Fonseca Supports Stance of PM Barrow on Ebola Scare
Francis Fonseca
Last Friday, U.S. Department of State’s Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that they are disappointed in Belize’s decision to turn down a request to have a lab technician and her husband airlifted from the Phillip Goldson International Airport to the United States. An appeal was made on Thursday for the woman, an employee of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, who reportedly came in contact with specimen from deceased Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan in Dallas, to be ferried ashore in Belize City from a Carnival cruise ship moored off the coast of Belize City. Despite Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s initial refusal, the U.S. government persisted, going as far as flying a private aircraft into Belize’s airspace against the decision of the P.M. Today, we asked Leader of the Opposition Francis Fonseca for his position on the comments made by the U.S. State Department. He too supported the firm decision taken by P.M. Barrow.
Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition
“We expect the United States to express disappointment but the reality is that that was the only responsible decision that Belize could make given the state or capacity of our health system. We know best our health system and what, you know, what risk we can take with that health system. There are so many uncertainties about this Ebola virus, even as I pointed out the day before the Ebola scare at our press conference, even the great United States have been having great difficulties dealing with this Ebola virus. So, I think our government made the only responsible decision that could be made. We have to be concerned about the safety and security of our citizens, that has to be our first priority. So I support that decision, I think it was the right decision, it was the only responsible decision. I am certain that with time the United States will understand that it was decision made on the basis of what was in the best interest of our citizens, just as they would do.”
We note that Mexico also refused the Carnival Magic from disembarking passengers at Cozumel and that on arrival at Galveston, the passengers were disembarked only after the lab technician tested negative for Ebola.
