Havana, December 29 (RHC)-- Public Health Minister Dr. José Angel Portal Miranda reported Tuesday that at the end of the last week, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 increased by 34.8%, with the highest incidence in the capital.

Addressing the Government's Temporary Working Group for the confrontation and control of the disease, he referred to the increase of the Omicron variant in the world, classified by the WHO as a variant of concern due to its high contagiousness.

In Cuba, said the minister, 44 patients have already been diagnosed with Omicron.

Given the new scenario, a group of measures was approved at this meeting aimed at reinforcing border surveillance and increasing active research in the country, epidemiological laboratory surveillance, and in the on-call bodies of hospital institutions in the event of the arrival of patients with respiratory symptoms.

The President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, said that the figures of the last few days tell us that we cannot lower our guard, which is why he indicated the reinforcement of sanitary protocols in all territories.

Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz called for a responsible New Year's Eve celebration, avoiding activities where there are crowds.