Since the start of the teen vaccinations in Belize District on Monday, approximately two thousand three hundred children ages twelve to seventeen received their first jab of the Pfizer vaccine. Today, a News Five team heading to Swift Hall in the Saint Martin De Porres area where adult and teen vaccinations were underway with support […]
On Thursday we heard from Minister of Health and Wellness, Michel Chebat, that veterinarian Doctor Michael Tewes had been chosen as the new C.E.O. of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. But just a few hours later, the K.H.M.H. issued a statement saying the post had not been filled. So we checked today to find out […]
A survey conducted on COVID vaccine hesitancy in the Caribbean shows that much of the same reluctance people in Belize have to take the vaccine also exists among people in other territories and countries. Today, the Caribbean Public Health Agency released the results of the survey, in which six countries took part. There was some […]
On Thursday, the Director of Lab Services at the Central Health Region, Doctor Geraldine Morazan was on hand along with Minister of Health and Wellness Michel Chebat to accept a donation of two GenExpert machines from PAHO/WHO. But that may have been the last time that Morazan publicly represents the ministry in that capacity because […]
On Wednesday, reports that a couple had been given special privileges by the Ministry of Health and Wellness to hold their wedding ceremony at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel sparked outrage on social media. Many feel while the police are breaking up much smaller family functions, this one had the blessing of the […]
Today, word circulated that Doctor Michael Tewes has been chosen as the new C.E.O. of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Tewes, a veterinarian by profession, would be replacing Michelle Cox-Hoare whose contract was not renewed. And while some people have questioned the professional vet’s appointment, saying it hints of nepotism since he has family members […]
Last week, lab technicians at the Central Health Lab declared they would not work anymore overtime hours because they had not been paid for the overtime accrued since June. The President of the Nurses Association, Darrell Spencer, came out in defence of the lab technicians, saying that it was high time others in the field […]
Belize has received a batch of one hundred and thirty-two thousand Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. The Ministry of Health and Wellness acquired them through UNICEF and an African group at a cost of one-point-six million dollars. Minister of Health and Wellness Michel Chebat says he hopes that those who are unvaccinated will start to […]
Today at the Central Health Region compound in Belize City, the lab received a donation of two GenExpert machines, capable of testing for COVID, tuberculosis and a variety of other diseases in a quick turnaround time. Doctor Noreen Jack, PAHO’s representative in Belize, presented the two machines to Minister of Health Michel Chebat and Head […]
Tonight our new series, the COVID Chronicles continues. This week, reporter Paul Lopez went in search of some enterprising entrepreneurs who have had to make some major adjustments in the way they work and do business in Belize. But, the people you will meet tonight have all found success and have advice for others who […]
Funerals must be limited to one hour, at the cemetery only, with no wakes or repasts allowed. Only ten people and the priest can be in attendance. These are part of the restrictions in place as a result of the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases. But late this afternoon, Belizeans took to Facebook after an […]
The Ministry of Education has reported that a number of students have dropped out of school due to the challenges brought about by COVID-19 pandemic. While some have not been attending the online classes, primary school students have not been picking up or returning their learning packages. Over at Saint John Vianney Catholic Primary School […]
But how prepared is Saint John Vianney for the safe return to face-to-face, in-class learning when it does start up again? Felix Sutherland, Principal, Saint John Vianney Catholic School “Ninety-five percent of our teachers are fully vaccinated, our protocol was in place from last year. We maintained the physical distance and we reengineered our […]
The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization has donated one hundred and fifty emergency health kits to the Belize Red Cross. The items supplies will be given to families that use designated shelters during hurricanes, flooding or other natural disasters to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. To ensure equitable distribution, PAHO has partnered with […]
Today, News Five spoke with Doctor Fernando Cuellar via phone from his hospital bed at the Belize Medical Associates where he has been admitted, after contracting COVID-19. The well-known internist checked himself into the hospital after he noticed that his oxygen concentration was decreasing. He started presenting symptoms from as early as Friday. While talking […]
Medical professionals from different health facilities have come to Doctor Cuellar’s aid and he is already doing better. His medical treatment will continue through to Friday when it is expected that he will be discharged from the hospital. Seeking medical assistance early is among the reasons Doctor Cuellar says he is able to speak at […]
Doctor Cuellar is also known for his advocacy for vaccinations. A diabetic himself, he says that he is living proof that the virus is non-discriminatory, but also that the vaccine saves lives. On the Phone: Dr. Fernando Cuellar, Internist, Belize Medical Associates “I think that’s one of the biggest take-home messages Duane that please […]
It has been eight days since fifteen-year-old Kassman Gill, a third-form student of Saint John’s College, was targeted as he walked on Magazine Road, just about five minutes away from his house. Another youth riding a bicycle shot Gill in the back of the neck. Surveillance footage captured the attacker riding past him moments before […]
Kyron Green is eagerly looking forward to his first day of high school, but until then and presumably beyond that date; he is restricted to a wheelchair. He’s been in one since 2019 when he was shot by someone who took aim at another individual during a gang-related feud. At the time, Kyron was attending […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our routines both individually and as a country. For many businesses, they have had to retool to ensure that income is still generated while protecting the health of their human resources. And while all that is happening, one company has been tasked with providing the entire country with life-saving medical […]
Last week, a significant number of the healthcare workers at the San Ignacio Town Hospital and Guerra Polyclinic in Benque were infected with COVID and had to go into isolation. That number rose this week to around twenty-five, creating an immediate shortage of personnel at the two facilities. President of the Nurses’ Association of Belize, […]
The COVID cluster that surfaced in Caye Caulker over the weekend has already begun to have a negative impact on tourism. Today, President of the Belize Hotel Association, Alina Saldivar, told News Five there have already been cancellations. Not only that, but she said that bookings are trickling in slowly, instead of with the frequency […]
Saldivar says that despite the sluggish season, and also because of it, the Belize Hotel Association is aggressively marketing its members’ hotels and guest houses so that when the current third wave subsides, they can restore some semblance of normalcy. Voice of: Alina Saldivar, President, B.H.A. “The Belize Hotel Association is working closely not […]
On Monday night, Channel Five and the Ministry of Health and Wellness brought viewers another edition of “Get the Facts!” This week, the focus was on kids and COVID. The guests talked about the importance of vaccines for older children and teens, and how families can better protect little ones even if there is no […]
As part of the new back-to-school readiness, this morning as early as seven-thirty, high school and sixth form students from across the country went out to respective vaccination centers. They were getting their first jab of the Pfizer vaccine, which has been approved for young people, ages twelve to seventeen. News Five’s Duane Moody headed […]
