The second phase of the recovery stage of the COVID-19 pandemic will begin in this eastern Cuban province from July 3, the government's temporary working group established to confront the largest health emergency in recent years reported on Wednesday afternoon.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- The decision covers 12 other provinces and the special municipality of the Isle of Youth and took into account the positive epidemiological situation that in the case of the territory of Las Tunas is reflected in the fact that for 48consecutive days it has kept the incidence rate of the new coronavirus in zero. The province of Matanzas will move to the second phase next week, while Havana will begin the first phase also on July 3.
When making the announcement, the Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz urged the authorities of the territories that are advancing to the next phase to specify in the next few hours, from their respective Defense Councils, the concrete steps that change from one phase to another and how they should be implemented.
In accordance with the previously outlined strategy of evolution to the new normality, during this second phase, the use of facemask will continue to be mandatory in spaces with a high concentration of people; the restriction on entering and leaving the country and the limitation of one suitcase per traveler will be maintained for those arriving on humanitarian return flights. In addition, the limitation on the capacity of premises, elevators and public transport will continue, as well as the disinfection of hands, surfaces and footwear at the entrance to the buildings. For this phase, the protection of exposed workers in risk areas and the daily active inquiry will continue.
The controlled sale of toilet modules and other basic necessities will also remain, as well as the restaurants’ home delivery and take-away services. For state workers who continue interruptions, the salary protection will be extended. In other areas, pandemic-related applications for mobile phones will continue to be free of charge, while promoting home services and e-commerce will remain a priority.
Regarding the first phase, started here on June 18, the main developments are related to the resumption with limitations of international tourism, which will begin to operate only in the northern and southern cays of the Cuban Archipelago without foreign vacationers being able to move to the rest of the country. With the corresponding distancing and hygiene measures, it will be possible to restart the preparation for completion of the 2019-2020 school year, the programmed sports competitions of national rank, and the reopening of the cultural centers, theaters and cinemas.
Non-urgent and stomatological hospital services will be able to function at 75 percent. Additionally, more legal services and civil registry will be restored along with deferred payments of current obligations of taxpayers, with a bonus of five percent for those who make them within 60 days from the entry into force of the second phase.
In the same way, services such as car rental, foreign tourist excursions will return, although only within the mentioned keys. While interprovincial transportation may be resumed on regular routes to and from provinces that transit the same phase as the Balcony of Eastern Cuba.
At the same time, the responsible institutions may grant new licenses for the exercise of self-employment; at the same time that the respective companies may resume the collection of telephone, electricity and gas bills from their offices; as well as the fines collection offices may do so.
However, until the third phase, visits to hospitals, undergraduate teaching activities and entrance exams for Higher Education will remain paralyzed.
