The Cuban Abdala COVID-19 vaccine candidate will begin the second phase of clinical trials on February 1, the official media reported. In this way, the also named CIGB 66 will become the second vaccine project produced on the island to move to this phase of studies, after Soberana 02 did it last December. Phase II of the trial will be carried out at the Saturnino Lora Hospital in Santiago de Cuba, where the first stage of human trials has already been carried out. The new phase “will begin with the prior approval of the Center for State Control of Medicines, Equipment and Medical Devices (CECMED) and neutral provincial and national independent observers, as they don’t belong to the Saturnino Lora Hospital or the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), the creator of Abdala,” according to a report from the Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN) news agency.  Now around 800 volunteers will participate in the next step of the study, who come from work and student centers in the city of Santiago, “in order to guarantee better control and permanence in the research,” according to Dr. Rafael Suárez, director of the hospital. Participants will be between 19 and 80 years...

The SARS-CoV-2 virus infections identified this Thursday totaled 659 in Cuba, registered in 15 provinces. The data continues to underline the “high complexity and high transmission” of this outbreak, in the words of Dr. Francisco Durán. Of the total, 623 are due to autochthonous transmission, a circumstance for which in the last fifteen days 7,541 people have suffered from COVID-19. 404 imported cases have been registered in the same period. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1355169758702919685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1355169758702919685%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fcoronavirus-en-cuba-659-contagios-563-altas-y-dos-muertes-durante-el-jueves%2F The provinces that registered the highest number of infections by the virus yesterday, according to the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) report, were Havana (312 cases), Santiago de Cuba (71), Ciego de Ávila (55), Villa Clara ( 53), Matanzas (36), Guantánamo (32) and Mayabeque (31). Some of these territories show the highest incidence rates. The trend in recent days seems to be maintained in Guantánamo, Havana and Santiago de Cuba, which lead the statistics with 214.19, 159.94 and 106.04 per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively. By age group, 89 of the positive cases had not reached the age of 20; of them, 82 were of pediatric age. According to Dr. Durán, the total number of this group has been 2,522 during the entire pandemic. Of the rest: 207 classify between 20...

Four deaths, including a doctor residing in the municipality of Habana del Este, were the COVID-19 casualties recorded this Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP). The 49-year-old man was hospitalized for six days and was discharged when his PCR result was negative. His symptoms worsened and he returned to hospitalization, which led to his referral to intensive care, where he later died, according to the MINSAP report. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1354809141118734340?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1354809141118734340%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fcuba-reporta-cuatro-muertes-por-covid-19-entre-ellos-la-de-un-medico-de-la-habana%2F Several Cuban doctors have lost their lives as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but none of these deaths, according to official data, occurred on the island. The remaining victims, with whom the number rises to 208, were a 49-year-old woman from Santiago, a 58-year-old woman from Matanzas and a 76-year-old man from Havana. As for the new infections, 666 positive cases were registered and they involve all the country’s provinces, including the Isla de la Juventud Special Municipality: 642 correspond to autochthonous transmission and 24 were imported. Five foreigners were reported, nationals of Russia, Peru, Canada and the United States. The provinces with the most serious situation continue to be Havana (263 cases), Santiago de Cuba (125) and Guantánamo (78). In short: 613 positive cases were contacts of...

Around noon on January 27, some 20 people gathered in front of the Cuban Ministry of Culture (MINCULT). Exactly two months after the events of 27N, the protesters who came to the headquarters this Wednesday demanded an institutional response to the arrest of three Cuban artists in the morning. According to statements to the Periodismo de Barrio site, today some artists and intellectuals linked to 27N had planned “a very simple gesture, waiting for the anniversary of the birth of José Martí and commemorating the two months of 27N, to go somewhere where there was a sculpture of Martí and have a poetry reading. Today we woke up and Tania Bruguera and Katherine Bisquet were under surveillance,” said visual artist Camila Lobón, present there. According to her, she herself witnessed the arrest of Camila Acosta and she was detained by police officers, who tried to take her cell phone from her. A State Security officer let her go after “talking to me for about half an hour,” she said. For today, three “spokespersons”: curator Solveig Font, playwright Yunior García and Camila Lobón herself, had a meeting scheduled with Deputy Minister Fernando Rojas at the MINCULT headquarters, after several exchanges between...

The Abdala vaccine candidate, one of the four Cuban COVID-19 vaccines currently in clinical trial, is showing favorable results in terms of its safety and immunogenicity, according to the official media. Developed by the Havana Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), the Abdala vaccine candidate was evaluated days ago by an independent committee for the analysis of the data from its study in humans, as confirmed on social networks by Dr. Eduardo Martínez, president of the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries (BioCubaFarma) Business Group, quoted by Prensa Latina (PL) news agency. Meanwhile, the CIGB itself affirmed on Twitter that the vaccine candidate “has had constant monitoring, supervision and evaluation.” This supervision is carried out by specialized agencies, including the National Regulatory Center for Medicines and Medical Equipment, “always with favorable results,” Granma daily highlighted. https://twitter.com/CIGBCuba/status/1354107043892879360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1354107043892879360%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fresultados-favorables-de-candidato-vacunal-cubano-contra-la-covid-19%2F Abdala began on December 2 phase I of the clinical trial with 200 volunteers at the Saturnino Lora Hospital, in the province of Santiago de Cuba. The study also involves more than 40 health professionals, including doctors, nurses and laboratory workers, and at the close of this first moment it is scheduled for February 16. This vaccine is administered intramuscularly, unlike Mambisa, also developed by...

With the four deaths from COVID-19 reported by the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) this Wednesday, January becomes the worst month for Cubans as a result of the pandemic. For weeks the highest number of infections has been reported, which is 11,383 cases; but now the death toll has also become the highest since March: 58, bringing the total number to 204. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1354446712648200194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1354446712648200194%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fenero-es-ya-para-los-cubanos-el-peor-mes-a-causa-del-coronavirus%2F Three men and one woman, from Pinar del Río, Havana, Villa Clara and Santiago de Cuba, and all over eighty years of age, are the characteristics of the new fatalities, whose data is explained in today’s report. The lethality rate of the island is 0.87%. The new infections, meanwhile, shot up to 825, breaking the record that had been set yesterday of 786 cases in 24 hours. Havana is once again the most critical territory with its 334 patients diagnosed on Tuesday, when Santiago de Cuba also reported 195 patients and Guantánamo 95. Ten municipalities in these provinces, along with two in the same number of territories: Ciego de Ávila and Matanzas, concentrate 46.2% of the incidence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the last 15 days. But, in general, 14 provinces have found new infections this time,...

Cuba is carrying out a clinical trial in people convalescing from COVID-19, who had a minor clinical picture or were asymptomatic, the official media reported. The study uses the Soberana 01 vaccine candidate, the first to receive authorization in Cuba for tests on human beings, and seeks to “stimulate protective levels of neutralizing antibodies against possible reinfection,” Prensa Latina (PL) agency reported. The agency recalled that “globally there are cases of people infected with this coronavirus who were reinfected, even with much more acute and serious forms of the disease,” which is why the trial that is taking place on the island “also seeks to protect this risk group.” The test began on January 9 at the Institute of Hematology and Immunology and involves 30 volunteers, aged 19 to 59, “who were in contact with the virus and currently have a negative PCR.” These people received a single dose of the vaccine on day 16 and “from that moment on, they are being closely monitored through doctor’s offices and direct contact with the researchers.” https://twitter.com/FinlayInstituto/status/1353283635261140992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1353283635261140992%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Frealizan-en-cuba-ensayo-clinico-en-convalecientes-de-la-covid-19%2F Dr. Rolando Ochoa, a specialist in Immunology at the Finlay Vaccine Institute, explained that the formulation of Soberana 01 used in the test “is simpler...

The end of January is looking like its beginning. Today, unfortunately, a record was broken again in Cuba: the new infections reported by the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) amounted to 786 and the number of hospitalized people is close to 10,000, after 9,944 were reported until midnight on Monday. In addition, with the deaths of three people in the provinces of Havana and Guantánamo—two men and one woman, aged between 50 and 61 years—the death toll from COVID-19 now stands at 200 The specificities of these deaths are explained in the report, where it is also noted that 720 of the new diagnoses are due to contacts of confirmed cases, 13 had the source of infection abroad and in 53 individuals the origin of the infection was not yet specified. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1354082980487176194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1354082980487176194%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fcoronavirus-en-cuba-enero-establece-otro-record-de-contagios-diarios-con-los-786-informados-hoy%2F Although the number of discharges was noteworthy (669), the aforementioned statistics, together with the total confirmed active cases, which now number 4,668 patients, lead to an alarming situation in some territories more than in others. Only nine municipalities, between Havana and Guantánamo, concentrate 46% of the incidence of this disease in the last fifteen days, according to Dr. Francisco Durán, who added that these territories also lead the...

Cuba is promoting foreign investment  in the telecommunications sector to create a Call Center for the export of services, the establishment of an Information Technology Services Center, the construction of network infrastructure and the modernization of postal graphics, the state media reported. The island’s Portfolio of Opportunities for foreign capital includes the development of science and technology parks, facilities for international certification of services, support modalities and online technical assistance, as well as the promotion of new technologies and research and software development spaces, according to a report from the Agencia Cubana de Noticias news agency. https://twitter.com/pro_cuba/status/1339235641566113794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1339235641566113794%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fcuba-apuesta-por-la-inversion-extranjera-para-desarrollar-sus-telecomunicaciones%2F Through foreign investment, Cuba aspires to raise the quality of its postal services, update the processing, distribution and delivery technologies of postal packages, parcels and postal graphics, the source indicated. Likewise, the island is seeking financial support in the construction of the network infrastructure that guarantees the broadband connectivity required by the country in the next 10 years. The Cuban Portfolio of Opportunities does not include foreign participation in telecommunications operation and marketing services. With the exception of computer science businesses located within science and technology parks, the regulations that govern telecommunications on the island prohibit the creation of 100% foreign capital companies...

Three women died yesterday, the most recent effect of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Cuba according to the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP). One of them was 32 years old, and lived in the Havana municipality of Marianao. The other two, over 60, were from Diez de Octubre, in Havana, and Santa Clara. After the new record of fatalities, now the death toll from COVID-19 stands at 197 on the island, where the lethality rate from the pandemic is 0.9%. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1353719116964786182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1353719116964786182%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fcoronavirus-con-tres-fallecidas-y-567-nuevos-contagios-comienza-cuba-la-ultima-semana-de-enero%2F The data is not good, not even when the day’s discharges involve 647 people. Hospitalized patients number almost 10,000, while in intensive care cases increased to 51: 19 in critical condition and 32 in serious condition. Two of them are minors, a five-year-old girl and a seven-month-old child. The new infections, meanwhile, totaled 567; a high figure, although it was almost 70 less than those of Saturday, when the second highest record was established since March. Of the total positive cases for the new coronavirus diagnosed until midnight on Sunday, 542 are due to autochthonous transmission: 511 are contacts of confirmed cases, in 31 individuals the source of infection is not identified and 25 acquired the virus abroad. The countries...

The country’s capital presents a complex epidemiological situation, with one of the highest incidence rates on the island.

The three deceased, with whom the death toll rises to 191, resided in Havana municipalities and their ages ranged between 60 and 90.

The Cuban Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) reported this Friday the rising diagnosis of 530 new infections from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, data with which the total number of patients reaches 20,060 positive cases since the pandemic reached the island last March. The number of active cases has grown to 4,526 and the number of hospitalizations to 5,351. In total, 9,083 people are under surveillance, either in hospitals or in centers prepared to deal with this complicated epidemiological situation. In addition, this Thursday COVID-19 left four deaths, bringing January’s records closer to those of April, the worst month on the island in terms of the mortality of the virus. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1352634147819446275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1352634147819446275%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fcoronavirus-sobrepasa-los-20-000-casos-en-cuba-tras-los-530-nuevos-contagios-reportados-hoy%2F The four deceased, with whom the figure now stands at 188, were: an 86-year-old woman, a resident of Colón, Matanzas, and another aged 49, from Camajuaní, Villa Clara; also two Havana residents, one 61 years old, from Guanabacoa, and the other aged 79, from Cerro. Havana constitutes the territory with the worst situation, taking into account the infections of the last 24 hours. It located 210 cases, most of them autochthonous and with which it ranks as the third region with the highest incidence rate: 92.36 per 100,000 inhabitants. It is...

According to Joaquín Alonso Vázquez, president of the Cadeca Exchange Houses, the Cadecas will expand the services they provide to the population, institutions and non-state forms of management. Speaking to Radio Rebelde, the official affirmed that the service of buying or selling convertible pesos (CUC) for Cuban pesos (CUP) is one of the fundamental functions of the Cadecas, and that transactions are carried out quickly. Regarding the purchase and sale of freely convertible currency, he said that they are maintained, even if they are limited only to people who are going to travel abroad and need to exchange currency. The decision is due, he stressed, to the decrease in tourism, which has caused a reduction in the capacities for selling freely convertible currency. Photo: OnCuba. The Cadecas’ exchange and selling of freely convertible currency is limited to a maximum of 300 CUC (before) and now 7,200 pesos for passengers who are traveling abroad. During the first six months of this year, customers will be able to change from CUC, and in case there is no availability of dollars, they will be given euros. Finally, Alonso Vázquez added that passengers are also charged taxes at airports for merchandise with customs duties,...

Cooperatives, private business owners, and Cuban farmers have signed 42 contracts to date to export national products to the international market, the island’s state media reported. The figure represents just over 5% of the 863 foreign trade contracts signed between non-state forms of management and specialized entities in that sector in Cuba. https://twitter.com/Deb_invexCuba/status/1351756393880178691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1351756393880178691%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fcuba-formas-de-gestion-no-estatal-concretan-42-contratos-de-exportacion%2F The head of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment (MINCEX) on the island, Rodrigo Malmierca, stressed this Tuesday that exports are an essential element in the Cuban government’s strategy to boost the economy, the Agencia Cubana de Noticias news agency reported. “We start from the idea that the exporter is the one that receives the greatest benefits. 80% of the income received in foreign currency stays with the exporter, while the remaining 20% ​​is in national currency,” the minister said on the Mesa Redonda television program. However, the director of MINCEX’s Foreign Trade, Vivian Herrera, explained that the import contracts of Cuban entrepreneurs and cooperatives are the majority: 821. In July 2020, the Cuban government made the decision to give non-state forms of management the possibility to export and import products and services, and dozens of state companies were designated to mediate in these businesses. Since...

Four deaths and an increase in the number of daily infections from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which this time reaches 408 people with whom the total number of patients amounts to 19,530, is the record of the pandemic in the last 24 hours, according to the report of the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP). Except for the case of a 56-year-old man, most of the deceased are over 80, a figure that continues to indicate an age group that has been severely affected by the pandemic, and which represents an alert if one takes into account that today most of the new positive cases were registered in the ages of 40 to 59 years (133) and in those over 60 (80). https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1352269965127245829?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1352269965127245829%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fcuatro-fallecidos-y-408-nuevos-casos-de-covid-19-registra-cuba-este-martes%2F The fatality rate remains at 0.94% and the total number of deaths is already 184. In addition, the ages of those who remain in intensive care—46 patients until midnight yesterday (18 in critical condition and 28 in serious condition)—oscillates, with the exception of two minors: a 7-month-old baby and a thirteen-year-old adolescent. In short, of the 408 COVID-19 patients identified this Tuesday, 380 were autochthonous and 28 imported: 371 were confirmed cases and in nine individuals the source of...

During the last 24 hours, five deaths were reported in Cuba due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, thus the death toll rose to 180, according to the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP). Out of that amount, 34 deaths have occurred so far this month, and January ranks, after April, as the most disastrous period on the island, taking into account deaths due to the pandemic. The deceased were men and their ages ranged between 46 and 73 years. They resided in four municipalities of Havana and the main municipality of Camagüey. All were contacts of confirmed cases and suffered other diseases in their medical history. The death rate is now 0.94%. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1351908281166520321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1351908281166520321%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_1%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fel-sars-cov-2-suma-180-fallecidos-en-cuba-tras-el-registro-de-cinco-victimas-mortales%2F Regarding the new infections, of the 349 notified this day, 323 are due to contacts of confirmed cases, 26 were imported and in 17 individuals the source of infection is not specified; although, according to Dr. Francisco Durán, in the course of the day in which the MINSAP issues its daily report , the origin is usually identified in most cases. The territories that reported the highest number of infections were Havana, where the figure soared to 170 cases, of which only 14 correspond to imported cases. They are...

The SARS-CoV-2 virus left another two deaths in Cuba during a day in which the new infections totaled 330, of them 321 autochthonous. However, an encouraging fact, as explained by Dr. Francisco Durán, was that 417 patients were discharged and with them there 14,214 patients have already recovered. The provinces with the most critical situation, meanwhile, are still led by eastern Guantánamo, where most of the cases identified were diagnosed in the main municipality, with a total of 115 cases. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1351546277293678592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1351546277293678592%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fcon-las-417-altas-de-hoy-mas-de-14-000-personas-superan-la-covid-19-en-cuba%2F This province now has an incidence rate of 158.5 per 100,000 inhabitants, and its main municipality is the one with the highest number of confirmed autochthonous cases in the last 15 days, a period during which 5,395 cases were confirmed on the island. The epidemiological situation in provinces such as Havana (83 cases), Santiago de Cuba (38) and Matanzas (23) is also serious, and in fact the three territories have the highest incidence rates in the country. Regarding the deceased, it was learned that they resided in the provinces of Havana and Matanzas, and that both were over 60 years old. The COVID-19 death toll now stands at 175. Of the total of new infections identified in the last...

The Cuban Mambisa COVID-19 vaccine candidate concluded the period of clinical trials called “short cycle,” stipulated for days zero, 14 and 28 of the schedule, Prensa Latina reported. The drug, developed by scientists from the Cuban Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), began human trials on December 7 with 88 volunteers, explained the head of the trial, Miladys Limonta. https://twitter.com/CIGBCuba/status/1350464994673111042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1350464994673111042%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fvacuna-nasal-cubana-contra-coronavirus-concluye-primer-ciclo-de-ensayos%2F The study participants received an intramuscular dose of the drug and another two intranasal doses, while another group received three administrations by the same route, indicates the source, citing the expert. After the first period of the trials, the safety of the vaccine candidate could be verified, as there were only mild adverse reactions, Limonta said. Once the evaluation of the results of the study by the Cuban regulatory entity has concluded, “we would move on to the long cycle, between days zero, 28 and 56,” the scientist explained. The other COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by the CIGB also completed its short cycle that evaluates the dose ranges in a period of zero, 14 and 28 days, study leaders announced. The clinical trials of the drug Abdala include 132 volunteers, who receive two doses of antigen or placebo intramuscularly....

More than 1,600 people have applied for employment in state offices after the so-called monetary reorganization was implemented by the Cuban government. Cienfuegos residents have approached the eight territorial municipal labor departments to inquire about the different sources of employment, reported the Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN) news agency. The deputy director of employment of the Provincial Department of Labor and Social Security, José Caballero, indicated that about 750 Cienfuegos residents have already been incorporated into different jobs and said that the priority is in the business sector and in the circuit of self-employed workers. He affirmed that in the province there are 400 job options to be covered in lines such as agriculture and in 123 activities of the so-called self-employed sector. Cienfuegos farmer. Photo: Pinterest. He added that interested parties may visit the website of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security to find out about job offers, the requirements to access a position and the salary in certain territories, companies, agencies and state entities, as well as in the self-employed sector. The note indicates that last year about 5,6000 Cienfuegos residents applied for employment and that 66% had access to different job offers. The Reorganization Task, put...

After twelve days with figures above 300 daily infections, and after a peak of 650 patients with COVID-19 was reported yesterday, Cuba registered 292 positive cases and three deaths from the pandemic this Sunday. According to the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) authorities, the deceased are from the provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Ciego de Ávila, and their evolution is described in today’s report; although the data of one of them stands out, a 72-year-old man who was diagnosed during the screenings. Now, the fatality rate on the island stands at 0.94% and the death toll rises to 173. Of these, 27 have been reported so far in January, a period that in terms of new infections is about to double the number in December, the worst month in this aspect since the first cases were reported on the island. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1351188802899996676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1351188802899996676%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fcuba-identifica-la-menor-cifra-de-casos-diarios-con-covid-19-en-los-ultimos-12-dias%2F Most of today’s 292 positive cases were autochthonous (274): 266 were due to contacts of confirmed cases, 18 had the source of infection abroad and in eight individuals the source of the contagion is not specified. By provinces, the alarming figures come from the country’s easternmost region, because Guantánamo reported 103 people, all autochthonous cases and mostly contacts...

The Cuban Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) updated the sanitary protocol to reduce the chances of contagion with COVID-19 and continue that sector’s operations in the island’s main destinations, the state media reported this Saturday. International travelers must have a negative PCR test, carried out 72 hours before arrival in Cuba, according to Prensa Latina news agency, which cited the measures disclosed on the MINTUR website. https://twitter.com/MinturCuba/status/1350180071009619975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1350180071009619975%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Foncubanews.com%2Fcuba%2Fcuba-actualiza-el-protocolo-sanitario-para-turistas-por-la-covid-19%2F Upon arrival on the island, tourists will undergo a diagnostic test as has been happening so far. Travelers who test positive will be transferred to a hospital, if they have symptoms of the disease, while asymptomatic and suspects will go to a hotel with hospital conditions. Likewise, the requirement of an insurance policy that covers COVID-19 is maintained, and that international visitors will be able to buy at airports for 30 USD or its equivalent in another freely convertible currency, the source indicated. Cuba will also offer the possibility of performing PCR tests to those who need it to travel to destinations that require it, for a price of 30 USD. The new health regulations approved by the Cuban authorities include the mandatory use of masks in hotels, which will only accommodate 60% of...

The United States Agricultural Coalition for Cuba (USACC) asked President-elect Joe Biden to resume the policies that develop relations between the agricultural sector of both countries, reported Cubadebate. According to the source, the petition, dated January 14, states that the sanctions harm the Cuban people and that lifting them can contribute to “important economic and humanitarian benefits.” Signed by 24 member groups of the USACC that lead the U.S. Rice Federation, the National Corn Growers Association and the American Soybean Association, the letter also proposes that farmers, companies, private organizations, NGOs and universities in the United States work with Cuban counterparts on the challenges of increasing productivity, adapting to climate change, and building solid business strategies. The document highlights the possibilities that the island’s private sector now has to import and export, as well as recalls the invitation made by the island’s government to foreign investment in private agricultural cooperatives, “which represents an opportunity for Americans to help the growth of this sector.” It also urges President Biden to make an effort to normalize bilateral relations and eliminate the embargo in its entirety. https://oncubanews.com/cuba-ee-uu/las-ventas-agricolas-a-cuba-se-debaten-entre-los-creditos-y-la-dinamica-mundial/ The Agricultural Coalition also requests that early measures be taken to restore the Cuban Assets Control...

Cuba confirmed the highest number of coronavirus infections since the pandemic began on the island: 650 people with the disease. With that number, 18,151 COVID-19 cases have already been confirmed since March 2020, when the first coronavirus patients became known. Dr. Francisco Durán García, national director of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), lamented the death of four patients, which increases the death toll to 166. To date, the health authorities have reported 18,151 people confirmed with the disease and more than one million samples analyzed to detect the coronavirus. https://youtu.be/g6Oocmoaj_A The provinces with the highest number of infections are Guantánamo and Havana, with 206 and 153, respectively. Forty-six patients are in intensive care, eleven in critical condition, including one child, and 35 in serious condition. One child is reported in critical condition and four in serious condition. These figures mark the considerable increase in the pandemic in Cuba after months under control. The authorities have indicated that most of the cases are due to violations of the travelers’ health protocols and the mismanagement of the officials in charge of enforcing health measures. The increase in infections has forced several provinces to return to the phases of limited...

The new cases amounted to 405, a figure lower than in previous days, when the number exceeded 500 daily positive cases. There were 238 new discharges.