Havana, Jul 19 (RHC)-- Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel called on the community to combat the proliferation of Aedes aegypti mosquito breeding sites to prevent the transmission of dengue fever.

In meetings with health experts and scientists and the Government's Temporary Working Group for the prevention and control of the Sars-Cov-2 coronavirus, the President indicated that dengue should be tackled with a similar science and innovation management system to the one created to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

He stressed the importance of sanitation and that this should involve people in the neighborhoods and include areas with weeds and other spaces that serve as a reservoir for the vector.

During the meeting, Public Health Minister José Ángel Portal reported that the country has dengue transmission in eight provinces (Pinar del Río, Havana, Matanzas, Villa Clara, Camagüey, Las Tunas, Holguín and Guantánamo), 16 municipalities and 23 health areas.

The website of the Cuban Presidency published that given the increase in cases of dengue and infestation, the specialists presented the approved Reinforcement Plan, which aims at planning and carrying out actions with the participation of all sectors, aimed at eliminating the factors that condition the infestation of Aedes aegypti.

The scientists' idea is to reduce the infestation rate and avoid the development of epidemic outbreaks. The experts stated that the pillars of the work to fight dengue fever in our country include vector control, active surveillance, timely diagnosis, follow-up, and individualized treatment, seen and assumed from multidisciplinary and intersectoral actions.

Likewise, the Temporary Working Group specialists, in view of the increase of positive cases of Covid-19 in the last few weeks, took up and approved measures for the fight against the disease.

These include mandatory sanitary masks in public transport and children's daycare centers.

In addition, to apply the second booster to the population between 19 and 49 years of age with the approved vaccines, and to start in August the first booster to children between 2 and 11 years of age.

It was also decided to strengthen the disinfection of premises and surfaces of collective use with hypochlorite and not to allow people with symptoms of the disease in workplaces, student centers, and crowds.