The possibility of a threat from the deadly Ebola virus placed the nation on edge on Thursday night, but tonight there is a sigh of relief. The scare started when it became known that a lab technician who may have had contact with fluids from Ebola victim, Thomas Eric Duncan, was travelling on the Carnival […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow was also at this morning’s press conference to quell fears. He reiterated that if there had been any way at all that he could have assisted the U.S. without risk, he would have. And there were discussions entertained at first on getting these quarantined persons on a plane which would fly […]
Barrow says that he thought that was the end of the matter, until he was informed later in the day that the plane was in the air. But despite the unwillingness of the U.S. to accept Belize’s official position, he says the window of opportunity, if it ever existed, had slammed shut. There was one […]
A regional response to the threat of Ebola in the Caribbean earlier this week, prompted several island nations, including the government of St. Lucia and Jamaica to restrict the influx of visitors from hot zones in West Africa. On Wednesday, prime ministers Kenny Anthony and Portia Simpson-Miller embargoed the arrival of passengers from Sierra Leone, […]
The immediate implementation of those new immigration policies is one prong of G.O.B.’s preparation for the threat of Ebola. The Ministry of Health, in the face of Thursday’s wake up call, has also been forced to step up their game. The reality is that even the superpower U.S.A. has been caught off guard by Ebola, […]
The order for seven hundred and fifty hazmat kits has already been placed through the Pan American Health Organization. The order will be some time in coming, since those kits are being sold out across the world, for obvious reasons. But Belize isn’t waiting on those kits – G.O.B. is looking to set up a […]
Will there be repercussions for rejecting a U.S. request to allow the quarantined passenger to be brought on shore? The government was being assured that the lab technician was low risk for the Ebola virus, but the U.S. was persistent in the face of what the Prime Minister says was a firm refusal. So persistent, […]
While P.M. Barrow doesn’t expect repercussions, the U.S. State Department has expressed disappointment in that decision not to have the cruise ship passengers disembarked and flown out from the P.G.I.A. Earlier this evening, during an appearance on CNN’s Situation Room, a representative of the U.S. State Department criticized the decision by saying that the matter […]
While the scare of Ebola washing up on the shores of Belize is very real, its impact on the tourism industry can be potentially devastating. The multi-agency approach notwithstanding, the Ministry of Tourism is wasting no time in addressing the issue with a view to mitigating the effect of an outbreak on the travel industry. […]
Social media went ballistic Thursday night following reports, factual and exaggerated, that there was a potential threat to Belize from a passenger on board the Carnival Magic. The wide-scale panic was fuelled by news that passengers from the ship had come onshore Thursday. Today, it was confirmed that three thousand seven hundred and sixty two […]
But we go back to the issue of the air ambulance. While P.M. Barrow remained steadfast in his decision not to have the quarantined cruise passengers medically evacuated from the Phillip Goldson International Airport, the U.S. government was equally determined to land a private aircraft at the P.G.I.A. The charter would defy Belize’s authority over […]
While the eyes of the nation are fixated on a departing cruise ship and a perceived threat, on Saturday the organizers of a telethon are hoping that you’ll keep the Chiquibul in mind, and wallet in hand. The Friends for Conservation and Development are seeking funding to help them in monitoring and managing the massive […]
At least four times for the year, the Belize Defence Force carries out a large-scale operation called incisive gallop. Approximately one hundred soldiers, acting on intelligence, focus on one area of the Chiquibul to deter illegal activities. Working with the Police, the Friends for Conservation and Development and the Forest Department, the operation is geared […]
A delegation from Belize, including government and opposition representatives as well as B.D.F. and Police commanders, travelled to Guatemala this past weekend to meet with their counterparts. At the end of what has been termed a successful session, there was a twelve point agreement. Some of those agreements are by nature diplomatic, designed to cool […]
Tonight, Carnival Magic is heading towards Galveston, Texas. But there were hours of high anxiety when news spread like wildfire that there was a possible threat of Ebola. We took to the streets earlier today and we got a sense from Belizeans if they have been following up on the deadly disease. Resident # […]
Even though there have been small steps, the odds are against women who want to become involved in the front lines of politics. One organization that wants to reverse these statistics is WIN-Belize. Earlier today, about seventy aspiring female politicians were honored after completing training on how to position themselves to be successful in politics. […]
