Dear Friends,
We join you in love and solidarity as we continue to navigate through these very troubling times.
This morning, I read news that over 4,000,000 million cases have been reported worldwide with 286,000 deaths. Despite some of the toughest restrictions in the world, here in El Salvador we are nearing 1000 reported cases and 18 deaths due to Covid-19.
We are currently under a complete national lockdown and in our second week of “special” orders under which:
For the most part, Salvadorans are supporting our President even under these very strict measures. The fact is our numbers demonstrate positive results with few deaths and a relative few number of reported cases. Of course, as in the United States and around the world, the debate over whether the suspension of civil and constitutional rights is justified for the greater common good - saving lives - is also being debated here.
What we are seeing in the Tam
arindo and in other communities is a tremendous amount of responsibility and compassion for one another.
The Tamarindo leadership is currently directing a checkpoint at the entrance to Guarjila which requires all vehicles to stop. The vehicles are disinfected and each passenger is required to wash their hands and shoes on top of having their temperatures taken. No one with coronavirus symptoms is permitted to enter the community. The same measures are also being taken around the country where communities know they need to protect themselves and their families.
We also want you to know that your generosity has allowed us to continue to pay all of our employees and all of our student college tuition, as some university students continue online classes. We have also been able to help families with emergency food and medicine.
We are so grateful for all your support.
We cannot say how much longer we will be under these conditions, but we do know that every 15 days the government seems to say, “Fifteen more days.”
Know our team will continue working to ensure the safety of our community and we will continue to support our people as needed. We long for the day when we can reopen. For now we ask that you don’t forget us in your prayers and in your generosity, we need each other now more than ever.
In prayer, love and hope,
John and your Tamarindo Team