Belize Police Department Braces for Omicron

Kareem Musa

The rapid proliferation of the Omicron variant across the country will undoubtedly affect frontline workers, including police officers who are tasked with keeping law and order amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  Throughout last year, dozens of officers were out at various intervals on sick leave as a result of contracting the virus.  With the introduction of Omicron which spreads much faster than Delta, the Belize Police Department is bracing for another round of infections within its ranks.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“Police officers, we are in fact, one of those departments that is engaged on a regular basis with members of the public and so, it is very likely because of the transmissibility of Omicron that a lot of our officers will be coming down with the Omicron variant.  It’s very, very transmissible and so whenever that does occur, of course those officers will have to quarantine the ten days as recommended by the Ministry of Health so that we don’t have a continuation of this spread.  And so, we will have to make do with the officers who are on active duty and at the same time be mindful that there are going to be some who will be out suffering with the Omicron variant.”