Churches Remain Closed Indefinitely

Dean Barrow

Unlike restaurants and other eateries that will now be able to expand their guest lists, churches remain closed to their flocks.  The fear, according to PM Barrow, is that choirs, as well as celebrants, would be able to transmit the pathogen through the air when singing and preaching to the congregation.  Notwithstanding the decision, the prime minister says that a representative of the Belize Council of Churches who sits on the National Oversight Committee was part of that decision-making process.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“First of all, there are these smaller churches that we seem to have a problem with in terms of compliance with the current situation.  Also, the question of exhalations, in terms of the choir singing and the pastor preaching and the fact of what is now confirmed to be transmission by aerosolization, if I can use that term.  Those sorts of considerations, I believe, informed the decision of the NOC not to extend that same kind of relaxation or liberalization to the churches.  Do understand though, that this kind of thing is always under review.  The Belize Council of Churches has a representative, has representation on the NOC, in the person of Rev. Andella Moore and you can rest assured that she is extremely conscientious in trying to ensure that in fact the churches are not left behind whenever we contemplate any kind of liberalization.  So for now, the position remains the same with the churches but I stress that is under continuing review.”