Today, Scotia Bank issued a notice to say that it has temporarily closed its branch in San Pedro. The release says that the reason for the closure is to conduct deep cleaning and sanitization. The bank says that the precautionary measure was implemented because a number of staff members at the branch are now exhibiting […]
The Ministry of Health is on a massive contact tracing exercise across the country, following the troubling cases where persons are not able to determine where they were exposed and have had immense footprint prior to their diagnosis. Today, Doctor Marvin Manzanero gave an update on those samples that are in processing, following the testing […]
Turning to the Ministry of Education and the state of schools, the ministry says that schools are in high gear preparation mode for the re-opening of schools on August tenth. Today, Doctor Carol Babb and Cecelia Ramirez-Smith appeared on an episode of Ask the Experts. Babb opened the discussion by sharing that a number of […]
As the COVID-19 cases continue to grow – the concern among many are that schools are not ready and they fear sending their children to school to be exposed to the virus. Well, if you are one of those parents who want to keep your child at home – you may be able to do […]
Belize recorded its highest number of new COVID-19 cases over the weekend. It has sent the Ministry of Health on high alert since schools and the Philip Goldson International Airport are scheduled to reopen in a matter of days as the situation goes downhill. So, an alarming nine new cases between Saturday and Sunday drove […]
Today at the National Assembly building, Prime Minister Dean Barrow expressed his frustration with border jumpers, who continue to present serious threats. Most of the persons infected with COVID-19 are either border jumpers or have been in contact with someone who crossed illegally. Contrabandistas continue to operate along the northern and western borders, Belizeans continue […]
There are three positive cases reported in the Corozal District; two persons arrived via the northern border entry point as part of the repatriation process and are in hotel quarantine. They are also asymptomatic. The third person is a female officer attached to the Corozal Police Station. She is one of two persons in the […]
Also in the north, the Orange Walk Town Council has temporarily closed the market in that municipality. The reason is because a COVID-19 patient’s family in the Orange Walk District was conducting business at the market and now the area needs to be sanitized. Today, we spoke with Mayor Kevin Bernard who shares that while […]
Even as there is a spike in the number of cases, government is preparing for the reopening of the Philip Goldson International Airport on August fifteenth and the soft reopening of the tourism industry to international tourists. Today, four bills were introduced and passed in one sitting. The Electronic Transactions Amendment seeks to promote the development of […]
While parliamentarians adopted the extension to the period of public emergency in the south side of Belize City, the motion, which was also tabled at the House of Representatives today, was hotly debate. The continued increase of crime, especially murders, has prompted the Barrow administration to extend the State of Emergency for an additional sixty […]
According to members of the ruling United Democratic Party, Belize is not the only country in the region that has used legislation to curb crime. Jamaica and other Caribbean countries have imposed state of emergencies on certain communities in order to deal with major crimes. The government says that the extended S.O.E. will produce the […]
Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington knocked his own government during today’s sitting. Elrington is a senior member of the United Democratic Party, which took over the reins of the government in 2008. So for twelve years, Elrington has been minister, but as he departs from politics, Elrington has chosen to be very frank about […]
As Elrington concluded his rant against his party and the government, Cayo South Area Representative Julius Espat brought it to Elrington’s attention that after three terms in office, Elrington failed along with his party. Espat described the Foreign Minister’s remarks as hypocrisy at its highest. Julius Espat, Area Representative, Cayo South “Talk is cheap. […]
Late this evening, the Christian Workers Union issued a release and the news is that contrary to what the Prime Minister asserted this morning, stevedores have not ended their strike. The Port of Belize Limited and the C.W.U., however, remain in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. The release from the C.W.U. states that, […]
Also this morning, the Prime Minister was asked about the nationalization of the Port which he said on Wednesday was under consideration. According to him, that is not on the table at this time. As far as we know, a meeting was held on Thursday with the Prime Minister and Ministers Edmund Castro, Carla Barnett […]
Turning to politics, Port Loyola area representative Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez announced his pending retirement from electoral politics several years ago, indicating that upon completion of this five-year term, he would retreat into private life. His retirement was timid to the retirement of Prime Minister Dean Barrow. That constituency has elected Philip Willoughby as the U.D.P. […]
As for Martinez’s ministerial colleague, Frank ‘Papa’ Mena, there is still no certainty whether he will be contesting the Dangriga constituency come November. That’s because a petition has been launched by the U.D.P. committee in that area asking for his removal as candidate in the upcoming general elections. This afternoon, PM Barrow spoke glowingly about […]
The economic downturn caused by COVID-19 continues to affect the business sector. The mainstay, the tourism industry, crumbled causing massive unemployment once the pandemic began to spread. Flights resume at the P.G.I.A. on August fifteenth, but recovery of the sector is unknown. Today, the government rolled out an economic plan, named the “Economic Recovery Strategy […]
The biggest private sector organization, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry is celebrating one hundred years this year. It’s a milestone for the organization that has endured the test of time and now readies itself to face the challenges in a post-COVID Belize. At its annual general meeting on Thursday night, the B.C.C.I. also […]
The guest speaker at the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s AGM on Thursday night was Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amore Mottley. PM Mottley spoke on the challenges of COVID-19 – how it has shown to be the ultimate test of Caribbean nation’s development and capacity to respond. Mottley called on the business community […]
On Thursday, screenshots of WhatsApp conversations surfaced in respect of the chaotic incident at the Port of Belize Limited last Wednesday when striking staff members of the P.B.L. went on a rampage and the GSU was called in to bring the situation under control. The gist of the messages centres around the bus that was […]
Justice was served today in, without question, a most heinous and reprehensible crime and the family of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas can now find closure. Having been convicted in December 2019 of the pastor’s beheading, William “Danny” Mason and four others are looking at another thirty-five years behind bars. In the case of the youngest convict, […]
The heinous murder in July 2016 and the subsequent trial of the five men grabbed national attention. William “Danny” Mason was a highly connected man in Belmopan, who socialized with politicians and the law. Justice Moore found the crime reprehensible and wants to send a message to society. The pastor was killed, beheaded and his […]
There was a murder in the city on Wednesday night. A man from Saint Matthews Village was murdered in around seven o’clock. A single stab ended the life of William Rubio, a construction worker and father of nine. The deadly incident happened in front of a pharmacy near the Pound Yard Bridge. The details of […]
While the Port of Belize remains open, the business community has not been able to receive imports or to export cargo as stevedores are on strike. The port remains on security level two following a violent protest last week. On the morning of July twenty-second, as early as six-thirty, two buses were mysteriously parked at […]
