New containment measures to tackle COVID-19 in eastern Cuba

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba, Jun 29 (ACN) Given the growing number of COVID-19 cases and the spread of SARS-Cov-2 in across the region, the Temporary Working Group (GTT) of Santiago de Cuba is implementing strict measures to contain the fresh outbreak of the disease.

The provisions, in force from June 26 to July 10, intend to restrict the movement of people and vehicles between 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. to reduce crowd-gathering at certain times of day.

People will be allowed outside at night if they have family members at hospital and/or in serious condition, and they can only leave the country through other provinces, upon presentation of the travel ticket.

There will also be stricter surveillance at the entry and exit points of the capital city, except for cargo transportation and distribution of goods, and others engaged in special operations, such as electric power, fuel or water supply, and cabs carrying inbound foreign travelers.

To this end, the police and transit authorities will restrict movement during the said hours and will remove the license plate and documents of drivers in breach of the regulations, who might also receive fines and administrative penalties.

In order to promote social isolation, the GTT instructed enterprises to increase the use of telework and keep reducing the presence of employees in their facilities. Likewise, additional emphasis will be placed on the enforcement of Decree 31/2021 on the mandatory use of face masks, hand hygiene and other measures in every entity.

With an incidence rate of more than 278.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and 479 active clusters of infection, Santiago de Cuba, the country's second largest city, is going through the worst COVID-19 situation since the onset of the disease in March 2020.