Corona in Guatemala II

Antigua Guatemala, 6am

Today it has been 116 days since the first COVID-19 case was detected in Guatemala.

Exactly a 113 days ago the state of emergency was declared.

A solid 105 days of curfew, first 4pm-4am, now 6pm-5am, as well as Sundays.

And 85 days of mandatory masks wearing.

After a long period of a slowly rising number of infections and deaths, the situation is now changing, fast. As of yesterday the number are:

Total number of cases: 23,972

Deaths: 981

Antigua Guatemala, 6am

Compared to Holland, a country with more or less the same population and 50,000 COVID cases (6,000 deaths), Guatemala seems to be not too bad off. But whereas Holland is reopening, in Guatemala we haven't reached the peak yet. And things might get much, much worse before they'll get better. For about a week now, roughly 40-50% of all tests turn out to be positive. But only 2,000 tests are administered per day, often much less, so these numbers are not very telling on a population of 17 million people. Except that they're BAD. But the real number of infections is likely much, much higher.

So what does that mean for daily life I Guatemala? Well, life goes on. Sort of.

I remember once listening to an item on the radio about civil obedience. Someone gave the example of a lone pedestrian he once saw in South Korea on a deserted street in the middle of the night. Despite the total lack of traffic, the pedestrian didn't cross the street until the light turned green.

The very next morning I noticed that a huge sign had been painted on a wall at the bus terminal, saying it was forbidden to urinate there. Right below the huge letters stood a guy pissing.

That pretty much of sums up the difference between Asia and Latin America.

Antigua Guatemala, 6am

The challenges Guatemala faces (a pandemic on top of an infrastructure of severe poverty, a poorly functioning health system, inequality, corruption etc.) aside, the restrictions imposed by the government are mostly considered an inconvenience that just need a bit of tweaking and twerking. It's like trying to block the way to a colony of ants. Whatever object you put in their way, they'll crawl over, around or under to get to their destiny. Guatemalans are incredibly resilient and creative in their ways to make a living. Before the words mask and disinfecting gel were even uttered, they were for sale on every street corner. No public transportation? Every guy who owns a motorcycle now offers rides for a fee. Restricted circulation of cars? No problem, we'll carpool!

When people ask me how things are in Guatemala and if the government is doing a good job, I find it hard to answer. In theory yes. We probably have way more restrictions here than in the US.. Schools, restaurants and other public institutions have been closed. Public transportation has been shut down since the beginning and interdepartmental travelling is prohibited. Even Easter was cancelled! And there is of course the curfew, mandatory masks and social distancing. It has changed the look of the country. Most people take the restrictions seriously. It's rare to see someone without a mask on the streets. If you go to La Bodegona, the famous supermarket in Antigua, your temperature is taken and you're asked to disinfect your hands with gel. Only a certain number of people are allowed in (and it still is always crowded, except at 6am which is now my favourite time for shopping). Most of the times there's and employee disinfecting shopping carts and baskets. The cashiers not only wear mask and gloves, but also a face shield and they work from behind a partition. Every so often a siren sounds throughout the store reminding employees it's time to disinfect their hands. A serious effort has been made to protect employees and clients.

Still plenty of toilet paper in La Bodegona! And you get a plastic fork for free!
For more on La Bodegona and crazy things taped togethers, click here.

But that's not always the case everywhere. In many small neighbourhood stores, no precautions are being taken at all. And pandemic or not, if you want a haircut, your nails done, a massage or a tattoo, no problem! There's plenty of traffic to and from the capital, including from people who have properties in Antigua and who come down in the weekends to party. Social distancing is being practiced on the streets up to a certain point. The Central Park has been closed off and is now the sole territory of pigeons. The already long lines for banks are now even longer due to the marked positions, although never as far as the recommended 6 feet or 1,5 – 2 meter. Other than that, social distancing in reality means that you refrain from getting together in public. Behind doors, birthday parties, meetings and lunches in private homes pretty much take place as if closed doors could protect you from getting infected.

In the meantime, every day I see more obituaries on social media. Nurses, policemen, firemen, doctors, acquaintances of acquaintances. It really is coming closer.

If you'd like to help out Guatemalan families in need (meals or food packages), please contact Sumate Antigua or Antigua al Rescate. 

Please be safe.