It will not be allowed queuing for more than one person

This eastern Cuban province is heading towards the third phase within the post-COVID-19 recovery stage, focused on reviving its economy, guaranteeing the access of the majority to the basic necessity products and without neglecting the consolidated epidemiological control measures. This was reported on Saturday by the main political and government authorities in this territory that attended the Alto y Claro radio and television program.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- As agreed in the Council of Ministers, Las Tunas will enter phase three on Monday, July 20. Reactivating the economy is vital to satisfy the needs of our people, summarized Manuel René Pérez Gallego, president of the Provincial Defense Council. During all this time, he said, the search for alternatives to maintain the operation of essential services has continued. "In this, the collective leadership has helped a lot, along with constant communication with the population," he insisted.

For his part, Jaime Ernesto Chiang Vega, vice president of the Provincial Defense Council, specified that the top priority of work continues to be food production, both planting and dealing with problems in the marketing chain. We persist, he emphasized, in promoting the cultivation and breeding of animals in family yards, as well as in what the local processing industry can contribute.

Both leaders stressed that citizens comply with the distancing and sanitary protection measures that are maintained in this phase, mainly in summer areas, such as beaches.

President and Vice president of Las Tunas Provincial Defense Council

EQUITY ALLIES WITH PORTER@

That more than 60 days have passed without positive cases of the new coronavirus in the territory has not meant a relaxation of the inquiries and epidemiological surveillance. However, it allows decision-makers here to exert their efforts in tackling the hoarding phenomena and other illegalities fueled by the shortage of basic necessities.

In this regard, the deputy governor, Yelenis Tornés Menéndez, detailed the organizational measures that will be applied around the stores of the Cimex and Caribbean chains. In the first place, she declared, the information on product stocks in each of the 70 establishments of both chains will be emphasized. At the same time, she said, shipments to the municipalities will increase, always in tune with the arrival of goods in the territory.

However, the most outstanding announcement made by Tornés Menéndez is the extension of the use of the mobile application Porter@, in order to limit the repeated passage of the same person to stores.

In the first stage, she said, the app will be used in 15 downtown establishments and will be operated by mobile phones in the hands of Commerce workers. In unison, announced Tornés Menéndez, working groups will be created for ordering in queues, in conjunction with the forces of public order, those of Comprehensive Inspection and the mass organizations. "It will not be allowed queuing for more than one person," she clarified.

These steps are a response to the phenomena of hoarding and unpunished reselling of deficit goods that have grown in recent months as the US economic blockade and the global economic crisis stemming from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic deepened.

In fact, as reported for Alto y Claro, Lt. Col. Yordanis Sánchez Pérez, the second head of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) in the province, more than 400 people have been prosecuted for the crimes of reception, illegal economic activity and hoarding. "Still, the confrontational actions have not had the impact we need," he said.

THE NEW NORMALITY OF OTHER SERVICES

The different sectors of the Las Tunas society adapt their internal processes to the new normality that the existence of the COVID-19 imposes. This implies that the consolidated health strategies are not dismantled, said Gregory Antonio Pérez Héctor, acting director of Health in the province. However, changes will occur, he explained.

In the third phase, Pérez Héctor added, the three isolation centers will be kept open for suspected cases and their contacts. Suspect or positive patients who are detected will go to the wards in the hospitals of the territory.

Workers in the sector, he explained, will assume the bulk of the active inquiry due to the start of the medical students' holidays. Pérez Héctor stressed that biosecurity measures persist, such as the use of the facemask in all Health facilities, which will restore all of its non-essential services. Likewise, the separation of the respiratory consultations from the rest in Emergencies service will continue; and visits to hospitalized patients will return on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays of each week.

Dr. Pérez Héctor announced that randomizThe active health inquiry  continuesed studies will be carried out both in workplaces and in the queues aimed to find possible cases.

Of the validity of what has been done so far, he emphasized, not only the low number of positive cases reported here attest but also that - between January and July 2020 - there were 10,000 fewer visits to Las Tunas health institution for respiratory diseases compared to the first half of the year 2019 and admissions due to respiratory conditions fell by 26 percent, compared to the similar stage last year.

Regarding employment, Oleidys Saucedo Licea, provincial director of Labor and Social Security, explained that, in phase 3, the incentive to distance work and teleworking is preserved. She clarified that the provisions of the Labor Code for the relocation of interrupted workers will also be resumed, as well as care for vulnerable and economically insolvent people.

From Monday, July 20, she said, the offices of the National Institute of Social Security (INASS) will resume their normal procedures. Gradually, she reported, the replacement of the pension and retirement checkbooks with magnetic cards will be completed.

From the second phase, recalled Saucedo Licea, the self-employed must join their usual activities. "Only the government authorities can authorize them to remain paralyzed," she said. With regard to the wage guarantees for mothers, guardians, or caregivers of school-age children, she explained that these will be maintained until the resume of the teaching period.

Rolando Rodríguez Rojas, director of the Commerce Business Group in the province, confirmed the delivery to consumers through the basic family basket of two additional pounds of rice in July; "As it reaches the territory, it will be distributed before July 30," he announced.

The manager expressed that the establishments of Gastronomy, Retail Trade, Accommodation and Personal Services will return to their normal hours; together with the sale of hypochlorite in the 157 points of the province that are now adequately supplied. In all these places, he insisted, hygiene measures are still in force.

The head of the Business Group of Commerce confirmed the decrease by 40 percent in the availability of wheat flour; a situation that they try to alleviate by increasing cassava purchases. Starting in September, he assured, there should be an improvement in the availability of supplies in restaurants.

TRANSPORT AND TOURISM TOO

Luis Enrique Arias Peña, director of the Company for the Transport of Passengers and General Cargoes (CARDINAL), spoke about the restoration of all mass transfer services for people; in addition to procedures such as the granting of operating licenses, technical review and vehicle changes and conversions.

In the National Bus Terminal, he indicated, the waiting list will return from July 20 and the operations of the Viajero Reservations Agency. This entity will continue operating at the offices of the Train-Bus Terminal, as it has done so far until the work is completed at its final headquarters.

Arias Peña announced that, finally, on July 16, the first self-propelled boats that cross the sea channel between El Socucho and La Boca, in the municipality of Puerto Padre, began operations. In addition, he expressed that they apply a joint payment modality that includes both the transfer by bus from the provincial capital to El Socucho, and the passage by sea to La Boca Beach, thus reducing the handling of cash.

The CARDINAL Director admitted that there was certainly a delay in the repair of the aforementioned vessels, although, he said, the other will be incorporated on July 27. "We intend to maintain that transportation service throughout the year," he said.

The delegate here of the Ministry of Tourism, Giarlis Melenilla Romero, announced that in the next few days the lobby of the Las Tunas Hotel will reopen, but not the pool of the facility, which will enter service later and limited to guests.

Soon, he said, the extra-hotel services of the Cadillac hotel will resume; the Palmares chain will reopen its two points of sale in the beach area of Puerto Padre; and the Caracol Stores chain will expand access to its establishments, as allowed by established sanitary regulations. The opening of discotheques has not been authorized, nor has the rental of cars; but the increase of the existing capacities in the camping bases does, in the equivalent of 38 cabins, he concluded.

 Lobby Las Tunas Hotel

SUMMER COURSES AND TRIBUTE TO THE FMC

In the program, Yudith Acosta García, an official of the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), explained that, during the summer, courses will be opened in the Centers for the Orientation of Women and the Family on topics such as massages, hairdressing, and dressmaking, among others.

The female leader praised what was done by the messengers and health brigade members during the most critical stage of the fight against COVID-19. In those days, she said, some 678 contributed to caring for the elderly and other particularly vulnerable people to suffer more severely from the disease. Now, she assured, 400 will remain in that task.

Regarding the FMC's 60th anniversary, which will be celebrated on August 23, Acosta García commented that they will continue promoting the debate on gender equality; as well as the participation in the reception to the collaborators who provide services in the Henry Reeve medical contingent. Without forgetting, she stressed, the tribute to Vilma Espín Guillois, through the remembrance in the places of this province visited by the historical leader of the Cuban women's movement.

Finally it was learned that from now on, Alto y Claro will return to its usual format from the Radio Victoria studios, but the participating authorities insisted that when necessary, they will be in the media informing the people.