Tourists Arriving in Cuba Will Be Sent to Isolation Centers and Charged US$65 for PCR Tests

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Cuba will charge US$65, or its equivalent in any other freely convertible currency, per PCR for tourists who wish to extend their stay on the island, reported the Gaviota website.

In accordance with the modifications to the sanitary protocol against COVID-19 announced by the Cuban Ministry of Public Health, international travelers who arrive on the island as of this Saturday, February 6th, will be transferred to isolation centers, Cubadebate reported.

For Cubans residing in the country there will be “established centers located in the provinces and it will be free of cost, as well as transportation to the center and return to their residence once the isolation is completed.” And foreigners and Cubans not residing on the island “will be isolated in designated hotel facilities in each territory,” and will have to bear the costs of stay and transportation.

Likewise, the Cuban government decided to suspend travel to Haiti, and reduce airline flights from Jamaica and Colombia, a measure that had been applied to operations from the United States, Mexico, Panama, Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic, according to the source.

The director of air transportation and international relations of the Institute of Civil Aeronautics of Cuba, Mercedes Vázquez, clarified that these measures are temporary and that “the will prevails to maintain the level of operations that allows communication, even when other countries have taken more drastic attitudes of border closure and operations.”

Tourists who wish to travel to the island must present a real-time PCR test with a negative result, carried out 72 hours before the trip, as was established by the Cuban health authorities since January 10.

Upon arrival at the air terminals in Cuba, travelers will undergo another PCR test, and it will be repeated on the fifth day of their stay.

Tourists must have an insurance policy that covers COVID-19 or must purchase it at the airport itself, worth US$30 or its equivalent in another freely convertible currency. According to sources such as the AFP or the Turismocity portal, the price of a PCR test ranges between 50 and 200 dollars.

The Cuban Ministry of Tourism included the additional charge of the PCR test for travelers who wish to extend their stay on the island beyond five days, although it does not specify the price of the diagnosis.

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