Havana, December 31 (RHC)--Cuba modified the international sanitary control due to the increase of positive cases of Covid-19 in the last week and will apply new measures starting next January 5.

The Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) informed that travelers, residents or not in the country and coming from any nation (except South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Malawi, and Eswatini), must present a complete vaccination schedule.

Likewise, they must show a negative result of a PCR-RT (polymerase chain reaction) test performed no more than 72 hours before the trip, and random surveillance will be increased based on this test at the border to citizens from high-risk countries.

In addition to the above measures, Cubans residing in the country who do not have a vaccination schedule will have a PCR-RT sample taken and will be instructed to comply with a mandatory eight-day quarantine in a designated hotel with the payment of lodging and transportation costs.

On the seventh day, the note added, a new sample will be taken, which, if negative, will allow them to be released from quarantine on the following day.

All crew members and passengers of merchant vessels entering Cuba and coming from foreign ports must present a complete vaccination schedule, and a PCR study will be carried out at the point of entry.

On the other hand, airplane and cruise ship crews staying less than 48 hours in the national territory will be exempted from these measures.

In both cases, they will have to present their immunization schedule.

Cruise ship and pleasure boat passengers will have to present an international vaccination certificate.

Meanwhile, foreign travelers arriving in Cuba to attend international schools, scholarships in national institutions, technicians, and foreign collaborators will serve in their respective centers an eight-day quarantine. They will undergo a PCR-RT on the seventh day of their arrival.

Within the national territory,  all travelers positive for the disease be admitted to designated health institutions.

Confirmed autochthonous cases at risk or when the severity of their condition warrants it, will be hospitalized. At the same time, their direct contacts will be isolated in their homes and, if necessary, will be isolated institutionally for eight days.

Taking into account the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant and its presence in the country, mass activities are suspended to avoid crowds of people.