Cuba Sets New Entry Protocols For Travelers From Africa & Asia

From Dec. 4, Cuban authorities will apply new entry protocols for travelers from Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong, Turkey, and Africa due to the Omicron COVID-19 strain appearance in these countries. 

US Imposes New Punitive Measures on Cuban Officials

Travelers from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Malawi, and Mozambique must present a vaccination certificate and a negative result of a PCR test performed no over 72 hours before their trip to Cuba.

Once in Cuba, they must remain in mandatory quarantine for seven days in a designated hotel, in which they will get two PCR tests: one on the day of arrival and the other on the sixth day of isolation. If travelers test negative for COVID-19, they will be released from quarantine. However, if their PCR test's result is positive, they should stay in health or isolation centers until they overcome the disease.

Visitors from Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong, Egypt, Turkey, and Sub-Saharan Africa are not required to stay in quarantine. However, they must also present a vaccination certificate and a negative PCR test result to enter Cuba

To the rest of international travelers, authorities will apply the same protocols established on Nov. 15, when the country's borders to tourists re-opened. These procedures include performing COVID-19 tests randomly at the airport, surveilling tourists with disease symptoms, and requiring a vaccination certificate or a negative result of a PCR test to enter the country.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the Omicron strain’s high transmissibility rate was worrying. Cuban authorities, however, do not plan to end tourist activities completely since over 81,2 percent of the population has been fully immunized with over 90-percent efficient Abdala, Sovereign 02, and Sovereign Plus coronavirus vaccines, which are locally produced.

"We will closely follow the WHO reports on the Omicron strain, to which we will develop specific vaccines if necessary," BioCubaFarma President Eduardo Martinez assured.