Effective today, May 15th, Statutory Instrument No. 72 of 2020, the Belize Constitution (Emergency Powers) Regulations, 2020, comes into effect.
In summary, the country remains under a state of emergency with all borders remaining closed. The curfew remains in effect for children under the age of 16 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and for adults from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. unless your are exercising which allows you to be out between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. only.
The new SI ushers in more relaxed measures, but the Attorney General urges Belizeans to only venture out with a specific purpose. He reiterated that these relaxed measures in no way means that we are able to roam the streets aimlessly and not practice social distancing.
Main points of note from the Attorney General’s “Ask the Experts” session held on May 14, 2020 are as follows:
pools, seas and rivers can now be enjoyed by Belizeans, but must be used subject to social distancing rules;
hotels can now reopen for local tourism only;
restaurants with outdoor seating areas can reopen, but must be used subject to social distancing rules;
masks are no longer required for those persons exercising between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.;
churches can reopen but can only have a maximum of 10 persons worshiping at any given time and children under the age of 12 cannot attend these public services;
cross district travel is now allowed, but for specific purposes and not for random trips (i.e. your trip must be for a specific purpose);
bars, casinos, discos/clubs remain closed;
lottery draws remain discontinued;
no parties/BBQs/picnics or-the-like are allowed at this time;
visits to family members are now allowed outside of curfew hours only; (MAKE NOTE OF THE HOURS OUTLINED ABOVE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS AS THOSE HOURS DIFFER)
While Belize is one of only 12 countries in the world who are free of COVID-19, authority figures plead with the public to adhere to the regulations set in place, to continue wearing masks in public, and to practice social distancing.
The full updated Statutory Instrument No 72 of 2020 can be read here.
The National Hurricane Center has issued a special tropical weather outlook today, Wednesday, May 13, 2020.
For the North Atlantic…Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:
Special Tropical Weather Outlook issued to discuss the potential for tropical or subtropical development near the northwest Bahamas.
A trough of low pressure over the Straits of Florida is producing a large area of cloudiness and thunderstorms. Environmental conditions are expected to become conducive for development, and this system is likely to become a tropical or subtropical storm by late Friday or Saturday when it is located near the northwestern Bahamas. The system is then forecast to move generally northeastward over the western Atlantic early next week.
Regardless of development, the disturbance has the potential to bring heavy rainfall to portions of the Florida Keys, southeast Florida, and the Bahamas through Saturday. Tropical-storm-force wind gusts are also possible in the Florida Keys, southeast Florida, and the Bahamas during the next day or two. Hazardous marine conditions are also expected along the Florida east coast and in the Bahamas where Gale Warnings are in effect. See products from your local weather office and High Seas Forecasts for more details. An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate this system tomorrow, if necessary.
Formation chance through 48 hours…high…70 percent.
The time to prepare for a hurricane is before the season begins, when you have the time and are not under pressure. If you wait until a hurricane is on your doorstep, the odds are that you will be under duress and will make the wrong decisions. Take the time now to write down your hurricane plan. Know who issues evacuation orders for your area, determine locations on where you will ride out the storm, and start to get your supplies now. Being prepared before a hurricane threatens makes you resilient to the hurricane impacts of wind and water. It will mean the difference between being a hurricane victim or a hurricane survivor.
When preparing for the upcoming hurricane season keep the following in mind:
Complete a written plan
Have photo documentation of your valuables
Keep your important documents together for quick access
Share your plan
Help your neighbor
Help your neighbors prepare
Help your neighbors evacuate
Check-in after the storm passes
Strengthen your home
Cover windows
Trim trees
Secure loose outdoor items
Secure all doors
Move your car to a safe location
Get an insurance check-up
Check with your agent
Keep your documents with you
Consider flood insurance
Know your policy
Assemble disaster supplies
Food/Water
Medicine
Batteries, Radio, Chargers
Gas up
Cash on hand
Develop an evacuation plan
Find out if you live in an evacuation zone
Plan out a route
Follow evacuation orders
Plan for your pets
Determine your risk
Storm surge
Rip currents
Inland flooding
Tornadoes
Strong winds
While preparing for hurricane season, always follow the latest guidelines from the local Government, Ministry of Health and NEMO.
The local Ministry of Health announced today, that the last two active cases of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) have recovered as their second test is now negative!
Belizeans however, need to continue to exercise preventive measures across all sectors as the numbers in neighboring countries continue to go up.
Globally, as of 2:00am CEST, 5 May 2020, there have been 3,525,116 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 243,540 deaths, reported to WHO
Neighbouring Guatemala up to yesterday has reported 730 cases with 46 cases being in the Eastern (includes Peten) part of Guatemala and the neigbhouring state of Quintana Roo is reporting 956 cases up until midday today with a total of 24 cases in the neighbouring municipality of Othon P. Blanco (Chetumal included in this data).
Belize needs a community effort as we progress into the summer months in order to prevent any future cases of COVID-19.
Pause in Service Extended, In Combination with Gradual Schedule from Select Homeports
Carnival Cruise Line’s Ecstasy is docked amid the coronavirus outbreak on March 27 in Jacksonville, Fla. Carnival says it’s planning to resume cruises beginning in August
Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
Carnival Cruise Line advised guests and travel agents today of our plan to phase in a resumption in our North American service this summer, beginning on August 1 with a total of eight ships from Miami, Port Canaveral and Galveston. In connection with this plan, our pause in operations will be extended in all other North American and Australian markets through August 31.
The key elements of this plan include:
All North American cruises from June 27 to July 31 will be cancelled.
Beginning August 1, we plan to resume cruises on the following ships:
Galveston: Carnival Dream, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Vista
Miami: Carnival Horizon, Carnival Magic and Carnival Sensation
Port Canaveral: Carnival Breeze and Carnival Elation.
Other than the above referenced service from Galveston, Miami, and Port Canaveral, all other North American and Australian homeport cruises will be cancelled through August 31.
All Carnival Spirit Alaskan cruises from Seattle will be cancelled, as well as the Carnival Spirit Vancouver-Honolulu cruise on September 25 and the Honolulu-Brisbane transpacific cruise on October 6.
All Carnival Splendor cruises in Australia from June 19 to August 31 will be cancelled.
Impacted guests and their travel advisors are being notified by email, including options for a combined future cruise credit (FCC) and onboard credit (OBC) package, or a full refund. Booked guests can make their selection online, alleviating the need to contact Carnival’s customer service center, which is still operating in a work-from-home status due to locally-imposed office closures in South Florida.
We are committed to supporting all public health efforts to manage the COVID-19 situation. We are taking a measured approach, focusing our return to service on a select number of homeports where we have more significant operations that are easily accessible by car for the majority of our guests.
We will use this additional time to continue to engage experts, government officials and stakeholders on additional protocols and procedures to protect the health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we serve. We appreciate the understanding and support of our guests and travel agent partners and look forward to welcoming them on board as the environment for travel and tourism improves.
Summary of Statutory Instrument No. 62 of 2020 which came into effect on April 26, 2020.
These regulations come into effect on April 26, 2020 and remain in effect for the duration of the period of public emergency.
Keep in mind that the restriction on social activities is still in effect and that the following activities are against the law for the duration of the state of emergency:
no person shall host nor attend a private party which includes any person from outside of the immediate household of the house occupant;
no person shall host nor attend a recreational or competitive sporting event;
no person shall host nor attend a wedding which hosts ten or more persons other than the bride, bridegroom, official witnesses and the marriage officer;
no person shall host nor attend a banquet, ball or reception;
no person shall host nor attend any social event;
no person shall host nor attend any other ceremony of public worship in any facility or public place which involves the participation of any member of the general public or a congregation;
no person shall host nor attend a funeral, except ten members of the immediate family and at least one officiant and essential mortuary staff;
no person shall host nor attend a meeting of a fraternal society, private or social club or civic association or organization.
Note that every person who contravenes any of the provisions of these Regulations or incites or attempts to incite any other person to contravene any of these Regulations commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) or to imprisonment for two (2) years.
Belize, it seems, is well on the way to recuperation from COVID-19 as we are happy to report 2 official cases of recovery. Patients 1 and 2 have both been declared free of the Coronavirus after more than a month in isolation. This is good news for our little country and with the last confirmation of a COVID-19 infection in Belize on April 11, 2020 most would say that Belize is well on its way to being free of the constraints of the Coronavirus. But with progress must come some amount of caution as we seek to resume some sense of normalcy in Belize.
With the state of emergency still in effect, Belizeans can’t help but wonder what will happen with schools. At a press conference held by the Ministry of Education earlier this week, a few key points were stated:
The re-opening of schools before the end of the previously established school year is not guaranteed;
Home- based learning, working with school leaders, teachers, international partners at all educational levels must continue;
Academic and psycho-social support must be provided;
The Ministry will continue to upload online resources on a daily basis to their website;
Daily lessons will be broadcast on radio and TV stations by next Monday, April 27th 2020;
Printed publications for pre- and primary school levels will be done via a newsprint, thousands of copies will be available via banks and grocery stores country wide. It will contain two weeks’ worth of work;
The Ministry of Education will assist to provide printed materials for secondary school levels via a similar newsprint format;
The role of teachers at the pre- and primary school level is to inform and encourage parents to use the various learning formats and to check in on students’ progress as best as possible;
High schools and It-vets will develop online resources as best as possible and provide students with a variety of content;
Teachers are to enroll in online training programs;
Special assistance (remedial) should be offered to those that need it;
All levels must plan for promotion. Pre-school students will be promoted automatically; All students from infant 1 to standard 5 will be promoted automatically;
All students in standard 6 who have met their school requirements and or have reached the age of 14 will be graduated automatically;
High-school students will also be promoted automatically;
Regional and national exams- The BJAT will not be administered this year but will be administered at the start of the new school year in Std 4. The PSE will not be administered this year but rather be used for 1st form students as an assessment;
Belize can not participate in this year’s CXC and the Ministry is trying to find a way forward regarding these exams. Grants and scholarships aligned to CXC results are being discussed further;
Registration for the new school year – all educational institutions are to extend their deadlines accordingly.
While we pray that no additional cases will be reported in the future, we anticipate an update to the current state of emergency next week. Until the state of emergency has expired, we urge Belizeans to continue practicing good hand washing, refrain from touching your face, stay home unless absolutely necessary to go out, and remain up-to-date with changes and releases from the Government of Belize, and local Health and Education Ministries with MyBelize.Net.
As the quarantine period progresses, three new cases of COVID-19 have been identified. These new cases come as a result of enhanced surveillance exercises being conducted as a part of a wider mapping of persons who have been in close contact with previously infected patients.
Two of the three new cases stem from the Corozal District while one hails from Belize City. While all three patients are asymptomatic, they all remain in self-isolation in their respective homes. It is imperative to note that results for the front line workers from both the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) and the Belize Healthcare Partners Limited (BHPL) have come back negative for COVID-19.
We encourage the public to continue practicing social distancing if you must go out to access essential services and to practice good hygiene at all times. Let’s stay home to save lives.
