Between Life, the Curve and the Hammer Blow: Family, Poverty and Abandonment in the Time of COVID-19 in Lima, Peru

Abstract

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic brought anxiety, contagion and death to Peru, which registered 288,477 cases after the first 100 days of the outbreak, leading to a state of emergency. The quarantine measures and mobility restrictions characterized as the “hammer blow” produced significant impacts on the most vulnerable and poor populations across the country. While the Peruvian government implemented a subsidy that augmented social welfare programs, unfortunately many poor families and independent workers were left out. The resulting impact of COVID-19 and the quarantine measures has exacerbated existing inequalities in Peruvian society, particularly along the lines of gender and class. This article uses extensive survey and other data from the city of Lima to analyze the social experience of the pandemic from the perspective of the family, the impact of the pandemic on the domestic economy and household management, and finally the dilemmas of care and routines within families.