Residents returning to Cuba placed in quarantine center

The government has set up dozens of quarantine centres around the island, usually in camping and other tourist sites to monitor travellers from overseas.

Some 180 returning Cubans from Nicaragua, Russia and the United States are housed in the "Aguas Claras" quarantine centre, about 7 kilometres outside the tobacco growing centre of Pinar del Rio, on the islands western end.

They have medical support and are provided with meals, and if they show any symptoms of Covid-19, they are sent to nearby hospitals for treatment.

So far, no patients from "Aguas Claras" have been hospitalized.

Cuba is on lockdown until the end of April, and no travellers are allowed to visit unless they are foreign residents returning home, or Cuban citizens who live on the island.

Health authorities say there are 170 confirmed cases of Covid-19 on the island as of March 30, with three deaths and another 2,681 in quarantine and observation.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.