Havana, Apr 19 (RHC)--Cuba will keep the sanitary control measures for travelers arriving in the country as part of the strategy to confront Covid-19, the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) informed Monday.

In a press release, the health entity pointed out that changes will depend on the national and world epidemiological situation and the signs of a real recovery.

Currently, the average number of citizens coming from abroad is between 750 and 800, which has allowed a decrease in the number of imported cases, especially from flights from the United States, Russia, and some Latin American nations, explained Dr. Carmelo Trujillo, head of the International Health Control department of MINSAP.

At the end of last year, when the numbers showed a low local transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, it was decided to isolate the travelers at their residence or the address declared by them.

Reportedly, some travelers did not keep the seven-day isolation period, and there were also difficulties with the transmission of real-time PCR information.

This situation led to the increase of infections in the last weeks of 2020 and the first month of the current year due to the relationship between the travelers and the inhabitants of the communities.

Consequently, the country's management resumed the isolation in the institutions designated by the authorities of each province, and the number of flights to this nation was reduced, especially from territories with a complex epidemiological and sanitary situation.

As part of the procedures, Dr. Trujillo explained that a first real-time PCR test is carried out upon the arrival of travelers at the airport and a second one on the fifth day of their stay in the isolation center, which reinforces epidemiological surveillance.