I haven’t been on vacation since 2014. I went to Las Vegas where I couldn’t actually enjoy the best parts of this amazing city because I was 13 years old. Needless to say, I was very excited to go on my vacation to Cuba now that I am 20 years old. What I didn’t realize was that this would be the most stressful vacation, as a global pandemic broke out the day after I arrived.
Cuba is beautiful. Tropical plants and flowers grow everywhere, the cities are colourful, the people are incredibly friendly. I tried to focus on enjoying the experience, but it was very difficult to shake the looming worry over what was going on in the rest of the world. But the strangest thing was that it seemed that none of the resort employees were worried. My family started to wonder if they weren’t aware of the severity of the issue.
One night, my brother spoke with a bartender who asked if we would be heading home soon. The man told my brother that he was afraid of the effect that this virus could have on Cuba, as tourism is their greatest economic source. But he recognised that it was more important to isolate, and he said, “We need to get everyone out of here so that we can be safe.” The employees knew, but they remained calm.
Cuba had only 3 cases of Covid-19 when I was still there, and all were located in Havana, which was 500 miles West of where I was in Cayo Santa Maria. Now, Cuba has 139 cases, which is extremely low compared to the numbers around the world. Certainly being on an island must contribute to their lack of exposure to this virus, but what is that Cuba is doing right about this?
I learned a lot about the culture while I was there. I made friends who told me what their lives are like, and I saw things that were difficult to accept as a reality. Some resort employees live in shacks that are hidden just off of the resort land, and they each get a bunk and a rack for all of their belongings. Some lived hours away, and had to hike, hitchhike, and bus two or more hours to work every day. People living in the cities like Caibarien and Remedios live in striking poverty, and work extreme hours to make ends meet.
Now, with the halt of air traffic, thousands of employees of the tourism industry will lose their jobs. When I asked my friend what he was going to do, he laughed and said, “I don’t know, I can survive.” This struck me, and I admired him for his attitude over this. While the North Western world has been panicking out of fear, we have seen the number of Covid-19 cases rise. Cubans have an attitude unlike that in North America.
Cuba has a sense of community that we are lacking. A sense of togetherness and interdependency that I noticed throughout my experience. Everyone knows everyone, and they are all kind to one another. In Cuban communities, neighbours help and support one another. It is much easier to remain calm when you know that someone always has your back.
But this is also what I believe Cuba is doing right in regards to preventing the spread of the Covid-19. The number of cases has grown exponentially in North America while citizens brawled in grocery stores over toilet paper. People in North America have been ignoring government orders to remain inside. In fact, a North Carolina man was arrested for claiming that he tested positive for the virus in a video filmed in a Walmart. Although he has since admitted that the claim was false, a statement that was made in the video stuck with me. He said, “Fuck y’all, […] I gotta eat too, so y’all just gotta deal with it.” This is the North American attitude: individuality to the point of mere selfishness and entitlement.
There is no sense of community in North America. Each person behaves as if they are the only person that exists, and we can see this in so many different ways. Ever see that person that takes up two parking spaces? People that put “placeholders” on gym equipment? People that never thank customer service employees? I wave and say hello to my nextdoor neighbour in my apartment complex everytime I run into her in the parking lot. To this day, she has never even looked at me, and it is as if I don’t even exist. In North America, if you aren’t helping someone get something, then they likely won’t acknowledge you, let alone help you.
So why is Cuba better off as it pertains to surviving a global pandemic? Because in this time of hardship a community of people that are dedicated to working together, to protecting one another, will prevail over a community of people that work only to help themselves.
There have been improvements since this pandemic has become life-altering, like people adopting a greater sense of togetherness. But until we flatten the curve, it isn’t enough.
Stay home, don’t be selfish. Let’s work together as a community.