The COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba is part of the
worldwide pandemic of
coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the respiratory illness responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had a ...
(). The virus was confirmed to have spread to
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
on 11 March 2020 when three Italian tourists tested positive for the virus.
Background
On 12 January 2020, the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...
(WHO) confirmed that a
novel coronavirus
Novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a provisional name given to coronaviruses of medical significance before a permanent name is decided upon. Although coronaviruses are endemic in humans and infections normally mild, such as the common cold (caused by ...
was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in
Wuhan
Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the ninth-most populous Chinese city an ...
City,
Hubei Province
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
,
China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
faces multiple domestic challenges in its response to the ongoing pandemic. Health professionals are facing challenges including shortages of medical supplies, poor sanitary conditions, and low wages.
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
also has
one of the oldest populations in the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
and one quarter of the population is considered at-risk. Additionally,
Cuba's economy is suffering due to the global
decrease in tourism amid the pandemic. As a consequence, the government began increasing centralization of the economy in an effort to prevent a deeper economic crisis like
the one experienced by the country after the end of the Cold War.
Cuba's policy of "
medical internationalism" has played a prominent role in the country's response to the COVID-19 crisis. Cuba sent medical personnel to the
hardest-hit Italian wealthy region of Lombardy, as well as Angola and a dozen Caribbean states including
Suriname.
Cuba engaged effective COVID-19 preventive measures, and despite the concurrent economic crisis and shortages of
consumer products
A final good or consumer good is a final product ready for sale that is used by the consumer to satisfy current wants or needs, unlike a intermediate good, which is used to produce other goods. A microwave oven or a bicycle is a final good, but t ...
, in July 2020 officials reported that during the first wave of the pandemic the country's population suffered only minimal losses. Regular testing, wearing of
face masks, and health visits by nursing professionals kept the reported case loads and mortality rates lower than in most countries of the Americas.
In mid-July 2021, Cuba experienced the first real wave of infections when the
SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant
The Delta variant (B.1.617.2) was a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first detected in India in late 2020. The Delta variant was named on 31 May 2021 and had spread to over 179 countries by 22 November 2021. The ...
spread throughout the nation. Subsequently, demonstrations took place in a number of cities when thousands took to the streets protesting against COVID-related restrictions. The island is suffering from an acute shortage of consumer goods and medical supplies during a severe economic downturn.
Cuba
manufactures two COVID-19 vaccines, at the
Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
The Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology ( es, Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnología, CIGB) is a research institute in Havana, Cuba. It is responsible for creating the Abdala vaccine.
The Centre developed the COVID-19 vac ...
and
Finlay Institute. As of 31 August 2021 about 75 million doses had been produced.
Timeline
March 2020
On 11 March, the first three cases in
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
were confirmed. The patients were Italian tourists. They were kept in isolation at the Pedro Kouri Tropical Medicine Institute in
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. .
The government urged citizens to make their own face masks, while the textile industry was drafted to fabricate them. People were advised to carry several
cloth face mask
A cloth face mask is a mask made of common textiles, usually cotton, worn over the mouth and nose. When more effective masks are not available, and when physical distancing is impossible, cloth face masks are recommended by public health agenci ...
s with them, depending on how many hours they plan to spend in public areas.
On 12 March, a fourth confirmed case was announced. This was a Cuban, whose wife had arrived from
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, Italy on 24 February, and who had started showing symptoms on 27 February. The husband had begun to show symptoms by 8 March. Both were tested and he was positive. The wife was stated to be negative because the disease had run its course.
On 16 March, the cruise ship , with over 1,000 passengers and crew on board, was given permission to berth in Cuba after being rejected by the
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...
. At least five passengers have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). British citizens were able to take flights home after both governments reached an agreement on their repatriation.
On 17 March, the number of confirmed cases increased to 7.
On 18 March, the number of confirmed cases increased to 10, and the first death was announced, a 61-year old Italian who had been one of the first three confirmed.
On 19 March, the number of confirmed cases increased to 16.
On 20 March, the number of confirmed cases increased to 21. Also, it was announced that Cuba will restrict entry to residents with effect from 24 March. Only Cuban residents may enter, that is, if they have not been outside of Cuba for more than 24 months; as well as foreigners residing on the island.
On 22 March, the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) of Cuba raised the number of coronavirus infections on the island to 35 but were monitoring more than 950 suspected cases, according to information published by the state agency on its website.
On 23 March, authorities in Cuba raised the number of coronavirus patients to 48.
On 24 March, the Cuban government closed all schools until at least 20 April.
Visitors who arrived between 17 and 23 March were required to be tested for the coronavirus.
As of 30 March, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases was at 170, with 4 deaths.
April 2020
With effect from midnight on 1 April, Cuba suspended the arrival of all international flights.
On 4 April, authorities in Cuba raised the number of coronavirus patients to 288.
As of 15 April, there were 755 cases of COVID-19 in Cuba, there were 18,856 total tests done so far
May 2020
As of 12 May, new cases had fallen to less than 20 per day, and a program of mass testing was beginning.
As of 30 May, the city of
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. represented slightly more than half of the total confirmed cases.
June 2020
On June 18, 2020, the Cuban government started to set out a reopening plan with all the provinces, except Havana and Matanzas, being put in a first phase of recovery. Provinces in phase 1 would be able to reopen restaurants, bars, gyms, swimming pools, and beaches with capacity limits and social distancing measures being put in place. As of Friday, June 19, there were 2305 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cuba with 85 associated fatalities.
July 2020
On Friday, July 3 the Cuban government announced that they would ease more COVID-19 measures with Havana entering phase one of three-phase process. Residents would be permitted to travel on public or private transport, go to the beach, visit bars and restaurants, and go to recreation centers. Social distancing would remain in force and wearing face masks would continue to be mandatory. The rest of the country entered phase two on the same date, with larger gatherings permitted and limited tourism and transportation resuming.
August 2020
On Saturday, August 8, Cuban authorities reimposed strict lockdown measures in Havana due to a new spike in COVID-19 cases. Under the lockdown rules, bars, restaurants, pools, and beaches would be closed, and public transport would be suspended. This was due to 59 new confirmed cases of the virus, mainly within Havana.
Statistics
Cumulative number of confirmed cases and deaths
Confirmed new cases per day
Confirmed deaths per day
Vaccination
While the Cuban government initially aimed to achieve widespread vaccination solely with homegrown vaccines, it later went on to use the
Sinopharm BIBP vaccine as well.
Cuba has developed two of the 23 vaccines that have entered phase III trials worldwide. The vaccines
Soberana 02
Soberana 02 or Soberana 2, technical name FINLAY-FR-2, is a COVID-19 vaccine produced by the Finlay Institute, a Cuban epidemiological research institute. The vaccine is known as PastoCovac ( fa, پاستوکووک) in Iran, where it has been ...
and
Abdala Abdala or Abdalá is both a given name and a surname. It is a Spanish variation of the common Arabic name Abdullah. Notable people with the name include:
Surname
*Alberto Abdala (1920–1986) Uruguayan politician, painter and Vice President of Urug ...
, are being used for a mass vaccination campaign that aims to vaccinate 1.7 million Cubans in Havana.
From the beginning of the campaign
vaccine hesitancy
Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain abou ...
seemed to be low, as thousands of Cubans were vaccinated voluntarily as part of clinical studies and 150,000 health care workers got vaccinated as part of an "interventional study".
The
US embargo against Cuba significantly slowed down the process of developing vaccines, as it restricted the medical equipment the island could import. Some Cuban research teams relied on only one spectrometer, which is a machine that can analyse a vaccine's chemical structure.
In spite of their relatively slow development process, Cuba aims to manufacture 100 million doses of Soberana 02 in 2021 to cover its population and to export the surplus.
On June 21, 2021, Cuba reported that its Abdala vaccine is 92.28% effective against COVID-19.
Widespread vaccination has been limited by a lack of syringes, which the country does not produce, and vaccine doses.
In July 2021, representatives o
Global Health Partnersannounced the successful donation of six million syringes to Cuba for their COVID-19 vaccination campaign, financed by a coalition of American organisations against the American embargo on Cuba. Cuba already received around 380,000 syringes and needles in June 2021, donated by Cuban residents in
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
and other aid organisations.
By November 2021, 8,679,636 people in Cuba, equal to 77.6 percent of the population, were fully vaccinated.
It ranked ninth in the world for its level of vaccination against COVID-19.
See also
*
COVID-19 pandemic in North America
*
COVID-19 pandemic by country
This is a general overview and status of places affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The first human ...
*
2020 in the Caribbean The following lists events that happened during 2020 in The Caribbean.
Sovereign states
Cuba
Cuba declared its independence from the United States on May 20, 1902.[Influx of disease in the Caribbean
The first European contact in 1492 started an influx of communicable diseases into the Caribbean. Diseases originating in the Old World (Afro-Eurasia) came to the New World (the Americas) for the first time, resulting in demographic and sociopol ...]
*
HIV/AIDS in Latin America
*
2013–2014 chikungunya outbreak
*
2009 swine flu pandemic
The 2009 swine flu pandemic, caused by the H1N1 influenza virus and declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) from June 2009 to August 2010, is the third recent flu pandemic involving the H1N1 virus (the first being the 1918–1920 Span ...
*
2019–2020 dengue fever epidemic
The 2019–2020 dengue fever epidemic was an epidemic of the infectious disease dengue fever in several countries of Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Singapore, and Laos. T ...
References
{{COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
Disease outbreaks in Cuba