By Saturday, base officials had closed the school for the sailors children, gyms for prison guards and other residents, the church complex, the barbershop, ball fields and swimming pools and were requiring restaurants to offer only takeout. The commissary remained open, with shoppers limited in number.
The base is a 45-square-mile outpost in southeast Cuba, with a small community hospital and limited health care facilities. While the military has said the base has some coronavirus rapid-testing capacity, Guantánamo has consistently sent samples to the mainland United States for more comprehensive testing.
The restrictions recalled those in March, the earliest months of the pandemic, when the military imposed strict limitations after a sailor returning from leave became sick, tested positive for the virus and was put under quarantine. Soon after, officials adopted a policy of not disclosing the number of cases of the virus on the base, if any.
Diving in the bay, a favorite pastime on long holiday weekends such as the one preceding Columbus Day, which is observed on Monday, was also canceled, as was a 5-kilometer run on Saturday morning celebrating the 244th birthday of the U.S. Navy, a community tradition.
I understand this is a challenging situation for everyone here, particularly given the holiday weekend, the base commander, Capt. John A. Fischer of the Navy said in an open letter to residents Saturday night. Please use this off-duty time to rest and recharge safely.read more
Guantánamo Bay Navy Base Raises Health Alert and Closes Facilities
