HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 3 (ACN) The book La Psicología de la Salud en el enfrentamiento a la COVID-19 en América Latina is an initiative of the Latin American the Latin American Association of Health Psychology (ALAPSA).

"We are getting closer to the moment when we can safely vaccinate more people," Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez said at a meeting with the group of experts and scientists who for almost a year have been directly involved in Cuba's battle against the pandemic.

So far and in almost a year of outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, there have been no cases of reinfection with COVID-19 in Cuba, said today in Havana Dr. Francisco Duran Garcia, national director of epidemiology of the ministry of public health (MINSAP by its Spanish acronym).

Despite the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19, the kidney transplant program continues in the province of Camaguey (east of the country), where since 1978 580 surgeries of this type have been performed on patients from different Cuban territories.

Cuba will submit a new therapeutic candidate vaccine to trials on COVID-19 patients, starting April 1st.

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.