Havana, a city of two million inhabitants, is the last in the country to start its déconfinement, being seen as the epicentre of the outbreak of coronavirus.
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July 3, 2020 22h57
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Cuba: last of the country, Havana began its déconfinement, without tourists
Rigoberto Diaz
Agence France-Presse
HAVANA — Finally, Lazaro was able to go fishing, Dayli swim and Fernando a run along the Malecon, the famous boulevard of The coastal Havana: the cuban capital, has started on Friday its déconfinement, allowing its inhabitants to enjoy the sea, but foreign tourists will have to wait.
“We are happy, because that’s what we all like: the fishery,” says theAFP Lazaro Castillo, age 55, went to try his luck with his fishing rod.
Came with five friends who share the same hobby, this professional driver has landed at the break of dawn on the Malecon – the place of rendezvous for all the Havanese – with his equipment, not to mention his mask on the face, which remains mandatory, as well as a solution of chlorine bleach to disinfect one’s hands.
“It is all there, happy, but respecting the rules that have been laid down”, he explains.
After three months of confinement where the beaches were closed and fishing is prohibited, Lazaro felt nostalgic for the sea.
It had been three months that the beaches were closed and fishing is prohibited, in Havana.
Photos AP, Ramon Espinosa
He came in sometimes with my dog, we stopped and watched the sea, it is a habit of old”, rigole-t-il.
Havana, a city of two million inhabitants, is the last in the country to start its déconfinement, being seen as the epicentre of the outbreak of coronavirus.
“My first day of freedom!”
If the pandemic has been declared under control by the communist authorities, with a total Friday 2 361 cases, including 86 deaths, caution is in order.
The island of 11.2 million inhabitants keeps its borders closed until at least 1 August, only the cayos, a string of paradise like islands along its territory, as since Wednesday that are open to foreign tourists.
“Merry, July 3, because all of Cuba in the post-COVID-19. That happiness does not make us forget the responsibility,” tweeted Friday, president Miguel Diaz-Canel.
The déconfinement is done so gradually, in three phases.
In the first (which relates to The Havana and the neighboring province of Matanzas, the rest of the country entering Friday-phase two), the restaurants may not be filled to 30 to 50% of their capacity and the buses carry a limited number of passengers. On the beach, the port of the mask is still required.
Buses can transport a limited number of passengers.
Not enough to discourage Deyli Dacerda, 31-year-old mother of two girls: “This is my first day of freedom!”, she says.
“We Cubans, we need summer, of heat, of the sea”. Its like after a dip? “It is awesome!!! I’m already gone I bathe and I will return there, and Monday I come back with my girls”.
As it is, about 200 people rushed Friday to the “Playita 16”, to the west of Havana, to enjoy after three months of abstinence and then a summer heat reigns over the capital.
After-effects of economic
For Carlos Alberto Mendez, 32 years old, an actor and a diver enthusiast, this is the opportunity to share a few beers with his friends. “This is really great, you imagine, it’s been so long that it was locked up!”.
The sea, “it is a space of freedom and so nice”, philosopher-t-it.
A few meters from the beach, Daniel Rodriguez, manager of the cafeteria of the State at El Arrecife, complains sequelae economic of the pandemic: “Here, before we sold for 1 700 CUC (equivalent to 1 700 dollars, editor’s note) per day, today we can hardly 500”.
Faced with a strengthening of the us embargo in force since 1962, and have to cut 75% of its imports in the first quarter because of a lack of foreign currency from tourism for the pay, the country sees shortages worsen.
Friday, a lot of Cubans were not to take advantage of the sea on this first day of déconfinement because they had to queue for hours in front of supermarkets.
“All that I’m fishing here, I put them in the freezer, because of the situation that is going through”, explains Lazaro the fisherman.
Fernando Garcia, an employee of the tourism of 44 years, is, to him, is optimistic: “If things improve”, The Havana will be open “very soon in international tourism”.
Came to do his jogging on the Malecon, he said they felt “an overflowing joy”: “The sea brings to us the freshness, cleanses us, makes us happy”.
