One of the big announcements is regards in the opening of schools. Now parents and teachers have been expressing concern over the health of their children and those of the teachers if the virus is to spread. The preparedness of schools to cope with the guidelines of social distancing and the use of face masks […]
But even as a date for the reopening of schools has not been set, Minister of Education Patrick Faber stressed the need for teachers to continue to prepare for the eventual reopening. The Minister said teachers are to spend time on contingency planning if the situation is to further deteriorate and reopening is further delayed. […]
We will come to the latest on the P.G.I.A., but during the course of his lengthy presentation today, the Prime Minister misspoke, saying that a flight from Texas had arrived with potential investors for a hotel in San Pedro. While he called no name, the Prime Minister said enough to identify the parties involved. Well, […]
While that private jet clearly did not land in Belize, there are reports of a private flight into Belize. According to reports, the private flight carried the family of a well-known Belizean businessman with ties to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Prime Minister Dean Barrow was asked for comment, but did not elaborate. Prime Minister […]
The long anticipated reopening of the airport will not happen as planned. After a very stern warning to the nation about not practicing quarantine guidelines, the Prime Minister said that the P.G.I.A. will not reopen on August fifteenth. According to the PM, the soft opening of the tourism will have to wait. Still, there is […]
During the lengthy press conference that concluded around five-thirty, Prime Minister Dean Barrow received an update from American Airlines regarding the government’s decision not to open the P.G.I.A. on August fifteenth. According to the Prime Minister, American Airlines says it will cancel this market longer term in the event the closure extends pass August eighteenth. […]
So schools and the P.G.I.A. will not reopen as planned due to the COVID-19 crisis. But what measures are being put in place for containment. The Prime Minister says that further consultations will be held to determine what measures will be put in place where the cases of the virus are growing: Prime Minister […]
During his press conference today, Prime Minister Dean Barrow scolded Belizeans saying that their behaviour is a direct consequence of the rise in cases. Barrow told the nation that the government had failed in terms of public officials facilitating border crossings and assisting in the brisk contraband trade. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “You can’t […]
A teenager is in a critical condition following a boating accident sometime this afternoon. Fifteen year-old student Kyle Carias of Caye Caulker suffered a large cut to the forehead and is hospitalized in a critical condition. Reports say that Carias was on a boating trip in Caye Caulker when he fell overboard and hit his […]
A memo has been sent to members of the Belize Police Department advising officers that they are not to travel to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. The directive came into effect on Tuesday and says that if any officer assigned to the island is on the day off or leave and is away, the officer will […]
Two police officers have tested positive for COVID-19. These police officers reportedly came in contact with a female officer who tested positive for the deadly virus earlier in the week. Now, twelve other police officers are in quarantine as a precautionary measure to prevent a potential spread within the police department. According to Commissioner of […]
Before the Minister of Education announced the delay of school reopening, the B.N.T.U. issued a press release to discourage teachers and students from returning to school on Monday. The B.N.T.U. also advised parents not to send their children to school. The union was motivated by the increase in the cases, as well as the fact […]
Keeping it on education, we also asked President Elena Smith about homeschooling during this pandemic. The Ministry of Education has laid out the plans for homeschooling where parents need to hold an Associate Degree to be able to undertake home schools. Senator Elena Smith, National President, B.N.T.U. “I saw some post on Facebook and […]
Since the weekend, speculation has been rampant that a recent fishing tournament at Grand Caribe Resort at San Pedro contributed to the climb in the cases of COVID-19. That tournament has been referred to as a super spreader because of the number of persons that may have been exposed. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams was […]
The Prime Minister says that consultations will be held on which measures can be taken and where to contain the virus. The Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte spoke with the press this afternoon prior to these new pronouncements but he told reporters that new developments may result in the implementation of the new measures. Peyrefitte says […]
In his comments to the press, the Attorney General begged the Belizean public to refrain from risky activities such as illegally crossing the border and buying contraband because these can increase exposure to the virus. He says that the use of masks and social distancing should not be disregarded. Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General “The […]
The House on Monday approved a motion to extend the State of Emergency on the Southside for two more months. That extension went before the senate today where it was hotly debated and tonight the upper house also approved that those who are imprisoned will remain behind bars for two more months. In the senate […]
At the House, Pickstock area representative Wilfred Elrington fiercely opposed the extension calling out his own government for not doing enough to help the marginalized youths. The discussions of poverty and crime were part and parcel of the discussions about the south side and it trickled over to the Senate today. Here’s a look at […]
The Ministry of Health confirmed today that there is no community spread of the novel coronavirus. It is awaiting results of more than a hundred persons tested for the virus, relating to cases confirmed over the weekend. San Pedro is of particular concern and there is fear on the island that if the tests turn […]
Up to news time, Belize has recorded a total of fifty-seven COVID-19 cases. Of those cases, twenty-four are active. As you know, nine cases were confirmed over the weekend, with eight of them identified on Saturday making it the highest number of cases reported in a single day for the country. Four of these cases […]
So, health officials say there is widespread concern. But is there a case of community spread on that island? The Ministry of Health is not ready to call it that just yet; they’ll await further results from that island to make a determination. What we do know is that the ministry has sent two additional […]
The Ministry of Health also spoke on the cases in Corozal. The three latest cases in the north are from two persons of one family, who entered the country through the repatriation process. They were swabbed and placed under quarantine upon entry, but since that positive case, they have since separated the family to avoid […]
Moving from Corozal to Orange Walk, two males from that district were among those who tested positive over the weekend. One is a person who entered the country illegally; the other patient is an elderly man from a northern village. It was also noted that the patient had participated at a meeting at the Santa […]
Back to San Pedro….there is no community spread of the virus, but a number of persons are being tested. As you heard, a female police officer from Corozal is hospitalized with COVID-19. Her history shows that she was in San Pedro for a court case and she had attended a church service. Now, police officers […]
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 […]
