Note from Cuba

Public notice from Cuba

We have a friend who lives in Cuba, they have had a pretty normal life in their small coastal city until today.  Here is a text I received Tuesday:

Here in xxxxxx, Cuba our family (they all have new “Singer” sewing machines), is making mask for: the citizenry, hospitals, clinic’s, students, etc. Unfortunately, much sought after face mask are basically nonexistent here in the city, and needless to say business is booming at a reasonable price of $.75 cents each. In addition there is a shortage of petroleum. Thereupon some food stuffs are in short supply: beans, spaghetti, rice, and cooking oils. Regardless, and as most of us know, with enough money anything that one desires can be found. Furthermore, despite the information available to the public about the spreading of the “Coronavirus” schools had remained open and everyone appeared to be going on about their lives as though the pandemic was not a real threat; whatsoever, to the Island. Not withstanding, today March 24th, all has changed in xxxxxx as far as I can see: schools are closed, the libraries too, public transportation has been shut-down across the provinces, the citizens are not permitted to leave the island and the citizens returning from their visits to other countries must go directly into quarantine for a minimum of 14 days after arriving here in Cuba. And any non-resident Cuban living here has been asked not to venture out of their homes into the streets. For many reasons.

About two weeks ago our family started manufacturing “face mask” because there were inadequate supplies being made by the local government owned workshops to handle the anticipated demand. There were already, long lines to procure a face mask from them, and as a result the our family’s small enterprise has grown beyond our imagination and we’re struggling to keep up with the demand from people just passing by the door on the street, wanting some kind of basic protection from just coincidentally meeting another person on the narrow sidewalks, as they walk from here to there or the spray from another person’s mouth after they spat in the air or sneezed from their bicycle just as they passed them by. Admittedly.

The Cuban people are an independent lot by nature, and they virtually produce almost all the food necessary for their existence right here on the island. But recently because of the petroleum shortages here on the island their ability to move produce efficiently back and forth across the country from where they are produced has been curtailed. Items such as: black beans have been hard to find, red beans are plentiful but 25% higher in price. Chicken seems to be nonexistent, unless you have one in the back yard. Pork, has all but disappeared from the normal places that sale meat, and we’re having to locate a person that has raised and held on to the animal until the prices increased from the normal price of a dollar pound, to a blistering $1.50 cents, before he slaughters it. But because of the request from the government, for all its citizen to take cover!

Today, most Cubans here in xxxxxx have disappeared from the streets. The schools are closed and believe it or not, I’ve not seen one child out and about, but there are many adults meandering around searching for necessities for their families, whereby these strays are masked and noticeably spread apart. In addition, most families from what I hear have a Clorox solutions available in their home for that occasional visitor that normally drops by. This practice —addiction— has been discouraged by the authorities, even amongst family members. Therefore, frustration abounds. In addition.

All those packed buses that passed by our front door just yesterday; one after another all day long; moving thousands of citizens packed inside of them shoulder to shoulder; like earth worms back and forth throughout the streets in xxxxxx, have vanished like some puff of smoke from this one way street. But to my pleasure though; the loud air-horns that the bus drivers blew as a warning just before the intersection 30 yards further on to my right, and just outside of our balcony, as they passed beneath are unheard now, and a welcomed relief for me. As a result though: this lockdown by the Cuban government is to save the lives of it’s helpless citizens. As a result.

We’re safer, but are all, restricted from moving about unnecessarily to: one city or another, or even considering traveling in any direction to a resort, or an airport to take us away from Cuba to another country; if we so desired. The first day. 

My friend said they have had large numbers of tourists recently. Mostly from Italy, Spain and other European countries.  I'll let you know if I receive anything else from Cuba.   

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