In the Bahia de Navidad everyone is doing their part to stay safe and help each other. As some businesses close down, others stay open to keep the community safe and supplied with basic essentials and information regarding Covid-19.
If you plan on arriving by bus you will be greeted by teams of informed and prepared people waiting to take your temperature and give you clearance to go on your way.
If you wander about town you’ll see many community members doing their part, each in their own way.
Beyond providing food and medicine to those in need, and offering delivery, house calls and curbside pickup, you may see “sharing” tables dispersed throughout the town. These are set up by neighbors and friends who are encouraging residents to donate items so the needy can take what they need.
Julieta Powel’s sharing table is set up from 4-6 p.m. at the library (Biblioteca Publica) in Barra de Navidad, San Lucas 9, Fraccionamiento Pueblo Nuevo.
4,000 families
Dr. Pimienta Woo is spearheading an initiative to feed 4,000 families who may find themselves in financial difficulties during a serious pandemic.
“We are looking for food or cash donations to buy products and supplies locally that will help the neediest in the coming days,” Woo says.
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In addition, Woo has organized and paid for the printing of 10,000 educational flyers that will be delivered house to house, outlining sanitation and behavioral recommendations.
Melaque Medicine Fund
Dawn Didi Aarons is helping with another initiative to get basic medicines to the local health center.
“When the Centro de Salud in Melaque announces that they are out of medicines, it will be difficult to acquire them quickly without a system in place,” Aarons says. “This is likely to happen if Covid-19 strikes hard. There are no medicines to cure the virus, but there are basic medicines to help people through. Access to these inexpensive medicines are often taken for granted, but not for a large percentage of people here. Poor families will not be able to purchase medicine. This fund is meant to help the health center to continue dispensing free medicine to those that need it.”
Aarons says the director of the Centro de Salud, has identified three medications that will likely be most useful: Paracetemol (Tylenol), Loratadina (Clariten) and Ambroxol (for phlegm).
“The owner of Similares pharmacies in the area has offered wholesale pricing and delivery directly to the centre,” says Aarons. “Our test order was a case of Paracetemol –350 boxes for 2,100 pesos – at a cost of six pesos per box. Retail prices in the area vary from 18 to 20 pesos per box. The delivery was smooth. Future deliveries will be based on need with continued communication with both the health center and pharmacy.”
Aarons welcomes donations from organizations and individuals. To make a donation, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
“We offer 100-percent financial transparency,” she says. “A list of all donations and expenses are available upon request at any time.”