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"When you talk to Cubans, especially those who work in the tourism industry, they are really hurting and obviously it's such an important industry here," said Collin Laverty, the president of Cuba Educational Travel, which before the shutdown organized cultural visits for Americans to Cuba. We didn't think it would last this long.". The popular beach resort town of Varadero will open to foreigners starting Thursday, with all tourists coming to Cuba facing mandatory testing and epidemiological monitoring while on the island. The first thing is always the health of our people,” Deputy Prime Minister Alejandro Gil said on state television Tuesday night, adding that Cuba's economic situation is “very tense.”. People wear face masks as a preventive measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in Havana, on March 24. "There's no tourists, no income. Universities and schools remain closed. Old Havana's winding colonial streets -- which are usually packed with loud crowds of tourists and locals trying to sell them cigars and Che Guevara souvenirs -- are now as quiet as a museum. Cuba has implemented many of the same precautionary measures implemented around the world to minimize the spread of COVID-19, including social distancing, restricting travel to the island until further notice, and closing schools. He said he knows why vintage classic cars like his Chevy are now a rare sight on the streets of Havana. "What if I get into an accident? Cuba keeps Havana airport closed in response to spike in coronavirus cases After several weeks in which the coronavirus epidemic seemed under … Trump makes loyalty list that GOP will check before joining: The Note, Pentagon plans to cut most of its support to CIA's counterterrorism missions, Trump and his GOP loyalists seek to pile on Supreme Court election challenge, US to get COVID vaccines 1st because it's center of pandemic, big investor: Official, People wearing masks as a precaution against the spread of the new coronavirus walk from the beach in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020. All tourism was banned; bars, restaurants and even the beaches were closed. ", There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. RELATED: Iran and Cuba to Produce Vaccine Together Despite US Pressures Schools in the capital are not expected to reopen until early November, while classes elsewhere on the island resumed last month. Cubans … For more than six months Cuba has maintained one of the tightest lockdowns anywhere in the world to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The pandemic had frozen Cuba's critical $3 billion tourism industry since March, when the first coronavirus cases were reported. Signup today and get the best insiders guides, inspiring stories and latest news from Cuba. Cuba’s reaction to the coronavirus threat was swift. Therefore, so does the number of patients admitted with the disease, which on Monday amounted to 771. All commercial air and maritime travel has been suspended since April 2, and anyone entering or leaving Cuba needs special government permission to do so. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/cuba-coronavirus-lockdown-tourism Coronavirus can already be diagnosed in Cuba Francisco Durán, national director of epidemiology of the island’s Ministry of Public Health, reiterated that “there are no suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus in Cuba to this day.” Cuba has begun the clinical trial of a new vaccine candidate against COVID-19, named Abdala (CIGB-66), in Santiago de Cuba province, in the east of the country. But its response to the coronavirus pandemic — from sending doctors to other countries to pioneering anti-viral treatments to converting factories into mask-making machines — is putting other countries, even rich countries, to … Cuba’s international medical brigade has been nominated by several countries and many prominent personalities, such as Noam Chomsky, to receive the Noble Peace Prize for 2021 for providing international medical and humanitarian COVID-19 assistance to over 40 countries. Agriculture, transportation and remittances also were hard hit, although public transportation resumed Monday with limited capacity. Cuba imposes Havana lockdown as coronavirus spreads Cuba has successfully dealt with the pandemic outside of the capital, Havana, where new cases continue to be reported. Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all, Find out which countries are welcoming US tourists back. Cuba has been almost completely closed to tourism for months. I wouldn't be able to afford to fix my car, and I need to have it ready for when things open.". While the Havana airport remained shut down, officials hinted that more lifting of restrictions was in the works. María Isabel Batista, a 58-year-old artisan, said that while it has been hard to remain at home, people must remain aware of the virus. Associated Press writer Kathia Martínez in Panama contributed to this report. In March, after the first three cases of coronavirus -- visiting Italian tourists -- were detected, the communist-run government said it would heighten screening at airports and that the island's expansive, if battered, state-run medical system could offer visitors "safe tourism" during the pandemic. The World Health Organization has identified Latin America as the new centre for coronavirus pandemic, but over the last two months, cases in Cuba have fallen. Cuba Coronavirus update with statistics and graphs: total and new cases, deaths per day, mortality and recovery rates, current active cases, recoveries, trends and timeline. The Cuban government confirmed on Wednesday the first death from the coronavirus on the island, a 61-year-old Italian tourist who was in critical condition. "There's no one," he gestured at the empty colonial streets of Old Havana. "The country has to provide services, produce and export," said Luis Antonio Torres Iribar, the head of Civil Defense for Havana province. Cuba reported 124 new confirmed patients with COVID-19, the highest daily number since the coronavirus epidemic began on the island.... Cuba Three voices of Cuban cinema: betting on dialogue … HAVANA -- Cuba relaxed coronavirus restrictions Monday in hopes of boosting its economy, allowing shops and government offices to reopen and welcoming locals and tourists at airports across the island except in Havana. "Life has to continue. 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