Authorities reopen Havana international airport November 15

Event

Cuban authorities reopened Havana Jose Marti International Airport (HAV) on Sunday, November 15, following a seventh month closure due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. All ten international airports in Cuba are now open. Each arrival must take a PCR test on arrival and social distancing measures must be followed within the airports. Tourists arriving on charter flights will be taken straight to their hotel, while those arriving on commercial flights must self-isolate for 14 days and may be required to undergo a second PCR test after five days.

A ban on interprovincial travel was lifted in mid-October, except for travel to and from Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus, and Pinar del Rio. Face masks must be worn on buses, taxis, and private hire vehicles. Visitors to Cayo Coco, Cayo Cruz, and Cayo Guillermo may rent cars but may not leave the Cayos. Face masks must be worn in all public places and a distance of at least 1.5m (5ft) must be maintained from others. Most businesses and facilities have reopened with limited capacity.

As of Monday, November 16, there have been 7590 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Cuba with 131 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is to be expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the disease.