Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Cuban foreign minister, highlighted today the highest scientific rigor with which the country's vaccine candidates against COVID-19 are being developed.

Some 160 Cuban health workers, who are part of the Henry Reeve Medical Contingent return on Monday from Mexico where they had been contributing to the fight against COVID-19.

Even if a significant number of people are vaccinated and covered with the Cuban vaccine, whose third phase of the clinical trial begins this month, the risk is really going to be present until immunity levels of 80 to 90 percent of our population are achieved.

Cuba studied 19,155 samples for COVID 19, resulting in 811 positive ones. The country accumulates 2,411,287 samples taken and 50,590 positive.

The Center for Bioactive Chemicals (CBQ) of Villa Clara(central region of the country) received the National Award for Technological Innovation for Vitrofural, considered the only broad-spectrum chemical sterilant in the world for the mass production of vitroplants.

The Order “Carlos J. Finlay”, the Cuban government's highest decoration awarded to nationals and foreigners for their contributions to scientific development for the benefit of mankind, will be given this month, according to reports.

Active screenings at community level, reviews of each suspected case and focus controls are among the tasks assigned to Dr. Jorge Enrique Rodríguez León since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Cuba almost a year ago.

Cuba studied 18,568 samples for COVID 19, resulting in 875 positive ones. The country accumulates 2,356,127 samples taken and 48,441 positive.

An epidemiological monitoring system developed by the company DATYS began to be implemented in Havana on February 15, with the purpose of ensuring that the health system and patients obtain the PCR test results in the shortest possible time.

Cuba has technological platforms, professional experience, genetic engineering and the capacity to conjugate vaccine candidates to obtain better immunogens, which is why the country is moving forward with four anti-Covid-19 vaccine projects.

The members of the Cuban Henry Reeve Medical Contingent assisting the people on the Turks and Caicos Islands were honored with the prize known as Heroes of the Pandemic.

The president of Havana’s Defense Council Luis Antonio Torres Iribar urged labor center executives and workers to strengthen sanitary measures to prevent the appearance of new COVID-19 clusters that later may spread to the community.

Phase III of the Cuban anti-COVID-19 vaccine candidates Soberana 02 and Abdala will begin in the coming weeks, Eduardo Martínez Díaz, president of the Cuban Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industry Group (BioCubaFarma), announced today.

Cuban Minister of Public Health José Ángel Portal Miranda said that the country is still devoted to the safe return to Cuba of internationalist doctors Assel Herrera and Landy Rodríguez Hernández, kidnapped in Kenya on April 12, 2019.