BELIZE CITY, Fri. Jan. 29, 2021– The Corozal Free Zone (CFZ) has been on a fast-track to reopen for weeks now. A few weeks ago, Cabinet announced that they had approved the reopening of the free zone, provided that the CFZ’s board of directors ensures that measures are in place to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus within the commercial zone. It was also announced that the free zone would initially be open to Mexican nationals only.
At this time the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) is working closely with business owners inside the free zone to ensure that they adhere to all the requirements outlined by the Ministry before they officially resume commercial activities within the zone.
“At this time, we are not opening the land borders. Whatever movement is coming in from Mexico is going to be restricted to business owners for the purposes of initially ensuring that they are in compliance, with the regulations to be able to open their business, and then it will just be extended to possible customers of the free zone. But we are not opening the borders into the national territories beyond the free zone,” Minister of Health and Wellness Michel Chebat emphasized.
During a press conference held last Friday, January 29, to announce updated COVID-19 measures, Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa said, “The Board of Directors of the Corozal Free Zone are to ensure that there are temperature checks of every person entering the Corozal Free Zone and that that temperature check is taken and logged.”
Hon. Musa added, “Likewise, owners and managers of businesses within the free zone are to abide by any guidelines that the Ministry of Health and Wellness may issue prior to conducting business in the Corozal Free Zone. As I understand it, the Ministry of Health has been carrying out an examination of the businesses in the free zone, and they have been ensuring that these businesses are properly equipped in order to receive customers.”
Minster Musa shared that once the MOHW has conducted a check of the businesses and all the recommendations are in place, they will issue a certificate of compliance to the business owners, and those companies will be allowed to open starting Monday, February 1, 2021. Minister Chebat shared that public health officers will be on the ground inside the free zone to ensure compliance with all measures, restaurants will be allowed to provide only outdoor dining, and random testing will be conducted inside the free zone.
When asked of the possibility of the reopening of the Western Free Zone and border, Minister Musa said, “The opening of the Western Free Zone is not something that we have brought to the table as yet. But it is not to say that it will not come in the near future. Of course, it is good to see where we are with this particular reopening. The Corozal Free Zone has more business interest than the Western Free Zone, and so if it is that we are able to succeed and there isn’t a huge spike coming out of this reopening, then we can look at the western border as well. So, it is certainly a case study as we move forward with this particular reopening. But we haven’t considered yet the reopening of the western border – or the Western Free Zone, let me clarify – not borders. No border is open right now, no land border.”