January, 2022
Dear Friends of Liga MAC
Celebrating is a term we use lightly in these days of pandemic shutdowns. But it is important especially now to relish past and present accomplishments. Our profile this month is of Liga MAC’s 25 years of service in San Jose del Cabo.
We will also share how the COVID pandemic is impacting the Los Cabos public school system curriculum, and provide an update from Dr. Deneb Poli regarding our community rising COVID numbers.
As noted in Doctor’s Corner, the school year will begin September 13. This will give public schools an opportunity to organize classrooms for a hybrid model restart and to survey parents regarding their concerns regarding in-school vs. online learning.
For Liga MAC pandemic online learning has emphasized one important fact: the majority of students are not disciplined enough to maintain their studies via online learning. Even in pre-pandemic times the student/teacher ratio and lack of access to extracurricular resources limited students’ abilities to excel.
In order to give our students that extra “little push”, the Board of Directors of Liga MAC together with a major sponsor, have decided to initiate a capital campaign to design and build a new Centro de Apoyo Learning Centre that will encompass classrooms, a library, a computer centre, a healthy cooking kitchen, and an outdoor space large enough to host small events.
There will be more information in the coming months as plans are developed and opportunities for you, our loyal donor base, to become involved.
Finally, we are excited to announce that Liga MAC’s 25th Anniversary Celebration will be held at Querencia on March 30, 2022! The event will be underwritten by Tom and Bonnie McCloskey, the owners of Querencia, so that ALL proceeds will go to Liga MAC!
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To secure your seat or table please contact: elva@ligamac.org
Hope to see you there!
by Dr. Deneb Poli
The current COVID-19 situation in BCS has taken a turn for the better, we are currently over the third wave and have reached a new plateau. Los Cabos is now at “Level 2” and cases have decreased dramatically as well as hospitalization.
We are still vigilant and continue to encourage social distancing, hand washing and mandatory use of masks in public spaces is still in place.
The federal government’s efforts to accelerate the vaccination rate in BCS has paid off. We are now finishing second doses for those over 18 years of age. This has helped to decrease severe illness and in turn hospitalizations. Despite the fact that vaccination for those over 12 years of age has been approved there is no date in place for when this will start.
Schools were to start August 30th but by order of the governor this has been set back to September 13th due to the fact that many public schools have yet to be in conditions to operate. Many are missing electrical wiring, as this was stolen during the shut down, there are broken windows, piping is missing and they desperately need to be cleaned and sanitary measures put in place in order to receive children back into schools. Face masks will be mandatory and children can stay home and continue virtually if they would like to.
A divorced mother of 2, Suri has struggled her entire life to overcome the extreme poverty into which she was born. When she was 5 years old, her family hoping for a better life, relocated to Los Cabos from Hidalgo.
At 17 she was pregnant. Suri returned to her family dejected and depressed. She found work cleaning houses but it was still not enough to support her family. When her son was about to start junior high school, Suri feared she would not be able to afford the added expense of uniforms and tuition and thus prohibit him from moving forward with his education.
A friend mentioned Liga MAC. Suri applied, was interviewed, and her son was accepted into the student support program. Soon his schooling was back on track. Suri herself returned to school through the INEA adult education program and completed her high school education allowing her to find better employment.
Her relationship with Liga MAC blossomed into what Suri describes as “a major act of love”. When her employment was terminated due to the pandemic, Liga MAC provided food vouchers and a laptop and internet access for her son.
August-September 2021
Dear Friends of Liga MAC,
When a student is accepted into Liga MAC’s student support program, that support is viewed as all encompassing and may include counselling, medical assistance, or basic needs support for not just the student but also for his or her immediate family. External forces, whether they be hurricanes, pandemics, or an unemployed parent all exert emotional, physical, or psychological pressure which in turn affects a student’s performance.
Liga MAC has taken a holistic approach to our students’ welfare. As the pandemic continues to evolve, we will examine its affect on not only our students’ performances but their families’ circumstances. This month we will profile one parent’s journey to grow as a parent and as a person. We will also look at the affect of the pandemic in an unofficial poll of our students and give you a head’s up on two exciting new developments!
As mentioned earlier, the pandemic has taken an unknown toll on our students and their families. To get a better handle on how many have been affected and to what extent, Elva and her staff set up a Google Forms questionnaire and sent it out to all 233 students currently enrolled in Liga MAC’s student support program.
The following results from 196 respondents will inform our decisions going forward and may be surprising to some:
1.- Have there been COVID infections in your immediate family?
Results: 40% responded YES
2.- How many members of your family tested positive for COVID?
Results: 30% responded that 2 or more family members tested positive; 2% responded that the student tested positive; 7% responded that the entire family tested positive.
3. Were there serious hospitalizations? Results: 5% needed to go to hospital.
4. Were there any deaths? Results: 2 deaths.
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By Dr. Deneb Poli
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The current COVID-19 situation in BCS is critical. Specifically Los Cabos and La Paz are now at “Level 5: Critical” and are on the brink of a full lock down. Measures are being taken locally by governing bodies to try and mitigate the propagation of the virus.
The local population and tourists are reminded of the mandatory use of masks, are encouraged to wash hands frequently and socially distance in order to prevent further spread. Hospitals, both private and public, are all at maximum capacity.
Currently extremely high demand for COVID testing, hospitalization, and consultation has created a strain on resources. BCS is third nationally for active COVID-19 cases per capita. Six out of every 10 people tested for COVID are positive. The federal government has accelerated the vaccination rate in BCS in an effort to vaccinate as many people as possible.
Vaccination registration has begun for those over 30 years old and on June 24 the government announced that the Pfizer vaccine had been approved for those over 12 years of age.
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Sergio Amador
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Luis Herrera
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June 2021
Dear Friends of Liga MAC,
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Just two weeks after our last update, where we painted a rosy picture of the coming days in Los Cabos, the unthinkable happened: a sudden and violent spike in COVID cases. Even though vaccinations continue, the local hospitals are now filled to capacity. Dr. Deneb Poli will clarify the current situation in Los Cabos later in this update in her “Doctor’s Corner” segment.
Meanwhile, Liga MAC’s Educational Support Program Coordinator, Karen Castro, was stricken with COVID and her husband, Omar, was hospitalized. Gracias a Dios they are both now recovering.
Returning to a higher level of restrictions (level 5 from level 3) on June 23 has effectively shut down most activities and certainly any thoughts of in person celebrations for Liga MAC’s graduating students. In our profile this month though, we will celebrate 3 of our graduates.
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by Dr. Deneb Poli
COVID cases are still on the decline in Los Cabos, as are hospitalized patients which means that transmission is decreasing.
Frequent hand washing, mask use and general sanitary measures are still encouraged, as well as distancing.
Vaccination has continued and the government is now closing its first round of vaccination for over 50 year olds and pregnant women over 18 years of age. Second doses will likely be available in 3-4 weeks time and appointments for these vaccinations are made online.
Los Cabos also experienced a 4.3° earthquake (on the Richter scale) on May 9th at 01:48 hours. I strongly encourage everyone to be prepared not only for this type of an event but also for hurricanes as we move into the season. Please make sure you have taken a look through your first aid kit, cleaning out and replacing any expired supplies and preparing yourself with canned foods, water and enough prescription medication in case of a meteorological event.
Remember to respect signage and warning flags at local beaches as waves grow and tides become stronger over the summer season in Los Cabos. Temperatures are beginning to increase so carrying a water bottle, electrolytes, a hat and sunscreen are more important at this time of year.
Enjoy the warm weather, pool season and beaches responsibly, maintain
safe distancing and have fun!
