Cuba will keep all non-essential workplaces and schools closed through Sunday as it battles a crippling island-wide electricity shortage and recovers from a deadly hurricane.
Cuba's National Defence Council announced the prolonged shutdowns on Wednesday, saying only vital services such as hospitals will stay open.
The energy-saving measures come as the government scrambles to restore power across the nation, which went dark Friday after its largest power plant collapsed and fuel failed to reach other plants, causing the entire energy grid to collapse.
The crisis was compounded by the passage of Hurricane Oscar over the weekend, which flooded rivers and tore down power lines across eastern Cuba, killing at least seven people, including one child.
By Tuesday, Cuba announced its grid was back online and power had been restored to 70 per cent of the country, although many outside the capital Havana were still cut off.
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