Quarantine Area to be Set Up at P.G.I.A.

Dean Barrow

The order for seven hundred and fifty hazmat kits has already been placed through the Pan American Health Organization. The order will be some time in coming, since those kits are being sold out across the world, for obvious reasons. But Belize isn’t waiting on those kits – G.O.B. is looking to set up a quarantine area at the Philip Goldson International Airport and at Price Barracks, and holding cells at all border entry points. Persons presenting signs and symptoms of infectious disease can be kept there for analysis pending transfer to main facilities or strategically located quarantine areas.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“Any person presenting will be held in isolation at the isolation cell, you would hate to use the term cell but any other description defeats me, escapes me right at the moment. The person will be held there until Ministry of Health can transport them to the quarantine centre in Belize City. We are also looking at other possibilities for citing a quarantine facility. We are getting Mennonite houses to put in various spot but there is already an area a t the therapy wing or therapy unit at the KHMH. I was very distressed because that is where I have visited and gotten some very good treatment and now they are taking it away…sorry I didn’t mean to make light of it. But that has already been identified. We are looking at the possibility of the Cleopatra White. Two rooms there are converted. We don’t want to stand down the services there but in the meantime two rooms are being prepared and if we had to use then of course all services would be cut off there.”

Ramon Figueroa

Dr. Ramon Figueroa, Director of Planning & Policy Analysis Unit

“We’re looking at ensuring that the facilities we are identifying meet the standards for quarantine and isolation. And that is why when the Prime Minster asked us today how quick could we have that set up? Although I wanted to say within a day or two reasonably it will take us at least a week or more to get everything in place. These are basic standards that are set up internationally and we have to ensure that those things are put in place before we even have it as a treatment centre. In the mean time as the PM has said should we have another situation like we had yesterday, we need to have an immediate place where we can deal with someone and that has already been identified.”

The Ministry of Health is also carrying out training for officers stationed at the border entry points, so they will be able to recognize and efficiently deal with any possible cases in those zones.