Corona virus and more in Honduras

COVID-19

The corona virus continues to plague Honduras, as it does most of the world. The major cities, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula are hard hit, as are several of the departments on the north coast. Here in the department of Copán there have been fewer cases, though the situation seems to have worsened in La Entrada and Santa Rosa de Copán.

The president and his wife have been tested positive for COVID-19. He was hospitalized for about 11 days in the Hospital Militar and was released after on July 2. But many people don’t really believe it. There’s a photo of the president getting tested – beardless. He made the announcement with a beard. My guess is that there was sufficient time between the test and getting the results to grow a beard, but what this tells me is the growing lack of confidence of the people in the government.

There have been more tests, up to 2000 a day. Despite major backlogs of testing and reporting results, official reports (as of July 1) state that more than 52,350 tested with 29,262 positives and 542 deaths – in a country of more than 9.5 million people. The neighboring country of El Salvador has tested 170,000 for a population of 6.4 million. The positive rate person 1000 persons in El Salvador from the tests is about half of the rate in Honduras.

There are more and more reports of corruption and malfeasance in the responses to COVID-19. One of the most recent was a shady deal for mobile hospitals which appears to be a clear case of corruption.

There are also continuing pressures on the public health system, with people lining up in long lines at some public hospitals and continuing concerns about a collapsing health system.

ATTEMPTS TO OPEN UP

In an effort to re-open the economy about a week ago, the country had been divided into three types of municipalities (called regions, even though they are not contiguous.) Region one, which includes four municipalities in our parish, could begin opening up slowly. The other regions would have to go about reopening much more slowly. But this had to be revised.  In Tegucigalpa, in region three, they pulled back the small steps that they had taken toward reopening.

In an effort to cut down on the movement of people in the streets, the government proposed a new control mechanism. For the past few months, we could circulate once every two weeks, depending on the number of our IDs. The new proposal would let people go out to banks and supermarkets once every two weeks but in a way that people could circulate in their vehicles only once a month. It provoked all sorts of resistance, including sarcastic memes on Facebook, and only operated for one day. Supposedly the police will be now out in more force, enforcing the circulation of people according to the last number of their IDs. We’ll see.

There are continued serious concerns about human rights violations during the curfew. Also, there are very serious situations in the prisons, including positive cases and even deaths.

THE PARISH

The churches are opening up – but they are supposed to be enforcing strict measures of biosecurity. In the main church in Dulce Nombre, masks and social distancing are enforced, as well as the use of gel. 

Supposedly the churches in the villages, if they are having celebrations, are supposed to do the same. I don’t know what the situation is in other places, but they are complying to a degree here in Plan Grande.

Three weeks ago they were even giving out masks provided by the municipality and the people were told that masks were obligatory. That’s when I began to preside at the celebrations here. The next week I was there and one of the musicians was seated without a mask. I told him that he had to put on a mask; he said he had left it at home. I told him to get it, a bit more forcefully than I should have. He left and sent back a mask for his wife and daughter. There were others who didn’t enter or were told to stay in the last pew because they had no mask. I asked a few and they said they had no masks. I told them to ask the mayor for masks. But I decided to buy some masks when I read that a friend in Santa Rosa was selling them. I got 200 when I went into the city last week.

In the midst of this, the main church of the parish, in Dulce Nombre, has been broken into twice. In the first case, the office was broken into and money and an electric sander were stolen. about two weeks later the church was broken into. The donation boxes were stolen and the tabernacle was broken into. The thieves stole two ciboria, one of which contained consecrated hosts. Thanks be to God, the hosts and at least one of the ciboria were recovered. 

It seems as if the police did investigate and found a larger amount of stolen goods in a house in Dulce Nombre. My guess is that there was enough of an uproar that they had to do something.

NEW PENAL CODE

During this time of pandemic, a new penal code was supposed to come into force, passed by the National Congress which is ruled by the National Party. There are serious problems with the code, including lesser penalties for corruption as well as for instances of domestic violence and sexual abuse of children. The bishops have been rather critical and just recently Vatican Radio had an interview with the bishop who is president of the Honduran Bishops Conference who said that the law favors the corrupt.

But I was surprised a few days ago when I read the Facebook posts of some members of the National Party who work with city halls where the mayor is from that party. The post is below. I hope that this is a good sign of people looking out for justice and not just for their party.

MY LIFE

On the personal level, I’m doing well, largely staying at home, except for the days when I am permitted to circulate in car. However, this may change a bit. The Catholic Church in Honduras has managed to get salvoconductos, safe conduct passes, for clergy. (And this deacon is clergy.) We can circulate for church services Monday through Friday. This will enable me to get to come communities where there are persons preparing for the sacrament of matrimony and who are waiting for the final interviews (which I usually do.) There is a temptation to abuse this, but I am committed to giving the people a good example.

I’m doing a lot of reading and some praying (not enough). I’ve been cleaning the house a bit, finding things I’ve accumulated over the years. I keep trying to find ways to keep my mind active. I took ten hours of Spanish classes by internet and a four-week certificate program on abuse within families (as I mentioned in a previous post). I’ve also participated in a number of Zoom session, two from Maryknoll. I’m also trying to do a little more contacting friends by phone or Skype. A spiritual direction session last month really helped.

I’m also trying to walk out in the community at least twice a week. It’s partly for exercise but it ends up being a way to connect with people. What would normally take 30 minutes walking ends up being between ninety minutes and an hour as I stop and talk with folks, keeping social distance by staying in the road. It’s been a great experience as I hear what people are thinking.

Finally, a surprise. Sunday morning, four men from the coffee association in nearby El Zapote (which exports EL Zapote Coffee to Ames, Iowa) came by and dug a hole (2 meters by 2 meters, with about 1 meter deep) to plant an avocado tree. Since the ground is mostly clay, they added good black dirt, coffee husks (to aerate the soil), and cal. They told me to wait two days before planning the seedling. It will be a few years until I have avocados, but this was a nice generous gesture.

And so life goes on – as the people struggle to survive the poverty and the threat of COVID-19. Please pray for us.

ADDENDUM:

Have I mentioned that two cousins in Plan Grande have a tomato project, growing beef-steak sie tomatoes in a greenhouse. They are great (and cheap - about 45¢ a pound). I just hope that plants keep on giving.

----

Statistics for COVID-19, Centro de Estudios para la Democracia  (CESPAD) and an international website, as well as nightly reports from the Honduras Department of Health.