San Pedro Town Becoming a Ghost Town after Almost 100 Active COVID-19 Cases on Island
COVID-19 is ravaging San Pedro where the highest number of cases is being reported. Up to Tuesday night, there were ninety-three active cases of the virus on the island, but during the Ask the Experts webcast today an additional forty have been identified in San Pedro, bringing the total to one hundred and thirty-three for Ambergris Caye. So far, three clusters have been identified involving a nightclub, a church and a construction site. The island is on a second lockdown; no one goes in and no one comes out. While residents are adhering to measures to keep the virus away; businesses are hurting badly. Tonight, News Five’s Duane Moody looks at the new normal on the island.
Duane Moody, Reporting
There are almost a hundred active cases of COVID-19 on the island of Ambergris Caye and the municipality of San Pedro is readily becoming a ghost town. It’s is six days since the island has been placed under a second lockdown with the number of COVID cases increasing daily. Tuesday night alone, there were thirty-one new cases identified from three clusters on the island: a church, a construction site and a nightclub. Today there is an additional forty confirmed cases for the island.
There is little movement on the island; a number of businesses have closed their doors and essential service providers, including supermarkets remain open. Safety and health regulations at businesses are being adhered to.
Dion Vansen, Reporter, San Pedro Sun
“The impact and the reaction from everybody is that they are very worried and they are trying to take all the precautions necessary in order to somehow mitigate the increase in cases. A lot of persons are actually moving around just for essential needs—going to grocery stores or some people going to work because a few places are still open, some restaurants, some stores that hire cashiers and that kind of labour. So there is movement on the streets, but it is becoming very minimal because now that the situation is getting, I would say, a bit out of control, people are taking it even more serious.”
One of the few restaurants that are open is Caliente; providing takeout food only, this is what they are doing to safeguard customers and staff.
Voice of: Employee, Caliente Restaurant
“We don’t allow customers to come in. we have a table over there where we have our water; that’s for the workers so before they come in, they have to wash their hands. When they order their food, they are doing it either online or on the phone and when they come and pick up or we deliver, we wash the money, we take it to the sink and the money that is already washed from yesterday, we give as change. So that to me is very important to not spread it. Everybody here at the restaurant has their masks at all times and we try to keep our six feet distance.”
San Pedro is arguably the prime tourism destination in the country. Annually, tens of thousands of visitors make their way to the island to soak in the sun and white sandy beaches. But the industry has been shattered by COVID-19 and the lockdown is also preventing domestic tourism. The inactivity on the island is hurting the pockets of many stakeholders, including tour guides, whose livelihoods have vanished.
Selvin Sealey
Selvin Sealey, Owner, Belize Master Tours
“It’s a little bad. I understand we need the lockdown, but at the same time we cannot close business permanently. People in the tourism industry have been affected so at some point as the grant and loan will be coming out, it would be wonderful to help the guides, tour operators. Also we have people in the construction business—I think the construction should still be open in terms of helping people financially. A lot of people on the island have to pay rent, water bill [and] light bill. Who is going to pay it? So the government needs to look into these things.”
While there have been reports of cyber-bullying and threats made against COVID-positive persons, there is a call of support for those affected by the Ministry of Health. San Pedro Sun’s Senior Reporter Dion Vansen says that islanders are supportive.
Dion Vansen
Dion Vansen
“Besides some people being bashed because they might have infected other persons, I have encountered that more members in the community are actually showing support to these people that are going through this disease. Some people are actually helping with food, they are checking on them trying to see if the person is doing better because if these people get over the disease sooner or later, it would benefit the island.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
