It was the talk of Belize today: a variant of COVID has been detected. The sample is at a facility overseas to determine just which variant it is. At this time, however, the suspicion is that it is the Delta variant , but we will only know for sure once the results are back. So […]
And with variants being highly transmissible they can hit under-resourced and understaffed health systems very hard. And if the Delta is in Belize, it can mean a lot of pressure for Belize’s health sector. We put that to the Minister of Health, but he claims they are ready. Andrea Polanco “If it is Delta […]
COVID-19 cases have been steadily increasing over the last several days. Today alone, twenty-four new cases were confirmed which puts the total active cases over two hundred and fifty. Today, prior to the release of the daily COVID-19 data, Minister Michel Chebat shared his concern over the growing number of cases. Michel Chebat, Minister […]
New COVID-19 measures will come into effect on Sunday, July fourth. The new measures are being implemented in light of the increase in COVID-cases. Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa outlines the new regulations. Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs “The curfew will continue in place; so there will be an extension of the […]
Vaccines are now available for persons who are eighteen years and older. As you know, since the vaccine rollout began back in March, the government took a phased approach for different groups due to vaccine availability and priority for essential and vulnerable groups. But since they have acquired vaccines from several countries and COVAX, the […]
Should Belizeans be required to take the vaccine? It’s a divisive issue, but now the government says that they are approaching it in a different way where those who don’t take the vaccines must show a negative COVID test every two weeks. Today Minister of Home Affairs spoke on this new initiative while Prime Minister […]
COVID-19 vaccine uptake is the lowest among security forces. According to Minister Chebat, to date over twenty-nine thousand Belizeans have been fully vaccinated and the ministry expects that number to double over the next two months. Vaccine uptake among frontline workers is above seventy percent on average, except for the police force, B.D.F. officers and […]
In a week’s time, Belize will be welcoming back cruise ships after more than a year. But is this a wise move in the midst of the discovery of at least one variant – suspected, but not confirmed to be the Delta – of the COVID-19 in Belize? That’s what News Five’s Andrea Polanco asked […]
An attempt on the lives of two young men last night has an entire family in Lake-I fearing for their safety after bullets tore through their home. When the shooting subsided, two persons were injured and bullet holes riddled their house. News Five’s Isani Cayetano has that story. Isani Cayetano, Reporting A pair of […]
There is a new piece of legislation being tabled in the House of Representatives in the days ahead. The Belize Constitution Eleventh Amendment Act seeks to disqualify anyone who is a member of the National Assembly who has been convicted of an offense “in relation to corruption or abuse of public office or convicted of […]
Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Dolores Balderamos-Garcia has commented on the recent ruling made by Chief Justice Michelle Arana which awarded six point three million dollars to two farmers and the village of Jalacte. According to the ruling, the government, under the Barrow Administration, did not seek the free, prior informed consent of the Maya […]
But Minister Dolores Balderamos-Garcia says that the case is a touchy one because while the government must adhere to the consent order of the Caribbean Court of Justice, where it ruled that the indigenous Maya people from the south have communal land rights, G.O.B. also has the final authority on the use of land for […]
Professor Clement Sankat is parting ways with the University of Belize after holding the post as president for the past four years. It has been confirmed that a settlement was made between Sankat and the university and so he demits office on July thirtieth. The decision was taken back in May of this year at […]
The recent emphasis on discounts for Belizean “stay-cations” may be paying off, but prices for other goods and services are up. Today, the Statistical Institute of Belize released a number of figures and among them the Consumer Price Index for May 2021. The C.P.I. found that while Belizeans enjoyed cheaper hotel accommodations that month, the […]
Belize’s economy shrank for a fourth consecutive quarter, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest Statistical Institute of Belize data shows that Belize produced sixty million dollars less in goods and services in the first quarter of 2021, accounting for an eight percent decrease in the economy. Belize’s largest economic sector, tourism, continued […]
Perhaps the most startling piece of information to emerge in today’s presentation by the Statistical Institute of Belize is that in 2018, a whopping fifty-two percent of Belizeans were living in poverty and spending less than seventy-five hundred dollars annually. Between 2009 and 2018, poverty in Belize increased by eleven percent, with up to sixty-four […]
On the external trade side, for May 2021, imports were inching back towards pre-COVID numbers. Exports are also up, signaling a rebound in the export economy. Tiffany Vasquez, Statistician II, SIB “Belize’s imports were valued at seven hundred and sixty point two million dollars. Imports grew by a notable ten-point two percent, or seventy […]
Over nineteen thousand persons who lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19 are still without work. However, they are not all out seeking employment. The Statistical Institute of Belize’s Labor Force Survey for April 2021 found more than twenty thousand persons or eleven percent of the labor force is unemployed. The labor force consists […]
The Government Press Office issued it briefing on the Cabinet meeting today. Areas covered included an update from at the Ministry of Health and Wellness on a ramped-up COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Cabinet was briefed on the challenges Belize and other member states in CARICOM face in advancing the CARICOM Single Market and Economy integration process […]
Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, Anthony Mahler, says the number of tourists arriving in Belize through the Phillip Goldson International Airport is increasing monthly and quickly moving towards pre-COVID numbers. This is good news for those in the tourism industry who have seen that sector shrink significantly over the past fourteen months. Minister Mahler […]
As cruise tourism is set to return to Belize on July seventh, Minister Mahler explained that Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean are all preparing for a return with vaccinated passengers. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations “On July seventh we should have our first Carnival ship in Port. They are going to […]
With less than thirty thousand Belizeans fully vaccinated, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has stepped up its vaccination efforts today, launching a vaccine campaign under the slogan “Before You Relax, Get Vax!” It’s a multimedia campaign underpinned by an educational awareness component to encourage Belizeans to get vaccinated. Today, the vaccine drive was launched […]
The National Committee for Families and Children, now a commission, has a new composition. It will now include a representative from the LGBTI community as well as Autism Belize to ensure that there is inclusivity at the discussion table when it comes to making decisions on the rights of families and children. News Five’s Duane […]
Patrick Faber’s leadership of the United Democratic Party has been under sustained attack from factions within the U.D.P., ever since surveillance footage capturing a domestic dispute between himself and the mother of his two-year-old daughter surfaced several weeks ago. In the wake of that video going viral, a move was made to unseat Faber as […]
Is former Belize City mayor Darrell Bradley being anointed for leadership of the United Democratic Party? Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow says no, but a path has been cleared for Bradley to enter the National Assembly. This makes him eligible to run for party leader should the July eleventh recall convention be successful. Shyne Barrow, […]
