Havana, March 9 (RHC)-- Cuban Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero, said on Monday that so far no cases have been reported on the national territory of the coronavirus. He assured that as soon as the first case is identified, it will be informed.
Addressing the Round Table TV Radio Program Marrero described actions undertaken all over the island to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
During the program, aired from the Revolution Palace, Marrero recapped all the recent actions undertaken to deter the spread of the epidemic on the island.
The Minister of Public Health, Dr. Jose Angel Portal Miranda, explained that the virus is transmitted from person to person, and insisted that discipline in the fulfillment of the sanitary measures is of utmost importance.
Portal affirmed that Cuba has vast experience in the handling of epidemics, and he noted that the island’s participation in the fight against Ebola has proven very positive for the treatment of flows of personnel at border points.
The Minister urged persons with respiratory symptoms not to be negligent and to go to the doctor and cautioned that only medical personnel is qualified to make the decisions on the course to follow when those symptoms occur.
Portal Miranda said that people who come from risk countries with respiratory symptoms are being hospitalized and isolated for studies. So far, none have tested positive for the virus.
Currently, there are three central laboratories on the island with the capacity to accurately diagnose the coronavirus, covering the western, central, and eastern parts of the island, in Havana, Santa Clara, and Santiago de Cuba, respectively.
For the treatment of suspect and confirmed patients infected with CODVI19, the Minister said that the healthcare centers and hospitals to deal with the isolation and treatment of the cases had been identified. Some 3.100 beds are ready island-wide to face the situation during a preliminary stage, as well as over 100 beds in intensive care units.
“We are in good condition to take care of these patients. Special attention is being given to senior citizens and maternity homes, and other medical facilities with vulnerable groups,” Portal stressed.
Likewise, the Minister said that the Government had earmarked the financial resources necessary to procure all the resources needed to face a possible impact of the introduction of the virus.
Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Roberto Morales Ojeda, said the disease is a major danger for the Country because it is already present in over 100 countries and spread in many countries of the region.
"Cuba is in better condition to minimize the impact that the introduction of the virus could have," he said.
