Eight days after starting the first post-COVID-19 recovery phase in Cuba, the population of Las Tunas values the measures implemented for this stage as positive and necessary, after a frontal fight against the new coronavirus.

"The provisions adopted in this initial period of de-escalation in the province and in most of the country seem very good to me. These are in tune with the needs of the population and the economy: the fact of resuming the activity of commerce, transport and self-employment, for example. It is logical that the actions are progressive, because it is a way of controlling that the determinations that are taken result so that there are no new outbreaks," said Arnaldo Pérez Batista, deputy director of the Popular Savings Bank in the province.

Yeida Durañona Velázquez, a worker at the José Martí Provincial Library, also applauded the government's efforts at the local and national levels for this period, while urging that the guidelines be complied with at each moment, until the country reaches the normality," she noted.

In her workplace for more than three decades, Yeida, together with the collective, adopts provisions to preserve the health of the staff and the visitors: "The first thing we did was shaking the book collection and do general cleaning. Now we maintain the containment barrier at the entrance of the institution, at the reception, those who serve the public wear gloves and that person is in charge of signing the entry book so that the diversity of users does not have contact with the same pen. We also separated the tables to the recommended distance and we always use the facemask," she explained.

Very close to the Library, Richard Molina Díaz professes the art of teaching; the English teacher at the Republica de Chile semi boarding school highlights the task with a view to resuming the school year next September. "The teachers are currently planning the classes that will be taught at the beginning of the school year. 

In addition, we prepare the premises so that there is only one student per table, for which we have divided the groups. As the school is small and there is no capacity to accommodate all students, we have reinforcement classrooms at the Municipal Directorate of Education and at Manuel Ascunce Domenech Secondary School," said the young man with just two years of experience.

"We must be responsible and continue to comply with hygiene measures. I, for example, travel daily from Becerra to the city and keep the mask on at all times, I try to keep the distance from people and when I get to school, I disinfect my hands at the entrance;” expressed Areli Feria Oquendo, an educational assistant in the same educational center.

Yirka Delisle Rodríguez is one of the residents in this city who has not stopped working in the last three months; her role as director of the Amiguitos del Minint childcare center kept her in constant work, since that institution never closed, although the attendance of infants did decrease.

"The children are incorporated little by little and the educators too, since many worked at a distance until now. Currently, we maintain the containment barrier at the entrance of the center, there the nurse receives the children and maintains the permanent inquiry. We are looking to preserve the well-being of infants and workers," stressed the educator.

At the exit of the childcare center, with her little girl in her arms, Madielka Corrales said: "I am very cautious with hygiene in general and with the care of the facemasks in particular; in the way here, I make sure that she maintains the physical distance from people; I do my best to take care of her health and so I also collaborate with the authorities."

Likewise, Raúl Rodríguez Fernández considered: "We have to continue with the same discipline because the virus is still present and we must avoid a recurrence of the pandemic. A possibility that we must assume with public awareness and responsibility because, in many nations, the COVID-19 has experienced a new acceleration in its spread, which is why the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that countries should not neglect the measures of containment implemented.”