Cuba is open for tourism but all travelers must bring a negative PCR COVID-19 test result, taken within 72 before departure and quarantine upon arrival at a government-approved accommodation for 7 days and produce 2 more negative results.

The Cuban government plus international organizations such as the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) are very optimistic about “Abdala and Soberana 2”, the Cuban domestically-produced COVID-19 vaccines.

According to Richard Feinberg, a Cuba expert at the University of California San Diego. “It will be not only immediate income, but a boost to the reputation of the Cuban pharmaceutical biotech sector, which will enable them to market other medical products.”

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Cuba reopening tourism – Latest Updates

July 5 – Cuba might be the first country in the world to fully vaccinate 100% its population by the end of the 2021

Great news from Cuba amid growing concerns about the more contagious Delta variant. The Caribbean nation has managed to develop 2 effective vaccines against COVID-19.

Abdala, a three-shot jab has proved 92.28% effective in Phase 3 trial which involved 48,000 volunteers.

According to Reuters, the infections have decreased by 50 percent “since authorities started administering Cuba’s experimental vaccines in masse in the capital a month ago.”

“This is excellent news and fills us with optimism in the region, where there is still a great deficit of vaccines,” said José Moya, who represents the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Cuba.

Additionally, Cuba also announced that its other successful vaccine “Soberana 02” has shown an efficacy rate of 62 percent in Phase 2 trials.

Source: ElPaís

June 15 – Cuba increased the quarantine period for international arrivals from 5 days to 7 days from June 5.

Local scientists forecasted an increase in COVID-19 cases on the island by June. Unfortunately, it has already been confirmed. The number of new positive cases is steadily increasing according to the government.

“We are doing something wrong,” said the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, at the zoom meeting with local authorities yesterday.

Díaz-Canel also said it was necessary to reach out to the population to raise the perception of risk.

As of now, authorities have tightened COVID-19-related restrictions for international arrivals from June 5 by increasing the mandatory quarantine period from five days to one week. This and other restrictions are expected to be in force through early July.

(Source: Cuba Government)

April 20 – Cuba could have its own vaccine against COVID-19 by summer 2021

Soberana 2 and Abdala vaccines should be ready for massive distribution starting this summer according to local authorities.

Both vaccines are in Phase 3 of clinical trials but the government decided to immunize 150,000 hospital workers, before the clinical trials were over.

The Russian Sputnik V vaccine was also administered among the same groups of people before clinical trials were complete. Cuba relies on its long tradition of quality biomedical research and successful domestic vaccine development.

March 16

The island reopened for tourism at the end of 2020 and it is currently seeing a huge spike in COVID-19 cases. Being the island the only Latino country able to create, produce and administer their own vaccine, the government will wait until they got the results of the clinical trials of Soberana 02, the most promising vaccine against COVID-19 that is supposed to start the 3rd phase of clinical trials next week in La Habana, Abdala, Santiago de Cuba y Guantánamo.

So for now, visitors will need to stick to the strict biosecurity regulations to keep themselves and others safe from the virus.

February 21

Cuba is on track to be the first Latin American country to produce its own COVID-19 vaccine (Soberana 2). The country plans to produce 100 million doses in 2021 and immunize its entire population before the end of the year.

Vicente Vérez, one of the scientists leading the team that is developing the vaccine has also affirmed the Cuban government is open to offer its vaccine to all tourists visiting the island.

January 1

From January 15, all visitors will need a PCR test taken 72hours before arrival to Cuba and will be also tested on arrival. An additional test 5 days after might be performed for those not staying at hotel type of accommodation.
Cuba is limiting international flights due to surge in COVID cases

Is Cuba open for Americans?

Cuba is currently allowing American citizens under the same restrictions as the rest of the visitors.

From November 15, 2020, all airports in Cuba are open to commercial flights. It’s recommended for Americans to check with their airlines because due to COVID-19 restrictions the government has restricted some of the airports for American tourists to land in some of those.