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Prime Minister Dean Barrow and the Ministry of Health held a press conference on COVID-19 yesterday.



PM Barrow addresses the nation in regard to COVID-19 Pandemic

On Wednesday, March 11th, the World Health Organization declared the Coronavirus, dubbed COVID-19, a pandemic due to the disease's rapid spread across multiple countries around the world. Over 100,000 confirmed cases have been registered, with almost 5,000 deaths in 114 countries. Belize remains free of the deadly disease, which first appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. However, the global impact is already beginning to affect the country's main industry-tourism. The situation is being treated very seriously on a global scale, prompting Prime Minister Right Honourable Dean Barrow to address the nation on Thursday, March 12th in Belize City.

Prime Minister Barrow began his address to the nation by making it clear that there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases in Belize. He announced the formation of a COVID-19 National Task Force and a National Oversight Committee to contain the deadly disease. The National Oversight Committee is headed by Barrow, the Leader of the Opposition Honourable John Brice�o, along with social partners and members of the business community. This committee will look at everything: it will especially zero in on the economic aspects of the crisis. Barrow said that on Monday, March 16th, he will meet with the Governor of the Central Bank, the Financial Secretary, and Chief Executive Office of the Ministry of Economic Development. The Social Security Board will also come on board and help the committee map out the necessary response to deal with the impacts of the crisis on employees, employers and all sectors of the Belizean economy. Barrow added that they will be looking at emergency aid to workers, including a possible tax payment extension, a supplementary allocation for Corona-related outlays, duty-free importation of essential supplies, a moratorium on loan repayments at banks and credit unions, and a post-Corona stimulus by even more accelerated capital spending, salary advances among other things.

Click here to read the rest of the article in the San Pedro Sun

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Government forms coronavirus task force, oversight committee

Opposition Leader accepts Prime Minister's invitation to co-chair working group pertaining to COVID-19

Corona Crackdown? Not Yet.

Belize continues to remain free of the Coronavirus tonight - while it has been confirmed in 127 countries, Belize is one of about 68 nations that have no positive tests.

That's the same situation with our Central American neighbours, El Salvador and Guatemala: no positive tests: but they have both enacted stringent restrictions on travel into the country - putting up a travel ban on countries and continents where the virus has appeared.

So, what will Belize do - and what will nit not do yet? Well it won't put up a blanket ban. The Prime Minister announced the plan and the precautions at a press conference this afternoon at the Biltmore.

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Decisions have to be taken on the following: Whether or not to allow cruise ships to enter; Whether or not to disallow large gatherings; Whether or not to close schools; Whether or not to ban air travel; Whether or not to restrict freedom of entry at our land borders; These are not easy decisions to make given the obvious and astronomical impact they would have on us and the economy, especially tourism. But nothing is more important than preserving the health of our people; nothing is more important than saving Belizean lives. I did not want to announce any such decision today without putting our country, as well as those that visit and service Belize, on notice. But I advise now that immediately after this press conference I will be meeting with the health team and speaking to the Leader of the Opposition. I will, of course, also be talking to tourism and business stakeholders. Shortly thereafter I would expect to announce when, not if, any or all of the cited measures will go into effect. Meantime, we want immediately to discourage all non-essential travel and prescribe the start of social distancing. In times such as now, it is together, therefore, that we face this crisis; it is together that we will address this crisis; and it is together that we will overcome this crisis."

Health Experts Agree: Borders Stay Open

The Director of Health Services further explained that the decision to not introduce an across - the - board travel ban at this time is based on considered advice of regional public health experts:..

Dr. Marvin Manzanero - Director of Health Services
"We keep getting asked do the virtual lockdown like El Salvador has done and we have asked our colleagues our counterparts even, what was your opinion on the matter. People were positive and dealing with the day to day issues now and I haven't found any single entity that has come back to us from the public health standpoint that says that is the way you are supposed to be dealing with COVID 19. I think El Salvador might be the only country that has actually done a virtual isolation quarantine without having any positive case but that's a sovereign decision which I'm assured they have a reason for doing so I can't criticize that."

El Salvador announced yesterday that it will ban entry to all foreigners for a period of 21 days to curb the spread of the coronavirus. so, that is a ban on, quote, "any foreigner who is not a resident or diplomat in Salvadoran territory."

Salvadorans returning home from countries where coronavirus has been declared would have to be quarantined for 30 days.

The president also announced the suspension of school and university classes for 21 days, as well as the prohibition of gatherings of more than 500 people.

Under Pressure, PM Elaborates

Again, Belize is not taking that drastic step at this time based on advice from regional health experts. But, the Prime Minister said he is under pressure even at home to enact a lock down - but conceded that there are too many dependent variables to do so:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"The time has not yet come for us to order any kind of mass shutdown. I know that there are some even in my own home who are trying to quarrel with me to say that everything should be shut down today. Well I beg to disagree, I don't think that's practical in any case, we need to approach that possibility carefully. There are practical reasons for that, forget for a moment the effect on tourism, which effect we're already experiencing, people are... if this things continue as the kind of pandemic that it is, we won't have to worry about shutting down the country, nobody will come. Already the tourism sector is screaming bloody murder and that's why I talked about the oversight committee getting together on Monday to explore possibilities of assistance in that regard but coming back to the practical aspect of things, there are people abroad, Belizeans abroad right now, if we had come here today and say we're banning all flights from coming in, what's going to happen to those people? Two of them I might mention are ministers of government, which might call some people to say ban the flights because we don't want them back but... On a serious note, there is no way we would have been prepared to come here today and to say bam, door slammed shut, this is the way we're going to go. So I am not trying to shelve responsibility, I repeat that ultimately it is a political decision. The good doctors can advise us as to the signs, as to the commonly agreed method of approaching this crisis and we clearly will want to be guided as much as possible by that. I repeat that in the final analysis, we would have to make the kind of decision that would see us actually officially impose a ban on mass gatherings, impose the travel restrictions. Again, we start talking about locking down, I have yet to find out what is the position in terms of our current store if you will, of vital necessities - food stuff. Do we have a 30 supply of medicine, a lot of our medicine as I understand it come from El Salvador, when they lock down I'm not sure if they are only talking about air travel. If they are sealing their borders completely, what happens to the medicine we normally get from them?"

MoH Taking on Testing

Of course, there's no right time to make a very difficult decision, but when the first positive test appears, then the options will be far fewer. But at this point, tonight, there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 detected in Belize. So far, 300- persons have been singled out for screening. Manzanero provided details:

Dr. Marvin Manzanero - Director of Health Services
"I think it's more than 300 people we have been up to date and it keeps evolving. We can confirm there is no case confirmed of COVID 19. There are two samples that may be processed later on today but it doesn't seem they would follow a clinical pattern to make them a candidate for COVID 19. As we speak here, numbers are just popping up everywhere, Trinidad and Tobago just announced their first confirmed case and what we're tracking for in the region is all imported cases. Most of them are from European importation if you will."

Why No Active Surveillance at Points of Entry

But many have complained that the screening at points of entry is far from optimal. Basically, those arriving at the airport are asked their travel history and scanned for symptoms. If they present no symptoms and have no flags in their travel history, they are sent on their way. But, why not take the temperature of everyone arrive to see if they have a fever and might be sick with the flu? Manzanero said it is not resource effective:


Dr. Marvin Manzanero - Director of Health Services
"Why is it that we don't have permanent health staff at all the entry points? Again, we are guided by what international regulations and recommendations are and the medical term that's used in that, is what we call a low yield strategy, which means you can invest a lot of money in terms of your human resources, in terms of your financial resources and it's not really going to turn up anything and with the resources we have, it's a low yield, it's not really going to give you anything. If you follow what all the American countries have had, south of the US of course, all of them are imported and none of the them have really been picked up at any entry point, so they have come in through their airports, asymptomatic, whenever they show up at the health facility and the healthcare worker is able to track the epidemiological link that you can find those cases. So it's the active case finding, it is the acting surveillance that is being scaled up and I think that's where the field officers are on a day to day basis. We have the ability to test in country, we have gotten the assurance, I think the second bath of test strips are arriving this afternoon and we have been told we are getting 3 set of test kits for next week and that's through PAHO, those collaboration we're having, we are one of the few countries in the region that are able to do in country testing more than a month ago now."

A Task Force and a Committee. Belize's Pandemic Response

Now, all these activities will be overseen by a COVID-19 Task Force and a COVID-19 National Oversight Committee. The Prime Minister said this will be co-chaired with the leader of the opposition:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"I have asked the Leader of the Opposition, and he has accepted, to co-chair with me the National Oversight Committee. Apart from Government and Opposition, the Committee will be made up of representatives from the Belize Council of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Belize National Network of NGOs and the Belize Social Security Board. The NTUCB has also been invited to name a representative but has not yet responded. The purpose of this Committee is to provide ultimate overall supervision of Belize's efforts to deal with COVID-19. It will especially zero in on the economic aspects of the crisis. Thus, at our first meeting scheduled for this coming Monday, we will hear from the Governor of the Central Bank, the Financial Secretary, and the CEO of the Ministry of Economic Development. They, together with SSB, will help the committee map out the necessary response to deal with the impacts of the crisis on employees, employers and all sectors of the Belize economy. Matters we will be looking at include: emergency aid to workers; a possible tax payment extension; a supplementary allocation for Corona-related outlays; duty free importation of essential supplies; a moratorium on loan repayments at banks and credit unions; and post-Corona stimulus by even more accelerated capital spending, salary advances etc."

While the task force will deal with those overarching issues - the day to day public health response will be dealt with by the Ministry of Health and the COVID-19 Task Force, chaired by Dr. Marvin Manzanero. They are also seeking expert assistance for the committee, including from Cuba and Taiwan.

Cruise Ships Keep Coming

Looking more closely any the situation with cruise ships - Belize continues to receive them, and three were in port today. It's the decision by the government to keep them coming at this time. Today the Prime Minster explained that the cruise lines do their own screening on board:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"I read out earlier as you would have heard all the measures that in place with respect to screening passengers before they can even get on to a cruise ship. It is in those circumstances that as I said, recognizing the impact of just suddenly cutting off all cruise lines, the impact that would have on jobs and on the livelihoods of people like yourselves, that we have adopted for the moment a kind of wait and see attitude if you will. Things are perhaps never as good as they sound but certainly in terms of that W-H-O advisory bulletin as to all that is being done and the kind of assurance that the BTB derives from that. It does offer comfort, it does place us in a position where we can decide not to cut off cruise ships just yet and feel that decision is a rational one, that we're not playing fast and loose with you and with the citizens of this country. As of now, the decision is not to stop the cruise ships but if there are particular cruise ships that went elsewhere and were turned back - unless they were turn back for reasons of a blanket shutdown such as is happening in El Salvador. If there were particular reasons for suspicion that cause the cruise ship to return from other ports, very clearly we would turn them away from our port as well. There's also a protocol, I know the manifest are sent to us before hand and health personnel board those cruise ships before there is any kind of disembarkation, so that people could be tendered to Belize City or elsewhere and while I'm sure they can't examine every single person. Again, it is expected that as a matter of responsibility, the captain will inform of any cases that exhibit any sort of apparent symptoms."

Channel 7

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On Coronavirus for our Yucatec Maya people in Belize. Stay safe. Kanantabaa

Corona Is Coming, How to Prepare

This morning, the Ministry of Health held a media breakfast.  It's part of a continued engagement with the press in the effort to bring reliable, timely and accurate information to the public.  Because, let's face it, rumours are running WILD right about now.  The session lasted two and a half hours and covered key areas such as how the first confirmed case will be announced, preventative measures for the disease, and whether your should visit elderly loved ones at this time.  

Public Information Officer for the Ministry Claudette Norales shared a how  - to survival guide for COVID-19:..

Claudette Dakers Noralez- Information Officer Ministry of Health
"For the Belize Context, COVID19 is a part of a line of flues. We have had situations in the past with zika, which chikungunya, we still have the situation with dengue, as we speak we still have cases for now. It is basically for persons to please heed the advice from the Ministry of Health. We can curb the transmission of the sickness when it enters this country because it is not a matter of if, it's when. We ask you to continue to regularly wash your hands with soap, with running water; you can use a hand sanitizers, 70% alcohol base. There is also ways of making your own sanitizer. As well, practice good cough sneeze etiquette, social distancing. It is basically to keep stressing on the preventative measures, so that when COVID19 comes to Belize there is mitigation in the spread of the infection. The Ministry, myself, I've already drafted the first announcement press release and this is based on practices that have been done within the Caribbean, we work closely with CARPHA. The press release will announce the first case as soon as we have lab confirmation. The way we see the announcement coming out, the head of the lab will share the information with the Director of Health Services, the information will then be shared with the Minister of Health and the Office of the Prime Minister. Ideally, depending on the time of this announcement, we will do a live broadcast through the assistance of the Government Press office to have either the Minister, the Prime Minister or the Director of Health Services to publicly announce that we have confirmed our first case. Immediately following that live announcement a press release will be sent out and as well, our international partners who need to know of this first case will also be notified as soon as possible. This is a virus, there is no treatment for viruses. The normal course would be to have plenty of rest, drink plenty of water, continue eating vegetables and fruits, have a healthy diet, if you have underlying conditions that may cause complications with the infection then we ask you to keep taking your medications prescribed by your doctor, to keep getting a follow up on it. Basically, it is a flu, it is virus, there is no treatment for it- rest, plenty of water, social distancing."

Kathleen Azueta Cho - Technical Advisor, Ministry of Health
"We are pretty much strengthening our forces, going into the schools, all the education materials have been shared among all these organizations and line ministries. The idea is to keep the prevention messages going. Every day precautions, washing your hands, avoid touching your faces, especially around the young students, young children. You asked about mass gatherings, we are discouraging having these large crowds, especially for the older folks, the individual 60 plus, you know just stay home, avoid being in contact with places or crowds where you will come across people who are showing symptoms of the flu or the cold. So, we are just being vigilant, being extra cautious until the Ministry of Health decides to bring in or enforce these measures to heighten or scale up these measures then we will probably look at shutting down schools or postponing or cancelling any of these mass gatherings. Until we get that official information out then we could proceed in that direction."

Reporter
"Are you guys working with the private sector in terms of employee security? Also the fact that if someone gets ill that person will need to be sent home and all those different precautions."

Kathleen Azueta Cho
"In terms of the education component, we are doing some of these sensitization sessions with the business community. We have our district officers in all these district meetings with Bowen and Bowen, Social Security, DFC, with the Magistrate's Court, again just to get them informed and more knowledgeable about what to do. Then based on that information these organizations will then decide on their own plan of action. When it comes to being at home now, individuals will want to know, well, what can I do for my loved one. Again, prevention measures, hand washing, use of sanitizers, avoid touching your face. You want to start thinking about stocking up on supplies. Be knowledgeable and understand the medication that maybe your loved on is taking, you know, if they are diabetic, if they are hypertensive, if they have some underlying condition such as respiratory disease or chronic kidney disease, you want to look at that plan, stock up on those medications. If you have people with wounds or diabetics, you want to look at what can we do, what can we start stocking up and having that as a plan."

The Ministry of Health has created an information card for the dissemination of information at the district level. The flip side of that card as seen here has cell number contacts for surveillance teams that are located in each district there is also a wider number 0-800-MOH-CARE.

GOB Will Make More Money Available

We also asked the Prime Minister about funds for responding to the Coronavirus.  Initially government had earmarked $900,000 at the request of the Ministry of Health.  But, the budget for response will soar well above that.  The PM said yesterday thatchy will have to find the money:..

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"We are perfectly prepared to make supplementary allocations to try to cover all corona related needs. The original ask from the Ministry was for slightly less than a million dollars. We understand that is, as it were, the first tranche. Whatever it takes, within obvious limits, government will find the resources. We have already explored the possibility of funding assistance from external sources and there is a component within a particular project funded by the World Bank, the climate resilient infrastructure project. We can trigger that immediately for a million US dollars. There is also a facility that the World Bank has generally chartered. You don't access that until you have your first case and even then the concentration is on the poorest of the poor countries, not countries that have graduated beyond a certain point. But while we clearly are going to take all the help we can possibly get while we are actively going to seek out that help, I am here to reiterate that locally, government will find the resources needed to properly equip the Ministry of Health team and to do whatever is necessary."

And, finally tonight, we urge you only to listen to reliable information on the COVID-19 pandemic from trusted sources.  The panic spreading and rumour mongering has really multiplied, and even the police department has something to say about it.  

They sent out a release this evening saying that it is an offence to spread false rumours.  A release says, quote, "Some people are using the social media platform to spread such rumours; therefore, creating a sense of fear and panic in our citizenry.  It is with this, that we are asking all to refrain from the spreading of such rumour, until or unless the Ministry of Health has confirmed the presence of any such case in Belize. To do otherwise is an offence. A person who, quote, "maliciously fabricated or knowingly spreads abroad or publishes, whether by writing or by word of mouth or otherwise, any false news or false report tending to create or foster public alarm or to produce public detriment;"
Is guilty of a misdemeanour. And for a second or subsequent offence - fine not exceeding 600 or imprisonment not exceeding one year." End quote.

So, please don't spread rumours.  When a case does appear - and it will - the Ministry of Health will issue a public notice, and we will as well.

Channel 7

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Ministry of Health Advisory No. 9 - Update on COVID-19

The Ministry of Health has completed another review of the COVID-19 plan with the different regional management teams and the Chief Executive Officer of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority. This is all part of the final preparations to strengthen and improve the Ministry's COVID-19 response. This activity has become more important since COVID-19 has been confirmed in three surrounding neighbors - Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico - bringing it closer to home.

The Ministry is also following persons who are now in self-isolation given their recent travel history. However, as of today, Belize has no confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the Ministry continues to monitor any potential case, especially those that are coming from countries where there is ongoing community spread.

Given the fast-changing situation with imported cases in neighboring countries, the Ministry of Health will now require, with immediate effect, that all foreigners arriving from the following countries be placed under quarantine at their own expense: China, France, Germany, Italy, Iran, Japan, South Korea, and Spain. Any national returning from these countries, and from cities in the United States that have documented community spread, will be placed under quarantine.

The Ministry continues to recommend the following:
1. Avoid non-essential travel;
2. Be prepared and listen only to official sources of information (i.e. Facebook pages of the Ministry of Health Belize, the Office of the Director of Health Services and the Government Press Office). There are many rumors circulating that can contribute to panic and poor decision-making; and
3. Exercise personal precaution measures such as regular handwashing, covering cough and sneeze, and regularly cleaning common contact surfaces within homes, workplaces, and community settings.

The Ministry of Health will continue to provide updates on the COVID-19, including recommendations related to upcoming social events of mass gathering that may be cancelled abruptly based on available information.

For more information on COVID-19, please continue to visit our Facebook pages or call 0-800-MOH-CARE.

Ministry of Health Advisory No. 10 - Ministry of Health Warns on Products that Claim to Treat or Cure COVID-19

The Ministry of Health has received several reports on products that claim to specifically treat or cure COVID-19. These products range from hand sanitizers to herbal medicines and are mainly being advertised through social media. The Ministry reiterates that, at this time, there is no specific treatment or cure for COVID-19.

These products are unauthorized and pose a significant risk to patient health and wellness. The claims being advertised for these products may prevent patients from seeking medical treatment which can lead to life-threatening harm.

The Ministry has issued a warning letter for unauthorized products that are being advertised to treat or cure COVID-19.

The Ministry encourages the public to report any suspicious product claiming to treat or cure COVID-19 at [email protected] or 828-4489 or 828-4445. The Ministry will ensure that the incoming complaints are addressed and will continue to monitor the market on these unauthorized products.

Ministry of Health Advisory No. 11 - Update on COVID-19

To date, Belize has no confirmed case of COVID-19; however, the Government of Belize is taking all necessary preventative measures to protect the population of Belize.

Given the growing global public health concern and the imminent threat to Belize, the Government of Belize announces the following updated travel restrictions effective today, March 15, 2020:

1. Nationals and persons who have traveled within the last 30 days from China, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, South Korea, and Europe will be prohibited entry into Belize. This restricted travel list of countries will be continuously monitored and updated as necessary.

2. All Belizean nationals and residents returning to Belize through any point of entry from any of the restricted countries or an area where community infection and spread is present will be placed under self-isolation upon arrival and expected to follow the protocols of the Ministry of Health.

3. Belizean nationals or residents returning to Belize who have been abroad and believe that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 are asked to contact their local healthcare provider.

4. Non-essential travel by Belizean nationals and residents to other countries is highly discouraged.

These measures are being taken to protect the health and well-being of the population of Belize in an effort to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

THE PRIME MINISTER'S SECOND COVID-19 PRESS CONFERENCE

Belize Announces New Measures in Response to COVID-19

In a joint press conference held today, March 16th, with the Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow and the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. John Brice�o a range of new measures were announced as part of response to the imminent threat of COVID-19. These decisions were taken at the first meeting of the COVID-19 National Oversight Committee which is co-chaired by the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition.

While Belize still has no confirmed case of the virus, the bi-partisan committee took very important decisions to further protect the health and well-being of Belizeans and reduce the threat of the virus spreading to Belize. The Government is fully cognizant that the situation can change rapidly and, therefore, continue to prepare for different scenarios.

In an effort to keep Belize in front of this threat, the following measures will go into effect:

Effective Friday, March 20th, all schools will be closed for 14 days which will lead right into the Easter break. This is being done with a view to make up the school days within the current school year depending on how the situation evolves. It is stressed that this is not a vacation and parents and students alike must continue to follow the Government's advisories for social distancing and vigilance with hand-washing and good hygiene.

Effective immediately, social gatherings will be limited to 100 people. These include indoor and outdoor gatherings. Again, these numbers can be adjusted based on new developments.

Belize is taking stricter measures at the borders. At present, Belize is prohibiting entry into Belize by nationals of the following countries and persons who have traveled within the last 30 days from China, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, South Korea, and Europe, including the United Kingdom. This restricted travel list of countries will be continuously monitored and updated as necessary.

Today, it was agreed to close all ports of entry in Belize for passengers and only leave the Santa Elena Border (northern border) and the Philip Goldson International Airport open. So, all other ports of entries - the western, southern and any other small border points will be closed. This does not apply to cargo vessels.

Final preparations were underway to begin the collection of data as part of the national census but it has been decided to postpone the census until next year and use some of the resources already allocated to collect data associated with COVID-19.

Economic Response

The tourism industry is already taking a serious financial hit resulting from this global crisis. The bi-partisan committee, in an effort to mitigate the effects, announced some early actions being taken in response to the economic impact.

1. At the next sitting of the House of Representatives to debate the budget, the Appropriations Bill will be passed and will include an additional BZ$25M loan to be used as relief for employees affected by this crisis, especially those in the tourism industry. Two percent of the recurrent budget will be allocated to assist with repayment of the BZ$25M and is expected to be recovered through cost savings measures across all ministries.

2. A committee will be formed comprising relevant agencies such as the tourism sector to look at tax relief measures. The Government and the Opposition will each appoint a representative to serve on the committee which will also work out the mechanism for how relief funds will be disbursed.

3. Belize will be finalizing discussions with the international financial institutions to receive US$20M in emergency relief funding.

4. The Central Bank of Belize is prepared to utilize all available macro-prudential instruments in its toolkit to strengthen the resilience of the financial system against any emerging threat. Alongside coordinated monetary policy measures, sector-specific interventions will also be employed where areas of vulnerability emerge.

a. Extend the time period to classify targeted non-performing loans in affected sectors, such as the accommodation sector from three months to six months;

b. Encourage domestic banks and credit unions to provide grace periods for servicing interest and/or principal components of commercial loans and mortgages as needed;

c. Encourage financial institutions to refinance loans in affected sectors, including downstream service-oriented businesses like restaurants as well as transportation and distribution firms;

d. Reduce risk-weights for tourism-based loans from 100% to 50%;

e. Review financial institutions' business continuity plans to ensure that adequate level of financial services will be available to the public; and

f. Cut the interest rate at which the Central Bank grants loans to domestic banks down from 11.5%.

While these actions are being taken to safeguard the Belizean population, the public is strongly advised to take preventative measures to reduce the risk of transmission. The Government continues to encourage the washing of hands regularly with soap and running water. When coughing or sneezing, cover the mouth in the inside of elbows or inside a tissue that is to be disposed immediately. Avoid close contact with persons who have flu-like symptoms. Avoid sharing personal items and disinfect common surfaces. Persons who have travelled to areas where COVID-19 is circulating and are experiencing fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately.

The Government of Belize advises the public to be guided by facts. Stay informed and updated on the evolving COVID-19 situation, follow the Facebook pages of the Ministry of Health, the Office of the Director of Health Services, and the Government Press Office. The dedicated hotline is 0-800-MOH-CARE (0-800-664-2273).

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Barrow and Briceno Buddy Up for COVID-19
Tonight, there is still no confirmed presence of COVID 19 in Belize - but preparations for the virus have stepped up sharply.   This morning the COVID-19 National Oversight Committee co-chaired by the Prime Minister Dean Barrow and the Leader of the Opposition John Briceno met at the Laing building in Belize city. At 3:00 pm at the Biltmore, both leaders held a press conference, their first joint press conference ever - and this, on the most critical national issue.   Briceno started by outlining the decisions made regarding Health And Social life in Belize: Hon. Johnny Briceno - Leader of the Opposition  "Number 1 the postponement on the SIB census until next year, and use some of the sources already allocated for the census to collect data associated with COVID-19,

2. all schools will be closed effective Friday march 20th for fourteen days which will lead right into the Easter break, this is being done with a view to make up for the school days within the current school year depending on how the situation evolves. A. It is stressed that this is not a vacation. B. Parents and students alike must follow the government's advisories for social distancing and good hygiene practices.

3. It was agreed to limit all social gatherings to no more than 100 people, these include indoor and outdoor gatherings and events.

4. At present Belize is prohibiting entry into Belize by nationals of the following countries and persons who have traveled within the last 30 days from China, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, South Korea, and Europe including the United Kingdom. This restricted travel list of countries will be considerably monitored and updated as necessary.

5. Today it was agreed to close all borders of entry in Belize for passengers and only leave the northern border and the PGIA open so all other points of entry the western, southern and any other small border points will be closed. This does not apply to cargo vessels." 

GOB Finds 75 Million For Covid-19 Response
And while Briceno outlined the major directive for health and social life, the Prime Minister outlined the fiscal and economic measures.  Basically that government will come up with 75 million dollars for a COVID response, starting by going to the house for 25 million:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister 

"The actual budget debate scheduled for Thursday and Friday is up in the air. We talked about the possibility of not doing the debate at all, but there is a need to pass a general appropriations bill and so while we could postpone that for three months, I think it is. It would limit our spending. The better course of action is to pass the general appropriations bill and to add to that by way of an additional allocation that we would propose when we reach the committee stage of another 25 million dollars that would be earmarked especially and exclusively for the underpinning of our economic response to the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, that will be used principally as a relief for employees affected by the crisis especially those in the tourism industry. Now that's going to be borrowed money the Central Bank is in a position, in fact, to provide on a loan basis those additional funds to the government. It will increase the national debt but so what at a time like this we can't be at all shrinking violets. We can't be reluctant. We must come up with a robust response that is seen to be muscular in order to assure our people that we are absolutely going to provide relief. Each of us will appoint an economic Czar. We have already decided that our Czar will be the good Dr. Carla Barnett who you would think already has enough on her plate with all the labor matters but as you know she has a tremendous amount of experience with the international agencies. The leader is saying that Mr. Chris Coye who is a financial and legal wizard actually, I give him that, will be the opposition's economic Czar. They will draw on other resources as the need arises but they will be working in the first instance particularly with the Belize tourism board. We are ready now that C.A.B.E. has granted each of the member countries, remember C.A.B.E. is the Central American bank for economic integration, so that should be in government's coffers. So on top of the twenty-five million, that's a million US dollars in grant funding. There is another million dollars, Mrs. Hyde, Mrs. Charmane Hyde who is the C.E.O. of the Ministry of economic development is leading the efforts to interface with international financial institutions. There are another million US dollars that will come from an ongoing program we have with the World Bank."

"The climate-resilient infrastructure project. Unfortunately, the acronym is CRIP not CRIPS, CRIP. There are a million dollars that we can trigger from that fund US dollars as well so between that and the earlier million from C.A.B.E. that's another four million Belize so already we're at 29 million Belize dollars. There are some small grants from CDB so we're looking at another million more or less so we're above 30, 31 million and then Mrs. Hyde has agreed with the World Bank that out of that same fund from which the release of the million US can immediately be triggered there is the possibility of diverting. It's a 90 or 20 million fund of which we've only spent 3 0r 4 million. There is the possibility of diverting as much as 13, 12, 13, 12 million US dollars so add that to the 31 or 32 Belize that we already have and you'll see that we're going to be north of 50 million Belize dollars. We also are in touch with the IDB there is a 10 million dollar contingent line of credit that we have with them for natural disasters no they're telling us that they don't see COVID-19 as a natural disaster but they conceded that our representation that in fact that 10 million dollar line US 10 million dollar line ought to be diverted if they want to use that term in our view just re-classify it because it is a disaster. They've agreed that that is something they will, in fact, have under active consideration, so there is a possibility that we may be able to make use of the 10 million US more. Leader of the opposition I think has totted up where we are we're at like 55 million that would take us to, to what 75 million dollars. I hope that the total picture is such that it convinces you that we together are making absolutely sure, damn sure if the reverend lady will forgive me that as I said the response of our country to the economic decimation that this COVID-19 is causing is the best that it could possibly be. "

Commercial Banks Will Ease Loan Payments
And apart from doing its part with government spending, the Central Bank will also take measures with commercial banks - giving some ease on bank payments to those whose businesses are at risk of going underwater: Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister  "The time period to classify targeted non- performing loans in affected sectors particularly the accommodations sector will initially be extended from three months to six months. The domestic banks and the credit unions are to provide grace periods for the servicing and or principal components of commercial loans and mortgages as needed. The financial institutions are being encouraged by the bank to refinance loans in affected sectors including downstream service-oriented businesses such as restaurants and of course transportation and distribution firms. As I understand it what we mean to do is not just to have moratoriums on interest and principal repayments but we are actually prepared to advance struggling businesses who will get the reprieve in terms of paying their loans new monies for them to re-capitalize as they go forward once the greatest danger is behind us."

Airport Remains Open, Arrivals Trickle
And while the Prime Minister did not specify whether those are personal or company loans - the focus right now is primarily on the hardest hit tourism sector.  Bookings have disappeared, and thousands of jobs are on the line.  Additionally, airlines are cutting back on flights.   And that is why government has not closed the airport.   Here's how the Prime Minister explained it: Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister "In terms of leaving the PGIA open, the tourism sector is suggesting that already the bookings have plummeted to such an extent that there is very little coming in and if we were to lock down PGIA that would stop completely. We do hear reports and it takes me back to what I had said at the last press conference that we ought not to be in too much of a rush to close down because we will be closed down involuntarily. I said that about the cruise and by the next day Trump said no more cruises. We are not able to confirm that some of the airlines where I think the phrase was going dark on Belize at the end of the month. Mrs. Bevans attempted to confirm that and that has been denied but the point is that that's not even necessarily a health decision it's an economic decision. People are not flying as they used to and the airlines have to look at the bottom line if they're going to be keeping planes in the skies. For good or for bad we the national oversight committee did not feel that the time is now to close down the Philip Goldson International Airport."

No Revenue. No Taxes For Tourism?
Indeed as flights, and arrivals are cut back to the bare minimum - government is prepared to suspend collection of hotel and other taxes, but with the bottom line going to zero, that may not amount to much:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister 

"We're already agreed, I think leader correct me if I'm wrong that the 9% tax would not be collected by the BTB or that only half of it would be collected which causes some to say but half of nothing is nothing. The way arrivals are plummeting there will soon be no hotel tax to collect but in the meantime certainly to the extent that the hoteliers are still, still have some degree of occupancy and collect the tax they will either be able to keep half or if Ms. Bevans, it will right back to the government she has marketing contract that she has to service but it may well be that the agreement is that they not pay the tax at all not even a portion to the BTB for the foreseeable future until we can start recovering." Hon. Johnny Briceno - Leader of the Opposition    "For instance the airlines, local airlines as it is when I spoke to both of the companies yesterday they have already lost about 50% of the business and so they are also crying out from the riders fee, what do you call it, the riders fee and all the other taxes that are expected from them. To see what kind of relief we can give them while this whole thing is stabilized and hopefully we get out of it as quickly as we possibly can." 

Who Gets Relief Money
So, the money for tourism, where will it go?  Property owners and tour operators are losing money, while industry workers face losing their jobs, and their livelihoods.  So who will be eligible for birdie financing to get them across the COVID 19 crisis?  Here's what both leaders said:

Hon. Johnny Briceno - Leader of the Opposition   

"Jointly they will be able to work to ensure that the people that need the money most would be able to get the money starting from the Ministry of health and to the tour guides and hair braiders and all of these people that are going to be needing the necessary assistance." 

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister 

"Well, I said that an immediate priority would be the people who have lost jobs in consequence of the pause of the cessation for now of the cruise industry. I believe that BTB has a record. I believe that most of these people are registered with the BTB but in any event, the two Czar's and whoever they use as assistants will have to work with the BTB."

COVID Kits Coming to Belize
Tomorrow, we'll let you know what they decided on the protest.  But, a lot of the social tension that's been building would decrease if the general public was confident that at - risk persons are being actively tested, and that there are enough tests available.  Today, the Prime Minister gave an update on the the efforts to acquire more testing kits: Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow- Prime Minister
"I would say that what we don't have we are about to receive. We have already ordered extra testing kits from a company called Roche, a German company, not necessarily operating in Germany. We are getting additional kits from PAHO, we are getting kits from several sources. We have put in a request to the Cubans. I saw where they sent a number of personnel to Jamaica to assist Jamaica. We have already put in a long list. Apart from what we are prepared to pay for out of our own resources, and remember Mrs. Grant can make this $20 million available early o clock, as soon as we can pass the additional allocation to the budget and the million US from CABEI will be in our coffers by Friday. So, the immediate needs, in terms of scaling up, with respect to equipment and to protective gear and that sort of thing we are able to take care of." 

Channel 7

PAHO/WHO Donates Personal Protective Equipment To Belize Ministry Of Health



On Monday, March 16, 2020, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) donated personal protective equipment (PPEs) as part of the continuous support to the Ministry of Health in responding to the declared COVID-19 pandemic.

PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr. Noreen Jack, met with the Minister of Health, Honorable Pablo Marin, and Director of Health Services, Dr. Marvin Manzanero to handover the PPEs. This comes as an ongoing effort from PAHO/WHO to support Belize and healthcare personnel in the preparation and response to COVID-19.

The donated Personal Protective Equipment included:
*Three (3) COVID-19 E-gene Test Kits
*One (1) COVID-19 RdRP-gene Test Kit
*1000 units of N95 Respirators
*6000 units of Surgical Masks
*2500 units of Gowns
*9000 units of Gloves (medium)
*31,500 units of Gloves (large)
*12 units of COVID-19 Banners and Stands

Along with the donation of PPEs, PAHO/WHO Belize continues to support the Ministry of Health through providing technical guidance and advice, participating in surveillance meetings, purchasing of additional PPEs, training and guidance for healthcare personnel and the public and assisting in enhancing risk communication and community strategies as part of COVID-19 preparedness and prevention efforts.

ASK THE EXPERTS! Question and answer segment in respect to COVID-19

Top try and counter some of the false rumour reporting, the Ministry of Health today had its second webcast dubbed "Ask the Experts"

BTIA Supporting Tourism Stakeholders as a Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The BTIA Board of Directors held a meeting on March 19, 2020, to discuss the current situation that has arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and how best to continue serving our membership during this time of crisis.

Representatives of the Social Security Board (SSB) including Mrs. Debbie Ruiz, Acting CEO, and Mrs. Chandra Nisbet-Cansino, General Manager - Corporate Customer Relations Services, met with the BTIA Board to share information and precautionary measures pertaining to COVID-19. The following key points were shared by the SSB representatives:

* SSB will cover working incapacity due to isolation/ quarantine related to COVID-19 only. A registered medical practitioner must sign the Sickness Benefit Claim form in order to be submitted to SSB.

* The employee has to be in insurable employment (be employed at the time of sickness); has to have a total of 50 paid contributions; have 5 contributions paid out 13 weeks immediately before the first day of incapacity. Any employee who works 8 hours or more for a week, is entitled to an SSB contribution.

* If an employee is laid off and then becomes ill due to COVID-19 they are not eligible to claim any benefit.

The BTIA Board encourages all stakeholders to make the necessary preparations and to implement adequate measures to assist and support staff. The BTIA Secretariat has internally implemented measures in support of its staff to continue working for our members over the next few months.

We will continue to share accurate information and official updates from the Ministry of Health and the Government of Belize through our email and social media platforms.

BTIA is part of the COVID-19 Planning Committee lead by CEO Yashin Dujon of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation with the main objective to support the Economic Impact Monitoring related to the COVID-19 and to develop recommendations for relief and recovery of tourism stakeholders and the industry.

A survey to assess the economic impact on tourism stakeholders and the entire tourism industry will be conducted. We encourage all members and non-members to respond to the survey.

We will be making the necessary preparations to market and promote Belize as soon as the global crisis subsides. We will be reaching out to our members at the appropriate time to support our marketing and promotion efforts.

The BTIA will maintain communication open with all members and we encourage all members to keep direct contact with our office via email. We are all in this together and please know we are here for you. The hospitality & travel industry is renowned for its collaborative spirit and is always the first industry to recover from adversity. We will led this way to recovery and we look forward to continue serving our membership. We also encourage all stakeholders and the public at large to exercise good hygiene and social distancing as requested by the Ministry of Health.

For updates, please ensure to follow these pages:

Ministry of Health: https://www.facebook.com/Belizehealth/

World Health Organization: https://www.facebook.com/WHO/

Social Security: https://www.facebook.com/ssbbelize/

Contact:
Executive Director
National Secretariat
Belize Tourism Industry Association
Email: [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected]
Tel: 227-1144; 621-4999
www.btia.org

Testing Stepped Up In Belize

The Ministry of Health's top experts gave the latest update on the state of testing, readiness and response to COVID-19.

It was their regular briefing on all things Coronavirus, called "Ask the Experts". The Director of Health Services pointed to the fact that since El Salvador and Nicaragua last night confirmed their first cases - Belize stands alone in Central America, and on the American mainland as having no positive tests for COVID-19.

He says they have stepped up testing:

Dr. Marvin Manzanero - Director of Health Services
"Given what has transpired in the last 36 hours, we have scaled up our testing procedures, over the last 24 hours we tested 13 more people, including highly suspected cases, which means that anybody who has any contact with anybody who has a travel history and is coming down with symptoms, we are testing. This morning hospitals across the country have severe acute repertory illnesses will be asked to swap their patience and send in the sample because we are still looking for any potential cases that we may not be able to detect. How may test of COVID19 have been done, a total now of 31 and where, from all cross the country. I think we have people in Cayo, Belize, Corozal, Placencia, the islands. I think we're doing a payment this morning for 1 thousand more test kits and we have gotten an offer, just being told from UNDP and IDB to do procurement of anything we may need, 3 thousand to 4 thousand more tests, so that is something we're looking at and once we have those test, then you can start doing more routine expanded screening. As it is, I mentioned you, we did 13 tests, which means we doubled the amount of test in 24 hours and we're trying to expand and really go out on the lookout for any potential case."

Channel 7

New Measures Announced to Protect Against COVID-19

The COVID-19 National Oversight Committee held its second meeting today, March 20th, and agreed to take additional measures to further protect the health of Belizeans and reduce the threat of transmission of COVID-19 in Belize.

As of today, March 20th, Belize does not have any confirmed case of COVID-19. The developments on the international and regional fronts, however, have informed the Committee's decisions.

Effective 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, March 21st, the Northern Border of Belize, which includes the Corozal Free Zone, will be closed for traveling but will remain open for cargo transportation. This means that only Belizean nationals, residents, and diplomats residing in Belize will be allowed entry into Belize subject to inspection and possible quarantine for 14 days. Similarly, the Northern Border will be closed for nationals and residents wishing to travel outside of Belize except for emergencies.

The Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport will be closed effective Monday, March 23rd, after the last scheduled flight departs.

Again, these measures only apply to the movement of people and do not apply to cargo trucks or cargo planes.

Social gatherings will now be limited to 25 people. This includes wakes, funerals, weddings, and other social events. This limit does not apply to places of employment that should have business protocols for social distancing and business continuity plans in place.

Preventing the virus from entering Belize and practicing self-isolation are the two most important steps that can be taken to avoid community outbreak. The Government stresses the importance of respecting and abiding by the self-isolation instructions issued by the Ministry of Health.

These restrictions will all be reviewed after 30 days.

The public is reminded to take preventative measures to reduce the risk of transmission. The Government continues to encourage the washing of hands regularly with soap and running water for 20 seconds. When coughing or sneezing, cover the mouth in the inside of elbows or inside a tissue to be disposed immediately. Avoid close contact with persons who have flu-like symptoms. Avoid sharing personal items and disinfect common surfaces. If you have travelled to areas where COVID-19 is circulating and you are experiencing fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately.

The Government advises the public to be guided by facts. To stay informed and updated on the evolving COVID-19 situation, follow the Facebook pages of the Ministry of Health, the Office of the Director of Health Services, and the Government Press Office. Updates can also be viewed at www.pressoffice.gov.bz. The dedicated hotline is 0-800-MOH-CARE (0-800-664-2273). Queries can also be emailed to [email protected].

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What you need to do under self isolation