BELMOPAN, Wed. May 12, 2021– The Surveillance Officer of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Lorna Perez, has said that they are trying to mobilize their teams to reintroduce targeted COVID-19 testing to the population.

Most of the screening which is currently taking place is aimed at persons who display symptoms of COVID-19, as well as health practitioners. The Health Ministry, however, is now directing its focus to COVID-19 cases in which the symptoms displayed are different from those typically associated with the virus.

The Ministry of Health is currently tasked with continuing its testing and surveillance activities while also moving forward with the rollout of the vaccine program in order to meet the goals of its national immunization plan.

Many have been concerned about the testing — wondering if the data is representative of the population, since a large number of tests have been done on incoming tourists. Perez stated, “Most tourists come with a test. Our Belizeans are the ones that we are testing on arrival. When leaving the country, the most being screened are the private sector.” This analysis is important, says Perez, for it allows the country to determine if persons are coming into the country infected or if cases of infection are emerging in the country. The department is reportedly seeking to get a more accurate representation of the COVID-19 situation in Belize through increased testing.

While Belize has been successful in controlling the virus, Perez fears the country might lower its guard due to low positivity rates. At the start of the year, Belize had a positivity rate of 13.9%. As of this week, the current positivity rate is 1.9%. The country has maintained a positivity rate below the threshold of 5% since epi week 5. Despite this achievement, Perez still encourages individuals to seek out testing. The ministry has committed to undergo a campaign to convince persons to get tested, even if they do not display any symptoms of the virus.