Havana, December 31st.- For thirteen consecutive weeks, Cuba maintained a decrease in new patients positive for COVID-19. This reality had its turning point at the end of the last week, in which the diagnosis of patients increased by 34.8%, a figure that translates into 163 more patients than in the previous seven days.
Nine were the territories that increased the numbers with respect to the previous week: Havana in 119; Ciego de Ávila at 33; Pinar del Río at 26; Matanzas in 18; Artemis at 14; Mayabeque at 11; Cienfuegos at 9; Guantanamo at 6; and Camagüey at 5.
Meanwhile, the highest number of confirmed ones corresponded to Havana (26.4% with 167 cases); Holguín (12.7% with 80 cases); Camagüey (9.8% with 62 cases); Ciego de Ávila (9.7% with 61 cases); Matanzas (9% with 57 cases); and the special Municipality of Isla de la Juventud (7.3% with 46 cases). 74.8% of the new cases were concentrated in these six territories.
Inevitably, this scenario led to an increase in the number of active cases: at the end of last week there were 488, that is, 130 more than the previous one.
Although during the current month there is evidence of a decrease in confirmed numbers - compared to November - this does not constitute any reason to trust us. The virus remains with us and the behavior of the epidemic in the past week is the best example of this.
In the global context, unfortunately the trend is towards an increase in infections, and the omicron variant, classified by the World Health Organization as a "variant of concern", has spread to 110 countries on all continents.
From November 29 to December 25, in the sequencing of PCR samples carried out by the "Pedro Kourí" Institute of Tropical Medicine, 72 people infected with this variant had been identified in Cuba in 12 provinces. Most are imported cases, although patients who have resulted from their contacts have already been diagnosed.
Taking into account the increase that has occurred in international travel since November 15, as well as the high power of dissemination of this new variant, which has the capacity to double the number of cases in just two or three days, it has been decided to modify the international sanitary control measures in our country and adopt others of a general nature, which will be effective as of next January 5.
For travelers from South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Malawi and Eswatini.
It will be mandatory:
Present a complete vaccination schedule at the point of entry.
Show the negative result of an RT-PCR, performed at most 72 hours before the trip.
At the point of entry, a sample will be taken to perform RT-PCR to SARS-CoV-2.
They will carry out mandatory quarantine, for eight days, in a hotel destined for that purpose, the traveler himself assuming the costs of accommodation and transportation.
On the seventh day, a new sample will be taken which, if negative, will allow discharge from quarantine on the eighth day.
Measures that are incorporated for international sanitary control:
In the case of travelers from the rest of the world, whether or not they are residents of Cuba:
It will be mandatory to present a complete vaccination schedule at the point of entry.
It will be mandatory to show the negative result of an RT-PCR, carried out at most 72 hours before the trip.
Random surveillance will be increased, starting with the performance of RT-PCR at the border of travelers from high-risk countries.
In addition to the above measures, Cubans residing in the country who do not have a vaccination scheme, to enter the national territory, will be obliged to:
Take a sample collection for SARS-CoV-2 PCR-RT at the point of entry.
Comply with a mandatory quarantine, for eight days, in a hotel designated for this purpose, the traveler himself assuming the costs of accommodation and transportation.
On the seventh day, a new sample will be taken which, if negative, will allow discharge from quarantine on the eighth day.
All crew members and passengers of merchant vessels that intend to enter Cuba, and come from foreign ports, must present a complete vaccination scheme and, in addition, a PCR study will be carried out at the point of entry.
Aircraft and cruise ship crews staying less than 48 hours in the national territory will be exempt from these measures. In both cases they will have to present their complete vaccination schedule.
Passengers of cruise ships and pleasure boats, to enter the country will have to present an international certificate of vaccination against COVID-19.
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-RT will be carried out on the seventh day of your arrival.
They will not require a complete vaccination schedule:
Children up to 12 years of age, of any nationality or origin.
Adults who for medical reasons, and duly certified, cannot be vaccinated with any of the vaccines approved until today by the corresponding regulatory agencies.
Proposals for other measures within the country:
All travelers who arrive in Cuba and test positive for COVID-19 will be admitted to the Health institutions designated for this purpose in each territory.
All direct contacts of these travelers will be isolated in designated centers in each territory, or at home, provided that the necessary conditions exist and compliance with this measure is guaranteed.
Confirmed autochthonous cases that are at risk, or the severity of their condition warrants it, will be admitted to Health institutions designated for that purpose. The rest may be brought into the home according to the conditions of each territory.
The direct contacts of the confirmed autochthonous cases will be isolated in their homes and, if necessary, they will do so institutionally, for a period of eight days.
Confirmed pregnant women and children under ten years of age will be isolated in health institutions designated for this purpose.
The study of the first-order contacts of the confirmed cases will be done as soon as their contact status is known.
In order to identify suspicious cases, the investigation of the population in all territories will be reorganized, prioritizing the areas of greatest risk.
Taking into account the high transmissibility of the omicron variant and its presence already in the country, there will be no massive activities that generate conglomerates of people. Small format activities will be maintained in compliance with the established sanitary measures.
All the country's territories will send the identified positive samples selected for sequencing to the national reference laboratory of the "Pedro Kourí" Institute of Tropical Medicine.
Accelerate the application of booster doses throughout the country, in line with the availability of existing vaccines.
In the presence of the virus, it continues to be vital to maintain control over the epidemic to act responsibly in all settings and thus accompany the enormous efforts being made to advance an unprecedented vaccination campaign in Cuba.
After just over seven months of initiating these actions, at the end of December 28 - the date on which 30 million 274 thousand 009 doses of vaccines had been applied - a total of 9 million 643 thousand 835 people had completed their vaccination schedule, which which represents 91.3% of the vaccinable population.
As part of our actions to immunize the population, last November we also began to administer a booster dose to those over 19 years of age who had completed their vaccination schedule six months ago.
Given the threat posed by the expansion of the omicron variant, in Cuba it was decided to advance the vaccination schedule in all risk groups and territories. This decision also includes the possibility of receiving the booster dose starting three months after the last vaccination.
Likewise, it has been decided to begin vaccination with booster doses to convalescent patients, previously vaccinated with Soberana Plus, after six months of having been immunized.
As of this week, the country has prioritized the risk group of pregnant women.
As essential concepts to carry out this strategy, an extensive and intensive vaccination is guaranteed, in which the three Cuban vaccines with Emergency Use Authorization will be used: Soberana Plus, Soberana 02 and Abdala.
Until December 28, the territories had applied one million 610 thousand 388 doses of booster vaccine, based on those they received and the reserves they had.
After a year of complex epidemiological challenges imposed on us by COVID-19, Cuba has begun to experience a new stage in the control of the virus, which requires the responsible accompaniment of all.
May the reunion with family and friends who always distinguish these dates of the year, do not lead us to ruin the enormous effort of so many, which has allowed us to reach this new moment of opening in the country.
Let us resume our daily actions with discipline and strict compliance with the established protocols, so that the Cuban family does not have to regret further damage as a result of this terrible epidemic.