The Cuban government analyzes daily the situation with Covid-19. Photo/Estudios Revolucion.

HAVANA, Cuba.- As every afternoon since the direct fight against Covid-19 began in Cuba, the President of the Republic, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, led on Wednesday through videoconference the meeting of the temporary working group for the prevention and control of the new coronavirus, of which 814 cases have already been confirmed on the island, of them 774 Cubans.

In making an update of the national scenario, Minister of Public Health Jose Angel Portal Miranda explained to the top leaders of the country that 8,408 people remain admitted for epidemiological care and surveillance. This figure includes 1,625 patients in hospitals and others in isolation centers for lower-risk suspects, contacts and travelers.

The territories with the highest prevalence rates of cases per number of inhabitants are, in this order, the Island of Youth (17), Ciego de Avila (71), Havana (297), Villa Clara (93), Sancti Spiritus (55), and Matanzas (53). So far, 20 local transmission events of the disease remain open, of which 15 are in quarantine and the rest are submitted to a strengthening of measures.

Dr. Portal Miranda clarified that there is no rush to close these events, two incubation periods of the Covid-19 will be expected, that is 28 days after the appearance of the last case in each of these places, to be fully sure they are finished, he explained.

In the meeting of this Wednesday, and as it has been done in each session with all the provinces, the work of the Provincial Defense Councils of Las Tunas and Holguin was known. Authorities in Las Tunas detailed that to date they have only 7 patients confirmed and there has been no indigenous transmission. However, as in the rest of the country, measures have been taken to limit people’s mobility, promote social isolation, care for the most vulnerable families and deliver food and grooming on time.

The situation in Holguin is more complicated with 59 positive cases to Covid-19 and three open events of local transmission, one in the municipality of Gibara, another in Banes and the last one in July 26 People’s Council, of the provincial capital. The leaders of the territory explained that in these specific places all contacts are isolated, homes and workplaces have been disinfected, movement restrictions were decreed and outlets have been paralyzed.

Havana province received a particular look, as in recent days has been contributing the most confirmed cases in the country. According to the capital authorities, measures will be increased in several parts of the city to cut off transmission of the virus. The work with specialists from the Ministry of Public Health has been strengthened.

In the debate of the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister with Governor of Havana Reinaldo Garcia Zapata, and the President of the Provincial Defense Council, Luis Antonio Torres Iribar, it was categorically denied an image circulating recently on social media about the alleged death of a person by Covid-19 on a street in La Lisa municipality.

The Head of State highlighted that this “is part of the annexionist swarm that continues to discredit the work of the Revolution based on the new coronavirus, putting fake news on networks.”

At another point in this meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Alejandro Gil Fernandez – who is at the head of the temporary working group tasked with presenting the measures to strengthen the confrontation of the new coronavirus – reported that of the 1,085 daily care children in the country, 444 remain in operation, with a minimum of staff to make economic impact less.

Around 2,000 children whose parents work primarily in Public Health, the Ministry of the Interior, Trade and the banking system continue to attend. That figure, Gil Fernandez said, has declined, on which constant monitoring is maintained.

Gil Fernandez recalled that it was extended to mothers or fathers with children in daily care children centers, the decision made earlier for those with children in elementary schools, related to the support of 100% of the salary in the first month and 60% in the second.

The Deputy Prime Minister further announced that a proposal is being designed to continue the school year, in the conditions of social isolation the nation lives through the pandemic. The information will be released this Friday in the Roundtable television program. In this regard, the Prime Minister reiterated the responsibility of families in study and preparing, amid the exceptional situation facing Cuba and the world.

Gil Fernandez also referred to the delivery of the standard family basket of May, which will be guaranteed in the same levels of food and grooming delivered in April, as part of the effort the country is making to make the population have the least possible affectations in the harsh context imposed by the pandemic.

Taken from the web site of the Republic of Cuba