• Cuba reports 1149 new Covid-19 infections, 18 deaths • Cuba's President urges for extreme care against COVID-19 • Short-term forecasts for COVID-19 in Cuba remain unfavorable • Death of scientist who founded biotechnology in Cuba is mourned •

Cuba Reports 1149 New Covid-19 Infections, 18 Deaths

Havana, Cuba.- Cuban health authorities reported 1149 new infections of COVID-19 and 18 deaths, a record number of fatalities in a day since the beginning of the pandemic.

Describing one of the worst daily results, the National Chief of Epidemiologist, Dr. Francisco Durán, informed that sixteen of the deceased were from Havana, the pandemic's epicenter.

The specialist took the opportunity to remind about the clinical reactions provoked by the new strains circulating on the island and urged the population not to lower the guard to avoid the contagion.

Havana reported 758 cases, followed by Holguín (72) and Matanzas (61). Villa Clara reported only one case, and the Isle of Youth zero cases.

Cuba has a cumulative total of 105 661 cases and 632 deaths.

Cuba's President Urges for Extreme Care Against COVID-19

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel urged his compatriots on Thursday to take extreme care in the face of the spread of Covid-19 in the Caribbean nation.

“The COVID-19 continues to claim lives, health, and resources. The contagion curve is not flattening. I ask everyone, maximum care, physical distancing, and permanent cleanliness,” the President wrote on Twitter.

“Only together we can overcome this bad streak,” he wrote.

On Wednesday, together with other high authorities, the head of State led the daily analysis of the epidemiological situation. At the meeting, he urged to attend to the sick until their full recovery.

Public Health Minister José Ángel Portal briefed participants on the behavior of the positive cases and stressed that the greatest spread is found in the provinces of Havana and Artemisa, in the west, and Sancti Spíritus (center).

Short-Term Forecasts for COVID-19 in Cuba Remain Unfavorable

The short-term forecasts of the COVID-19 epidemic in Cuba are still unfavorable, and there are conditions for growth or a high number of daily confirmed cases.

Dr. Raúl Guinovart Díaz, dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Havana, made this assertion in a meeting with President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez with the scientific community involved in the management of the epidemic.

The researcher explained that Havana is the province with the highest transmission of the disease. All its municipalities, he said, have a high incidence and logistical models warn that daily confirmed cases could continue to be high in the coming days.

He also referred to Matanzas, a province with a high dispersion of the epidemic, since all its municipalities have cases this month. The situation could continue in the coming days.

The scientist warned that all western provinces should be on alert, especially Mayabeque, which has seen increased cases in recent days.

In the east of the island, he said, Santiago de Cuba remains in a high plateau of daily cases, and Granma has had a complex situation throughout April. The provinces of Camagüey and Holguín, the researcher added, have begun to increase the number of sick people, especially due to institutional events.

On a positive note, he pointed out that the COVID-19 recoveries in the country exceed 94%, which endorses the quality of the island´s homegrown medical protocols.

Death of Scientist Who Founded Biotechnology in Cuba Is Mourned

Cuba's scientific community lamented on Wednesday the death by COVID-19 of Dr. Gustavo Sierra, founder of biotechnology in this country. He was the precursor of essential results in this area and a teacher of young generations.

Several messages of grief for the loss of this professional, considered by many of his colleagues a teacher, friend, and family member, flooded Twitter, where the career of the first president of the Cuban Society of Immunology and member of the Advisory Committee on Vaccines of the Ministry of Public Health was highlighted.

The Biotechnological and Pharmaceutical Industries Group informed about the passing of Dr. Sierra, who was currently an advisor to this business organization.

For its part, the Finlay Vaccine Institute (IFV) highlighted in a tweet that this scientist was the founder of the center and precursor of vaccine development in Cuba.

He was the principal author of the BC Antimeningococcal Vaccine, and the first patent in the world against meningococcus B, and others in clinical use or various stages of development.

On Twitter, President Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged the outstanding career of the deceased.

"A prestigious scientist, Dr. Gustavo Sierra, has passed away due to COVID-19. In tribute to his work, Cuba ratifies that there will be no lack of science and efforts to defeat the pandemic," he wrote.

With information by Radio Havana Cuba (RHC)