A Coast Guard Sailor Tests Positive for COVID-19

A coast guard sailor is the first to test positive among his peers in maritime law enforcement.  On Tuesday evening, the Belize Coast Guard was informed by health officials that one of its men was afflicted with the disease.  That individual has since been placed in quarantine and is recovering under careful supervision.  In light of this new development, increased measures have been put in place to contain and minimize the spread of COVID-19 among sailors, as force protection remains the organization’s first priority.  Director of Health Services Dr. Marvin Manzanero commented briefly on the test result which was followed by a statement from the Belize Coast Guard.

Marvin Manzanero

Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services

“The last check I have, we also have one coast guard and I think I had six or seven police officers that have also been infected, not necessarily in the line of duty.  Where we are going because people have been asking consistently where they can go and get tested and even some professional bodies have asked where we can go and get persons tested.  I think we need to stress that we are still not doing routine testing which means that people cannot just show up at a testing facility and ask that they be tested for COVID-19.  We are still doing in as much as possible contact tracing where there is no community spread.  I need to stress and emphasize this because we are being asked how come we are not doing contact tracing in San Pedro.  If we go back to what we had said in March and April and this what all the countries in the world are doing, is once you have established community spread you would understand that there is no real need to be doing contact tracing.”

The BCG’s medical staff is in direct contact with the Ministry of Health to assist with the contact tracing process.