Haiti lockdown ease sees faithful return to church

The faithful flocked to religious ceremonies in Haiti on Sunday, for the first time since mid-March, when the government imposed restrictions on public gatherings to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

There is, however, currently a rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

Worshippers attended mass and other religious gatherings, packing houses of worship for hours-long ceremonies during the day, although many centers left doors and windows opened to encourage air-flow and minimize the risk of spreading the virus amongst the crowds.

The Haitian government has officially reported 6,690 cases of COVID-19 with 139 deaths to date, but most experts agree the numbers are seriously undercounted since little testing is currently being done.

Nonetheless, the government of President Jovenel Moise has begun opening the island to normal activity, allowing some commerce and businesses to reopen, and activities like religious ceremonies to resume.

More than half the country lives below the poverty line of $2.41 US dollars a day, making quarantine restrictions difficult to impose and enforce, since most rely on daily income to survive.

The government began reopening the country July 1, allowing international flights, along with traffic and trade across the land border with the Dominican Republic to resume.