{"id":5772,"date":"2022-01-08T14:35:18","date_gmt":"2022-01-08T14:35:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/?p=5772"},"modified":"2022-01-08T14:35:22","modified_gmt":"2022-01-08T14:35:22","slug":"cuba-takes-measures-against-the-omicron-variant-as-world-cases-soar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/cuba-takes-measures-against-the-omicron-variant-as-world-cases-soar\/","title":{"rendered":"Cuba Takes Measures against the Omicron Variant as World Cases Soar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-7-cuba-vac.jpeg?resize=300%2C198&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5773\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">COVID-19 cases are on a concerning rise again on the Caribbean island. We started the year with about 500 cases per day, but in the last 24 hours, more than 1,000 new infections have been registered. The reason is the same as in other countries of the world including in the US where there have been over a million new cases recorded in each of the past few days.&nbsp; The new Omicron variant is not completely understood yet but one thing that is clear is that this strain is even more contagious than its predecessors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new mutation spread around the world, and especially in the Americas, at lightning speed, and this was possible due to the vaccination gaps between rich and poor countries. Those without resources are forced to wait for the charity of the powerful, who oppose releasing patents and prioritize their people without perceiving that this pandemic will not stop until the majority of the planet\u2019s inhabitants are immunized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cuba achieved an impossible feat. Despite being a small, low-income piece of land in the Caribbean, economically blockaded by the United States for more than 60 years, it developed its vaccines against this silent and deadly virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks to the immunization campaign, more than 86 percent of its population is vaccinated. Still, \u201cwe cannot be confident,\u201d Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel warned in a recent television appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Omicron reached the island amid Cuba\u2019s efforts to achieve as much normalcy as possible including the re opening of schools and the needed tourist trade. According to experts from the island and other nations, this variant is less lethal than its predecessor, delta. However, the jump in the number of contagions is worrisome and sets off the alarm bells to avoid a collapse of the country\u2019s hospital system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This Wednesday, for the first time in recent weeks, the island registered more infections than hospital discharges. In the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Health reported 1,429 new cases of Covid-19, nearly 500 medical discharges, and one death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For this reason, since Wednesday, a series of measures that will help us to keep this new threat at bay came into effect. According to the Ministry of Public Health, travelers arriving in the country as of this week, whether they are residents of Cuban territory or not, must present a vaccination passport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They must also submit a negative result of the PCR-RT test, carried out within 72 hours before the trip. In the case of Cubans who are not immunized, they must undergo a Covid-19 test at the point of entry and comply with a mandatory quarantine for eight days in a hotel designated for that purpose while assuming the costs of lodging and transportation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cuban authorities also imposed specific measures for travelers from some African countries, where the variant is causing more havoc. The list includes South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Malawi, and Eswatini.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These measures will exempt children up to 12 years of age, of any nationality or origin, and adults who, for duly certified medical reasons, cannot be immunized with any of the vaccines approved to date by the corresponding regulatory agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodriguez, assured that \u201cCuba faces the persistence of COVID-19 with 86.5 percent of its population fully immunized, while the application of the fourth booster dose \u2013 which has already reached 19.6 percent of Cubans-, is being accelerated. Let\u2019s accompany the vaccines with conscious and responsible behavior.\u201d The Cuban government has set an ambitious goal of getting the booster into the arms of the entire population by the end of January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The premise will always be to take care of ourselves and remain attentive to information from the authorities. With Cuba fully vaccinated and soon to be boosted, we will be able to withstand the coming Omicron blow. Because Cuba is an educated society that has things explained to them in detail using common sense and &nbsp;science they have not experienced the anti vaccination movement prevalent in the developed world where individual rights compete with what is good for the society as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it is time to raise awareness at the international level. The entire world needs to be immunized to avoid future variants, which may be even more deadly and contagious than those already circulating that force us, over and over again, into confinement and caution. This will not happen as long as the richest countries and the profit first health second pharmaceuticals get to dictate the distribution deals that exclude poorer countries who can\u2019t pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Source: Resumen Latinoamericano \u2013 English<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>COVID-19 cases are on a concerning rise again on the Caribbean island. We started the year with about 500 cases per day, but in the<a class=\"moretag\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/cuba-takes-measures-against-the-omicron-variant-as-world-cases-soar\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101011,"featured_media":5773,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5702,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/cuba-has-vaccinated-over-90-of-its-population-the-hill-report\/","url_meta":{"origin":5772,"position":0},"title":"Cuba has vaccinated over 90% of its population \u2013 The Hill report","author":"Editorial Team","date":"December 22, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Cuba has managed to vaccinate more of its citizens than most of the world\u00b4s larger, richer nations even as the new omicron variant dominates caseloads across the world, US newspaper The Hill reported Tuesday. According to an analysis, Cuba has vaccinated over 90% of its population with at least one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Featured&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/news\/featured\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/cuba-vacunacion-ninos1.jpg?fit=748%2C498&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/cuba-vacunacion-ninos1.jpg?fit=748%2C498&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/cuba-vacunacion-ninos1.jpg?fit=748%2C498&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/cuba-vacunacion-ninos1.jpg?fit=748%2C498&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5847,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/we-are-going-to-cuba-to-help-vaccinate-the-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":5772,"position":1},"title":"We are going to Cuba to help vaccinate the world","author":"Editorial Team","date":"January 23, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Delegates from the Union for Vaccine Internationalism will travel to Havana for a special showcase of the Cuban vaccines amidst a global surge in Covid-19 infections. On 25 January, the Progressive International will host a special briefing live from Havana with Cuba\u2019s leading scientists, government ministers and public health officials\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Featured&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/news\/featured\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/cubans-in-africa.jpeg?fit=750%2C422&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/cubans-in-africa.jpeg?fit=750%2C422&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/cubans-in-africa.jpeg?fit=750%2C422&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/cubans-in-africa.jpeg?fit=750%2C422&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5765,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/cubas-vaccine-success-story-sails-past-mark-set-by-rich-worlds-covid-efforts\/","url_meta":{"origin":5772,"position":2},"title":"Cuba\u2019s vaccine success story sails past mark set by rich world\u2019s Covid efforts","author":"Editorial Team","date":"January 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"People receive booster doses of the Cuban-developed Abdala vaccine against Covid-19 in Havana last month.\u00a0Photograph: Reuters The island nation struggles to keep the lights on but has inoculated 90% of population with home-developed vaccines Ed Augustin\u00a0in HavanaWed 5 Jan 2022 10.00 GMT General M\u00e1ximo G\u00f3mez, a key figure in Cuba\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Covid-19&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Covid-19","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/cuba\/covid-19\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Covid-Vaccination-Cuba.jpeg?fit=1200%2C721&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Covid-Vaccination-Cuba.jpeg?fit=1200%2C721&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Covid-Vaccination-Cuba.jpeg?fit=1200%2C721&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Covid-Vaccination-Cuba.jpeg?fit=1200%2C721&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Covid-Vaccination-Cuba.jpeg?fit=1200%2C721&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5173,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/covid-19-and-the-blockade-the-effect-on-cuba\/","url_meta":{"origin":5772,"position":3},"title":"Covid-19 and the blockade: the effect on Cuba","author":"Editorial Team","date":"September 11, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Cuban healthcare is among the best in the world, but today its vaccination campaign is in a race against time against the highly contagious delta variant \u2014 and the blockade, writes MARC VANDEPITTE A man waits in an almost empty pharmacy amid the Covid-19 pandemic in Old Havana, July 2021\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Featured&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/news\/featured\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/empty_cuban_chemist.jpeg?fit=1180%2C585&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/empty_cuban_chemist.jpeg?fit=1180%2C585&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/empty_cuban_chemist.jpeg?fit=1180%2C585&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/empty_cuban_chemist.jpeg?fit=1180%2C585&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/empty_cuban_chemist.jpeg?fit=1180%2C585&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5873,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/cuba-shows-an-alternative-to-big-pharma-hegemony-through-global-solidarity\/","url_meta":{"origin":5772,"position":4},"title":"Cuba shows an alternative to Big Pharma hegemony through global solidarity","author":"Editorial Team","date":"January 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Cuba puts people before profits \u2013 showing the world an alternative to the monopolistic practices of Big Pharma. It promotes a public health system, state-funded research and shows global solidarity through tech transfer and vaccine delivery to developing countries In yet another success story from Cuba, the country has fully\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Cuba&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Cuba","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/cuba\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cuba-45.jpg?fit=743%2C418&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cuba-45.jpg?fit=743%2C418&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cuba-45.jpg?fit=743%2C418&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cuba-45.jpg?fit=743%2C418&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5673,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/cuba-now-exporting-covid-vaccines\/","url_meta":{"origin":5772,"position":5},"title":"Cuba now exporting Covid vaccines","author":"Editorial Team","date":"December 18, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"After immunising its own population, Cuba\u2019s own developed vaccines are to be marketed internationally, says ANDREAS KNOBLOCH Cuban volunteer doctors visit a slum in Caracas, Venezuela, April 2020 AS RECENTLY as August and September, Cuba had to cope with the most severe Covid outbreak to date, which pushed the health\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Cuba&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Cuba","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/cuba\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/10-cuban-volunteers-in-venezuela-AP_20108732454437.jpeg?fit=1180%2C585&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/10-cuban-volunteers-in-venezuela-AP_20108732454437.jpeg?fit=1180%2C585&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/10-cuban-volunteers-in-venezuela-AP_20108732454437.jpeg?fit=1180%2C585&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/10-cuban-volunteers-in-venezuela-AP_20108732454437.jpeg?fit=1180%2C585&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/10-cuban-volunteers-in-venezuela-AP_20108732454437.jpeg?fit=1180%2C585&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3xdTY-1v6","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-7-cuba-vac.jpeg?fit=300%2C198&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5772","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101011"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5772"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5772\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}