14ymedio, Havana, 12 April 2022 — The stealthy variant of ómicron, BA.2, was confirmed in at least ten provinces of Cuba according to the director of epidemiology of the Ministry of Health, Francisco Durán, who proposed this Monday at his weekly press conference to continue with protection measures.
This strain, which as of March has been predominant in Europe, Asia and the United States, is more contagious than the original omicron variant, although the covid-19 it causes is even less serious.
The daily report of the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) does not specify in which ten provinces the new strain was found, but it indicated that as of April 11, 342 new localized infections and 2,367 active cases were registered on the island.
In total, there are 6,089 hospitalized patients and another 3,672 Cubans with suspected disease. The report adds that the provinces with the most positive cases for covid-19 in one day are Mayabeque, Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey.
Regarding the deaths, those in charge of health on the Island report 8,519 deaths from covid-19, and in the last week there were four deaths, as of Saturday.
On March 30, President Miguel Díaz-Canel called for extreme sanitary measures to prevent a new wave of infections, since government scientists predicted, despite the immunization campaign, a progressive increase in confirmed cases and hospitalizations. , according to the official newspaper Granma.
Days later, the Ministry of Public Health announced that as of April 6 it would no longer be necessary for international travelers to present PCR results, an antigen test or a vaccination card to enter the Island.
Despite this, the use of a mask is still mandatory, and “random screening” is maintained.
The authorities report that more than 10.6 million Cubans, in a population of approximately 11.5 million, have at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccine and more than nine million have already received the second and third doses.
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