The government has taken measures to help stop the spread of … But its response to the coronavirus pandemic — from sending doctors to other countries to pioneering anti-viral treatments to converting factories into mask-making machines — is putting other countries, even rich countries, to … But as the number of cases continued to rise, the Cuban government switched course and implemented a full lockdown. Cuba’s international medical brigade has been nominated by several countries and many prominent personalities, such as Noam Chomsky, to receive the Noble Peace Prize for 2021 for providing international medical and humanitarian COVID-19 assistance to over 40 countries. I wouldn't be able to afford to fix my car, and I need to have it ready for when things open.". 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Cubans … Gil said in his talk on state TV that officials are working on a plan to boost the economy, including encouraging farmers by removing barriers on their production, providing incentives for exports and making self-employment rules more flexible to help small private entrepreneurs. He said he knows why vintage classic cars like his Chevy are now a rare sight on the streets of Havana. Universities and schools remain closed. The Cuban government confirmed on Wednesday the first death from the coronavirus on the island, a 61-year-old Italian tourist who was in critical condition. Cuba keeps Havana airport closed in response to spike in coronavirus cases After several weeks in which the coronavirus epidemic seemed under … HAVANA -- Cuba relaxed coronavirus restrictions Monday in hopes of boosting its economy, allowing shops and government offices to reopen and welcoming locals and tourists at airports across the island except in Havana. The change comes after officials acknowledged the need to reactivate an economy hit by pandemic restrictions and recent sanctions the U.S. has imposed as President Donald Trump seeks votes from anti-Castro Cuban-Americans ahead of the general election. The pandemic has been largely controlled in most Cuban provinces, with President Miguel Díaz-Canel announcing last week that some have not reported any new cases in several months. People walk along a … Signup today and get the best insiders guides, inspiring stories and latest news from Cuba. It’s considered one of the western hemisphere’s pandemic success stories. Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all, Find out which countries are welcoming US tourists back. There is a really challenging economic situation right now," he said. All tourism was banned; bars, restaurants and even the beaches were closed. Cuba has officially registered fewer than 1700 COVID-19 cases. "The country has to provide services, produce and export," said Luis Antonio Torres Iribar, the head of Civil Defense for Havana province. For more than six months Cuba has maintained one of the tightest lockdowns anywhere in the world to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. "Life has to continue. “We have never had that dilemma between health and the economy. The country also reopened theaters, museums and other tourist attractions, but with limited capacity. Cuba has implemented many of the same precautionary measures implemented around the world to minimize the spread of COVID-19, including social distancing, restricting travel to the island until further notice, and closing schools. The island of more than 11 million people has reported some 6,000 coronavirus cases and more than 120 deaths from COVID-19 since March, with the government credited with swiftly identifying and isolating cases and implementing house-to-house visits. Cuba imposes Havana lockdown as coronavirus spreads Cuba has successfully dealt with the pandemic outside of the capital, Havana, where new cases continue to be reported. "There's no tourists, no income. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Alejandro, the driver of a classic 1954 Chevy convertible who asked we not use his last name, is just one Cuban who works in the tourism industry and is feeling the pain. Cuba has been almost completely closed to tourism for months. RELATED: Iran and Cuba to Produce Vaccine Together Despite US Pressures Before the coronavirus sealed off Cuba, Alejandro made $30 an hour showing tourists the sights from his classic Chevy, which he painted hot pink to grab visitors' attention. Cuban officials say the coronavirus is under control, with less than 12 cases per day. Cuba’s reaction to the coronavirus threat was swift. News US news Elections 2020 World news Environment Soccer US politics Business Tech ... Coronavirus in Cuba – in pictures A couple at the Malecón in … https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/cuba-coronavirus-lockdown-tourism People wear face masks as a preventive measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in Havana, on March 24. By Dylan Donnelly PUBLISHED: 03:52, Wed, Mar 25, 2020 Coronavirus can already be diagnosed in Cuba Francisco Durán, national director of epidemiology of the island’s Ministry of Public Health, reiterated that “there are no suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus in Cuba to this day.” Unlike Cuba, Uruguay hasn’t been able to count on an authoritarian government to stem outbreaks. "What if I get into an accident? The first thing is always the health of our people,” Deputy Prime Minister Alejandro Gil said on state television Tuesday night, adding that Cuba's economic situation is “very tense.”. "There's no one," he gestured at the empty colonial streets of Old Havana. More than 121,000 people have died from coronavirus in the Caribbean and South America, but as CNN's Patrick Oppmann reports, the island nation of … "A lot of people who don't work in the industry but have family that do. Panama, a country of 3.9 million people, has reported more than 120,000 coronavirus cases and more than 2,490 deaths. Cuba has 620 confirmed coronavirus cases and 16 fatalities as of Saturday. While the Havana airport remained shut down, officials hinted that more lifting of restrictions was in the works. In Cuba, the number of people confirmed with COVID-19 increases. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa). The World Health Organization has identified Latin America as the new centre for coronavirus pandemic, but over the last two months, cases in Cuba have fallen. The restrictions, which include mandatory face masks in public and travel restrictions inside Cuba, do appear to have had an effect. The COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).The virus was confirmed to have spread to Cuba on 11 March 2020 when three Italian tourists tested positive for the virus. A “prevention and control” plan, prepared in January 2020, included training medical staff, … The impact of six months with almost no tourism earnings is being felt across the island. Overall, Cuba’s gross domestic product is expected to fall more than 8%. Cuban health authorities said they would closely monitor the spread of the coronavirus and deal with any outbreaks as they happen, but they would not reimpose blanket shutdowns used after the pandemic began. "It uses a lot of gas," he said. Cuba has begun the clinical trial of a new vaccine candidate against COVID-19, named Abdala (CIGB-66), in Santiago de Cuba province, in the east of the country. The country has reported nearly 4,300 COVID-19 cases to date and 100 deaths. On an island dependent on tourism, there are now virtually no tourists. CUBA has started to distribute a new ‘wonder drug' officials say can treat coronavirus despite US sanctions. "When you talk to Cubans, especially those who work in the tourism industry, they are really hurting and obviously it's such an important industry here," said Collin Laverty, the president of Cuba Educational Travel, which before the shutdown organized cultural visits for Americans to Cuba. We didn't think it would last this long.". To date, Cuba's health ministry says the island has had just 5,718 cases and 122 coronavirus deaths, lower numbers than many other countries in the Caribbean and Latin America. Cuba Coronavirus update with statistics and graphs: total and new cases, deaths per day, mortality and recovery rates, current active cases, recoveries, trends and timeline. While those restrictions have helped slow the virus' spread, they have also badly damaged the economy. Canada has long been Cuba’s most important tourist provider, accounting for … ... it was big news in the state-run media. Cuba has reported about 4,000 COVID-19 cases and fewer than a hundred deaths. But new data released by one of the island’s most respected institutes suggests the number may be much higher. Therefore, so does the number of patients admitted with the disease, which on Monday amounted to 771. The government has touted its strong health care system for allowing it to … Cuban officials originally said they wanted to bring the coronavirus fully under control before reopening, but in recent weeks have acknowledged the lockdown cannot continue much longer. The popular beach resort town of Varadero will open to foreigners starting Thursday, with all tourists coming to Cuba facing mandatory testing and epidemiological monitoring while on the island. His savings long gone, Alejandro said friends from the US have wired him money to help him get by. Panama’s Tocumen airport is one of Latin America’s most important hubs and had been operating only humanitarian flights since April and accepting only connecting flights last month. In March, after the first three cases of coronavirus -- visiting Italian tourists -- were detected, the communist-run government said it would heighten screening at airports and that the island's expansive, if battered, state-run medical system could offer visitors "safe tourism" during the pandemic. Cuba is caricatured by the Right as a totalitarian hellhole. The temporary working group for the prevention and control of the new coronavirus analyzed this situation on Monday. People line up to buy food amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in downtown Havana, Cuba, April 3, 2020. Cuba reported 124 new confirmed patients with COVID-19, the highest daily number since the coronavirus epidemic began on the island.... Cuba Three voices of Cuban cinema: betting on dialogue … The relaxing of restrictions occurred the same day as Panama’s government welcomed international flights for the first time since March and reopened hotels and casinos. Old Havana's winding colonial streets -- which are usually packed with loud crowds of tourists and locals trying to sell them cigars and Che Guevara souvenirs -- are now as quiet as a museum. Associated Press writer Kathia Martínez in Panama contributed to this report. The pandemic had frozen Cuba's critical $3 billion tourism industry since March, when the first coronavirus cases were reported. When exactly Cuba will reopen is a constant source of speculation for Cubans. In July, the Cuban government began to allow international visitors to travel to small, isolated cays off the Cuban mainland where they would not be able to mix with locals other than hotel staff. HAVANA (Reuters) - Communist-run Cuba said this week that use of two drugs produced by its biotech industry that reduce hyper-inflammation … ", There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. Face masks and social distancing remain mandatory, although authorities will no longer isolate those who have been in contact with suspected cases as the island returns to a semblance of normality. Brand new hotels just built by the Cuban government now stand roped off and empty inside. Join our newsletter! Turn to RT for the latest news on sanctions and battling coronavirus in Cuba today, as well as stories on Bolsonaro’s latest evidence of his Covid-19 results and his refusal to make them public. HAVANA -- Cuba relaxed coronavirus restrictions Monday in hopes of boosting its economy, allowing shops and government offices to reopen and welcoming locals and tourists at airports across the island except in Havana. Schools in the capital are not expected to reopen until early November, while classes elsewhere on the island resumed last month. María Isabel Batista, a 58-year-old artisan, said that while it has been hard to remain at home, people must remain aware of the virus. In late September, Cuban officials began to ease restrictions in Havana -- where the pandemic has hit hardest -- allowing restaurants to reopen at reduced capacity and permitting people to swim in the ocean and visit the beaches again. Trump makes loyalty list that GOP will check before joining: The Note, Pentagon plans to cut most of its support to CIA's counterterrorism missions, Trump and his GOP loyalists seek to pile on Supreme Court election challenge, US to get COVID vaccines 1st because it's center of pandemic, big investor: Official, People wearing masks as a precaution against the spread of the new coronavirus walk from the beach in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020. CubaToday.new is focused on the latest news and the best guides to Cuba. HAVANA (Reuters) - Reina Paula, a saleswoman at Havana's La Epoca supermarket, said the same day that a worker tested positive for the coronavirus, local … However, some restrictions are still in place in Havana, a city of 2 million people that saw an outbreak in August. Get the latest news from Cuba on the need to import supplies to fight Covid-19, its economy and the United States’ financial blockade. 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