BELIZE CITY, Mon. Apr. 20, 2020– Another 206 mainland residents were evacuated from San Pedro, Ambergiris Caye, on Saturday. The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Human Development and the National Emergency Management Organization coordinated the evacuation, the San Pedro Sun reported.

The group traveled back to the mainland on two large boats from San Pedro Water Taxi.

These mainland residents who worked in San Pedro had been trapped on the island since March 23, when cruise ships announced that they were discontinuing calls to Belize due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the persons who were evacuated have lost jobs in the tourism industry as a consequence of the pandemic.

All persons who boarded the two boats were screened prior to their departure and are required to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving at their destination.

Apart from having their temperatures checked prior to boarding the boats, those departing to their homes (some traveling as far away as the Toledo and Corozal Districts) were also blessed by a Roman Catholic priest.

For those leaving, it was a long departure process which began at 6:30 a.m. at the municipal dock at Central Park.

Belize Defence Force soldiers, San Pedro police, immigration officers, the Coast Guard and the Belize Port Authority assisted Dr. Javier Canul as he called out the names of those who were cleared for departure.

San Pedro mayor Daniel Guerrero was on hand to wish the departing mainland workers a safe trip back to their homes. Guerrero told the San Pedro Sun, “When all this pandemic has passed, we will be ready to welcome them back, if they wish to return.”

Since the country is under a lockdown and on Sundays there can be no movement, the government arranged bus transportation in Belize City for those persons who left the island. The boats had left San Pedro around 11::00 a.m.