Cuba, which has been facing a rebound in the COVID-19 epidemic for several days, on Monday recorded a record of contaminations in the past 24 hours, with 93 new infections, the highest since the appearance of the coronavirus there at five months.
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The previous record went back to May 1, when 74 contaminations had been detected in 24 hours.
According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Health, the vast majority of patients are in Havana and in the neighboring province of Artemisa.
In total, Cuba, which has 11.2 million inhabitants, recorded 3,046 contaminations, including 88 fatalities.
With a case fatality rate of 2.9% and a contagion index of 3.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, the socialist island is in a much better position than many of its neighbors in Latin America and the Caribbean.
But the authorities are worried about the ongoing rebound, in particular in Havana, a city of 2.2 million inhabitants, as the country has recently tried to gradually resume its activities.
As of July 20, the island had not registered a new case for the first time since the start of the pandemic, which reached the country in March.
The capital finally had to backtrack by again tightening the restrictive measures: Monday, no public transport was circulating, the population is once again confined and checkpoints have been installed to supervise the entrances and exits of the city.
“Health comes first. Despite the economic impact of this return (to containment), its implementation has not been delayed, ”said Francisco Duran, the head of the epidemiology department of the Ministry of Health.
“Total closure of the beaches of Havana. Closing of bars and closing of swimming pools. Leisure parks will be closed and independent work spaces will be closed. Restaurants and cafeterias will only offer take-away meals, ”the official Granma newspaper reminded the public.
In the rest of the country, where no case has been detected, the gradual resumption of economic activities is continuing.
The country’s borders are also still closed, while tourism is an important economic driver for the island.