Diaz-Canel calls for intensifying measures to confront Covid-19, and continuing work with the population

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Yesterday afternoon, President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez called for continuing to work with the population and intensify measures the country is taking to confront Covid-19, now that the Ministry of Public Health has confirmed its presence on the island.

Leading a meeting to review implementation of the Plan for the Prevention and Control of the disease, which is present in 111 countries, the President directed authorities to increase monitoring, thoroughly investigate suspected and confirmed cases, as well as all persons with whom these patients had contact.

It is better to do too much, the President said, than to fall short in our efforts. The disease is on the island and we must prevent its spread, he insisted.

Díaz-Canel recognized the active, cooperative role being played by the population, evident in the detection of the first three cases. He emphasized the importance of providing information daily, on what is happening with the disease in the country and clarifying any questions.

He expressed confidence in measures being adopted, while insisting that everyone must remain on guard.

In detailing the situation of the three Italian patients who tested positive for Covid-19, Public Health Minister José Ángel Portal explained that they remain at the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine, and are in good general condition. All contacts in Havana, Cienfuegos and Sancti Spíritus are under observation and asymptomatic, to date, including the 149 passengers who arrived on the same flight, he stated.

Portal also reported that a new case was identified yesterday, this time a Cuban, currently in good condition, and added that the Ministry would officially announce all relevant information regarding the case.

The Minister provided details on the international situation with the expansion of Covid-19 – now declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization – reaching 125,518 cases with 4,617 deaths, for a mortality rate of 3.68%. The countries most affected continue to be Italy, Iran, South Korea, France, Spain, Germany, the United States, Japan and Switzerland.

On the American continent, 17 countries and four French overseas territories have confirmed cases. Among these, the largest numbers are in the U.S., Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador and Costa Rica.

He reported that in Cuba epidemiological surveillance has been organized with active monitoring of travelers and patients with respiratory symptoms. There are 1,322 beds available in 11 hospitals and 824 in 10 quarantine centers. In addition, the treatment process has been established, with clear protocols set for hospital wards and intensive care units.

For his part, Deputy Prime Minister Roberto Morales Ojeda said that the system outlined in the Covid-19 Prevention and Control Plan is functioning well, as demonstrated by the work carried out thus far.

Now, he added, we must move to a second stage, to see how Central State Administration agencies are reacting – monitoring, for example, how work is advancing in airports, ports, marinas, and other key sites identified in the Plan.