Where Will We End Up in Cuba?

By Safie M. Gonzalez

HAVANA TIMES – The current situation is worrying again, especially in Havana, where new positive cases of COVID-19 are appearing every day.  We have gone back to phase 0 of the recovery process, all thanks to some people’s lack of awareness.

Going into phase 1, which happened just over a month ago, I had a few things pretty clear. The first, no beach, as it’s the holidays and “coming out” of the pandemic, it’s clear that this would be the perfect destination for most Cubans.

Secondly, not to visit anyone for now, because if everybody begins to visit each other, to give each other hugs and kisses, when the chance of asymptomatic cases is real, then the result could be (and is in fact) chaos. This is exactly why we have had to take a step back, and our Havana is back in phase zero.

I left home very few times, as I live with a person who is at high-risk and I don’t want to expose her at all. However, the times I’ve had to go into work, I’ve taken every hygiene and protective measure. That’s when I experienced the reality we are living in right now, the one that has put back at the starting line.

My experience in the much-needed bus wasn’t exactly promising. Let’s start with the fact that the bus was absolutely packed, clearly there was no regard for what had been announced on the TV news, as well as on Mesa Redonda, (not more than 25 people standing up on normal buses, and not more than 45 on an articulated bus). Many people I saw on my way when I got off the bus, whether they were sitting on a street corner or walking calmly, were not wearing a mask.

Parties have started up again too. I’m not referring to the events that have been reported in recent days on TV, those too, but I’m talking about the block parties that kick off anywhere in the capital. A few nights ago, I heard really loud music playing near my home, while the residents and their (many) guests sung along while playing a game of dominoes.

Where will we end up? I don’t know. At this point, when irresponsibility and a lack of common sense of many people can be seen, you can take a guess.