Cuba limits travelers from 6 countries due to COVID-19, including Panama and Bahamas
Cuba will restrict the arrival of travelers from half a dozen countries with a high prevalence of COVID-19, whose presence triggered an increase in cases on the island in recent weeks.
A report from the official Cubadebate portal indicated on Monday that the entry into the country of people from the United States, Mexico, Panama, Bahamas, Haiti and the Dominican Republic will be restricted from January 1.
No details were offered on how the decrease will be operated, but it was indicated that the Cuban Civil Aviation authorities readjust the necessary details with the airlines, the page said. The situation will normalize once conditions improve.
The measure is in addition to the decision announced on Friday to require a negative diagnostic test for COVID-19 as of January 10 for travelers arriving in the country and that will be added to the protocol that contemplates carrying out another test on arrival and home quarantines.
According to Cubadebate, in recent weeks 71% of the people detected with the virus had arrived from abroad or were contacts of travelers.
Since the beginning of November, when airports on the island were reopened after nearly eight months of paralyzed international flights, 3,780 cases of COVID-19 have been detected.
The situation is worrying given that Cuba had managed to control the increase in the virus in a relative way after detecting it in March and having a re-outbreak in August.
The authorities recognized the cost of having the country closed and the economy paralyzed. According to official figures, the island's Gross Domestic Product fell 11% this year, a situation that added to losses of more than 5.5 billion dollars due to the US sanctions that increased during the term of outgoing President Donald Trump.
To date, 11,205 cases of the new coronavirus have been detected in Cuba and 142 deaths since the start of the pandemic in March.
No details were offered on how the decrease will be operated, but it was indicated that the Cuban Civil Aviation authorities readjust the necessary details with the airlines, the page said. The situation will normalize once conditions improve.
The measure is in addition to the decision announced on Friday to require a negative diagnostic test for COVID-19 as of January 10 for travelers arriving in the country and that will be added to the protocol that contemplates carrying out another test on arrival and home quarantines.
According to Cubadebate, in recent weeks 71% of the people detected with the virus had arrived from abroad or were contacts of travelers.
Since the beginning of November, when airports on the island were reopened after nearly eight months of paralyzed international flights, 3,780 cases of COVID-19 have been detected.
The situation is worrying given that Cuba had managed to control the increase in the virus in a relative way after detecting it in March and having a re-outbreak in August.
The authorities recognized the cost of having the country closed and the economy paralyzed. According to official figures, the island's Gross Domestic Product fell 11% this year, a situation that added to losses of more than 5.5 billion dollars due to the US sanctions that increased during the term of outgoing President Donald Trump.
To date, 11,205 cases of the new coronavirus have been detected in Cuba and 142 deaths since the start of the pandemic in March.