HAVANA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The number of daily COVID-19 cases in Cuba continued to drop over the past week amid government efforts to keep the pandemic at bay.

No related deaths were reported in the Caribbean nation during the same period, according to the Cuban Ministry of Public Health.

Cuba on Sunday registered 44 cases of COVID-19 and no deaths, taking the total number of infections to 1,104,979 and the national death toll to 8,529.

At present, there are 274 active COVID-19 cases on the island and three patients are being treated in intensive care units.

Francisco Duran, national director of epidemiology at the health ministry, urged Cubans to continue following sanitary measures to reduce the risk of contagion.

"The virus is still around. This is the reason why it is fundamental for people to continue protecting themselves from the novel coronavirus," he said.

The government has set nationwide conditions allowing people over the age of 50 to receive a second booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines.

And Cuban scientists are planning to apply for emergency use authorization of Mambisa, a nasal coronavirus vaccine, before the end of the first half of the year.

So far, the country has administered over 36.4 million doses of domestically made vaccines, according to the health ministry.

According to official statistics, 9.9 million of the country's 11.2 million inhabitants have been immunized against COVID-19, and 7.2 million people have received a booster dose.

The Caribbean nation has also relaxed health measures for travelers entering the country, eliminating the need for vaccination certificates on arrival as well as negative PCR tests.

Still, health authorities continue to encourage physical distancing, hand washing, surface cleaning and the use of masks. Enditem

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