New S.I. to be Passed by Month’s End
Michel Chebat
Meanwhile, the nationwide curfew from eight p.m. to five a.m. has been in effect since December twentieth of last year. And in the Corozal and Orange Walk districts, the restrictions were stricter, with no cross-district and inter-district movement allowed. Since then, the COVID-19 cases in the northern districts have been steadily decreasing. There has been a call for the government to change the current quarantine regulations given the decreasing cases. The United Democratic Party has called on the Briceño administration to update the health protocols and revisit the current quarantine regulations. According to Health and Wellness Minister Michel Chebat, new changes to regulations will be coming at the start of February.
Hipolito Novelo
“In terms of the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts, is there still the need to restrict to and from and within those districts?”
Michel Chebat, Minister of health and Wellness
“That will remain in force at least until the first of February.”
Hipolito Novelo
“But even though their numbers have been decreasing steadily over the past few weeks?”
Michel Chebat
“For us to ensure that we have the pandemic under control or that we have a permanent decline in umbers the positivity rate has to be at least five percent or lower over a period of two weeks consistently. We are not there yet. It looks good but we are not there yet.”
Hipolito Novelo
“I would imagine now the concern is over Belize and Cayo district, would that entail more campaign there?”
Michel Chebat
“Well what we have done out there Hipolito, we launched our Christmas education campaign and we followed it up with a few more ads and what we have done is expanded the testing in both districts and in the south. So we are waiting to see that two weeks period to see where we are.”
Hipolito Novelo
“In terms of the curfew, it was indefinite. Any consideration when the curfew would end?”
Michel Chebat
“Yes we are looking at all of these things and it is our intention to have a new set of rules for the first of February.”
Minister Chebat did note that while Corozal and Orange Walk cases are declining, the Belize and Cayo Districts are seeing an increase in cases.
