In Cuba, 212 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed. Photo/presidencia.gob.cu

HAVANA, Cuba.- The President of the Republic, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, headed again on Wednesday’s afternoon the daily meeting that, from the Palace of the Revolution, reviews in detail the situation with Covid-19 on the island, where 212 cases have been confirmed, including six deceased.

Speaking at the meeting, the Head of State referred to the four medical discharges given during the last day in the country, it is four lives that have been saved, he said.

About this sensitive subject, Diaz-Canel considered that we need to continue to insist, especially because of the behavior we have had with critical and serious patients, that people come to medical services since they have the first symptoms because, to the same extent we can quickly detect and act clinically on the disease, there is a better chance of success in treatment.

Diaz-Canel referred again, without getting tired, to the responsibility of parents with keeping children in the houses, not on the streets playing. He also commented on the social indiscipline that still prevails in some territories. In this regard, he exemplified with several allegations made on the Presidency’s website of people criticizing others who play dominoes in the street or continue to frequent public places late at night. I believe, the representative pointed out, that this call made by the people themselves, we have to support it among all.

The President of the Republic also spoke about some experiences generated in different provinces, related to the care of the most vulnerable people; the work of community factors to serve the population in this difficult context, where the non-state sector has been included; and the performance of the Revolutionary National Police, informing and controlling indiscipline; all of which can be socialized to the rest of the country.

In his speech on Wednesday, Diaz-Canel directed the Ministry of Labor and Social Security to conduct inspections in the coming days, coordinated with provincial and municipal governments, to check compliance with the measure indicated on the use of telework, which, in his view, is not yet exploited in all its potential. It should also assess how the decision not to have vulnerable persons in Covid-19 in any workplace is fulfilled.

In the meantime, the Cuban President indicated to the Ministry of Economy and Planning to enhance everything supporting food production, which is one of the fundamental tasks. For example, the Head of State said, the fuel and resources we have already planned to give to agriculture to comply with planting and food production plans, and that this will begin to have a periodic check.

Diaz-Canel also called for the granting of land, with control but without bureaucracy, to be facilitated, because there are several people who are requesting it at the moment. First, he noted, it is to be insisted on those who already have land so that they produce more in these conditions; and on the other hand, anyone who wants to expand usufruct land must be helped. But, he clarified, the formalities cannot be delayed nor become a hurdle to what we want to achieve in food production.

At the meeting, the Minister of Public Health, Jose Angel Portal Miranda, presented the usual update on the situation of the pandemic that has reached 175 countries worldwide, with the confirmation of 777,799 cases and 37,272 deaths, for a lethality of 4.79%.

In Cuba, the Minister emphasized, 2,742 patients are still admitted for epidemiological surveillance: 2,676 Cubans and 66 foreigners. At the same time, 1,140 suspected cases and 193 confirmed cases are hospitalized. 6,821 direct contacts are tracked and 26,278 people are still checked by Primary Health Care.

Portal Miranda reported that 100,000 rapid diagnostic tests for Covid-19 were moved to all provinces of the country on Wednesday, which will be applied to vulnerable groups, including people with acute respiratory infection, the elderly and those who remain in isolation.

Until the drafting of this note, 2,182 Cuban travelers, including 39 children and 2,143 adults, were quarantined. Specifically on the centers where nationals who returned to the country are being isolated – with a capacity of 9,284 beds – the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of serving these places well, responding to any problems and keeping a constant monitoring of bed availability.

This meeting checked compliance with the measures corresponding to the Ministry of Transport, as well as the work of the Provincial Defense Council of Havana, all as part of a work system that from the central government gives permanent priority to the battle against COVID-19.