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Prime Minister John Briceño is facing his second bout with COVID-19, after testing positive over the weekend. News Five has confirmed he went directly into quarantine and is at this time asymptomatic. We were also informed that Parliamentarians will proceed with the Sitting of the House of Representatives scheduled for this coming Friday. PM Briceño […]
Written on February 1, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PM Tests Positive for COVID-19 for Second Time
The Belize Tourism Board’s health insurance mandate comes into effect on February fifteenth. It requires all visitors, even those with their own travel insurance, to pay eighteen dollars U.S. for coverage of up to fifty thousand U.S. dollars in medical expenses related to treatment of COVID-19 for a period of twenty-one days. The plan will […]
Written on January 31, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Minister of Tourism Comments on Health Insurance Mandate for Visitors
According to the Pan American Health Organization, Belize is reporting the highest rate of new COVID infections in Central America. In terms of the rest of the region, many of Mexico’s southern states have seen new infections triple, and infections are accelerating in Honduras and Costa Rica. There have been spikes in South America as […]
Written on January 27, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Belize Has Highest Rate of New COVID Infections in Central America
The Government of Belize is preparing to table a reported sixteen million dollar supplementary budget in the House of Representatives for the Ministry of Health. It will not be the first time the Briceño administration is going to the House to seek approval for further spending for health. In fact, it will be the third […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Health |
Comments Off on GOB to Seek Additional Funds For MOHW
Like the rest of the country, COVID is on the island of Caye Caulker. With the omicron and delta variants in country, the village also saw an increase in COVID numbers earlier this month. But there has been a downward trend and up to the end of last week, there were only about twenty active […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Caye Caulker Sees Drop in COVID Cases
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Doctor Marvin Manzanero was government’s chief medical advisor in his then capacity as Director of Health Services. Notwithstanding the controversial changes in the Ministry of Health and Wellness since the Briceño administration took over in November 2020, Doctor Manza, as most refer to him, has been closely following […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Are We Any Closer to the End of the Pandemic?
According to Doctor Manzanero, what is equally of concern is the shortened time span when people can become re-infected with COVID. Omicron, he says, is capable of coming back. Dr. Marvin Manzanero “In terms of strains, for example, Omicron what it seems to do is it has learned how to evade immunity. So you […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Health |
Comments Off on Omicron is Elusive to Immunity
The Omicron contagion that has spread across almost every corner of the country has not spared the Belize Police Department. Coupled with the spike in murders since last Friday, the department also has to cope with a shortage of close to three hundred of its own officers who are infected with the virus. Today Commissioner […]
Written on January 24, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Police Department Hit Hard by COVID; Placencia Most Severely
The Belize Tourism Board, Ministry of Health, and the Placencia Village Council are collaborating to finally bring a polyclinic to the village. The clinic will include consultation rooms, reception and registration areas, waiting rooms, an asthma bay, pharmacy, triage rooms, and laboratory. Minister of Tourism, Anthony Mahler and Minister of Health Kevin Bernard were on […]
Written on January 21, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Ground Broken for Placencia Health Clinic
And, just in case you were wondering how S.S.B. is doing as it continues to pay out sickness benefits to COVID patients, Ruiz says there is sufficient money to cover that. Since the disease has plagued our economy, however, COVID related payouts surpassed four million dollars. Deborah Ruiz, C.E.O., Social Security Board “For every […]
Written on January 21, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on S.S.B. Has Paid Out More Than $4Million in COVID Benefits
The Ministry of Health has announced that their stock of AstraZeneca Vaccines will expire on January thirty-first. Hence, the Ministry is inviting persons who have still not yet received their COVID-19 vaccinations to go and get vaccinated, so that these life-saving medications do not go to waste. And, the Ministry’s Technical Advisor for Maternal and […]
Written on January 21, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on AstraZeneca Vaccines Nearing Expiration Date
Dr. Beer said that if all the vaccines were not administered by the expiry date, it would be lamentable, since many countries are still waiting for the medication, and the monetary value is so steep. Dr. Natalia Beer, Technical Advisor for Maternal & Child Health, Ministry of Health & Wellness “AstraZeneca, if we will […]
Written on January 21, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on A Shame to Waste the Vaccines
Do teachers have to take a test to return to school? Reports reaching News Five are that teachers have been returning to classrooms without having done any test to confirm a negative COVID status. This has some parents frightened and upset, as children under the age of twelve are not vaccinated and could possibly be […]
Written on January 20, 2022 | Posted in
Education,
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Comments Off on Are Teachers Mandated to Get Tested?
In Cabinet news, the Minister of Education reported that all schools are being closely monitored for any potential COVID-19 outbreaks. During the first week of classes, the Ministry of Health data confirms three hundred and thirteen cases affecting teachers, and four hundred and fifty six cases among students. The majority, however, had not been involved […]
Written on January 20, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Cabinet Reviews COVID in Schools, Virtual Trials and Highway Patrols
The omicron variant has broken the infection rate records around the world and Belize has been no different since this mutation of the COVID-19 virus was detected in Belize. But this strain of the virus is not as deadly as the delta variant. So up to this point, the government’s plan is still to reopen […]
Written on January 19, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Border Reopening Still Set for February First, Unless…
Among the members of the COVID-19 task force that advises cabinet on the course of action to be taken during the pandemic is Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa. She says that even though the reopening of the border is not recommended at this time, there is heightened surveillance at all land borders and at the P.G.I.A. […]
Written on January 19, 2022 | Posted in
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COVID cases are surging and the highest rate is among the unvaccinated. News Five has obtained a copy of a COVID-19 report from the epidemiology unit of the Ministry of Health and Wellness. The Weekly National and District Summary Report of COVID breaks down the data from all regions as the country continues to battle […]
Written on January 19, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on COVID Cases Could Drop in February. but Surging Now
All districts have been experiencing a rise in COVID-19 cases over the last few weeks. Transmission rates are especially high though in the Belize, Cayo and Orange Walk Districts. Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa says that it was expected. Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa, Deputy Regional Health Manager, Central Health Region “From the start of this fourth wave, […]
Written on January 19, 2022 | Posted in
Health |
Comments Off on High Transmission Rates in Belize, Cayo and Orange Walk
While the COVID data for the past few weeks have indicated that the highly transmissible omicron variant is probably in Belize, today, News Five confirmed with Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa that the variant has been detected via gene-sequencing by the Central Medical Laboratory. Based on the data, gathered, omicron entered the country just before Christmas, sometime […]
Written on January 19, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Omicron Variant Officially Detected in Belize
The B.D.F. has at least forty-four active COVID cases. This, as the Belize District continues to have the highest transmissibility rate. While generally isolated and locked off, there are reports of cases at BATSUB and Price Barracks. News Five’s Duane Moody investigated the situation today. Duane Moody, Reporting Reports have been rolling in to […]
Written on January 19, 2022 | Posted in
Defense,
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Comments Off on 44 Active Cases in B.D.F.
The official change of command within the Belize Defence Force will be held on Friday at Price Barracks. Since last week, the soldiers have been engaged in practice for the parade and the displays that will take place during a pandemic. Today, Acting Chief of Staff Major Rogelio Ramirez says that permission was requested from […]
Written on January 19, 2022 | Posted in
Defense,
Health |
Comments Off on Safety Protocols for the B.D.F. Parade
The results of the Regional Examination for Nursing Registration are in, and seventy-one percent of Belize’s nurses passed the regional exam. Sixty Belizean nurses sat the exams last October. According to Chief Nursing Officer, Nurse Lizette Bell, one of the top Caribbean performers also hailed from Belize. But as Nurse Bell explains, the above-average passes […]
Written on January 18, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Outstanding Results for Belizean Nurses Sitting Regional Exams
While many people would be happy to see Dr. Manzanero stay at the Ministry of Health since he was able to offer calm in the time of a storm, some are still questioning the appointment of the new C.E.O. Dr. Julio Sabido. Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health & Wellness “Because we’re saying that we’re […]
Written on January 18, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Health Minister Says C.E.O.’s Appointment Is Positive Development
The new Minister of Health, Kevin Bernard, met with former Director of Health Services, Michel Chebat on Monday to discuss Manzanero’s possibly staying at the Ministry of Health. This is after, as you’ll remember, Manzanero was unceremoniously ousted by the former Minister of Health, after he turned down two other positions within the Ministry. Well, the […]
Written on January 18, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Health Minister: We’d like Dr. Manza to Stay
While we spoke with Chebat, we asked for his reaction to a letter from W.H.O./P.A.H.O., thanking him for the collaboration during his tenure as the Minister of Health and Wellness. Signed by the Director Dr. Carissa Etienne, it states in part, “We applaud your commitment to strengthening the health systems especially during this period of […]
Written on January 18, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on P.A.H.O./W.H.O. Thanks Chebat for Collaboration
