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There have not been any new cases of COVID-19 for seventeen days, so beginning May first, which is the extended Labour Day weekend, there will be a further relaxation of measures imposed under the state of emergency. The S.O.E. has caused tremendous losses to businesses and those persons who are not classified as essential services […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on A New Relaxed S.O.E. Comes Into Effect on Labor Day
The state of emergency is entering a two-month extension, but with relaxed regulations and the public will be able to move a bit more freely. While that is the case, the government is adamant that no one should let their guard down as a second wave of COVID-19 is still possible. It is now law […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Wearing Face Mask in Public is Now Mandatory
While the stringent measures over the past two and a half weeks will be relaxed as of May first, government is tightening up considerably on other infractions. Travel to Guatemala and Mexico, where the number of COVID-19 cases continues to balloon, is not allowed. Persons caught illegally entering these countries will be dealt with severely […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on G.O.B. Announces Stiff Penalties for Anyone Crossing Borders Illegally
A new statutory instrument to introduce another sixty-day state of emergency comes into effect on Friday. Since May first is a public and bank holiday in observance of Labor Day, the private sector, those businesses that have been forced to shut down their operations, will not resume until Saturday. This morning, the PM outlined a […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Work Resumes After Labor Day
One of the relaxed measures, which is bringing relief, is that salons and barbershops are now allowed to open and operate. This is one area that, in the past weeks, the public has been desperately waiting for. There are, however, conditions under which these businesses will be able to operate. Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte elaborated […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Salons, Barbershop to Reopen but Under Strict Conditions
If you are smiling all the way to the salon, one of the businesses still not allowed to operate are street-side vendors. So the tacos stands up the road and the rice and beans lady down the street will remain closed. Restaurants will continue to operate delivery and take-out services and no vending is allowed […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Street Side Vendors Still Not Allowed to Operate
An inaugural shipment of liquid petroleum gas arrived at the Port of Big Creek this morning, following a direct route from the U.S. Gulf Coast. At news time this evening, the vessel is offloading one point four million gallons of LPG at a storage facility in the south. On Wednesday night, however, a panel of […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Court of Appeal Dismisses LPG Importers’ Appeal
The matter is going before the Caribbean Court of Justice in an expedited hearing, though a written judgment from the Court of Appeal has not been perfected. According to attorney Audrey Matura, they are anticipating the written judgment in order to proceed with the case at the C.C.J. Audrey Matura, Attorney for LPG Importers […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on LPG Importers to Appeal Decision at the C.C.J.
The San Pedro Town Council, Area Representative Manuel Heredia Jr. and the local Emergency Operations Centre have come under harsh criticism for taking matters into their own hands by amending the regulations under the state of emergency to suit the island of Ambergris Caye. While Commissioner of Police Chester Williams has weighed in on the […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on San Pedro is Also Subject to National S.O.E.
San Pedro is prime destination and tourism is the number one revenue generator for the Belizean economy but it will be the last sector to be reopened as the country rebounds from the COVID-19 crisis. According to Prime Minister Barrow, the uncertainty of testing visitors arriving in Belize once the borders and airports are reopened […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Tourism Will Be Last Sector to Reopen
With Belize’s tourism industry on life support and hoteliers going out of business, one of the changes to the regulations is that hotels can resume business. But there is a caveat because no international bookings will be allowed and the idea is to allow Belizeans to be tourists in their own country, in a stricter […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Hotels Can Now Open but for Only Local Guests
Help is slow to come for thousands of Belizeans who continue to wait for unemployment assistance through the Government of Belize. More eight thousand persons applied but the process has proven to be tedious; one that sees a number of checks and balances, as well as errors being recorded during the application process. Earlier this […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Unemployment is Slow to Come By
There is good news for cyclists tonight. That is because they were not allowed on the highways during the first thirty days of the state of emergency. Under the new relaxed measures, cyclists can resume riding during the specific hours identified under the state of emergency regulations. Cyclists, however, are not exempted from other requirements […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Cyclists Can Now Ride
The forest fires in the west and south are having devastating consequences for wildlife. Panthera Belize, an organization that focuses on the future of wildcats, has been monitoring the situation. Recent fieldwork brought to light the reality inside the burning forest. Small creatures are unable to outrun the fires and perish. Big cats such as […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Animals Dying Due to Forest Fires
Now that there will be a relaxation of certain measures of the state of emergency, municipal governments are looking towards an improvement in revenue streams. Since April first, most departments closed and revenues dried up to less than ten percent. Earlier this week, traffic department services opened and it is expected that with the ease […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on CitCo Anticipates that Revenue Stream Will Pick Up
Even as the revenue stream at the municipal level is only trickling, Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner says that he is not contemplating axing any of his staff. On Tuesday, however, P.U.P. stalwart Keith Yearwood was sacked as assistant park manager with the City council. Yearwood is on record saying that he did not know […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Mayor Bernard Wagner Says There is No Room at City Hall for the Likes of “Yellow Man”
In March, a state of emergency was declared to deal with the spike in gang-related gun violence in the city. Persons affiliated with eight south side gang groups were rounded up and placed at the central prison in Hattieville. It has been almost two weeks since a truce was reached and one hundred plus persons […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Gang Truce Holding Up, but Police Keeping Close Watch on Other Factions
The Indian community has been extending generosity to those families who have less and are hurting during this COVID-19 crisis. Today, the community reached out to the Port Loyola residents with packages containing basic items necessary to put food on the table for many families. The standard bearers of both political parties, Gilroy Usher Senior […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Indian Community Gives Back to Needy Families
Belize City residents are also benefitting from food items courtesy of the All China Federation of Overseas Tiashanese. Mayor Bernard Wagner and councillors received the supplies and distribution will begin early next week since families who received pantry two weeks ago are running out of food. Here is News Five’s Duane Moody with a report. […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on All China Federation of Overseas Tiashanese Makes a $100,000 Donation to Belize CitCo
For the past few months, the only vaccine all of us have been talking or thinking about is one that could rid us of the current COVID-19 Pandemic. While that vaccine remains elusive, this week, Belize commemorated “Vaccination Week in the Americas.” Typically it’s a time to acknowledge the life-saving powers of vaccines. This year, […]
Written on April 30, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Healthy Living: Vaccination During COVID-19
In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country is facing another crisis; it has to do with bush and forest fires that have been spreading all over the country. In the Cayo District, the situation has become unbearable as the fires and smoke levels threaten the health and property of residents. The fires have been […]
Written on April 29, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Wildfires Run Amok in Cayo District
The forest fires are caused by a number of environmental factors such the current high temperatures. The Vaca Forest has experienced the largest wild fire affecting the biodiversity of the protected area but there was little relief this afternoon when it rained. And as the unprecedented fires started to spread closer to the village of […]
Written on April 29, 2020 | Posted in
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Environment,
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Comments Off on Community Effort to Stem Wildfires Outside of Succotz
One million dollars in damages were caused by a raging farm fire on fifty acres of cacao plantation in the south. The fire keeps burning tonight, stretching beyond the villages of Columbia and San Miguel in the Toledo District. The cacao plantation is owned by Serendipity Farm and one of the owners, Lawrence Chavarria says that over […]
Written on April 29, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Fire Causes $1 Million in Damages to Cacao Farm
Aside from the cacao farm in Crique Jute, fires have been raging in Punta Gorda where overnight two houses were gutted by a blaze. Police and fire-fighters had to respond in an effort to stop the blaze from spreading to adjacent structures. While the blaze was brought under control, two structures in its path were […]
Written on April 29, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Raging Fires Also Stretching Police Resources Thin
There was a sigh of relief on Tuesday evening when the Ministry of Health confirmed that three more persons have recovered from COVID-19, bringing the number of persons to beat the virus to nine. It has been more than two weeks since the last confirmed case of the deadly virus. While the fourteen-day quarantine is […]
Written on April 29, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Don’t Let Your Guard Down! Stay COVID-19 Alert!
