Cuban National Ballet suspends performances due to an outbreak of arbovirosis among its dancers

The National Ballet of Cuba (BNC) announced on Saturday the cancellation of performances scheduled for November 8 and 9, after several of its dancers were confirmed to be ill due to the resurgence of arbovirus affecting the island.

According to an official statement published on the Facebook page of BNC, the company attempted to readjust programs and ensembles, as was done with the performance on Friday the 7th, but the "unexpected unavailability of other artists" ultimately forced the cancellation of the presentations.

The text, signed in Havana, apologizes to the public and specifies that ticket refunds will be issued at the theater box office between November 8 and 12.

The suspension has generated numerous reactions among the followers of the dance group.

"This is affecting even the practice of the profession," wrote user Edgardo Rojas, while others, like Bárbara Betancourt, called for urgent fumigation measures in the country.

The outbreak of arbovirus infections, which includes cases of dengue, chikungunya, and other mosquito-borne diseases, has spread across several provinces in Cuba, significantly affecting workplaces, educational institutions, and cultural centers.

Specialists from the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) acknowledged that Havana is facing a “critical situation” due to arboviruses, although without precise figures on infections in municipalities like Marianao, one of the most affected by dengue and chikungunya.

In several neighborhoods of the capital, residents report that fumigation is irregular and that mosquito hotspots persist in critical areas, worsened by the accumulation of garbage, the scarcity of drinking water, and poor waste management.

Havana faces a serious waste management crisis, with mountains of garbage piling up in the streets, leading to unsanitary conditions and public health risks. Authorities have attempted to implement cleanup operations, but a lack of resources and the ineffectiveness of the measures taken have hindered a sustainable solution.

Dengue and chikungunya cases have surged in Camagüey, where health authorities describe the increase as "exponential" and warn that the municipalities of Florida, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, and the provincial capital account for the majority of infections.

The central province of Sancti Spíritus is also experiencing an alarming increase in dengue cases and the rising circulation of chikungunya, the official newspaper Granma recently acknowledged.