Confirmed Cases of Covid-19 in Cuba Reaches 35
HAVANA TIMES – After waiting until the last minute to take some serious measures to prevent the coronavirus, the specter of a rapid spread of the disease on the Island begins to emerge.
The attempt to keep open to tourism, controlled on a large scale by military companies, made possible for thousands of people entering Cuba in recent weeks from countries already with numerous cases of the coronavirus.
According to Cubadebate.cu, the main website of the Communist Party of Cuba, as of Sunday afternoon, March 22, there are now 35 positive cases and 954 patients admitted under observation (255 foreigners and 727 Cubans). Authorities reported that another 30,773 persons are under surveillance in their homes.
A factor of special concern for the Cuban population is that, instead of being concentrated, the confirmed cases are from various provinces and municipalities of the country.
However, to reassure the population, yesterday, March 21, president Miguel Diaz Canel stated:
“We have in our favor a public health system for all, a dedicated scientific community, and an effective civil defense system, as well as a Party and a Government, which put Cubans at the center of their attention. We also have the army of the people, and together with these strengths we also have more than 60 years of training in a long history of resistance to the harsh wars of all kinds that have been imposed on us.”
Do I detect Schadenfreude in Dan’s comment? if so, shame on him!
The best thing, thus far, Miguel Diaz Canel has done for Cuba during this pandemic is close its borders to all outsiders except Cuban citizens and permanent residents returning. A lucid government policy employed by all other rational governments around the world. Kudos to his government.
Let’s hope his rational border closing policy is not too late. Think of Italy. They too thought this pandemic was a simple “flu” passing through the northeast region and that drastic federal action was not necessary. Well, it isn’t necessary to relay the utter failure of government inaction resulting in many deaths for not heeding public health advice earlier.
The public pronouncement by Canel to reassure the population: “We have in our favor a public health system . . . .” is simply spitting propaganda into the wind spoken for an audience of senior upper echelon communist leaders (like Raul Castro) who enjoy hearing combative words aimed at the outside world in times of potential Cuban peril: “civil defense system”, “Party and a Government”, “army”, “history of resistance”, “harsh wars”, . . . . etc. Cuban citizens are not impressed, no doubt.
Like all other peoples of this world, Cubans together with their families and neighbors are hoping and praying this pandemic does not get out of control on the island – and hopefully it will not – because if it does one can only conclude the pandemic was “imposed on us” by a lack of serious government action which occurred too little, too late.
And Manuel, what exactly is your point, that Cuba will be less affected by this than N.America and Europe? Social cohesion, wtf is that? Is that when people of both sexes kiss each other,hug and shake hands when they meet and depart? That’s over for very long time as is praying in crowded churches,mosques and synagogues.
I am waiting to see how Capitalist America will confront it’s own possible “Special Period” looming on the horizon. I remember how the Cubans weathered it in 1993. Will the United States with all it’s privilege, wealth and power be up to the task ?
Their point is social cohesion that lacks in the so called ‘ developed world.’ We here in the developed world pinned our hope in economic forecasters, artificial intelligence, thinking that could create certainty for the future. Now we understand that life is always uncertain. ” we may crash our automobiles or have it crash by others any time we are engage driving an automobile, ” as an example.
The COVID-19 pandemic is apolitical. It will infect capitalist and communist alike. I hope that the Castro elites in Cuba do not believe that they have some special immunity against this virus. Although it did originate in China. So maybe they do???