BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Dec. 3, 2020– One of the major mandates of the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) is to increase the detection and containment of the novel coronavirus. Minister of Health, Hon. Michel Chebat, in his press conference held on November 26, said that the laboratory of the Belize Agricultural Health Authority had extended a hand of support months ago to the UDP administration.

This offer was disregarded by the UDP government, but was recently embraced by the new MOHW. On Tuesday, December 1, the Minister of Health and Wellness signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) in order to enhance and support the diagnostic capacity of the Central Medical Lab in delivering PCR testing.

A subsequent press release from the ministry announced that BAHA personnel would be trained in PCR testing according to MOHW’s existing protocols. The hopes are that the alliance will aid in “scaling up the national response” and result in more efficient relaying of results of COVID-19 tests.

The release states, “The parties agreed to establish a joint work program in support of PCR testing at both facilities. This will allow those entities to carry out PCR testing at both facilities. This means a much-needed helping hand to the employees at the Central Medical Lab that have worked tirelessly since this virus hit our shores.”

“The Central Investigation Laboratory at BAHA received ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation in 2018 from the Jamaica National Agency of Accreditation. This means the lab holds the international standard as a competent testing facility,” the release further said.