Cuba strengthens measures after 6 towns report local transmission of COVID-19

HAVANA, Cuba, Apr 8 (ACN) With the presence of SARS-CoV-2 throughout the national territory and the occurrence of six local transmission events, Cuba is moving to the second phase of the National Plan for the Prevention and Control of the new coronavirus, known as the Limited Native Transmission Stage, and is reinforcing measures to curb the pandemic.
This was reaffirmed on Wednsday by José Ángel Portal Miranda, Minister of Public Health, at the press conference that regularly updates the population on the presence of the new coronavirus in the country and the world.
According to the minister, in six municipalities in the provinces of Matanzas, Pinar del Río, La Habana, Ciego de Ávila, Camagüey and Holguín, local transmissions have been detected, and of the total number of confirmed cases -457-, six have a source of infection unknown until now.
That is why, he explained, it was decided to move on to a second phase, as the cases that have been appearing cannot be directly linked to people who have come from abroad or to confirmed patients and are limited to small clusters in localities.
Then comes the Epidemic Stage, where community transmission appears, in which no epidemiological link can be established with any imported or secondary case.
The minister said that as part of this intermediate stage, actions have been taken to prevent the spread, including strengthening quarantine measures and increasing active research on the population.
The number of hospitalization and intensive care beds has also been increased in view of the future increase in cases, while laboratories have been added to process more samples and health personnel, especially intensivists, continue to be prepared for greater resource support.
The new phase will reinforce quarantine in localities, people's councils, municipalities, and provinces whenever epidemiological conditions require it, with restrictive measures that will be issued in a timely manner by the Civil Defense, he said.
Portal Miranda also stressed the importance of informing the population at all times, so that they can participate responsibly in the control; and warned that there are many Internet sites that try to misinform readers.
We have been totally transparent in each of the cases; these are times to take measures of social distancing, to denounce inadequate conducts (you can't leave it in the hands of the police), to extreme hygiene measures, not to share personal items, to protect the elderly, to go out only to what is essential, not to lower the perception of risk, and to use the face masks, he said.
There are still a lot of people on the street, and they forget that anyone can get sick. This is a virus that circulates with asymptomatic people who do transmit SARS-CoV-2, so he urged Cubans to go out only when essential.
He also said that although most of the cases identified are within the epidemiological chain and were suspected at some point, that protocols are updated and there is support in treatment, nothing replaces individual responsibility.
The Minister called attention to the importance of turning to the health system at the slightest respiratory symptom, since the evolution of the disease and people's lives depend on the early start of treatment.
"If you are healthy, stay at home; you cannot be irresponsible and put the lives of others at risk; there is no total dispersion in the country, our opportunity to act is now, that is why we must multiply actions and execute them with quality", he concluded.