People wearing masks walk on a street in Havana, Cuba. Photo: Xinhua

Cuban Minister of Public Health Jose Angel Portal said on Saturday that the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country may be "uncontrollable," especially in Havana.

"We are in the presence of a new epidemic outbreak of the disease that puts our entire population at risk," Portal said on national television when updating the latest information about the development of the pandemic on the island.

Cuba managed to get the spread of the virus under control at first and had even reduced the number of new cases to zero, but the recent relaxation of the quarantine has caused another outbreak, with an average of 30 new cases reported daily.

Portal said that in Havana and the neighboring province of Artemisa, festivals and religious celebrations have allowed the disease to spread.

The Ministry of Public Health reported on Saturday 59 new cases in the country and the majority of the increase are from Havana.

Due to the uptick in new cases, authorities in Havana have decreed the reinstatement of isolation and social distancing measures and have also placed limitations on public transportation.

Cuba has registered 2,888 cases and 88 deaths from COVID-19 since the virus was first detected in the country.