Havana, Feb 2 (ACN) Vaccines alone cannot put an end to the COVID-19 epidemic, warned Cuban Health Minister Jose Angel Portal Miranda and insisted that the people must act with prudency and responsibility in the country’s current epidemiological scenario.
In an article posted on the Health Ministry’s website, the official insisted in the need to be careful since anybody can still get infected with the virus. He said that the knowledge we have about the COVID-19 and the damage it inflicts on health, only indicate the need for us to take care.
The minister recalled that Cuba reported an increase in the number of cases last week, with 76 thousand 198 patients. However, the figure—well over 70 thousand 157 cases detected in October—has not led to a proportional increase in the number of hospitalizations, in serious conditions or deaths. And this is due, according to the Minister, to a less frequent cases in serious conditions, despite the high transmissible Omicron variant.
The minister also referred to high immunity levels reached with the advancement of the vaccination of the Cuban people: Over 9.8 million Cubans completed their vaccination scheme by January 31, and more than 5.3 million had already had a booster shot by that same date.
The top health official said the Omicron variant has posed a challenge for science and the country, while all necessary actions are underway.
The Havana-based Pedro Kouri Tropical Medicine Institute has counted on the necessary technology to identify on time the circulation on the island of the five SARS-CoV-2 variants (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron), the D614G and another 12 variants.
Since the pandemic hit the island in March 2020, local health authorities have reported 1 million 047 thousand 860 patients diagnosed with the virus; 8 thousand 415 deaths and 1 million 28 thousand 263 recovered patients.
The lethality reported by the pandemic in Cuba is at 080 percent against 1.5 percent around the world and 1.84 percent in the Americas.