Cuban ration lines grow as pandemic spurs fears on food security

Record ID: 1465351

  • Title: Cuban ration lines grow as pandemic spurs fears on food security
  • Date: 23rd March 2020
  • Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (MARCH 23, 2020) (REUTERS) PEOPLE QUEUING OUTSIDE SUPERMARKET WOMAN WEARING FACE MASK AND SITTING ON GROUND VARIOUS, PEOPLE WEARING FACE MASKS AND QUEUING OUTSIDE SUPERMARKET (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL RESIDENT, WILFREDO, SAYING: "Buy the chicken, we are in the chicken line. " (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL RESIDENT, BARBARITA, SAYING: "Imagine, what do we eat?. " VARIOUS, EMPTY SHELVES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL RESIDENT, MIRIAM CAMEJO, SAYING: "Those queues? Us Cubans are used to queues, such situations and so forth. We queue for any little thing." NEWS CONFERENCE OF CUBAN HEALTH MINISTRY LOGO OF CUBAN HEALTH MINISTRY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN HEALTH MINISTRY'S EPIDEMIOLOGY CHIEF, FRANCISCO DURAN GARCIA, SAYING: "Up until now we haven't seen (domestic) transmission of the disease in Cuba, but that should not lower the population's perception of risk. We have to behave as if there has already been a transmission, which we do not have. But everything we do is for protection, and the involvement of each person in this is extremely important so as to prevent transmission and an increased risk of the disease." WOMAN FILLING A CONTAINER WITH CHLORINE PEOPLE QUEUING TO BUY CHLORINE VARIOUS, MAN FILLING A CONTAINER WITH CHLORINE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LOCAL RESIDENT, OLGA AVILSA, SAYING: "I am buying sodium hypochlorite for cleaning the house, hands, and as a preventive measure. It's at a very affordable price and it works for everything, leaves everything perfect." VARIOUS, PEOPLE QUEUING OUTSIDE SUPERMARKET EXTERIOR OF HAVANA'S CAPITOL GENERAL VIEW OF HAVANA VESSEL IN THE PORT OF HAVANA
  • Embargoed: 6th April 2020 21:09
  • Keywords: COVID-19 Cuba Havana coronavirus food health ration
  • Location: HAVANA, CUBA
  • City: HAVANA, CUBA
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA001C69YA13
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: In Havana, hundreds of people queued outside supermarkets to buy groceries and cleaning products as the global coronavirus pandemic spurs food security fears.
    Locals ignored social isolation measures put in place by the government, forming long lines outside shops selling rationed food and other products.
    Despite fears of contracting the coronavirus, Cubans can spend several hours a day lining up to buy groceries.
    Since 2018, the island nation has seen its economy reel largely under U.S. sanctions, hitting the availability of food and toiletries. According to some locals, the situation has got worse since the pandemic.
    The Cuban Health Ministry reported on Monday (March 23) that the country has 40 cases of coronavirus. Although domestic transmission of the virus has not reportedly been identified, authorities are warning locals to be exercise caution.
    (Production: Mario Fuentes, Nelson Gonzalez, Rodrigo Gutierrez)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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