Corozal Free Zone to open with strict protocols & only 1,000 employees return to work.

When it comes to the Corozal Free Zone reopening, Minister Musa says the COVID-19 prevention protocols will be stringent and will only allow one-third of employees to return to work. As we’ve reported, Cabinet decided to reopen the Free Zone on February first and formed an inter-ministerial committee to review plans and protocols for the reopening. Part of the readiness includes the hiring of compliance officers to monitor activities in the Corozal Free Zone and the installation of a walk-in tunnel, temperature monitor, and rapid testing for anyone showing signs or symptoms of COVID-19. Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa sits on the committee.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“We had a meeting yesterday, the committee met to discuss the regulations. They are going to be a little more stringent than the normal regulations so we have to look at that very carefully because there is always this tug-of-war between business and the economy and the healthcare and wellness of our people. So, we have to look at those regulations and there have been. So, we have to look at those regulations, we have been, and there was an initial presentation made by the Ministry of Health yesterday and we are in agreement with all of those regulations and that will be put to cabinet next Tuesday for consideration.”

Andrea Polanco

“Minister, the new variant of the virus is already detected in Mexico and there is a lot of concern about that and how it will be managed. Is this being taken into consideration?”

Kareem Musa

Kareem Musa

“Absolutely. Absolutely. The restrictions we are going to be implementing in Free Zone have to be extremely stringent; the checks; monitoring; oversight has to be very regular. The Ministry of Health will play an active role in overseeing the implementation and constantly monitoring the business taking place within the free zone that there is full compliance by all businesses, by all patrons to these establishments. So, that is very critical moving forward because we are looking to as much as one thousand employees going back to work in the free zone, initially it was around three thousand employees but we are looking to take about one third of those employees back.”