Castro era officially ends in Cuba

Driving the news: Born after the revolution, Díaz-Canel contrasted with his predecessor at Monday's party conference, wearing a suit rather than military fatigues.

• Díaz-Canel has emphasized continuity since becoming president in 2019, and he signaled today that he'd do the same as party chief.
• But he has already overseen an increase in internet access on the island and made it easier to start a business. More economic reforms along those lines could be forthcoming.
• One key question is how closely President Biden will engage. There's little indication that outreach to Cuba will be a priority for the new administration as it was in former President Obama's second term.

What to watch: Cuba is facing an uptick in COVID-19 cases, but it hopes to soon be able to fight the outbreak with a homegrown vaccine.

• That would be a major point of pride for Cuba, which has long overachieved in the medical field for an island of its size and relative poverty.