BELIZE CITY, Wed. Apr. 14, 2021– While being interviewed by the media following his tour of the newly modified COVID-19 Unit at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, the Prime Minister, Hon. John Briceño, was also asked about the possibility of the borders being reopened. So far, only the commercial free zones at the borders have been allowed to operate, and on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health and Wellness announced that casinos and gambling establishments will be allowed to reopen as of Friday, April 16. These were Hon. Briceño’s remarks on the reopening of borders:

“We are slowly, gradually, cautiously reopening the country, and we’re going step by step. We need to get people back to work. We have COVID under control, and let’s pray that we keep it that way, but we need to get back to work. And so, the casinos employ hundreds of people, and so we felt as a Cabinet that it is time to allow them to open under strict safety guidelines and standards. Social distancing, the mask- wearing, and everything that goes along with that. So, we have done that. As to opening up the borders, it’s not only about opening up borders, but we also have to see what is happening on the other side of the border. Mexico continues to have a challenge with COVID. They have not taken it on as seriously as we have in Belize. And also, Guatemala also has its problems.”

The Prime Minister went on to remark, “Fortunately, we have put in the necessary attention and taken the drastic decision to be able to try to control COVID. And we’ve succeeded, and we’re seeing the results. We are monitoring it, and hopefully in the not-so- distant future maybe we can decide how we open up the border, under what conditions and what will be expected when people are coming back after their visits across the border.”