Covid 19: Honduras Edition

Just when you thought you had read everything there is to read concerning Covid-19, it made its way to Honduras. The first cases were diagnosed on March 11 and when Trish and I spoke one short week later, the virus had turned the country on its ear. 

As of March 19, there are twelve diagnosed cases in the country. Three of those are people who came in from another country. The others are people who came in contact with them. It is important to remember that Honduras has a completely inadequate healthcare system in the best of times. These are not the best of times. They never have enough equipment, supplies, or adequately trained medical personnel. Trish pointed out that, if you are a regular blog reader, you already know that if the Sowers family is faced with a serious health need, they leave Gracias and go to a bigger city to find private healthcare. If Gracias is faced with a lot of people needing hospitalization, they will quickly be overwhelmed. The available private health care is quite limited, as well.

Being a poor country, Honduras normally receives help from other countries when there is a crisis. But this time, the world is a little preoccupied. People are overwhelmed and outside help cannot be expected. That’s one reason why the Honduran government is being incredibly proactive and trying to take into consideration the things that have been learned from the experiences of other countries.

Honduras has a few overpopulated cities, with the rest of the population scattered and rural. Approximately 90% of families do not own a vehicle. It is a country that relies on public transportation. Buses are not exactly great places to avoid close contact with other people.

On the positive side of things, the population of Honduras is extremely young. The median age is 24.3 years. Hopefully, this will help the country see fewer serious cases and deaths. Also, there is the yet unconfirmed possibility that the virus will decrease in hotter weather. Honduras is just about to enter the hottest season of the year.

On the downside, there don’t seem to be studies concerning the effects of malnutrition on this virus. As you know, much of the population of Honduras lives in a state of chronic malnourishment. A lot of people are living hand-to-mouth. The new restrictions being put in place will be very hard on people with and without the virus.

How has the government responded?

• The day after the first cases were identified, they closed all schools for a two-week time period. The closures will likely be extended. 
• Soon after the schools closed, the government closed the borders--allowing no flights or passenger boats in or out of the country. No vehicle crossings are allowed, with the exception of those carrying supplies in or out of the country.
•  All non-essential businesses have closed. 
• Perhaps the biggest hardship for citizens will be the closure of all public transportation. 
• All gatherings of more than 50 people are banned. 
• In the last couple of days, traffic in and out of the major cities with confirmed cases was closed. Only supplies can get in or out. This has left some people stuck on the wrong side of city limits. 
• On March 17, police and soldiers joined forces to oversee an epidemiological seize in the country’s capital city. Armed men stood shoulder-to-shoulder and surrounded an entire neighborhood while medical staff went door-to-door checking for symptoms and asking about contact with infected people. These kinds of searches are likely to become more common.
• There are checkpoints on the roads, with police confirming that people have an appropriate reason for traveling, even within the areas where roads are completely blocked off.
• As of last night (3/18), the municipal area around the city of Gracias was blocked off. The Sowers ministry compound is within that area. Stores and pharmacies are still receiving supplies.

What does this mean for daily life? As a resident of Tegucigalpa, the hardest hit city, Rachel said she’s not supposed to go out and about unless she has a good reason. Gracias and other places have the same official restrictions, but they are not being as seriously enforced. Iris went into Gracias for groceries yesterday, and the stores were mostly well-stocked, with new deliveries arriving.

What about the kids in the sponsorship & feeding programs and their families? The kids are home from school and the people are technically under the same restrictions. In the Lempira area, most of the people who live hand-to-mouth are farmers. They are not particularly better or worse off right now. They have the food they were already growing. Most of these families already do without toilet paper. They weren’t expecting to be bringing in money right now, so life hasn’t changed much for them. There are expected to be some challenges since the buses aren’t running. If a farmer has produce to take to the market, he won’t have a way of getting it there. If a family does depend on a paying job, they are probably not working now. Each pastor will be making decisions for how to handle services, Sunday School, and feedings, based on the situation in his community.

Trish did have this to say, “Our model of ministry uses the local pastor as the vehicle through which the ministry work happens. In a time like this, when we’re forced to remain close to home, the ministry work goes on, through the pastors. They are able to continue to use the training and resources we’ve provided, to care for their flocks, during this time.”

Up through yesterday, pastors were still coming by and picking up food for their feeding centers. Please keep them in your prayers!

 - posted by Christi