At nightfall, the deserted streets of Havana to counter the Covid-19 - France 24

Havana (AFP)

The clocks show 7:00 p.m. in Havana and the famous Malecon is empty: for the first time in 60 years of the Cuban revolution, the capital is subject to a curfew imposed for two weeks in an attempt to contain a rebound in the Covid epidemic -19.

"It is justified, one way or another we have to stop (the pandemic), we have to go through it to see if things can improve", estimates Antonio Pupo, 40, who like his fellow citizens must be confined to their homes until 5:00 a.m.

The island, whose borders have been closed since March, wants to quickly control this rebound in order to revive tourism as quickly as possible, a vital sector for its economy.

From March to the end of July, Cuba had nevertheless held the new coronavirus in check, the infection rate stagnating at 0.6 per 100,000 inhabitants, on an island of 11.2 million inhabitants.

The Cuban strategy of preventively isolating contacts of infected people and sending medical students door-to-door to search for possible cases, has so far proven its worth.

Only 2,700 cases had been identified, a very low figure compared to its neighbors.

But a rebound of 1,400 new cases in August prompted the authorities to take this unprecedented measure.

"What happened to us in April happens to us in August. Intense transmission, with an average of 52 cases per day," said José Raul de Armas Fernandez, a representative of the Ministry of Health recently.

As of Monday, Cuba had 4,065 infected people and 95 dead.

Havana and its 2.2 million inhabitants are the main source of infection on the island.

In the provinces, the contagion has been contained and schools have even reopened.

At nightfall, on foot or by car, police officers patrol the capital.

Only people who can justify an emergency are allowed to enter or leave the city, in addition to vehicles bringing supplies.

During the day, public transport is limited while supermarkets close earlier than usual.

Wearing a mask is compulsory, with very high fines for offenders.

For more than five months, there has been no music in the streets and the spirit of the party has disappeared from the sidewalks of Havana.

"It's something strong, the Cuban is not used to being at home. We are people who, from a certain time of the night, begin to live (...) It's a stressful time, ”laments Miriam Lima, 60, a former cabaret dancer.

© 2020 AFP