As the weekend gets underway, there are zero cases of coronavirus detected within our borders but new measures are being put in place beginning this Saturday. The Oversight Committee on COVID -9 met today and coming out of that high level meeting a number of decisions were taken to minimize any risk of the virus. […]
As the crackdown of suspected gang members continues, police today hoarded away a first group of affiliates. The men were picked up at different times and places and kept in the custody of the police. This morning, they were carted away to the Belize Central Prison where they will remain for thirty days, including the […]
The full force of the law to crack down on crime came down as early as three o’clock on Wednesday morning when the round up began in neighbourhoods in the city. Later in the day, the Commissioner of Police Chester Williams announced a state of emergency in eight hot spots and the publication of the […]
Several persons were arraigned this evening in the lower courts after being charged for crimes ranging from attempted murder to murder. On Tuesday afternoon, twenty-two-year-old Derrick King, an employee of Bowen and Bowen Limited, was ruthless gunned down as he delivered beverages along with a coworker on Orange Street. Police investigations are now suggesting that […]
At a press conference this evening, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams provided an update on operations being conducted under the existing state of emergency, beginning with an increase in the number of suspected gang members who were initially detained on Wednesday morning. The ComPol reiterated Wednesday’s message to anyone found harboring these wanted individuals who […]
Investigators are closer to making arrests in at least three of the murders that occurred earlier this week. According to Commissioner Williams, they have made significant inroads in cracking the cases during which two minors, Kia Herbert and Dominic Rhamdas, were senselessly shot and killed inside their homes while they slumbered. Chester Williams, Commissioner […]
ComPol Chester Williams stopped short of divulging operational details of police activities that are scheduled for this weekend, suffice to say that the ramped up presence of officers in the designated hotspots will remain indefinitely. As for any legal challenged that may arise from this thirty-day period of detention, the top cop says that several […]
Tourism industries across the world continue to crumble due to the devastating effects of COVID-19. While Belize remains without a confirmed case, the tourism industry here is still feeling the fallout. There are significant cut backs in employees, and losses are in the millions of dollars. With the closure of the Philip Goldson International Airport […]
Tens of thousands of persons rely on the tourism industry and with COVID-19 negatively affecting the industry many businesses are left to lay off employees. Hotels across the country are empty and employees are left wondering what will happen to their employment. It is some that in some cases, employees are being sent home and […]
According to Tejada, the Belize Hotel Association is working with the COVID-19 National Oversight Committee to mitigate the effects of the deadly disease. A survey is being carried out and the data collected will be passed to the government which in turn will provide assistance to hoteliers. Ted Tejada, President, Belize Hotels Association “They have […]
The first case of coronavirus is yet to be confirmed in Belize and while many are hunkering down in fear of contracting the illness once it makes landfall, stakeholders in the tourism industry are suffering massive losses due to the cancellation of cruise visits. This morning, the Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize, FECTAB, […]
FECTAB’s demand for equity in the distribution of tourism relief is in the interest of small and independent tour operators who they say are constantly overlooked by government and industry regulators. While there are requirements to access financial assistance, representatives of the federation are adamant that the monies should not be disbursed by those persons […]
Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin has retired from the Judiciary, having reached the mandatory retirement age of sixty-five years on Thursday. This leaves the post vacant. When News Five contacted Attorney General Mike Peyrefitte today, he said that there has been no interim appointment, but that Justice Michelle Arana is a likely candidate as “the most […]
At the headquarters of the Organization of American States in Washington today, the anticipated elections took place for Secretary General and Assistant Secretary General of the O.A.S. Secretary General Luis Almagro from Uruguay was re-elected with twenty-three of the thirty votes casted, easily defeating Maria Fernanda Espinosa from Ecuador. Assistant Secretary General Nestor Mendez had […]
While some cases of the novel coronavirus are mild, there are some underlying conditions which make people more likely to catch it or suffer a more severe infection. The high risk group includes the elderly, as well as those with weakened immune systems. We also note that another vulnerable group to COVID-19 ranges from those with asthma […]
Tonight we bring you more information on how to prepare and protect yourself in light of the novel corona virus. Earlier this week we spoke with critical care doctor and internist Doctor Jorge Hidalgo who shared his knowledge about the disease. He tells us more about what you can do if you use public transportation […]
False information has been spreading as fast as the virus elsewhere in the world and fact checking has become even more critical as is the reliance on official information. Today, a video in circulation on social media about cargo vessels caused panic. It was quickly rejected by the company mentioned and followed up by a […]
The Ministry of Health has been preparing for COVID-19 since January of this year when the first cases were being reported in China. It has acquired additional testing kits and has ramped up testing. So what happens when a case is identified in Belize? It all depends on where the case is determined. That person […]
In respect of the Central Health Region, several institutions have been identified and will be equipped and converted for various levels of care that will be needed in the event of a large number of COVID-19 cases. Melinda Guerra, Manager, Central Health Region “What we are going to be doing is to support Karl Heusner, given the […]
During Thursday’s Ask the Experts session, Director of Health Services Doctor Marvin Manzanero also shared that new screening points are now in place around the country. He says that they have been preparing to identify and isolate patients who test positive for the virus. Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services “We are preparing […]
A police corporal, who allegedly shot and killed a teacher as he drove in a vehicle in downtown Belize City last July, was today committed to stand trial in the June session of the Belize City Supreme Court. Corporal Kent Martinez is accused of the shooting death of Allison Major, who was struck to the […]
A man, who is charged with a murder that occurred in 2017 and for whom a preliminary inquiry has still not been completed, was denied bail today in the Supreme Court. Crown Counsel Reese Cattouse explained that George Bull has still not been committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court because there was a […]
A woman, who claims she is a chef in San Pedro, was today arrested and charged with possession of an illegal firearm and sixteen rounds of ammunition. Ana Herrera, represented by attorney Kathleen Lewis, appeared before Justice Francis Cumberbatch and was granted bail in the sum of ten thousand dollars plus two sureties of the […]
We’ve been reporting on the latest reports on the B.D.F.’s fatal helicopter crash. The Honduran Air Force conducted the first investigation and has shared their findings. The Civil Aviation Department and the BELL Company published theirs on Wednesday. But the investigation is still ongoing with some final reports to be published in the coming weeks, […]
As you heard just now, the team is still carrying out the internal investigation. But one other point that stuck out during at Wednesday’s press conference relates to the autopsy. While there were speculations about what may have killed the B.D.F. officers, the Civil Aviation Department’s cites the cause of death as blunt force trauma […]
