The Cuban Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) reported 813 infections of the new coronavirus this Saturday, bringing the number of confirmed infections on the island to 65,962. After compiling the data from March 19, 15 of the country’s provinces—including the Isla de la Juventud special municipality—reported at least one positive case.
The MINSAP report details that, of the 813 cases, 797 are autochthonous, the last week’s highest number and the fifth highest in the last 15 days. A total of 758 positive cases (93.2%) were contacts of confirmed cases, 16 imported (from four countries) and in 39 it was not possible to specify the source of infection, which represents a problem in cutting the chain of infections.
Havana is the most affected territory with 476 infections, five of them imported. Eleven of the 15 municipalities in the capital report more than 20 cases and all have more than 15, with red numbers for San Miguel del Padrón (53), Habana del Este (53) and Boyeros (45).
As has become usual in recent days, Santiago de Cuba presented a high number of cases (90), as did Sancti Spíritus (50-five imported) and Granma (41-1), provinces that have seen a radical increase in the last weeks after control measures have been taken for some time.
Pinar del Río (27), Artemisa (25), Holguín (22-2) and Camagüey (20-2) continue to face a complex situation, although their incidence rates have decreased, while Mayabeque reported its first day without positive cases this month.
Dr. Francisco Durán, national director of Hygiene and Epidemiology, highlighted in his daily press conference that Cienfuegos (15), Guantánamo (14-1), Isla de la Juventud (11), Matanzas (5), Villa Clara (5), Ciego de Ávila (5-1) and Las Tunas (3-1) have improved and possibilities of control in the short term if health measures and protocols continue to be followed.
According to the MINSAP report, 55.6% (452) of the 813 cases were asymptomatic. Since the beginning of the pandemic in Cuba, 34,792 patients without symptoms have been identified as positive, which represents 52.7% of all those infected.
According to official data, the age group most affected is that of 40-59 years, in which 281 positive cases are reported, followed by that of 20-39 years, with 243 cases, and those over 60 years of age, with 179. Meanwhile, 110 patients under 20 years of age were confirmed, 100 of them of pediatric ages.
Referring to this, Dr. Francisco Durán explained that among the positive cases of the day there are six infants, and added that there are 7,723 positive patients in pediatric ages, 612 of them active, two serious and a critical one.
After compiling the data for Friday, March 19, there are 3,452 active cases in Cuba, a slight decrease compared to the previous day. Of these, 3,384 present a stable clinical evolution, while 39 people are in serious condition and 29 in critical condition.
On the day there were 931 discharges, bringing the number of recovered patients in the nation to 62,062, and death toll increased to 392 with the day’s five deceased, four of them over 65 years of age.
According to the health authorities, a total of 21,084 patients are hospitalized for clinical epidemiological surveillance and there are 3,919 suspects, while another 13,713 people are under surveillance through the primary healthcare system.
According to official sources, 2,769, 474 diagnostic tests (PCR) have already been carried out in Cuba. During the last months the number of tests has increased considerably with the operation of 23 laboratories for the processing of the samples, which were 19,788 on this Friday, March 19.
