Thanks again to Lucie Lecomte for this report from Misceláneas de Cuba: Cierran escuelas por Cólera. [Schools closed over cholera] Excerpt, with my translation:
Escuelas del municipio capitalino de La Habana Vieja, fueron cerradas en la mañana del miércoles por detectarse en el alumnado casos del Vibrio Cholerae (Cólera). Especialistas del Ministerio de Salud Publica están inspeccionando las cisternas de los centros escolares.
Schools in the capital municipality of Old Havana were closed on Wednesday morning after cases of cholera were detected among the students. Specialists from the Ministry of Public Health were inspecting the schools' cisterns.
Tres niños y una maestra de la Concepción Arenal en la calle Prado #302, y cinco niños de la escuela Oscar Lucero, Egido #64, fueron ingresados en el Pediátrico de Centro Habana por vómitos y diarreas. La maestra fue llevada con urgencia para el Hospital General Calixto García con síntomas de deshidratación.
Three children and a teacher in Concepción Arenal, on Prado Street #302, and five children in Oscar Lucero School, Egido #64, were admitted to the Central Havana Pediatric Hospital with vomiting and diarrhea. The teacher was taken as an emergency case to General Calixto García Hospital with symptoms of dehydration.
El Calixto, ubicado en el municipio Plaza de la Revolución, tiene tres salas habilitadas para atender a personas con sospecha de Cólera. Enfermeros aseguran que los ingresos superan las treinta camas. El gobierno mantiene silencio sobre la evolución de la enfermedad.
The Calixto, in the municipality of Plaza de la Revolución, has three wards equipped to care for suspected cholera cases. Nurses confirmed that over 30 cases have been admitted. The government remains silent on the progress of the disease.
Personal médico realiza un pesquisaje por todos los municipios para detectar posibles casos. Se teme que ocurra un brote masivo, por el número creciente de personas que se reportan.
Medical personnel are surveying all the municipalities to detect possible cases. Given the growing number of persons reported with the disease, a massive outbreak is feared.
Los dos municipios con más casos: La Habana Vieja y Centro Habana. Las roturas en las conductoras de agua potable y las filtraciones de las aguas albañales en los citados municipios, ponen en grave riesgo a la población. Se exige el buen lavado de las manos y el no consumo de alimentos en la calle.
The municipalities with the most cases: Old Havana and Havana Centre. Breaks in the pipelines of potable water and the sewer lines in those municipalities put the public at grave risk. Careful handwashing and not eating street foods are being demanded.As a kid in Mexico City over 60 years ago, I knew enough not to eat street food; an adult American friend of the family was addicted to such food, and was perennially falling ill. But the hazard for us was just the diarrhea known as Montezuma's revenge, not cholera.
After tracking cholera in Cuba for well over a year, I wonder which will happen first: The Cubans will admit they have a problem, or WHO will lose patience and blow the whistle on them. At this point, both are disgracefully silent about a major public health disaster.
