Photo: Estudios Revolucion.
HAVANA, Cuba.- Although numbers continue to mark a decreasing trend in all COVID-19-related indicators in Cuba, the Government continues the daily check to the country’s epidemiological situation, under the premise of not neglecting for a second this frontal fight to the epidemic, which began at the beginning of March and in which the end point has not yet occurred.
As it has become usual every afternoon in the Palace of the Revolution, the meeting of the temporary working group for the prevention and control of the new coronavirus, headed by the President of the Republic, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz was held on Wednesday.
In his information to the top leadership of the country, Public Health Minister Jose Angel Portal Miranda highlighted that the number of people admitted for care and surveillance of COVID-19 decreases daily. On the third day of the week the figure is 2,009, the lowest since April 22, when there were more than 10,742 patients.
In addition, of the 1,974 diagnosed with the disease in Cuba, 166 remain hospitalized; of them, 164 with a stable clinical evolution. The Minister noted that “we are at the best time also in the number of serious and critical cases, with only two serious cases at the moment, who are in the Salvador Allende Hospital, in the capital.” Of the total confirmed cases, 1,724 have already overcame the disease.
On COVID-19’s local transmission events, Dr. Portal Miranda reiterated that 35 have been closed and nine remain active. Of the latter, only two reported new cases on Wednesday: four in Centro Habana; and one in that of Turiguano, in Ciego de Avila.
The provinces with the highest incidence rates in the last fortnight continue to be Havana and Matanzas, hence in this meeting they rendered again an account for their situation. As governors explained, even though they present the country’s figures, these also show a trend of decline, as part of the effort being made to deliver the final blow to the epidemic.
On this occasion, Camaguey Governor Yoseily Gongora Lopez also intervened via videoconference and explained the province has been case-free for twelve days. Of the 48 confirmed in the territory, only seven are admitted: three from Camaguey and four from Ciego de Avila.
Gongora Lopez said there is no confidence in the province and research and constant monitoring of acute respiratory infections are maintained in communities. Measures have not been dismantled, to preserve this epidemiological stability.
In the midst of this battle, Camaguey also had to face two severe weather events, one at the end of April in Florida and Cespedes municipalities; and another in Esmeralda, last May 20. Camaguey Governor said they are working to compensate, in the shortest possible time, for the effects that in both cases exceed 500, with 13 total collapses in the three municipalities.
As it is usual in such meetings, in which the agencies of the Central Administration of the State involved in the confrontation with COVID-19 render an account, Minister of Communications Jorge Luis Perdomo Di-Lella reported on the measures applied by the sector to facilitate services in the difficult context imposed by the pandemic.
The Minister explain that they work on creating communication capacities in hospitals and isolation centers; in the use of digital platforms for the payment of services; enabling applications for research and self-research; as well as in studies on mobility and geo-referencing of COVID-19 cases.
“We have worked with the premise of ensuring the vitality of the telecommunications network, since there has been a substantial increase in telephone traffic and radio and television transmissions.”
Among the decisions taken, Perdomo Di-Lella explained that the schedules of ETECSA and Correos de Cuba offices were limited; the Computer Youth Clubs remain closed to the public; the payment of telecommunications service bills and expiring accounts during this period was extended; and the use of Enzona and Transfermobile platforms was encouraged.
The Communication Minister detailed that in April 193 million pesos were paid, in CUP and CUC, through Transfermobile, mainly in transfers between accounts and on telephone, electricity, water and gas bills; in addition to paying taxes to the National Office of Tax Administration.
The official noted that they monitor the most frequent approaches of the population, mainly related to the delivery of mail-to-home packages; mobile telephony and data consumption; congestion on lines; delays in installation of new services or in their transfers; distribution of newspapers, especially towards the Isle of Youth; and difficulties with e-commerce, “in which we have to keep working because it came to stay and we have to finish solving their problems,” Perdomo Di-Lella said.
By: Leticia Martinez