The capital of Havana, the epicentre of Cuba's coronavirus outbreak, will be off-limits to international visitors. Unsplash
The capital of Havana, the epicentre of Cuba's coronavirus outbreak, will be off-limits to international visitors. Unsplash
The capital of Havana, the epicentre of Cuba's coronavirus outbreak, will be off-limits to international visitors. Unsplash
The capital of Havana, the epicentre of Cuba's coronavirus outbreak, will be off-limits to international visitors. Unsplash

Cuba to open for tourists 'soon' with coronavirus tests and Havana off-limits


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Cuba will test all visitors for coronavirus when it reopens to international tourism, which will be limited at first to the beach resorts at the keys (or cayos) of the Caribbean's largest island, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz said on Wednesday.

Unveiling cautious plans for lifting Cuba's partial lockdown, Marrero Cruz said specialists would conduct epidemiological monitoring at hotels, where occupation would be limited. Excursions would be restricted to the keys.

Visitors would not be able to visit Havana, the centre of Cuba's outbreak, at first.

Cayo Blanco is a small island of the north of Cuba, near the town of Varadero. Unsplash
Cayo Blanco is a small island of the north of Cuba, near the town of Varadero. Unsplash

In his presentation to the council of ministers, reported by state-run media, Marrero Cruz did not give a time frame for the reopening to tourism, one of the cash-strapped country's top sources of hard currency.

The prime minister said Cuba would open first to domestic tourism and further details would be announced soon.

"There will not be a brusque opening in the first phase," he said, adding that avoiding a new outbreak was a priority.

New cases have dropped to less than 10 per day on average from a peak of around 50, and two-thirds of the island is virus-free, according to official data.

A cluster of other Caribbean islands have already opened to international tourism or will do so this month, with tests mandatory for some and not for others.

Marrero Cruz said public pools can reopen for summer at 30 per cent capacity. Beaches will also reopen, with local authorities ensuring social distancing, but summer carnivals will not take place this year.

Schools will reopen in September to finish the current year with the new one starting in November, while public and private transport will be restored gradually, he said.

Face masks will remain obligatory in all public spaces in a first phase, and then in spaces with a concentration of people.

Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

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UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

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