by the health ministry.