BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Apr. 29, 2021– As the world continues to battle the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government of Belize continues to issue fervent calls to the public to get vaccinated. The Ministry of Health and Wellness has also launched a Covid-19 Vaccination Registration and Scheduling app. Persons who met the eligibility requirements for vaccination during any of the previous phases of the vaccination rollout or who have become eligible during this most recent vaccination phase are invited to fill out the registration form on the app with their particulars and book an appointment to get vaccinated.

Incidentally, this week the world celebrates World Vaccination Day. As of Wednesday, April 28, 2021 a total of 41,100 persons have been vaccinated in the country, with 1,086 persons receiving their first jab on that day.

At this time, the total number of active cases of Covid-19 in Belize stands at 104. Data from Thursday, April 29, shows a total of 7 new cases discovered in a batch of 644 tests. A total of 10 recoveries were recorded on that day, and there were no new deaths. The Ministry of Health and Wellness recorded 3 hospitalizations, with 1 of the hospitalized persons requiring intensive care.

In total since the start of the pandemic in Belize, the country has recorded 12,646 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of that number, a total of 12,208 infected persons have been logged as recovered, and unfortunately our death toll now stands at 323.

On April 28, a total of 8 new cases were identified, with two of those being found inside the Kolbe Foundation facility, which manages the Belize Central Prison. A total of 785 tests were conducted on that day, and 3 hospitalizations were logged, with one of those hospitalized persons requiring intensive care. One new death was recorded on that day: a female person from the Belize District.

On Tuesday, April 27, the Health Ministry recorded 7 new COVID-19 cases from a batch of 560 tests that were conducted. No new death was recorded on that day, and 8 recoveries were logged. Six persons were hospitalized, one of whom was admitted to the ICU.

Over the weekend, from April 24th to the 26th, a total of 25 new cases were found after 1,386 tests were processed. The Ministry recorded a total of 17 recoveries and 3 active hospitalizations. One person was in need of intensive care. During that time, the Covid-19- related death of a woman from the Orange Walk District was recorded.

Another female person from the Orange Walk District also passed away on April 23. On that day 4 new cases were logged from a batch of 668 tests conducted. Five persons battling COVID-19 were admitted to healthcare facilities, and one of them had to receive treatment in an ICU. A total of 4 recoveries were also recorded on that day.

Globally, the Covid-19 numbers in India continue to surge. Hospitals in that country now face oxygen shortages, as the new double variant spreads across the country.

Also, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) in the US has reported that approximately a third of all US citizens have been infected with the coronavirus, as of March. Roughly 35% of the country’s population have fallen prey to the deadly virus.

Also, a survey published in the Journal of Science by a team from John Hopkins University finds that schools can be a source of the spread of Covid-19. This new study comes as schools globally inch towards full reopening. The study outlines that schools must take precautions such as mandatory mask-wearing and limiting extracurricular activities to reduce the risk of spread of the virus to staff and family members of students.

In Brazil, 3,163 new deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours. The country is now on the brink of registering 400,000 coronavirus deaths this week. The surge of infections and deaths in that South American country began a couple of months ago as inadequate restrictions made way for a new, more contagious variant of the virus to take hold of the population.

Our neighbor to the north, Mexico, has received a shipment of 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine from a Michigan-based plant. This is the first recorded shipment of vaccines from US facilities since the expiration of a Trump-era restriction on the exportation of doses.

The Pan American Health Organization is calling on countries with surplus Covid-19 vaccine supplies to donate to those countries currently struggling to keep a vaccination program on stream. Many of those countries in Latin America have seen an influx of patients as vaccine supplies lag.

In Guatemala, hospitals have reportedly reached maximum capacity. The healthcare system in that country is at risk of total collapse.

Internationally, the WHO reports that Covid-19 cases have risen worldwide for the ninth straight week. Since the start of the pandemic a total of 149,216,984 confirmed cases have been identified globally, 3,144,028 deaths have been reported to WHO, and as of 29 April 2021, a total of 968,452,196 vaccine doses have been administered worldwide.