As part of the strategy to confront COVID-19, Cuba has increased the number of diagnostic tests.  In the country, nearly two thousand samples are being analyzed daily to detect possible infections.

The main goal of the health workers is to find the possible contacts of the sick person in order to avoid the spread of the virus, hence many prestigious institutions of the Caribbean are taking part in this effort, such as Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine, located in Havana.

This renowned facility has also been supported by other centers located in Villa Clara, Santiago de Cuba and the laboratory of Civil Defense, also in Havana.

As COVID-19 cases increase in the Americas and new cases are reported in Cuba, other laboratories have joined efforts to contain the progress of the virus.  That is the case of the Provincial Hygiene and Epidemiology Center of Havana. 

Numerous specialists of great professionalism and training, work tirelessly in these centers to detect  possible infections and stop the transmission chains before they spread.

These laboratories have the same accuracy and liability as the Pedro Kouri Institute, because they have advanced technology and their staff has been especially trained to fight this current situation. 

Dr. Vivían Kouri, first deputy director of Pedro Kouri Institute, stated that there is always constant communication between these different centers, and according to the authorities, more facilities are expected to join this task.  The objective is to increase the number of tests that are being carried out.

Over the past several days, the Molecular Biology laboratory of the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology -- another institution of great international prestige -- joined to help in this vital task, since they are responsible for the development of important medicines used today by several nations in the world.

The cornerstone of these specialized centers to prevent the spread of the disease caused by the new coronavirus is to detect the number of people who were infected, in order to isolate them and establish further actions to combat the virus.

Even in the midst of Washington's blockade and the difficulties it entails for the acquisition of the necessary supplies, Cuba has enough COVID-19 diagnostic tests, a highly qualified staff and duly equiped scientific institutions to meet the challenge and defeat the deadly virus.