Are Hoteliers Willing to Accept Repatriated Belizeans for Quarantine Period?

Ted Tejada

One last issue on the tourism industry…In his press conference last week, Prime Minister Dean Barrow spoke about the repatriation of Belizeans stranded in other countries. They are expected to return to the country by the end of May. But we are told that securing hotels rooms has become a problem to quarantine the returning Belizeans. We asked Ted Tejada of the Belize Hotel Association about it. He says that he understands the concerns a hotelier might have.

Ted Tejada, President, Belize Hotel Association

“I am aware of it; as a matter of fact, there is a cruise line with about fourteen Belizeans that work in the cruise industry that are stuck at sea for over fifty days. They haven’t been able to dock. And I understand that there are a lot of students that have now the schools have closed, they finished their degrees and they need to come back to Belize. It is expensive to live outside if you really don’t have anything to do. I believe they should be allowed to come into the country. I know that the medical team and the task force is taking every precaution in order that nobody gets infected. Definitely whichever hotel they choose to stay, I spoke with the C.E.O. of Tourism, the Director of Tourism that there needs to be protocols and the protocols have been established that they need to follow because to be honest, locked in a room for twenty-one days, it is a lot of days. So the hotel has to have some measures on how they will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner; allow these individuals to survive. How will we do your laundry during the time you are staying? And I am sure that they are taking every measure to make sure that whichever property they choose, they have laid down what are the rules and policies for these individuals coming in.”