Havana, March 29 (RHC)— The update Sunday on the COVID-19 situation in Cuba was provided by  Dr. Jose Angel Portal Miranda, Minister of Public Health. Wearing a face mask, he said that 20 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 139.

Of those cases, 131 remain hospitalized, 124 in stable, 3 in critical, and 4 in serious condition.

Of the 139 confirmed cases, 69 are men and 70  women. One hundred fourteen are Cuban nationals.

The top health official added that  2,317 patients are hospitalized in isolation under surveillance.

Meanwhile, some 30,000 people remain under surveillance at their homes by the primary health care system.

As part of the island’s efforts to monitor people with respiratory symptoms, the minister said some 6  million people had been screened.

Referring to the local transmission reported in the province of Matanzas, Dr. Portal clarified that it did not fit the pattern envisioned for Phase 2 established by the National Plan of the Epidemic,  which foresees a  limited autochthonous transmission, with cases without an established link with travelers.

In the case of the tourism worker of Varadero, Matanzas, who got infected from Italian tourists, the minister explained that he had four secondary cases, three relatives and a friend.

It was a local transmission, envisioned in pre-epidemic Phase-1, which results from contact with a foreigner, totally traceable, which is why the country has not entered Phase-2, he added.

WHO says COVID-19 pandemic continues spreading around the world and with very few countries not reporting cases. 174 countries have the spread of the novel coronavirus, and  143 with local transmission.

All 35 countries of the Americas are reporting cases.