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168 mainland residents evacuated from San Pedro Town

With tourism jobs non-existent in San Pedro Town due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more mainland residents are seeking to leave the island to return to their communities of origin. The recent group of people, totalling 168, was evacuated off the island on Saturday, May 2nd via San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi.

According to organizers, of the 168, 133 were adults and 35 were children. They were previously screened before being allowed to leave the island and are still to self-isolate for at least 14 days once they reach their homes. These people were stranded on the island, jobless for weeks due to the collapse of the tourism industry in San Pedro. Without any sources of income, and with bills (rent, food, utilities) accumulating, returning to their mainland communities was deemed as the best option.

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


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Marty Offline OP
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this morning... not much social distancing....

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Comments on the above situation by Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams:

"The situation in San Pedro with persons trying to leave on the water ferry is very unhealthy. The operators of these water ferries are hereby being reminded that they must put protocols in place to ensure their customers maintain social distance. The customers on the other hand must ensure they adhere to the measures of social distancing and wearing of mask. Failure on the part of the operators and customers to adhere to these requirements are clear violation of the law. Persons found in breach will be arrested and recommendations will be made to stop the water ferry from running. The safety and health of the people must always be paramount."




Up to the weekend, cross district travels were authorized for essential purposes only. A video circulated on social media which was captured at the San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi in San Pedro shows a mass of persons gathered at the terminal without any adherence to social distancing in Police presence. Operators of these vessels, buses, and airplanes still have a task in ensuring that persons carry out the necessary precautionary measures in line with SI #62.

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Water Taxi Lax With Social Distance Requirement

But, the regulations for businesses that were permitted to open had changed by this morning, and we'll tell you about that later in the news.

But, out in San Pedro with water taxi operations returning to normal - there were some major issues with inadequate social distance in the queue to get into the boat.

The Commissioner says if they don't do better, those water taxi's will be forced to shut down:

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I just got a video a while ago which shows a number of persons coming off a vessel and obviously social distance was not being maintained and my message to them is to ensure that they adhere to social distance protocol, because the operators of these water ferry must ensure that they have the proper markings to indicate to their customers where they are to stand, maintaining social distance and if it is that the persons are coming off the boat then they too must coordinate how people come off the boat while maintaining social distance and likewise the people must ensure that they are wearing masks at all times and if it is that they cannot comply with the legal requirements then they are going to be arrested and then we will stop the water taxi from running."

Reporter
"How hard is it for you all to enforce daily social living?"

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"It is hard, it is extremely difficult, but we do our best to enforce it and I believe that under the current situation we are doing well. If the person were ask if we can do better, I always believe that there is room for improvement, so I will say yes."

Commissioner Williams says he is going to San Pedro and Caye Caulker tomorrow.

Channel 7


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Keeping Safe Distance On Water Taxi's

Earlier in the news, we showed you pictures of overcrowded Water, taxis which made the social media rounds. And today during a brief visit to San Pedro Commissioner of Police Chester Willams says he advised water taxi personnel on how to better implement social distancing both during boarding and disembarkation. He spoke to the San Pedro Sun.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"One of the greatest concerns that people on the island as well as those on mainland have is the issue relating to the water taxi. Now there are several photographs going around on social media showing that these water taxis are over crowded and so I had visited the water taxi terminal here in San Pedro and I have spoken to the manager and explain to him what the requirements are and so I am happy to say that I see they have put things in place to ensure social distance boarding. Now the issue is whether or not there is sufficient being done to ensure social distance when unloading and so what I said to him is that he must ensure that whenever they are unloading that they let out passengers one at a time and each passenger must give the one ahead of him/her sufficient distance when coming off the boast so as to maintain social distance."

Channel 7



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