Holguín strengthens measures to counter threat from Omicron
- Written by Lourdes Pichs Rodríguez
- Published in Holguin
- Hits: 943
Holguín is strengthening the measures included in the protocol of confrontation, prevention and control against COVID-19 in the face of the threat of the Omicron variant, which has spread in more than 110 countries and it is estimated that the exponential increase in cases in the last week in Cuba is related to this disease.
Hence, the health authorities in the eastern territory are preparing for a possible rise in positive cases.
Dr. Amarilis Pupo Zaldívar, director of the Provincial Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology, said that in the health areas epidemiologists must adapt the strategies for the active search for cases, timely access to symptomatic, positive and the suspects, as well as studying them and their contacts.
For her part, Dr. Katia Ochoa, Provincial Director of Health, pointed out specific actions to be completed in each health area, clinics, municipalities, including opening consultations for patients with respiratory conditions as cases increase, to avoid crowds and bring medical services closer to the population.
Quarantine and restriction of movements should be established in places where outbreaks are detected, carry out the disinfection of homes with suspects and positives, who will enter care units and specifically those at risk in the Lucía Íñiguez clinical hospital and the Fermín Valdés Domínguez military hospital, while professionals from the clinics and polyclinics will have the established means of protection, while rapid antigen tests will be available in respiratory consultations.
Dr. Ochoa also referred to the start of the booster vaccination in the municipality of Holguín this week, from the arrival of some 500 thousand doses of Abdala to the territory.
In this regard, Dr. Rubén Sierra, an official of the Provincial Health Directorate in charge of immunization, said that before the end of January the Holguín population scheduled to receive this booster dose must be vaccinated, while the rest of the municipalities will be gradually incorporated.
Similarly, convalescents have to go to polyclinics or offices authorized for their care, to complete their scheme.
By the end of December 29, of the total population to be vaccinated in the province, 88.3 percent had completed the three-dose schedule.
