PUNTA GORDA TOWN, Toledo District, Wed. July 7, 2021– The villages of Conejo, Midway and Barranco are currently under lockdown following an order issued by the Government of Belize in response to an outbreak of COVID-19 cases within and around those villages — with 25 cases of the virus being discovered in Midway village and another 3 in Conejo.

Although the majority of the cases in the COVID-19 cluster in that area are located in Midway village, the Ministry of Health and Wellness found it necessary to institute the lockdown across the three villages due to the proximity of the villages to each other, and the use by the villages’ residents of the same bus to access Punta Gorda Town. (It is also worth noting that the index case in the cluster was identified as a Midway villager working in Barranco).

The stringent measures instituted for those villages include a curfew specific to these areas and a stipulation that residents of those areas remain in their respective villages at all times. The starting time for the nightly curfew in those villages is two hours earlier than it is for the national curfew, with residents of those villages being required to remain indoors from 8:00 p.m. until 4:59 a.m.

Noting the financial hardships that may be faced during this lockdown in those villages, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has pledged to provide weekly financial assistance to the villagers. The weekly packages will include food packages to every household and a weekly stipend of $150 per household.

In the last sitting of the House of Representatives, the Minister of Health and Wellness, Hon. Michel Chebat, noted that while the minimization of COVID-19 spread is important, the wellbeing of the Belizean people should also remain a consideration. He stated, “As a matter of public health we are forced to take these measures, but we are also making sure that our people in those villages will have food and a stipend to sustain them over the next two weeks. The Ministry of Health and Wellness team of vaccinators and contact tracers will be in these villages as of today and throughout the weekend. We must and we shall take the necessary measures to curtail the spread of this virus.”

Earlier today, Wednesday, July 7, a villager from the Barranco Village told us that the monetary assistance has not been provided yet, but they were informed that the funds would be delivered later today.

The Barranco resident told AMANDALA, “What I can say is that the shops are all closed, so residents cannot purchase anything.” He did acknowledge, however, that “basic items are being provided from the food assistance program.”

Another villager told us that they have been receiving assistance every 4 days. The villager also said, in reference to the regulations currently in place in those villages, “Most people are complying. The police is ensuring that everyone is on check. All in all, we are staying at home, the streets are lonely.”

Personnel from the Ministry of Health have also been in the villages talking to residents, and providing information to them about the COVID-19 virus and the benefits of receiving a vaccine. In addition, there has been active testing to further identify possible cases of the virus.