• Cuba confirms 1,241 cases of Covid-19 and ten deaths •Authorities warn about insufficient risk perception • Hospital capacities expanded in Cuban provinces in response to the COVID-19 spike • Intervention study with Soberana 02 and Abdala will cover all Havana's municipalities •

Cuba confirms 1,241 cases of Covid-19 and ten deaths

Havana, Cuba.- Cuba dawned today with 1,241 new cases of Covid-19 and ten deaths in the last 24 hours.

With an accumulated total of 99,208 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, the Caribbean country should reach 100,000 diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the pathogen causing the pandemic, in the coming days.

In a televised media briefing, the national director of Epidemiology, Francisco Durán, pointed out that 569 people have died from the disease to date.

There are currently 5,623 positive patients hospitalized.

Havana reported 772 autochthonous cases, Matanzas 139,and Holguin 92. The Isle of Youth reported no cases and Villa Clara three.

Authorities warn about insufficient risk perception

Despite the high number of COVID-19 cases being registered in Cuba day by day -some of them never seen before-, the population's perception of risk is still insufficient, said Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz.

Speaking on Friday in a meeting of the Temporary Working Group for the prevention and control of the new coronavirus, the head of Government stressed the need to "continue taking measures" because there is no sense of fear despite everything reported about the disease.

We have to "take care of ourselves and others; we have to continue this fight," said Marrero Cruz.

Underscoring the severity of the situation, Public Health Minister,

José Angel Portal Miranda said that 15 438 COVID-19 infections were diagnosed in the country in the last fifteen days, for an incidence rate of 138 per 100 000 inhabitants.

Havana, Matanzas, Sancti Spíritus, and Granma provinces have the highest rate.

Cuba accumulates a total of 569 deaths due to the disease, for a lethality rate of 0.57 percent.

Portal Miranda drew attention to the fact that 70 percent of the COVID-19 positive cases, diagnosed as of last Thursday, were concentrated in the provinces of Havana and Matanzas.

Authorities of the country's capital and the province that follows in epidemiological complexity explained what has been done in the last hours to face the epidemic.

The Governor of Havana, Reinaldo García Zapata, pointed out that the province has 14 hospitals with 2,827 beds, a figure that will be increased using two other health institutions one for children and the other for adults.

As for the province of Matanzas, its authorities said that more than 2,000 patients are under epidemiological surveillance. The territory has hospital capacities for contacts, suspects, and low-risk positive cases.

Hospital capacities expanded in Cuban provinces in response to the COVID-19 spike

The governmental working group for the fight against Covid-19 in Cuba analyzed the complex epidemiological situation the country faces due to the increase in cases and deaths from the disease.

In a meeting headed by President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero, they reviewed the actions implemented in the territories with the highest number of cases, where the authorities are working on expanding the capacity to care for patients.

Havana stands out among the provinces with the highest incidence. This Thursday, it reached the highest number of SARS-CoV-2 positive people registered since the beginning of the pandemic, with 681.

Given this scenario, and the forecasts that point to an increase of those diagnosed, the head of government insisted on the need to foresee in terms of the guarantee of the centers for the treatment of the sick, as well as for the isolation of the suspects.

The governor of Havana, Reinaldo Garcia, explained that they constantly evaluate the epidemiological situation to make decisions and said that they have already added new beds for low-risk patients in places where previously unconfirmed cases were treated.

Regarding what is happening in the province of Mayabeque (west), Governor Tamara Valido said that new places had been opened to isolate contacts and provide follow-up to patients.

Intervention study with Soberana 02 and Abdala will cover all Havana's municipalities

All the municipalities of Havana will be part of the population intervention study with the vaccine candidates Soberana 02 and Abdala, starting in the first weeks of May, which should include around 1,700,000 inhabitants.

This was informed at a press conference by Dr. María Elena Soto Entenza, head of the National Department of Primary Health Care of the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP).

Dr. Soto Entenza said that most of the vaccinations will be carried out in the family doctor's offices, corresponding to the health areas and that people from 19 years of age and older will be able to participate.

She explained that the process will be staggered, starting with the segment of 60 years and over, as this is the group with the most unfavorable COVID-19 indicators, in terms of morbimortality.

This would be followed by the 40 to 59 years of age group, and then by the 19 to 39 years of age segment.

With this organization, the population would not be crowded in the clinics.

Individuals with chronic decompensated diseases, pregnant women, postpartum women, children under 19 years of age, and those who have already been ill with SARS-COV-2 will be excluded.

Regarding those allergic to Thiomersal, she informed that a lot was produced without this component, so this element will be considered so that the whole population can be subject to the application of the vaccine candidates.

With information by RHC