Havana, March 1 (IANS): With 618 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, Cuba registered its lowest number of single-day infections in the last three weeks, the Ministry of Public Health reported.

With the new cases and four additional fatalities, the country's overall caseload and death toll reached 49,779 and 322, respectively, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry's national director of hygiene and epidemiology, Francisco Duran, as saying on Sunday.

In his daily television report, Duran said the lower number of cases shows "that the pandemic is being controlled, although the problem has not been resolved".

The highest contagion rates have been reported in Havana over the last two weeks, with 203 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Duran warned about the need to increase the protection of young people, after 84 children, adolescents and young people were diagnosed with the disease over the last day.

In Havana, authorities are continuing to apply protective health measures, including limits on mobility and enforcing the use of face masks.

Cuba is currently developing four vaccines that are at different phases of clinical trials, with the government aiming to inoculate 11.2 million people this year.