Quote:
Originally Posted by The Batlord
I've been given to understand that Latin America in general has a high proportion of low wage workers who are basically gig workers and have nothing to support their families if they don't go to work and so all the quarantine efforts of those countries are essentially meaningless cause so many workers simply have to go out into public because they have no choice. Mexico is one of those countries as far as I know so perhaps you've noticed poor people on the streets doing jobs rather than staying home.
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Absolutely right, Batlord. With no unemployment benefit, and high unemployment, workers were screwed even before covid, taking low wages and unpaid overtime as the norm.
Now people are wearing masks, and shops/banks have a temp check and hand sanitizer for every customer. Restaurants are empty, but not closed. The people worst off are the poor "self-employed" street sellers whose income is what they can sell in a day; they've had no option other than to keep going, selling stuff on the streets downtown, or where I live, cycling around hoping to make a sale. Depressing as f for them I should think.
In my city (population 1 million), we have a curfew at 11 p.m. to deter party-goers: if you're out later than that, you'll have to explain why to the police patrols. Two weeks ago a big conference centre was converted into a decently-equipped emergency hospital, but at present there are only about 30 covid patients in it. In fact, my niece works there; Shout out to a brave young girl.
What are the plus points for poverty-level Mexicans in my city? Free schooling, free but rudamentary health care, and also, most families own their houses. Instead of renting, they have a family house that has been passed down for generations, so at least eviction is not a threat, even though you may have to share a bedroom with your grandma for most of your adult life.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OccultHawk
No matter what the other factors are responsiveness offered a complete solution. Boris Johnson had the resources and infrastructure to beat this and actively decided not to. It was challenging but nowhere close to impossible.
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