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OnCuba editorial staff

OnCuba Staff

The vehicle related to the events parked outside the diplomatic headquarters. Photo: Antonia Noori Farzan/The Washington Post.

Cuban Embassy in U.S. shot at

A stranger shot several times with a firearm at the Cuban Embassy building in the United States, as reported by the island’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) in a note issued this morning. Although the mission’s personnel were unharmed and are safe and protected, the impact of the shots left visible damage to the building. The motive for the events is unknown. The shooting occurred around two in the morning and several neighbors reported that they had been awakened by the barrage of gunshots and screams, according to The Washington Post. This newspaper also reported that the brown Nissan Pathfinder parked directly outside the embassy was subjected to intense police scrutiny and that on the ground, next to the driver’s side door, there was a black jacket and what appeared to be a blanket. https://twitter.com/BrunoRguezP/status/1255838183553712128 So far the identity of the attacker is unknown, but he was detained at the scene and is in the custody of local authorities. Agents had found the suspect with an assault rifle. The man, whose name was not released, was detained on charges of possession of an unregistered firearm and ammunition, attack with the intent to kill and possession of a high-capacity magazine, a...

A woman with a facemask buys bread in Havana. Photo: EFE/Yander Zamora.

A day without deaths in Cuba due to COVID-19, new infections drop to 30

This Tuesday closed for Cuba with 30 new infections and no deaths caused by COVID-19, a fact that had not happened since the beginning of March, when the pandemic began to take hold on the island. Today the report by the authorities of the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) recalled that the total number of infections had reached 1,467 and the death toll 58. And as good news, 42 patients were discharged yesterday. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1255512737049972746 The 30 reported cases are Cubans; 23 of them had contact with patients and the source of infection is not specified in 7 individuals. Their residence is as follows: Havana: 25 cases (6 from the municipality of Habana del Este; 3 from the municipalities of Marianao and Diez de Octubre; the municipalities of Guanabacoa, Centro Habana, Old Havana and Cerro, 2 each; the municipalities of Cotorro, Arroyo Naranjo, Regla, Playa and Plaza de la Revolución, 1 each). Matanzas: 3 cases (from Cárdenas municipality). Holguín: 1 case (from Báguanos municipality). Santiago de Cuba: 1 case (from Palma Soriano municipality). Eleven of the 30 diagnosed cases were women and the most affected age groups are those under 40, with 17 cases; followed by the group of 40 to...

Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez

Stress on need to identify contacts and asymptomatic persons to avoid increased contagions

During a meeting of the Provincial Defense Council (CDP) of Havana, the need to identify all the contacts of COVID-19 positive people was stressed. Finding each contact of a sick patient and isolating them, it was said, is vital in coping with the disease. Dr. Carlos Alberto Martínez, director of public health in Havana, stressed that it is necessary to work rigorously looking for these people and asymptomatic persons in order to avoid a growth in infections. He also said that at the close of this Monday, there were 26 new positive cases in Havana, for a total of 603. Now the province has an incidence rate of 28.04 infected per 100,000 inhabitants, although nine municipalities are above that provincial average. https://oncubanews.com/cuba/aumentan-aislamiento-social-en-otros-tres-municipios-habaneros/ He added that Centro Habana municipality remains the one with the highest epidemiological risk, with an incidence rate of 47.76 confirmed cases; and that twelve events with greater isolation measures remain open. In none, he said, have new positive cases been reported. And he said that just over a thousand people are hospitalized in isolation centers for epidemiological surveillance, including suspects and contacts. In addition, he said that the Leonor Pérez Pediatric Hospital, in the municipality of Boyeros,...

The drug’s dose will start being increased in the next phase of the trial, BioNTech explained in a statement. Photo: Welt.

Germany tests coronavirus vaccine

German pharmaceutical company BioNTech confirmed this Wednesday that it has started testing a possible coronavirus vaccine in volunteers. The 12 participants in the clinical trial conducted in Germany received doses of the BNT162 vaccine since April 23, explained BioNTech, a company that works with the U.S. Pfizer. Several pharmaceutical companies are in the race to find a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus that has caused a pandemic, leaving more than 215,000 dead and infecting at least three million people. In the next phase of the trial, which will involve about 200 people between the ages of 18 and 55, the dose of the drug will start being increased, BioNTech said in a statement. The company said it expects to receive authorization from the regulator to start trials in the United States soon. AP/OnCuba

Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez

Rodrigo Malmierca notes impact of new coronavirus on tourism and imports

In the Mesa Redonda television program, Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca noted that the World Trade Organization predicted a contraction of between 13 and 22% in 2020. ECLAC, he said, predicted a contraction of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Latin America and the Caribbean only comparable to the Great Depression of the 1930s. This is going to have an impact on mainly the indicators of poverty and food, he said. He underlined that in Cuba the effects of the new coronavirus will be visible, especially in tourism, one of the main economic items, and that this will affect national income. “One of the main export services of the island is tourism, and we are already seeing how, not only in Cuba, but internationally, it has contracted,” he said. “Added to this are the effects of the intensification of the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States, which constitutes the main obstacle to the country’s development,” he said. Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca addresses the impact of the pandemic. Photo: Presidencia Cuba. He reported that there will also be problems in imports. A group of products that Cuba needs are being...

Photo: Wikicommons.

Camagüey joins COVID-19 plasma treatment

After analyzing all the medical discharges given to patients recovered from COVID-19 at medical centers in Camagüey, this province yesterday joined the program to extract hyper-immune plasma through the automated plasmapheresis process, consisting of obtaining antibodies against the disease. According to Dr. Yohanka Fernández Céspedes, the first step is to perform a rapid test to detect if the donor has enough active antibodies against the disease. The first two Camagüey residents who overcame the COVID-19 donated hyper-immune plasma for patients affected by the coronavirus at the Provincial Blood Bank of Camagüey on April 27, 2020. Photo: Rodolfo Blanco/AIN. Hyper-immune plasma is being used in patients admitted to the Amalia Simoni and Octavio de la Concepción y de la Pedraja hospitals, she said, although in case there is a need for this element in other hospitals and health institutions in the country, the one obtained in Camagüey will be provided. According to the doctor, to classify as a candidate, the person must be over 18 years of age and under 60, weigh more than 125 pounds and not have any pathology such as heart disease, diabetes or hypertension, among others. They can donate continuously, once a week, for a month and...

At the close of yesterday, April 27, 3,330 people remained hospitalized for clinical epidemiological surveillance and another 6,742 were under primary healthcare surveillance at home. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez

Cuba doubles yesterday’s coronavirus infections with the registration of 48 new cases

After a day of declining infections by COVID-19, the figures in Cuba are rising again today. The Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) reported 48 new infections, bringing the number to 1,347. MINSAP also reported two deceased, bringing the number of deaths to 58 since the pandemic started on the island. Yesterday, 50 people were discharged, seven patients were reported in critical condition and five were in serious condition. The deceased are two men: one 85 years old, resident in the municipality of Manicaragua, Villa Clara with a history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and bedridden; the other was 63 years old and resided in Santiago de Cuba. She had a history of glaucoma and paranoid schizophrenia. The MINSAP report describes their medical evolution. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1255150104916267008 The 48 new infections correspond to Cubans. This is their geographical origin: Artemisa: 4 cases (the municipalities of San Antonio de los Baños, Güira de Melena, Mariel and Guanajay, 1 each). Havana: 26 cases (5 from the municipality of San Miguel del Padrón, 4 from the municipalities of Centro Habana and Regla; 3 from Marianao; Diez de Octubre, Arroyo Naranjo and Cerro, 2 each; Cotorro, Guanabacoa, Playa and Plaza de la Revolution, 1 each). Matanzas: 8 cases...

Photos: Otmaro Rodríguez

Experts predict anticipation of the peak of patients with COVID-19 in Cuba

Experts studying the evolution of coronavirus cases in Cuba predicted the anticipation of the peak of infections for next week, Cuban state media reported on Monday. According to the probability models, the estimate of the maximum number of people infected at the same time was reduced to 2,500 cases, according to Cubadebate. Raúl Guinovart, dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computing at the University of Havana, explained that the graph shows that “we are going to have a minimum of 1,500 cases and a maximum of 2,500.” Infograph: Cubadebate. *Caption:  HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS BY DAY ACTIVE (infested) Critical scenario Average scenario Favorable scenario Artificial intelligence estimate Reported active cases Days as of March 11 The professor clarified that, according to the evolution of the disease in Cuba, the models now indicate that “next week, approximately, we would be at the peak, anticipating the international average.” However, he said that this is a reserved prognosis, because it will depend on the evolution of the disease in the coming days. The first models said that in Cuba about 4,500 active patients would accumulate in one day―not new infections in one day, but the total number of patients hospitalized at the same time―and...

Arrival of Cubans on the island, with a single suitcase of 23 kilograms each, waiting at Havana’s José Martí airport for their transfer to an isolation center for the COVID-19 quarantine before going home. Photo: Mónica Rivero.

More than 2,000 Cubans have returned to the island during the pandemic

More than 2,000 Cubans who were abroad have returned to the island since the coronavirus pandemic broke out. This was announced this Monday by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez on his Twitter account, where he stated that the travelers had returned from 15 countries, “in the midst of a complex international epidemiological situation.” Rodríguez specified that groups of compatriots had returned through flights “organized thanks to cooperation between competent Cuban authorities and their counterparts in the countries involved.” https://twitter.com/BrunoRguezP/status/1254753004797997057 In a previous tweet, the Cuban foreign minister assured that the island’s consulates “provide timely information to our nationals abroad” and said that “they keep track of the situation of stranded compatriots in different countries and help as much as possible.” He also asserted that Cuba’s diplomatic headquarters abroad “make efforts to, whenever it’s possible, organiza the return” to the island of these people. https://twitter.com/BrunoRguezP/status/1254753004797997057 Following the decree of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cuban authorities advised their compatriots not to travel outside the island, and left open the possibility of return to all those who were abroad at that time. After closing its borders to international tourism, at the end of March, the Cuban government allowed residents in the country to...

Ciénaga de Caimanera. Photo: Wikiloc.

Magnitude 4.0 earthquake reported southwest of Caimanera

The National Center for Seismological Research of Cuba reported that an earthquake of magnitude 4.0 on the Richter scale occurred at 5:50 p.m. (local time) on this April 27. The official note says: “At 5:50 p.m. on Monday, April 27, 2020, the Cuban National Seismological Service Station Network registered an earthquake reported as perceptible, located at coordinates 19.84 degrees North Latitude and 75.46 degrees West Longitude, at a depth of 20 km. It had a magnitude of 4.0 on the Richter scale, located 31 km southwest of Niceto Pérez in the province of Guantánamo.” CMKC journalists report on Facebook that it was perceptible in Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo. It is the fourth perceptible earthquake this year in Cuba. It has left no material or human damage.

Photo: EFE/Yander Zamora/Archive.

Cuba in times of coronavirus: total of 1,389 infections, 56 deaths

Until yesterday, the COVID-19 had left 56 deaths and 1,389 infections on the island, according to the official daily report by the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP). In the usual conference today, the figures have been updated with the report of 20 new cases and 2 deaths. The contagions identified in the last hours correspond to Cubans; of these, 19 were related to identified patients and the source of infection was not specified in one individual. The deaths were reported in Matanzas and Villa Clara: a 53-year-old man, resident in the Cárdenas municipality, with a history of hepatic cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus and hypertension; and a 69-year-old woman from the Villa Clara Home for the Elderly No. 3, with a personal history of moderate hearing loss and mental retardation. The report includes details of the evolution of both. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1254788011146936320 Of the 20 diagnosed yesterday, 45% were women and the most affected age groups are described as follows: under 40 with 10 cases, followed by the 40 to 60 age group with 9 cases; 65% of the positive cases were asymptomatic. Only four provinces reported cases yesterday: Pinar del Río: 2 (from Guane municipality). Havana: 14 (4 from the municipality of San...

The Cuban medical brigade arrived last night in Johannesburg, where they were received by South African authorities. Photo: SundayTimes.

Cuban medical brigade arrives in South Africa to help confront COVID-19

The Cuban medical brigade, made up of professionals from different specialties and with a total of about 211 members, arrived in South Africa this Sunday night to help combat the transmission of COVID-19. At the airport they were received by the country’s authorities and personnel from the Cuban embassy. South Africa, which has reported the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in Africa, requested assistance from the island’s government. Havana has already sent more than a thousand doctors to 22 countries, including Togo, Cape Verde and Angola in Africa. https://twitter.com/MbaliThethani/status/1254539966337736709 Cuban doctors have been “on the front line of fighting other outbreaks in the world, such as cholera in Haiti in 2010 and Ebola in West Africa in 2013,” said South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize. The Cuban medical personnel will remain in quarantine for two weeks before starting work. They have arrived at a time when South Africa is increasing community medical tests, especially in poor and crowded neighborhoods. In Gauteng province―the country’s economic center that includes South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg, and the capital, Pretoria―mass exams and tests will be made throughout the week. https://oncubanews.com/cuba/brigada-medica-cubana-llegara-hoy-a-sudafrica/ The examination and testing will also focus on the province of Western Cape,...

Many people prefer that the products usually sold in the foreign currency collection stores be distributed through the ration book, even if there is not enough to go around. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.

Exceptional measures in Havana with the ration book

The State Department of Commerce in Havana has established new procedures with the ration book in order to improve care for the residents of the province, which has the highest number of people infected by COVID-19 on the island. Among the exceptional procedures that it has allowed is the creation of a ration book for people who present legal documents of the home in Havana, have an updated address for the capital and, furthermore, show that they have legally stopped acquiring provisions in another province. The procedure may be done by telephone, by mail or via the Internet. Another of the actions will be the acquisition of the milk ration intended for children living in another province, something in force until December, a period also foreseen for the procedures that involve pregnant women. Staff of a shopping center unload products for later sale. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez The measures include people with a legal address in Havana who are registered in another province. This week several measures have been implemented to reinforce social isolation in Havana, which reports more than 500 positive cases of the new coronavirus. As reported by the Ministry of Public Health, the municipality of Centro Habana remains...

At the close of yesterday, April 25, 3,461 people were admitted to hospitals for clinical epidemiological surveillance, while another 5,876 were under primary healthcare surveillance in their homes. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.

Cuba: on the last Sunday in April, 32 new infected and 3 deaths from coronavirus

The latest numbers related to COVID-19 in Cuba: 32 new infected, 3 deaths, 64 medical discharges...according to this morning’s Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) usual press conference. Now, official records speak of 1,369 cases of contagion since the pandemic began on the island. The new coronavirus’s death toll among Cubans totals 54. Meanwhile, the MINSAP reports six patients in critical condition and six in serious condition. Of yesterday’s three deaths, two are women; one 84 years old, resident in Plaza de la Revolución, and another 77, from Matanzas. The third case was a 73-year-old Havana resident, sick with HIV for 7 years. The MINSAP report provided details of their evolution and background. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1254425305621594112 The 32 new cases confirmed with the SARS-CoV-2 virus were Cuban; 87.5% of them had contacts with infected people, although the source of infection is not specified in 4 individuals. There are more men than women in yesterday’s report―22 out of 10―and the affected age groups were: from 40 to 60 years with 50.0% of cases, followed by the group from 20 to 39 years (37.5%) and over 60 years 12.5%. This time, only 12 people among the new positive cases were asymptomatic. The residence by province...

Photo: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

United States adds new symptoms associated with COVID-19

Before, shortness of breath, along with fever and cough, were the only complaints associated with coronavirus by specialized centers in the United States. But now they have just added six symptoms to the list of discomforts associated with the disease. In total, the list compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gives nine signs linked to the new coronavirus. A woman adjusts her son’s mask in Brooklyn, in New York City, on April 23, 2020. Photo: Frank Franklin II/AP. On its official website the government entity has just included chills, tremors, muscle aches, headaches, sore throat, and the abrupt loss of sense of smell or taste as new symptoms. They recommend seeking medical attention immediately in case people detect breathing problems, chest pain or pressure, inability to wake up or have blue lips.

Cuba has reported 136 children confirmed with coronavirus until April 24. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.

Cuba reports 136 children with coronavirus so far

Dr. Francisco Durán, national director of epidemiology of the Cuban Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), reported this Friday that 136 children have been infected on the island with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The evolution of pediatric patients in Cuba has been satisfactory, “in correspondence with the behavior of the disease at an international level,” Durán explained at his daily press conference to address the situation of COVID-19, reported the Agencia Cubana de Noticias news agency. After reporting 50 new positive cases of patients with the virus, the total number of those infected on the island reached 1,285, of which 10.6 percent are children. https://oncubanews.com/en/cuba/coronavirus-worst-day-for-cuba-after-reporting-six-deaths-reaching-the-number-of-49/ The expert in epidemiology explained that the provinces with the most registered cases are Villa Clara, with 27, followed by Havana (26), Ciego de Ávila (14) and Pinar del Río (12). Sancti Spíritus accumulates 11 coronavirus patients in pediatric ages, Holguín (9), Santiago de Cuba (8), Mayabeque (7) Matanzas and Camagüey (6 each), Granma, Artemisa, Cienfuegos and the Isla de la Juventud Special Municipality (2 each), and Las Tunas and Guantánamo with one. According to Dr. Durán, of those 136 children, eight are under the age of one, 19 are in the 1-4 age range,...

Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez

Coronavirus: Cuba registers 52 new cases and two deaths this Friday

The Cuban Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) reported 52 new coronavirus infections at the close of this Friday, bringing the number of positive cases in the country to 1,337. According to the official report, two more persons died, for a total of 51 deaths from of COVID-19 on the island, while the recovered patients reached 437, after yesterday’s 21 medical discharges. The 52 new confirmed cases were Cuban, of which 34 (65.3%) were contacts of confirmed cases and in 18 (34.6%) the source of infection was being investigated. More than half of the positives, 29 (55.7%) were men, while 23 (44.2%) were women. The most affected age groups, according to the MINSAP, were those under 40 with 25 cases (48.1%) and those over 60 with 15 cases (28.8%); 53.8% (28) of the positive cases were asymptomatic. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1254063765408018433 By provinces, Havana once again had the largest number of new patients, with 29, while 11 were reported in Mayabeque, seven of them in the municipality of San José de las Lajas. Matanzas and Isla de la Juventud followed with 4 each, Villa Clara with 2, and Cienfuegos and Camagüey with 1 each. There are 3,462 people hospitalized with the virus, while 6,560...

Photo: Armando Contreras/AIN.

Cuba incorporates hyper immune plasma to treat COVID-19

According to the newspaper Juventud Rebelde, six Cuban provinces are developing the protocol for obtaining blood plasma from patients recovered from the coronavirus to be used for medical assistance and research purposes. Havana started this service last Thursday, April 16, with two donors. Later, Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, Sancti Spíritus, Matanzas and Ciego de Ávila joined in. And early next week Camagüey will also start. In the process of overcoming the disease, infected people developed antibodies. Their study and availability are vital to help other patients, especially in serious or critical condition. But as more plasma becomes available, its use will be extended to patients with mild or asymptomatic symptoms to prevent the infection from progressing and to stimulate the early generation of their own antibodies. https://youtu.be/Q1rmbJvWkMU One same patient can be transfused up to four times, depending on his/her improvement. The essential requirement is to use plasma from the same blood group, so it is important to get enough from all groups. In the different provinces, technicians are going to the houses of those who recovered or speak in the hospitals with the patients who are going to be discharged immediately to explain the importance and safety of the technique...

A worker inspects boxes with sanitary supplies that have arrived from China to contain the pandemic due to the new coronavirus in Cuba. Photo: Joaquín Hernández/Xinhua/Archive.

In Cuba new donation from China to combat COVID-19

A new donation from China of medical supplies to combat COVID-19 arrived in Cuba, according to reports from the island’s press. The Cuban ambassador to the Asian nation, Carlos Miguel Pereira, confirmed to Prensa Latina news agency that “this is the first flight chartered by Havana to transport essential supplies for the tasks of prevention, control and treatment” of the disease. The donation, which arrived by plane this Friday, includes items such as masks, protective suits, diagnostic kits and also sample transport devices, which “are key from the point of view of clinical management,” says the report. https://www.facebook.com/EmbajadaCubaEnChina/posts/130085535295682 *Caption: In an exclusive for Prensa Latina-Cuba, the Cuban ambassador in #China, Carlos Miguel Pereira Hernández, announced the arrival in ... Posted by Cuban Embassy in China on Friday, April 24, 2020 The shipment traveled to Cuba from the Shanghai municipality “with all the required logistics, including the cold store to guarantee its arrival in Cuba in optimal conditions.” The diplomat explained that the operation seeks to contribute to the securing of necessary materials in Cuban hospitals to care for and save the lives of COVID-19 patients, “despite the difficulties derived from the blockade” of the United States. In addition, he thanked “the...

Passengers show their tickets on Delta Airlines, when, in 2016, the airline returned to Havana after 55 years. Archive photo taken from the company’s website.

Americans stranded in Havana due to pandemic return to their country on two special flights

U.S. citizens and permanent residents, who were still in Cuba after the borders were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, returned to their country on Friday 24th on two flights coordinated by the embassy of the United States. The diplomatic headquarters had reported last Wednesday that it was coordinating flights to take out a part of the American citizens and residents who were on the island. https://twitter.com/USEmbCuba/status/1253094306325377026 The cost of the tickets on both Delta Airlines flights is borne by the travelers. The Embassy said a statement last Wednesday that it would continue to explore options for the repatriation of U.S. citizens who aren’t traveling on this flight, but wish to return home, however, there are no additional charter flights scheduled at this time. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the Embassy also reported that it currently only conducts emergency operations. Therefore, all issues related to routine services and visas will not be answered at this time. This Friday it was announced that two other flights will depart for Miami on May 4 and 5.

Yesterday the largest number of victims of the new coronavirus was recorded in Cuba. With the record of 6 deaths, the April 16 record was broken. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez

Coronavirus: worst day for Cuba after reporting six deaths, reaching the number of 49

In Cuba, the authorities of the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) reported that the COVID-19 disease has claimed 49 lives after yesterday reporting its worst day with six deaths. The confirmed cases reached 1,285 people after 50 were added, while 51 discharges occurred yesterday to bring the number of recovered to 416. The deaths correspond to four women and two men. It is noteworthy that the place of residence or hospitalization of two of the deceased was not specified in the report. This is the case of two women, one 67 years old with a history of bronchial asthma and the other 98 years old, with ischemic heart disease and controlled diabetes mellitus. The rest of the COVID-19 victims were: a 35-year-old resident of Cienfuegos; an 84-year-old woman, a resident of Santa Clara; a woman residing in Plaza de la Revolución, 80 years old, and an 80-year-old man residing in Camajuaní, Villa Clara. All had a serious health history, according to the MINSAP report. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1253701478704873474 The 50 contagions identified yesterday belong to Cubans. Of these, 45 were related to confirmed cases and the source of infection of 5 was not specified; 29 are men and 21 are women, while the...

ETECSA will include mobile data vouchers in future international recharges. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.

ETECSA to include mobile data voucher in upcoming international recharges

The Cuban Telecommunications Enterprise (ETECSA) will include mobile data vouchers in the upcoming international recharge promotions, to support the social isolation measures adopted by the island’s government with the aim of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. The executive president of ETECSA, Mayra Arevich, reported on her Twitter profile that in May clients who receive international recharges will also have vouchers for calls and SMS. https://twitter.com/MayraArevich/status/1253135678331813888 Likewise, the state-owned company that has a monopoly on telecommunications in Cuba will extend until May 30 the payment exemption measures and price reductions applied in April. Those provisions include the reduction of the price of calls and data packages in mobile telephony between 1:00 and 6:00 in the morning and the 25% discount for national calls made with top-up cards between 6:00 in the afternoon and 5:59 am. https://oncubanews.com/en/cuba/etecsa-lowers-rates-and-extends-validity-of-services/ It also established a 50% reduction of the national long-distance rate in the quarantine period, between 6:00 am and 5:59 pm and to 25% from 6:00 pm to 10:59 pm. Likewise, 10 hours were added to the Nauta Hogar home internet service which, once consumed, maintains a reduction of the additional hours of 0.30 CUC (Cuban convertible pesos) per hour. The validity of mobile lines, the...

Cuba does not record any cases of coronavirus in its prisons. Photo: Archive

No COVID-19 cases in Cuban prisons

Cuba hasn’t reported outbreaks of the new coronavirus in any of its prisons, according to Dr. Francisco Durán, director of epidemiology of the Cuban Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP). At the daily MINSAP press conference on the status of COVID-19 on the island, Durán said that there have been no outbreaks or positive cases of patients with coronavirus in Cuban prisons. The specialist said that this is the result of the measures implemented by the Medical Services Division of the island’s Ministry of Interior to prevent the introduction of the disease in any of its units. “Outbreaks in prisons are difficult to control and sometimes cause high lethality,” said Durán, who also listed the actions established in prison facilities to prevent and control the virus. https://oncubanews.com/en/cuba/how-did-the-coronavirus-outbreak-occur-in-a-home-for-the-elderly-in-santa-clara-and-what-is-its-current-situation/ Disinfection of hands at all points of access to prisons, prohibition of access to workers or visitors with feverish cases and respiratory symptoms, mandatory use of facemasks and twice-daily screenings of the prison population, are some of these measurements. “Epidemiological surveillance is guaranteed for 15 days for inmates who enter these units from the community,” he explained. The expert in epidemiology also indicated that the homeopathic formula (PrevengHo-vir) that the island uses as an...

Clandestina’s online store closed due to U.S. embargo

Cuban design startup Clandestina denounced the closure of its online store by the U.S. commerce platform Ecwid, in a video that it published on its social networks. A month ago, Clandestina launched this online store from Havana in order to continue operating and thus face the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Cuban economy and, especially, the private sector. But this Wednesday, through an email, Ecwid informed it had to discontinue this service. The reason was that “it was operating from Cuba,” the representatives of this independent Cuban company explained in a statement. Ecwid operates as an e-commerce platform for small businesses. The way it works allows these ventures to make online sales in a simpler way. In addition, it is designed in such a way that it allows the collection to be carried out manually. However, Clandestina explained that due to the U.S. blockade/embargo against Cuba, payment gateways are not an accessible route for entrepreneurs based on the island. “A month ago when we set up the page, there was the option of Cuba. When the first three weeks passed, we realized that Cuba had been removed from the list of countries from which it could be...

As of midnight yesterday, 3,359 people were admitted to hospitals for clinical epidemiological surveillance, while another 5,681 were receiving surveillance in their homes through the primary health care system. Cuba has made a total of 34,243 tests. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez

Coronavirus: Cuba with 1,235 positive cases and today’s reported 3 deaths bring the figure to 43

The infections in Cuba by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, added 46 new infections for 1,235 coronavirus positive cases since the first case was reported. Three new deaths occurred yesterday, which is not a record for a day, although the figure already reaches 43. https://twitter.com/MINSAPCuba/status/1253338893195198464 According to the report offered by the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), those confirmed yesterday were Cuban. Of their totality, 40 had contact with confirmed cases and 6 did not have a specific source of infection. Of these, 25 were men, 21 women and the most affected age groups continue to be: under 40 years old, with 52.1% of cases, followed by the group between 40 and 60 years old (26.0%); 30 people were asymptomatic. The residence by province and municipality of the 46 new cases of contagion is: Pinar del Río: 15 (14 from Guane municipality and one from Pinar del Río). Havana: 17 (5 from Guanabacoa municipality; Habana del Este and Centro Habana, 3 each; Playa and Marianao, 2 each; Boyeros and Diez de Octubre, 1 each). Matanzas: 4 (Matanzas, Pedro Betancourt, Colón and Cárdenas municipalities with 1 each). Villa Clara: 7 (5 from Santa Clara municipality and 2 from Placetas). Santiago...

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