Cuba opens its borders to receive athletes stranded in Peru due to the coronavirus

The Cuban government exceptionally opened its borders to receive several dozen Cubans who arrived this Thursday on a humanitarian flight from Peru.

Also arriving in the group were 11 representatives of the sports movement, among them the Cuban shooters Leuris Pupo and Jorge Félix Álvarez, along with their coach Meinardo Torres, as well as eight players from the Peruvian Women's Volleyball League.

The Embassy of Peru specified that relatives of travelers will not be allowed to arrive at the José Martí International Airport in Havana.

Once in Cuba, everyone will be transferred to quarantine centers, where they must remain in isolation for 14 days, according to the measures established by the Ministry of Public Health.

According to the report of Radio Rails, the three shooters were in the city of Lima, at a training base for the Tokyo Olympic Games that were to be held next August.

The athletes remained stranded in the Peruvian capital for two weeks, after the government of that country decreed a quarantine and closed its borders due to the spread of the coronavirus.

According to the information, both governments agreed to a mutual repatriation of nationals stuck in the two countries, after efforts made by their respective foreign ministries and embassies.

On March 31, the Cuban government announced the suspension of arrivals of aircraft carrying passengers, both on regular and charter flights, in an attempt to stop the growing spread of the coronavirus.

The decision was announced by the Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, who argued the decision due to the need to “eliminate the arrival of passengers who continue to be a risk to people's health, both travelers and their families.”

He Border closure was announced on March 20, considering as possible exceptions the departures of health collaborators, donations to the country from other governments, or an emergency situation that requires the availability of airport services.

Marrero Cruz then specified that air cargo operations for commercial purposes would be maintained.