Minister Bernard Asks Community Leaders to Help Enforce Protocols

Kevin Bernard

The Minister of Health, Kevin Bernard, says enforcing COVID-19 restrictions is more difficult in rural communities, especially those where police officers are not stationed. He says community leaders must ensure their people are aware of the protocols in place when it comes to sporting activities and other events.

Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health & Wellness

“Even before sports were even allowed there was this challenge in rural communities, the policing of these activities in these rural communities, especially where there is no police presence. The Ministry of Health is not the enforcers, we are the regulators, and we set the rules set out and the police should assist with the enforcement of these things. We expect like in the rural communities, the village leaders, will assist in these things, in making sure the message is out there. There will always be challenges in everything we do. There is the challenge in getting people vaccinated. So imagine allowing certain activities to take place. What we expect is that Belizean people are responsible enough to understand their role in all of this. I say this to drive home the point that when we go to Chetumal and over to these countries, if Chetumal had strict restrictions for masks and all of these things, trust me, a Belizean going over there would follow it to the “T.” So why can’t we do it here at home?”