BELIZE CITY, Sun. Aug. 16, 2020– At midnight last night, a new Statutory Instrument — SI 119/ 2020 — became effective countrywide, altering the curfew hours and adding new rules under the State of Emergency that has been put in place to curb the sudden and alarming spread of the COVID-19 virus within the country.
In his explanation of the new SI, Compol Williams said that curfew hours for the rest of the country, with the exception of the hotspots in San Pedro and some villages in the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts, which are subject to more stringent measures, are now as follows: Sunday to Thursday: 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., and 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
No child under the age of 16 should be out in public unaccompanied by a parent or guardian after 6:00 p.m. All persons walking or running for exercise must do so 6 feet apart. Cyclists must ride in single file. Also, there shall be no recreational contact sports.
Williams said that all business places, regardless of what their trade license says, must close one hour before the curfew starts, in order to allow time for all persons employed at such enterprises to get home before the curfew.
From Sunday to Thursday businesses must close by 7:00 p.m., while on Fridays and Saturdays, they must close by 9:00 p.m.
He said that all persons casually riding motorcycles or bicycles most now wear a mask. Every person must practice social distancing, but for those who are in workplaces where there is not enough space for social distancing, a face mask must be worn.
Additionally, no more than 10 persons can socially gather together at any given time. Williams said that in a restaurant, no more than 10 persons are allowed to dine inside, and the tables must be 6 feet apart from each other. Also, all casinos are to remain closed.
The Commissioner said that the number of infections is quickly rising, and he calls on all in the community to be responsible and to abide by all the health protocols. The best remedy for this virus is to stay at home, he said. “If you have no reason to be on the street, please stay home”, said Williams.
The Police Commissioner said that persons who don’t care about themselves should at least do the right things for those they love and for the elderly and most vulnerable. “We all have a responsibility to act responsibly and when we don’t, we put ourselves and others at risk,” he said.