14ymedio, Havana, 12 August 2020 — The 47 new Covid19 positive cases reported this Tuesday in Cuba — 39 of them in Havana — were far from the 93 on Monday, the highest figure recorded so far, but they show that infections on the island continue to rise.
Experts whose statements have collected by the official Cuban News Agency (ACN) are concerned. “The curve is not at all promising, as it predicts a rapid growth in confirmed cases and, consequently, in active cases,” Professor Raúl Guinovart, dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computing at the University of Havana, published on his Facebook profile.
Pedro Más, vice president of the Cuban Society of Hygiene and Epidemiology, said that the number of confirmed cases “could be lower but should not be underestimated.”
The ACN recalls that in May, the EndCoronavirus.org site placed Cuba among the countries that were managing to control the pandemic, while now, three months later, the Island not only does not appear on the list of countries close to taming the disease, but among those that need urgent action.
Of the 93 new cases registered on Monday, 10 come from abroad, but the rest, emphasizes the state agency, are autochthonous. “The truth is that the situation is alarming and the outbreak, predicted by the experts for November, has advanced much more strongly than expected,” says the ACN.
As of Tuesday, the Island has recorded a total of 3,093 positives, of which 2,742 patients have already recovered – including 12 in the last day – for 88.6% of the total, while the death count has remained at 88 for the week, according to the daily report of the Ministry of Public Health.
The numbers have forced the authorities to take drastic measures, especially in the capital, Camajuaní, Artemisa and Pinar del Río, where local transmission events were detected.
In Havana, public transport has been suspended since Monday, with the exception of buses for workers in the essential sectors of production, health and services who continue to work, and the total closure of beaches, bars and recreational parks was decreed.
Although domestic tourism has not been completely banned, it has been severely affected by the suspension of these activities months ago, and the capital’s airport will continue to be closed until further notice. It is also feared that the new outbreaks will affect the planned opening of schools, scheduled for September.
_______________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
