Havana's Jose Marti airport opens up again


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A family member came in today and reported that upon arrival the COVID test is not mandatory if you are to be there less than 72 hours, even though it is included in the price of the ticket. They gave everyone 5 drops of some liquid under the tongue "that will make you strong". Probably a vitamin bomb. This might be a Cuban local thingy. T2 duty free is till closed (but full of goodies), there was rum and cigarettes available in the cafeteria. All of the shops outside of T2 were closed but one small cafeteria. Family members waiting for travelers had to stay in the parking lot and weren't allowed in the terminal. T3 duty free many shops are up and running. Upon departure if you have too many CUC's you can trade in up to 300 at the CADECA in the airport for Euros. Lots of hotel complexes like Havana Libre were are closed still. The Dollar stores (like 3ra y 70) have lines all the way to Poughkeepsie, the CUC stores just have a few items on the shelves and still have a line. Many Paladares are still closed. WhatsApp is working very well, but I think you need to have a local SIM card. John  

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On 11/26/2020 at 3:08 PM, JohnnyO said:

The Duty Free stores in Terminal 2 (after x-rays) were closed. The outside store in front of immigration was open. John

The duty free stores in terminal 2 were closed a year ago as well. No CUCs were being taken past security....

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Many of the Casa particulares have turned in their licenses for lack of activity. They have to pay a monthly fee and a percentage of their earnings, so that does not make it easy for them. They can recuperate their licenses anytime they want but everything is too slow. This time of year they rely heavily on European travelers that are there for longer stays. I saw in the news that the Lempinsky (sp?) where Cohiba Atmosphere is, is opening December 14. Most of the big name hotels are still closed. John

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  • 3 weeks later...

Looking at these images from HAV airport 2 days ago it sure doesn't make flying there attractive - plus, the guy who took them had to pay $70 to leave the airport after 11 hours of waiting for his luggage and could only check on its whereabouts 7 days later.

All the luggage lying around the hall is 10 days old ...

 

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After heavy increases of Covid infections in Cuba due to imported cases, Cuba will require a negative Covid test not older than 72 hrs for travellers as of January 1st 21.

https://www.14ymedio.com/cuba/Cuba-exigira-PCR-negativo-viajeros_0_3008099178.html

Cuba exigirá un PCR negativo a todos los viajeros desde el 1 de enero

El requisito incluye que el test se realice en "un laboratorio certificado en el país de origen y realizado en un periodo de 72 horas antes del arribo"

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Cuba just announced that flights from 5 countries incl. the USA will be reduced due to an upsurge in COVID infections ( up to 71% of the cases were from Cuban nationals travelling into Cuba from outside ) since airports opened up :

https://www.14ymedio.com/cuba/Cuba-procedentes-EE-UU-frenar_0_3011698808.html

El fuerte aumento de los casos de coronavirus con origen en viajeros internacionales ha llevado al Ministerio cubano de Salud Pública a anunciar la reducción de vuelos procedentes de algunos países, entre ellos EE UU, México o Panamá.

Teniendo en cuenta "la actual situación epidemiológica nacional, regional e internacional y la necesidad de tomar un grupo de medidas que posibiliten la disminución de casos de covid-19 en el país, se ha decidido reducir la entrada de viajeros procedentes de Estados Unidos, México, Panamá, Bahamas, Haití y República Dominicana, a partir del 1 de enero del 2021", según un comunicado oficial del ministerio.

La medida es consecuencia del incremento de los casos importados de la enfermedad y "de los contactos de estos con otras personas, llegando a representar el 71,5% del total de los casos detectados en las últimas semanas; asociado en su gran mayoría a ciudadanos cubanos procedentes" de los Estados restringidos a partir del 1 de enero..

-----

1/ Anuncia @MINSAPCuba que a partir del 1ro de enero #Cuba reducirá (no explican cómo ni a cuántos) la entrada de viajeros desde: -
EE.UU. -
México -
Panamá -
Bahamas -
Haití -
República Dominicanas://twitter.com/joseraul86/status/1343601687328673792?s=20

 

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12 hours ago, JohnnyO said:

Directorio Cubano says the 6 countries listed above will be denied entry as of January 1st, 2021, not just "reduced". John

Nope, it says that flights will be "limited" and talks are under way with those countries to "reduce" flight operations.

https://www.directoriocubano.info/cuba/ultima-hora-cuba-limita-la-entrada-de-vuelos-de-estados-unidos-mexico-panama-y-otros-paises/

Siendo así se decide, desde el 1 de enero de 2021, limitar la entrada de viajeros procedentes de Estados Unidos, Panamá, México, Bahamas, Haití y la República Dominicana.

Las autoridades de la Aeronáutica Civil de Cuba se encuentran reajustando en estos momentos con cada una de las aerolíneas los requisitos y pormenores necesarios para reducir las operaciones con cada uno de esos países.

In a separate article also yesterday it informs on the percentage of infected arrivals from those countries and warns of "re-opening isolation centres for returning travellers" :

El doctor Durán García explicó “por cada 1000 viajeros que arriban al país procedentes de Estados Unidos, se diagnostican 12, 9 personas positivas al SARS-CoV-2; de República Dominicana 12,6 personas enfermas; 11, 7 de México; 9,7 de Haití; 4,6 de Panamá y 2,2 casos positivos de cada 1000 viajeros procedentes de Bahamas”.

https://www.directoriocubano.info/cuba/cuba-volveria-a-ingresar-a-los-viajeros-que-llegan-al-pais-en-centros-de-aislamiento/

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7 hours ago, JohnnyO said:

Nino...in Cubanese limitar/reducir means shut down. John

Yep, makes perfect sense ... to George Orwell and strangespeak  ?

Have a Cuban friend flying HAV-MIA next 3 weeks, will check on his progress as he is also taking a box I sent of aid/medical stuff back to HAV.

I wouldn't be surprised if the island closes up, cases are surging there - but funny no "limits or reductions" on visitors from European hotspots, only from "mule countries" the gvmt. wants to stop.

Here's a video on the flight ops reduction to Cuba :

 

 

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Nino...here is the play-by-play as explained on the tely this evening. Americans 35 weekly flights from Miami will be "reduced" to 7. Mind you, there is no NY, Houston, Charlotte, etc. They will have one flight on Monday, 3 on Tuesday, 3 on Wednesday. Charter companies will be reduced to one flight a week. They had 10 daily flights. Now you have a backlog of passengers that cant return from Christmas break. You'll have to make it rain or sleep on the airport floor for a week to get out. Charters and AA will have to send empty planes to pick up the passengers. The Cuban economic business model is something out of this world. John

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On 12/29/2020 at 12:49 AM, JohnnyO said:

Directorio Cubano says the 6 countries listed above will be denied entry as of January 1st, 2021, not just "reduced". John

 

On 12/29/2020 at 2:03 PM, JohnnyO said:

Nino...in Cubanese limitar/reducir means shut down. John

 

10 hours ago, JohnnyO said:

Nino...here is the play-by-play as explained on the tely this evening. Americans 35 weekly flights from Miami will be "reduced" to 7. Mind you, there is no NY, Houston, Charlotte, etc. They will have one flight on Monday, 3 on Tuesday, 3 on Wednesday. Charter companies will be reduced to one flight a week. They had 10 daily flights. Now you have a backlog of passengers that cant return from Christmas break. You'll have to make it rain or sleep on the airport floor for a week to get out. Charters and AA will have to send empty planes to pick up the passengers. The Cuban economic business model is something out of this world. John

 

10 hours ago, JohnnyO said:

Looking at Southwest's reservation system they have no scheduled flights until March to Havana, with one weekly flight on Saturdays. They used to have 4 daily flights. John

No idea what Cubanese is or where it is used, but it seems highly inaccurate and wildly fluctuating ... ?.

My last 0,2 cents in simple English here :

Reduction = Less flights
Shutdown = No flights

Spoke to my friend in HAV yesterday and he's booked HAV-MIA-HAV in 2 weeks...

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All flights from MIA-HAV-MIA on American have been cancelled today. There are 5 charter flights scheduled for later this evening that are still on the board. A few from Ft Lauderdale and Tampa landed but the later flights have all been cancelled. Airportia.com shows the list of flights. John

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On 12/31/2020 at 6:14 AM, nino said:

What kind of a wager do we have that your friend does not get on one of those flights?

 

 

No idea what Cubanese is or where it is used, but it seems highly inaccurate and wildly fluctuating ... ?.

My last 0,2 cents in simple English here :

Reduction = Less flights
Shutdown = No flights

Spoke to my friend in HAV yesterday and he's booked HAV-MIA-HAV in 2 weeks...

 

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According to today's news there is a 90% reduction of flights MIA-HAV, down from 4 daily to one daily, Tampa down to 1 weekly plus the charters also reduced.

If the reduction helps to keep mules out or Covid down, the regime will be happy either way.

I don't like to bet on medicines and other HTF aid stuff not being able to make it for my Cuban friends.

 

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Yesterday and today ALL American flights to MIA-HAV-MIA are cancelled. Leaving 1000's stranded on both sides. The Charters did not have any official departures and went down there with empty planes to pick up passengers. They can take the loss as Charter companies are owned by the Cuban governments marionettes. That is to say no one will enter Cuba today from Miami. Yes, you can follow their play on words. 90% reduction and so on. But the reality is, no one is going down there. Sounds kinda shut down to me. John

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