Havana, January 5 (RHC)-- New international sanitary control measures come into force this Wednesday in Cuba due to the increase in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks and the dissemination power of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
According to the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), travelers from South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Malawi, and Eswatini must present a complete vaccination schedule at the point of entry.
In addition, they must show a negative result of a PCR test performed, at the latest, 72 hours before the trip, and another sample will be taken at the point of entry.
On the other hand, they will undergo mandatory quarantine, for eight days, in a hotel designated for that purpose. The traveler himself will assume the costs of lodging and transportation.
According to the ministry, a new sample will be taken on the seventh day, which, if negative, will allow the traveler to be discharged on the eighth day.
All crew members and passengers of merchant vessels entering Cuba from foreign ports must present a complete vaccination schedule, and a PCR test will be carried out at the point of entry.
Aircraft and cruise ship crews staying less than 48 hours in the national territory will be exempted from these indications. In both cases, they will have to present their immunization schedule.
Likewise, cruise ship and pleasure boat passengers will have to present an international vaccination certificate.
Foreign travelers arriving in Cuba and forming part of the enrollment of international schools, scholarships in national institutions, technicians, and foreign collaborators will serve a quarantine of eight days in their respective centers. They will undergo a PCRT test on the seventh day.
Travelers positive for the disease will be hospitalized. Their contacts will go to centers authorized for isolation or at home with the necessary conditions and guarantee compliance with this measure.
Confirmed autochthonous cases at risk or when the severity of their condition warrants it, they will be hospitalized. At the same time, their direct contacts will be isolated in their homes or, if necessary, institutionally for eight days.
Taking into account the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant and its presence in the country, mass activities will be suspended to avoid crowds of people.
On November 29, the first case with Omicron was detected in Cuba, corresponding to a traveler coming from South Africa.
Declared of concern by the World Health Organization, the variant has been diagnosed to date in 13 provinces and more than 90 patients, mostly imported cases, although autochthonous infections have been confirmed.
