At the earliest stage of the novel Coronavirus’ entry into Belize, our leaders and lawmakers wasted no time to institute a total lockdown on the entire country as an effort to contain and mitigate this virus and keep it at bay. Policies were immediately drafted with calculated expediency. Our leaders briefed us in a timely manner and kept us abreast of their plans, policies and procedures. The country was immediately placed into a State of Emergency and the populace found itself adjusting and getting used to a new norm as a result of the most stringent policies and procedures of our time.

Bear in mind, all this was done in a matter of days of Belize confirming just a few cases of the virus. Fast forward to today, where we have well over one thousand cases of the virus. The country isn’t under any state of emergency. The few areas that were under heavy restrictions have seen those lifted, and, well, it is now business as usual. So, with the rampant proliferation of the virus and the country under little to no rules and regulations, what’s next for us?

Clearly, the first lockdown put a severe toll on us that almost crippled us completely, subjecting the economy to a state of paralysis. We simply cannot re-do that, for not only have we not rebounded from the first lockdown, but instituting another will severely cripple us! In other words, despite the rapid spreading of the virus and the increased number of cases, life must go on. The band must play, the music goes on, and it’s up to us to determine if we sing or dance.

But fun and jokes aside, what really are we doing? I mean, is it prudent to continue to loosen restrictions and reopen the country as the virus continues seemingly unabated? If it is that we must stimulate the internal economy, then should we reopen the airport? Shouldn’t we seek to get a grip on the virus and seek to flatten the curve before opening “Pandora’s Box”? What will happen to us as a people as this virus continues to spread and national measures are loosened?

It is my firm belief that our days of lockdown are done and gone. The stringently imposed measures are behind us. The time has come when we face the virus head-on in an attempt to keep “the mail running”. We individually need to do our own part and take our own action to safeguard ourselves.

It has become more apparent than ever that while we matter, we are not priority. The priority is the economy. The priority is the reopening of the airport. The priority is perhaps the upcoming election. Perhaps, the priority is getting their machinery oiled and ready for the November showdown.

Clearly, in the face of the steady increase of cases and the loosening of restrictions, the priority is not us. So whether we live or die is up to us now.

God Bless Belize!