Cuba resumes mandatory quarantine for tourists

The government in Cuba stated that tourists visiting the island and Cubans returning to the country will be forced into quarantine, in a bid to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and resuming similar measures that were put in place in 2020. 

As of January 30, tourists and Cubans living in other countries will undergo full isolation upon arrival until they present negative coronavirus tests, which will be administered within five days. These control measures helped to detect the Covid-19 infection of former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who visited Cuba at the end of last year. 

Exceptions are in place for Cuban citizens returning home and diplomats: the former will be allowed to wait for their test results in state-controlled centers paid for by the government, while the latter will be allowed to quarantine at home. 

Cuba has recorded more than 25,000 Covid-19 infections and 213 deaths — the lowest per capita coronavirus numbers in Latin America. Cuba recently detected the presence of a new coronavirus variant within its population.

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