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This morning, the press lay-waited Prime Minister John Briceño as he left a radio station to ask him about a range of burning issues; chief among them – the surprise departure of Central Bank Governor Gustavo Vasquez after only four months. Vasquez had told staff he “faced stiff opposition from the Ministry of Finance and […]
Written on August 18, 2021 | Posted in
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Last week it made headlines that B.T.L. cellular accounts assigned to personnel within the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour and Local Government were switched to Smart mobile accounts. In response, the Public Service Union issued a release stating that the decision is contrary to the government’s best interest and appears to be a […]
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PM Briceño says the Government of Belize is still giving millions of dollars in business to B.T.L. and that the switch to Smart of some government phone plans should be a “wake-up” call. Prime Minister John Briceño “As it is right, now the government is propping up B.T.L. to the tune of millions of […]
Written on August 18, 2021 | Posted in
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Smart Belize has responded to reports about the government contracts. In a press release issued today, Smart says it is not aware of any directives given by G.O.B. to switch their telecom services to Smart because the company is owned and operated by relatives of the Prime Minister. However, Smart says they do know of […]
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Prime Minister John Briceño says Minister of State in the Ministry of Public Utilities and the Area Representative for Port Loyola, Gilroy Usher, called him to clarify certain statements he made on a morning show. Usher said the stevedores at the Port of Belize Limited did not have the influence to challenge B.S.I.’s move to […]
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PM Briceño also commented on B.S.I.’s move to the Big Creek Port. Prime Minister John Briceño “Who I think we really need to hold responsible is the Port of Belize. Because the Port of Belize, there is no incentive for them to improve their efficiencies, because the more they charge, the more Port of […]
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Today, the Government of Belize received a batch of one hundred and eleven thousand one hundred and fifty doses of Pfizer vaccine courtesy of the U.S. Government. It is part of President Joe Biden’s pledge to support efforts to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. News Five’s Duane Moody reports. Duane Moody, Reporting It was delayed […]
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Over the weekend, on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, a decision was taken by the Ministry of Education to push back the start date for in-person learning at schools. The change is due to the increasing number of COVID-19 numbers and the new variants identified in the country. With G.O.B. now […]
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The rollout of the Pfizer vaccine is set to begin on Monday, August twenty-third. But Minister Chebat says that until the other batches arrive in country, the one hundred and eleven thousand one hundred and fifty doses are reserved for children from ages twelve and older. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health & Wellness “There […]
Written on August 18, 2021 | Posted in
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When the United Democratic Party lost at the polls in November 2020, the Ministry of Education, under the stewardship of former minister Patrick Faber, already had plans to introduce several initiatives for distance learning. According to Faber, the incoming government promptly ditched those arrangements in favor of its own plans. With an increase in COVID-19 […]
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An anonymous tip to News Five this morning alleged that up to five nurses who had tested positive for COVID were being instructed by administration at the San Ignacio Community Hospital to remain on the job. However this afternoon, Darrel Spencer of the Nurses Association told News Five it was one nurse, not five, and […]
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The international media is reporting that a woman who got COVID during a cruise that stopped in Belize has died on her return to the U.S. The seventy-seven-year-old retired school teacher, Marilyn Tackett, was travelling with her family on the Carnival Vista and began feeling unwell after a day in Roatan, Honduras. A fully vaccinated […]
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News Five also spoke with Principal Public Health Inspector at Ministry of Health, John Bodden, who explained the protocols being followed when a tourist requires hospitalization. John Bodden, Principal Public Health Inspector, Ministry of Health & Wellness “In terms of this medical emergency protocol, there is a form that is called Seaport Medical Emergency Referral form […]
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Bodden is also Belize’s International Points of Entry Health Regulations officer. He said that in the case of an outbreak of a disease on a ship that docks in Belize, there are set guidelines that must be followed in order to protect people on the ground. He says that the last ship that docked with […]
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We are well within the hurricane season and today, we have an update on Tropical Storm Grace, which has upgraded to a category one hurricane earlier today. The projection is that the storm, which is barrelling towards the Yucatan Peninsula, will make landfall north in Mexico. Today, News Five spoke with Chief Meteorologist Ronald Gordon […]
Written on August 18, 2021 | Posted in
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Tropical storm winds are not expected, but the country will be impacted by rains, especially northern Belize starting tonight. There is also the possibility of flooding across the country. Chief Meteorologist Gordon goes into more details on warnings for the country and for residents to stay alert. Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist, National Meteorological Service […]
Written on August 18, 2021 | Posted in
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There was a fire on Tuesday night on the corner of George Frazer Street and Iguana Saint Extension in Belize City. The home of Lisa Lauriano went up in a blaze. And, if that name sounds familiar, that is because Lauriano was in police custody earlier this week for the stabbing death of her ex-common […]
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Three new COVID-related deaths were recorded on Tuesday, bringing the total number of deaths to three hundred and forty-seven. There were also ninety-eight positive samples identified so there are now seven hundred and seventy-one active cases in the country. Fifteen persons are hospitalised, four of whom are admitted to Intensive Care Units. A lockdown is […]
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Comments Off on COVID Numbers Soar to 771; 3 New Deaths
With the increasing number COVID-19 cases, Minister Chebat was also asked if there will be any amendments to the quarantine regulations as set out in statutory instrument number seventy-four of 2021. There will be no changes in the curfew which is currently from nine p.m. to four a.m. daily, but other groups have been identified […]
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While we were with the Minister of Health and Wellness, we asked about the constitutional claim that has reportedly been filed by nine individuals in relation to statutory instrument seventy-four against Minister Michel Chebat, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams and Attorney General Magali Marin-Young. Here’s how Chebat responded. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health & […]
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The Human Rights Commission of Belize has spoken out on what it calls constant police abuse of power. While it says it acknowledges the efforts of the leadership of the Belize Police Department in taking swift action against the most recent case, the Commission feels that police abuse is now a trend and that needs […]
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Pitts also weighed in on the matter of mandatory vaccination when a pandemic threatens human life en masse. Pitts says the constitution gives the government authority to make such a decision but within a certain context. Voice of: Cynthia Pitts, Vice President, Human Rights Commission of Belize “That is the Constitution that we have […]
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The Board of Directors of the organization “Our Circle” has issued a statement after their managing director, Derricia Castillo Salazar, was charged with stabbing a woman in the face in San Pedro last weekend. Our Circle’s President, Danae Fairweather, expressed disappointment that this occurred during Pride Island Getaway, an initiative spearheaded by Our Circle during […]
Written on August 18, 2021 | Posted in
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The first cruise ship docked at Harvest Caye today. The Norwegian Gem has over one thousand four hundred passengers and passed all necessary COVID and other safety guidelines. John Bodden, Principal Public Health Inspector, Ministry of Health & Wellness “On Monday, we had visited that location to verify the protocols that are in place […]
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Government’s vaccine rollout continues to see Belizeans across the country getting their COVID jabs. The ongoing effort, as well as a recent increase in the number of infections, has seen hospital staff, including nurses, working overtime. To help out, the Rotary Club of Belize has launched an initiative to fund the salaries of several nurses […]
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