BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Apr. 30, 2020– There has been no positive test in Belize for the novel coronavirus for the past 18 days. This has prompted Prime Minister Dean Barrow to announce an easing of some of the restrictions of the National State of Emergency, which came into effect on April 1.
Prime Minister Barrow’s announcement this afternoon came on the heels of parliament’s approval of a further two months of the State of Emergency, which expires at midnight tonight. The additional two-month State of Emergency comes into effect tomorrow, May 1, when the new emergency proclamation signed by the Governor General takes effect, and government’s relaxed regulations will be spelled out in a new Statutory Instrument which was approved by both the Cabinet and the National Oversight Committee.
In the opening remarks of his virtual press conference, Prime Minister Barrow explained that, “There is a substantial easing that the new regime will bring. I’m also pleased to say that the new measures are the product of an agreement between both the National Oversight Committee and the Cabinet of Belize.”
While the decision to ease the stringent restrictions was enacted under the first State of Emergency, Barrow cautioned: “Before I go any further, I must make one thing clear. There is no way that, in those famous words of President Bush, that we can declare ‘mission accomplished’. We see what is to happen now as a breathing space, a somewhat uneasy truce. We will use the opportunity to plan, to prepare for the distinct possibility of a second wave of cases. If that hits, we ask our people to be ready to do it all over again, including returning to the most draconian of lockdowns.”
Prime Minister Barrow went on to announce the re-opening of some sectors of the economy which had been shut down during the first State of Emergency. Though these sectors of the economy are being given the green light to operate, this is being done with some strict measures, such as requirements for social distancing, which is mandatory. The wearing of a face mask, which was optional during the first State of Emergency, is now also mandatory under the new regime.
Barrow announced that government offices and certain businesses will open. “Accordingly, under the new SI, all government departments and all statutory bodies will reopen on Monday, May 4th. We have, naturally, added to the list of approved private sector businesses also permitted to operate, and those add-ons can actually begin on Saturday, May 2nd — after the Labour Day holiday — if they normally employ Saturday opening hours.
“Lawyers, accountants, real estate brokers, are some examples of private sector, professional service providers that are now on the approved list. There is, as well, a category compendiously described as local manufacturers, under which our carpenters, building contractors, plumbers, electricians, and so on, will also be able to operate.
“The wholesalers and retailers generally are being freed up, and even call centers can reopen, particularly for training purposes. Belize call center services are increasingly in demand as a result of the pandemic, and the centers can take on well over a thousand new hires if training is allowed,” Barrow said.
The Prime Minister described the call centers as, “very, very significant for the economy,” before announcing that “hotels will also now reopen, if they so choose, to cater to a Belizean clientele. Their restaurants will be limited, though, to providing room service and take-out meals.”
“As a result of all this,” Barrow added, “the general restriction on movement is being lifted to the extent that it will now permit the public to attend at the various government and private businesses for such services as they require, in addition to the purchase of supplies and essential needs. And in one more concession, beauty salons and barbershops can also resume operations, although, only by appointment basis, dealing with one customer at a time.”
Since it is uncertain when regular tourism will resume in Belize, Barrow said that Belizeans can basically be tourists in their own country to jumpstart the local hotel industry, which took a major hit when the country was shut down for the past month.
“And since we are saying that anybody can move across district lines in order to attend or in order to seek the services that are available, local tourism services that are available and are legitimate — then it must mean that indeed, if people want to travel to San Pedro, if Minister Heredia and Mayor Guerrero will permit, they should be free to do so,” noted the Prime Minister.
“That’s why we said the restaurants can’t open for in-restaurant dining. People will have to settle for a room service and hotels will have to be very careful with the question of the use of the pool.
“But in principle, the answer is yes, as to whether Belizeans will be able to in fact travel across district lines to patronize, if you will, the hotels that are now being allowed to reopen,” Barrow said.
Barrow also stressed that the penalties under the new State of Emergency regime will be stiffer. As an example, the PM said that the persons who are caught crossing the border illegally to go into Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico, will be subject to imprisonment.
“Thus, it is that we are actually increasing the penalties for particular breaches. As just one example, those caught using the illegal crossings to go especially into Mexico and Quintana Roo, where the proliferation of coronavirus cases has skyrocketed, will, upon conviction, go straight to jail for three months. A second conviction will result in a one-year prison sentence,” said Barrow.
Appearing during the virtual press conference was Dr. George Gough, Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Health, who detailed the government’s inventory of testing equipment on hand and some of the medical supplies the country needs that are on order and are expected to arrive in the country.
Barrow explained that Attorney General Peyrefitte will later address the details of the new Statutory Instrument.
Feature photo: Prime Minister Dean Barrow