I believe that there was a time, and no long ago, when a high percentage of the Cuban population, and in our case, the capital city was aware of the responsibility and therefore a greater perception of risk in the face of the new coronavirus.

But it seems that time has eroded and harshly all those good manners because even when we are in the most complex moments given the increase in cases and the expansion throughout the national territory, there are those who challenge it openly.

Who are they challenging? The virus, the point of getting sick, to infect a family member and dare death regardless of gender, race, and age. The worst thing is that there are cases where there’s no turning back, however, it could be considered “normal” to see people without masks on the streets.

Either without masks or wearing them wrongly, or with a handkerchief covering their face, people working out in public areas, groups of children playing in hallways between buildings, places that provide services without the sanitizing footbath mat.

As if the radio and television weren’t addressing to them and on top of that in a foreign language because if there’s something that must be recognized and is already recognized worldwide, it’s the medical and governmental management the country has undertaken in the fight against Covid-19 and for people's health.

Through the Havana Channel, the Provincial Defense Council daily reports on the situation in the province, new cases, events, indiscipline, and the not so beloved fines of two thousand Cuban pesos that is hard to the pocket.

Yesterday I was visiting a shop. I was waiting in a seat more than 3 feet away from the workers who were behind the counter that separates the client from the working area, and it was not until five minutes later that I realized I was a witness to that.

As if I were at a crime scene, there was a man who showed up, but did not enter, and left, then he approached again, and did not made up his mind to enter. What a strange customer! I thought. The thing is that I only saw the man because he was behind the worker who was giving the service there.

In the end, he was neither a client, nor a strange man, but an inspector who wanted to examine the largest number of centers in his work perimeter, checking that the measures ordered by the government and the provincial defense council were fulfilled.

What was happening? The mask did not fulfill it nasal purpose, and as many people are not used to wearing it, the worker’s mask just covered his mouth. What do you think it happened, pen in hand and a fine on a ticket, and the client stayed quiet because he assumed he had done wrong.

In Cuba the propaganda to good hygiene have been plenty through the different communication channels, the population has been informed promptly about the virus, the ways and formats to teach how to take care of ourselves are wide and diverse.

I don't think a battalion of inspectors is needed to control the cause. What prevails is to raise awareness that there’s a respiratory virus out there, that there’s a risk of getting infected, that it’s possible to avoid becoming infected and you just have to be responsible.

Under no circumstances can we underestimate the disease, as Dr. C. Daniel González Rubio, from IPK hospital explained yesterday at Mesa Redonda television show, "we are talking about a disease of which we still don’ know more than what we have so far."

Likewise, the Minister of Public Health, José Angel Portal Miranda, at the meeting of the Temporary Working Group for the Prevention and Control of the new coronavirus, this Tuesday, stressed that "the battle will continue to be difficult."

“The news from the world are not encouraging where figures keep soaring: until January 17^th, 189 countries with cases of COVID-19 were reported, confirmed cases reach more than 95.4 million, active are more than 21.8 million, and the deceased already exceed two million”.

Translated by: Amilkal Labañino/ Cubasi Translation Staff