Cuba Announces 40 New Measures to Stop Covid-19
HAVANA TIMES – Today, the Government / Communist Party of Cuba published a list of 40 new measures “to protect Cubans” from the coronavirus.
The so-called Prevention and Control Plan to deal with Covid-19 came after much citizen concern and criticism about the government’s slowness to prevent a spread of the deadly virus.
Here is the complete list published by the official granma.cu website:
1-All Cuban residents who return to the country will be isolated in authorized centers for 14 days.
2- Arriving travelers must be fully informed, aircraft and ships, premises and luggage must be thoroughly disinfected. Travelers will be taken directly to isolation centers, in designated buses, with police escort.
3-Family members are not permitted to gather at airports.
4-Passengers returning to Cuba may bring only one personal item and one piece of luggage, to facilitate operations at airports and isolation centers.
5- The exit of Cubans from the country is regulated, to protect their health and that of families. Trips abroad will be authorized only for humanitarian reasons or purposes of major importance.
6-Tourists remaining in hotels are quarantined and may not leave the premises. Visitors staying in private bed and breakfast inns and hostels will be transferred to hotels.
7-Excursions to cities, historical, cultural and natural sites are suspended, as is the rental of motor vehicles.
8- Those who arrived after the decision to regulate entry at the country’s borders must remain in home isolation. These individuals must be located in their communities, to be fully informed, and supervised by medical personnel to regularly check their condition and ensure responsible behavior on the part of families.
9-No one enters or leaves isolation facilities, and pedestrian traffic around these areas must be avoided.
10-Older adults must receive differentiated attention, including those in rest homes and community centers, those who live alone, and those prone to wandering.
11- Conduct regulated retail sales, with lines managed to avoid disorders. Home delivery of meals and the provision of services in residences are to be encouraged.
12-Interprovincial transportation by bus, train, air and private vehicles is suspended, and the restructuring of urban transportation is being analyzed.
13-Police presence is to be reinforced on streets and wherever required, to contribute to compliance with measures adopted.
14-Discotheques, swimming pools and gyms are closed, and recreational activities in hotels limited, which also applies to the non-state sector.
15-Bars and restaurants operate with limitations, and all clients must maintain a distance of one meter from others. If this cannot be guaranteed, the site is closed.
16-The production of food will be increased, and supplies destined for suspended activities will be distributed in retail stores.
17-Home visits by mass organizations and the entire local government system will be organized to provide information to the population, including adopted prevention and control measures, and established consequences in the event of non-compliance.
18-All those who exhibit symptoms must proceed to designated isolation centers or stay at home under medical supervision.
19-The school year is temporarily suspended, and variants of staggered classes are planned for its resumption.
20-Classes are cancelled for three weeks. If conditions allow, the academic year will resume April 20th.
21- Under conditions of epidemiological surveillance, childcare centers will continue to operate for families whose children will attend. New admissions and adaptation processes are postponed.
22-Children without family protection will remain in the homes where they live.
23-Activities of all sports teams are suspended.
24-As of March 30, educational activities will be offered and guided on television, at times to be determined for different levels.
25-Pupils in boarding schools will return home immediately.
26-Teachers will devote time to preparing classes for the resumption of the academic year. Those pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees will continue with their research.
27-In order to avoid crowding, the resumption of classes will be staggered, with grade levels on campus at a different times.
28-Undergraduate and graduate classes are suspended for all modalities (day, weekend, on and off-campus courses), to be replaced with distance learning.
29-Residences are open only for international students.
30-Ensure strict medical surveillance of tourists and workers in hotels.
31-Reinforce daily medical surveillance within the population.
32-Suspend elective surgeries in hospital institutions, continuing with only those involving transplants, cancer or other emergencies that threaten the patient’s life.
33-Re-schedule outpatient consultations and provide such services in community clinics, when possible.
34-Suspend visits to hospitals and allow only one companion.
35- Extend the validity of long-term pharmacy prescriptions and subsidized medical diets, for an additional six months.
36-Workers to be relocated, given the suspension of their regular activity, may be assigned to any task within the province.
37-Mothers caring for children attending primary or special education schools, that have been closed, will receive benefits similar to those provided the unemployed, at this time: 100% of regular salary for the first month, and 60% during the second month.
38-All formal procedures requiring face-to-face interaction at tax offices are postponed.
39-All taxes and fees normally paid at banks are deferred. Payments can be made via Transfermóvil or other electronic systems.
40-Reductions in monthly tax payments will be afforded to self-employed workers whose level of activity is affected by the health emergency.
It is evident that the US will have the highest number of casualties from COVID 19.Too little learned with too little action, too late. To all those Americans who read and/or contribute to HT, stay home and stay safe.
As for the list given, I wonder how when the food awaiting distribution to the tourist industry has been consumed, “the production of food will be increased.”
Cubans are used to hardships. So in that sense they are hardened to confront adverse circumstances.
The Covid 19 virus pandemic is officially now a worldwide phenomenon. Cooperation at an international level is now required. Lets leave the politics aside for the time being. -According to The World Health Organization, The United Nations too, the spread of the Covid 19 virus will have devastating effects in the developing world, mostly located in the Southern Hemisphere of Planet Earth. And in our part of The World that’s ‘ developed ‘ economically but hardly socially we already see hospitals being overwhelmed by victims of Covid 19. Only time will tell how we will fare in the next few months if not years. Easy now ! OH ! Covid 19 mutates too if left unchecked, come to find out.
Cuban leaders must know something they are not saying. These severe restrictions imply the current existence of the virus on the island at a level that points to a much more serious number of cases and possibly deaths.
I fear for Cuba, …
… because they need to stand in line for food, for medical supplies, for sanitary products – if there are any – and thus must leave their house continuously and keeping 1,5 m distance in the lines will be impossible
… because Cubans with money will hoard everything in sight, keeping it for themselves or reselling it at costs that the poor part of the country will not be able to pay
… because of the poor public transport where far too few busses, cars, etc. must transport too many people – so they are completely overcrowded and no distance can be kept to other passengers but can’t be avoided if you have to go anywhere
… because their hospitals are in such poor state – the first world countries even don’t have enough ICU beds
… because they might have enough medical personnel (if they don’t continue to “rent” them out to other countries to get some much needed money) – but how can they protect themselves when even in the rest of the world there’s a shortage of personal medical protective supplies
… etc.
Who’s paying for all the costs involved? What about people who just paid the next month’s rent and are moved to hotels? Will their rent be refunded?
What about their belongings?
Will they be safely stored and returned to their owners?
Estas regulaciones so son nada de completo, no mencionan los costos.
Ma. fca.