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Cuba toughening virus restrictions for visitors

Published:Monday | February 1, 2021 | 11:04 AM
In this January 22, 2021, file photo, Tina Killebrew, a certified medical assistant, prepares doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

HAVANA - Cuban authorities say they will tighten measures against the spread of COVID-19 to require tourists and other visitors to isolate at their own expense for several days until tests for the new coronavirus come out negative.

The announcement Saturday by Dr Francisco Durán, Cuba’s director of epidemiology, came as the country announced 910 new infections of the new virus detected Friday, as well as three additional deaths.

Durán said that as of February 6, arriving tourists and Cubans who live abroad will be sent to hotels at their own expense to wait for the results of a PCR test for the new coronavirus, which will be given on their fifth day in the country.

A similar measure was imposed in the spring and apparently helped stem the spread of the virus.

Cubans returning home from abroad will be housed in other centres at government expense to await test results.

Diplomats and some categories of foreign businesspeople will be allowed to isolate at home.

Cuba has recorded 25,674 infections of the virus and 213 deaths since March.

Cuba had eased restrictions in November, opening airports to tourists and others, but the number of infections detected has risen sharply this month.

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