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PM: If There's Community Spread on San Pedro, Shut It Down!

A frustrated Prime Minister Dean Barrow railed in the House of Representatives this afternoon, revealing that if the contact tracing underway on Ambergris Caye reveals more positive cases of COVID-19 as he expects, the reopening of the Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA) may well be off.

While police and health workers are doing their best to stop smugglers and contact trace, there is only so much they can do. And how will they manage after August 15th when as many as a thousand visitors and returning Belizeans per week start coming in from the US?
Today in a House of Representatives meeting that was all about tabling legislation to make Belize ready for an airport re-opening - the Prime Minister got very riled up when he spoke about the possibility of community spread on tourism mecca San Pedro where he said a number of persons are showing symptoms:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minster of Belize
"The situation on Ambergris Caye, in fact the situation in several areas is extremely worrying, the minister of health�how many people you testing in Corozal? 40? 40 persons have to be tested in Corozal, In San Pedro as we know there is one person already confirmed positive. One institution got in touch to say, 4 out of 7 employees of that institution, I won't call the name, on San Pedro, 4 are showing symptoms and not mild symptoms, they have lost their sense of smell, fever, they are going to be tested today but the person who already prove positive is in an occupation where she, I think we can reveal the gender, where she has to entertain, she has to deal with a host of people so that mapping and tracing, the tracing and tracking exercise that the ministry will do in my view is likely to produce several more positive cases in San Pedro, you think we will hesitate to quarantine San Pedro if it turns out that that is what is necessary after the tracing and mapping exercise has been completed. What will that do to the re-opening, most of the people who come want to go to San Pedro we will have to send to notify them that they can't come because you can't go to San Pedro to Ambergris Caye. I hope to God it doesn't happen. Madam speaker I already heard the Minster of Education say look, again while we want to re-open schools, we need to re-open schools for all sorts of purposes including the mental health of the children and the parents that in border communities in those areas where the jumpers proliferate and we are reaping the world wind now in those areas, he is perfectly prepared to say school can't re-open there, when our own behavior will provoke a situation where we are swamped we will have to go back to lockdown, this continues, initially in particular areas, ultimately if we don't stop and get our act together the whole country will go into lockdown again. What is that going to do to our economy. Let me make clear, August 15th is not particularly far away but I am telling you if it turns out that there is a serious outbreak in San Pedro that is going to be it, Kaput, travel to the island will be verboten, forbidden. If we are, if we re-open the PGIA the 15th we will be ready. And in even if we are completely ready I am telling you if there turns out to be a community spread in Ambergris Caye that's going to be it. We will pull the trigger. Can't work."

Channel 7

Additional cases of COVID-19 on the island could jeopardize the re-opening of PGIA and its schools

The opening of the Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA) on August 15th might be affected if additional cases of COVID-19 are detected in San Pedro Town. Prime Minister Right Honourable Dean Barrow expressed his frustration and worry during the Special Sitting of the House of Representatives on Monday, August 3rd, regarding the issue, and stated that if there are signs of community spread on the island, there will be no hesitation to place it under quarantine.

Barrow said that his administration is preparing for the worst, referring to the possible COVID-19 community spread in San Pedro. He shared that at least four persons are showing symptoms of the virus, including loss of the sense of taste and smell. These individuals will be tested today. The recently diagnosed female islander is known to have been in direct contact with some 40 persons, and thus respective samples have been taken for testing. According to the Prime Minister, the infected person was in an occupation (job) where she has to deal with a host of people, and he, therefore, expects that the Ministry of Health's mapping exercise will likely produce several additional positive cases. If this is the case, the island could be locked down, regardless of the consequences it may have on the re-opening of the PGIA.

The Minister of Education, Youth, Culture, and Sports, Honourable Patrick Faber mentioned that the re-opening of schools on the island could be delayed if additional cases are detected in San Pedro. Faber added that although schools are to open on August 10th, other places across the country could also see a delay in the opening of classrooms if cases continue to emerge there.

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

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San Pedro registers first COVID-19 case in months; Mar de Tumbo flu clinic re-opens

After almost five months since the first case of COVID-19 in San Pedro Town, a case was confirmed on Sunday, August 2nd, following high suspicions of an ill person. The patient is a female who presented fever and respiratory symptoms and is currently stable and in self-isolation. The patient, who marked the 57th case in the country, denies any travel history, and as a result, island health authorities have contacted persons who may have come in contact with the infected female. Several tests are expected to be conducted to detect any further positive cases. The results are expected back by tomorrow or Wednesday.

Mayor Daniel Guerrero expressed his concern on Monday, August 3rd, and appealed to islanders to take the pandemic seriously and to continue following the safety measures already established. This includes washing hands properly, wearing masks at all times when in public areas, and practicing social distancing. Guerrero added that members of his administration would be visiting stores and other businesses around the island to make sure they are following safety protocols. He advises them to have temporary sinks/basin to wash hands, designate someone to be at the door, and make sure each customer washes his hands and has a mask on before entering the establishment. Guerrero indicated that they would await further instructions from Central Government as to whether there will be stricter regulations for the island to further deter community spread of the disease.

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

From Melody Wolfe...

Here we go again! Burn San Pedro! Lockdown San Pedro! Make up your minds, you can't shut us out only when it's convenient for you!

OMG! Chillout! Covid has been here will be here for the rest of this year and possibly all of next year and the year after that until there is a vaccine!

*You don't want it? wear your dam mask and don't leave your house get your groceries delivered.

* If you are at a high risk and are older or have a compromised immune system your best option is to completely quarantine!

*I felt the same way when we got the first case and people were shaming patients and wanting to burn San Pedro, NO i didn't know any of them but nobody goes out with the intention to get Covid. Also people don't go spread it on purpose either! Seriously how many times have you had a cold and gone out of your house! At first people just write it off as allergies or a little cold. It is different in everybody.

*Nobody wears a Mask while eating and drinking at a public place! Ningun chingon! So paren de hablar como la gran chingada!

*I traveled on the boat this week I kept my mask on the whole time. But guess what 50% of the people did not. There was nobody enforcing it either. Nobody enforcing social distancing either. (that is the governments job if you put laws then you need to put people at the ports to enforce them) No one even enforced social distancing in the lines!

*When we were under curfews and no work here, I stated that People should only travel to the island if they had a purpose or they can prove they lived here, I was accused of acting like San Pedro is better and acting like we are our own country, but now that we have cases some people want to treat San Pedro like it is not part of the rest of the country and lockdown? Bullshit! Just like you were going to allow foreigners to come in by taking temperatures then do the same for people coming on and off the Island! And for goodness sake have people at the ports checking temperatures, masks and social distancing .

*Fact is as soon as San Pedro was open and those big resorts started construction again who were the first to run back?! the construction workers from all those villages! The same places where people are border jumping. They go back and forth from their towns and villages to the Island for work. Yet San Pedro is still providing jobs for people!

*Stop the rumors (that rumor that someone paid for their friend to fly in on a private plane from Mexico is absurd and false stop making up shit just cuz you want to blame someone) Also stop assuming you know who has it. You should act like everybody has it! So many people sharing pictures of people they assume have covid with no proof? C'mon guys.. ️

*How many cases were in Orange Walk. Were the people of San Pedro screaming don't let people from Orange Walk on the Island, NO! We were not we let everyone come on the Island even people who have absolutely no business being here! When I was mad about people coming here while things were shut down and there were more cases on the mainland a friend pointed out that it's a free country we should be able to go where we please as long as we are healthy.

*Guys this isn't going away. This is our new normal! The fact is we all let our guard down we took for granted the little freedom we were given. I hope we learned something from it...we can't let our guard down again. We were doing so good! Si se Puede!

*When you find out someone got this virus sympathize with them, send them your prayers. Even the carefullest of people could possibly catch this and not everyone shows the same symptoms. Some of us may just write it off as allergies! Anyone can get it! You, me, anybody! Covid doesn't discriminate. You can be as careful as possible but was your husband? your kids? The lady at the Grocery store? Your nanny? The person who served you your food! Hoy Yo, ma�ana Tu!

It's like the lottery that nobody wants to win but we all got a ticket!

There's no 'Silver Bullet' to defeat Coronavirus and there might never be. This is what WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last Monday at a media briefing. We need to live with the Coronavirus, it is not going away. There is no use of further destroying our lives. We have been without work since March, for what? 2 positive cases in San Pedro? And now that we have more, we are going to commit economical suicide? No matter how many quarantines we implement, we we cannot stop it. The measures against the virus could cause more casualties than the virus itself.

San Pedro Town residents await results of COVID-19 mapping tests; will there be another lockdown?

Several island residents have been summoned to the San Pedro Care Center (Flu clinic) in the Mar de Tumbo area to be swabbed and then tested for COVID-19, while an extensive mapping continues to take place on the island following positive case #57 on Sunday, August 2nd. The Ministry of Health offered a virtual press conference on Tuesday, August 4th, indicating that around 50 samples from San Pedro will be processed and results are expected to be available Wednesday, August 5th.

If there are additional cases on the island and signs of community spread, the island could be placed under quarantine. Prime Minister Right Honourable Dean Barrow made it clear during the Special Sitting of the House of Representatives yesterday that the island would be locked down, and no one will be allowed to travel to San Pedro. A visibly frustrated prime minister even warned that if the island becomes the epicentre of cases, it could delay the re-opening of the Philip Goldson International Airport.

The situation in San Pedro is a bit chaotic, with persons trying to get tested and having to wait outside the Mar de Tumbo flu clinic for hours. Many claim that the process is slow and frustrating. Others have opted to leave the island, and early on Tuesday, August 4th a large number of persons left via the water taxi. Dr. Manzanero doesn't agree with the people's decision to leave the island. He suggested if people are ill or they know they have been in contact with infected persons, they should seek medical attention. Manzanero advises those that want to leave, but suspect they may have contracted the virus need to be honest and visit the flu clinics, and say what happened, rather than just hopping in a boat and going to hide in an unaffected village.

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

Lining Up to Leave The Island

So, the virus may have appeared on the island from earlier in the month - and it may have come across from Orange Walk. And reports say that as more than 6 persons on the island are being watched closely for possible COVID symptoms. Of course, we won't know if there are any more positives until test results are released tomorrow, but the swirl of sickness and speculation has shaken San Pedro. We are told that everyone is wearing a mask, and as many as 40 businesses shut down and sanitised today - including the Scotiabank branch. A release from SCOTIA says the branch has temporarily closed to facilitate a deep cleaning and sanitisation process. The release adds, that the measures were taken after a number of staff members started exhibiting flu - like symptoms. They are now being treated and evaluated.

So, will there be another island lockdown - which the PM threatened yesterday? And will it be preceded by another island exodus? That's what Cherisse Halsall went to the water taxi terminal in Belize city to check on today:

There were long lines to get off San Pedro again this morning. As rumors of community spread coupled with swabbing of over 60 persons raised anxiety levels both on and off the island.

But when we visited the water taxi terminal in the City the people getting off the boat didn't seem that concerned.

San Pedro resident
"Well right now it's kind of calm everybody is taking it with a bit of caution right now but for right now everybody is just waiting for the outcome of what Dean Barrow is doing."

Cherisse Halsall:
"We're hearing that they're testing several Scotia Bank employees this morning, how does that make you feel as someone who has trafficked within the village?"

San Pedro resident
"Well it's kind of alarming because at the end of the day it's our loves in jeopardy but at the end of the day everything, we just have to pray and hope that everything comes out for the best."

Cordelia Gonzalez, Recently Returned from San Pedro
"I heard all about what was going on but we have been very careful the whole time. We have been wearing masks and keep sanitizing. I keep my sanitizer right here so I've been very careful and just stayed and enjoyed ourselves fortunately yesterday in the hotel where we were there was nobody so we were able to swim. Three of us just swam and had a good time there. Went to eat, we were careful, just took it off to eat, you know, and I'm back home thank god trying to reach before there are any changes and they have to close the place."

Douglas Curry, Recently Returned from Caye Caulker
"Came from Caye Caulker, San Pedro express, everything's just fine. I understand there's a new case. Wear your mask just don't cough in my face we'll be okay."

Winston Garbutt, Captain, San Pedro Express
"People aren't panicking right now but everyone's aware of what's happening out there and everyone's following the proper procedure now, wearing the mask and keeping social distancing and also with our company what we do is sanitize the boats as we do a run everyone comes off, we sanitize at each run."

Taysa Braggs, Recently returned from San Pedro
"I really didn't know I didn't do too much mingling, we stayed in our own condo, we kinda stayed at the pool there - making sure that we didn't go out and mingle alot, just ordered food and have food come in. We just took our precautions. Yesterday I heard that the Prime Minister was very concern about San Pedro and that he felt like if he had to shut it down that he would to keep everyone safe, so that was like the comment that I knew I had to leave the next day, because I did not know whether or not they were shut San Pedro and I am over here in Belize City. Everybody trying to get to the ferry so that they could get home not knowing whether or not the country was going to be shut down ir if it was going to be shut down, so people were very concern about getting back to their district to make sure that they get home in time."

And while the government hasn't locked down San Pedro, or declared an island specific state of emergency, the Director of Health Services says that for those trying to escape the island may find nowhere to run to.

Dr. Marvin Manzanero
"But the other concern is, people wanted to leave the island, but I would ask, to go where? What happens if today we say Orange has it, where you gonna run to? Tomorrow we say Corozal, and this case is in San Pedro, we're following cases in Placencia, there's also potential link to a construction site in San Pedro that has workers from Orange Walk, so you might be running to where the problem originated, so...that's why I said, I don't know if an SOE is the answer."

"I think we need to start internalizing where we're going to run to, and if these people are ill and they know they have been in contact, they should be coming up to health and saying this is what has happened, "I am sick," rather than just hopping on a boat and going to hide in a given village. What are we going to hide away from? Go back and infect the family?"

San Pedro's COVID Concerns: 60 Samples Taken

San Pedro is again ground zero for COVID 19 in Belize - and tonight, health authorities and anxious townspeople are awaiting the test results from 60 samples collected in a first round of contact tracing.

That's after a single positive test from a socially active woman, an expatriate with a prominent name, who was confirmed as positive for COVID 19 on Sunday.

She is case 57, and her contacts range throughout the island, and could even extend to Placencia. More interestingly, she could have contracted it from her husband, who is a major developer on the island.

At a press conference today - the first since March - the Directors of Health Services and the Epidemiology unit told us what is known about case 57, her family and her contacts:

Dr. Russell Manzanero, Epidemiologist, Ministry of Health
"It is a thirty-one year old female. She started with her symptoms from the sixteenth of July with the classic symptoms of COVID as well, sore-throat, fever, cough, chest pain. Two days later she started with chills and then she lost her sense of smell and taste. She referred to feeling fatigued and by the twenty-ninth she was seen again at the health facility and was now swabbed for COVID. We got those results in over the weekend on Sunday. We do know that the individual from San Pedro is an asthmatic, so that is something to take into consideration. However, we are being told that she is isolated at home, she is doing well, she has not been complaining of any shortness of breath or any that would merit her to seek services at the health facility."

"What we have been able to establish with this case is that her immediate family members have all been ill in the past and her common-law has been ill before her. So, that scenario started around the thirteenth and hers started around the sixteenth. So more than likely we need to look at that case scenario and see if there might have been contact there with someone who was initially ill and not her. Both her children as well are being looked at and they are presenting with flu-like symptoms, as a measue we need to swab those individuals as well. In this scenario, there has been a lot of movement around. We do need to highlight that she has been moving around in different parts of the country. So, the kind of work that needs to get done with the healthcare workers and public health inspectors is very extensive that we need to look at each particular case and look at walk through. So for her since she presented mid-July we actually had to go back two weeks as Dr. Manzanero has mentioned and from the beginning of July was when that walk through was started and see what was it that she was doing all those days. We are not only looking at one specific case even though this is a confirmed case we do have other suspected cases as well on San Pedro and other areas in the country as well. There are other individuals who are coming out from San Pedro who have been saying that they have flu-like symptoms. These individuals are being screened as well and they are probably not linked to this specific case. Others might be linked somehow, but we do not know if this is the index case again in San Pedro, because we do know that individuals were having symptoms before hers, so we need to look at that timeline as well."

Channel 7

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The Worrying Case of San Pedro's COVID-19 Patient

Up to news time, Belize has recorded a total of fifty-seven COVID-19 cases. Of those cases, twenty-four are active.� As you know, nine cases were confirmed over the weekend, with eight of them identified on Saturday making it the highest number of cases reported in a single day for the country.� Four of these cases were from repatriation flights and are in quarantine. The other five cases are from Orange Walk and Corozal - which we'll tell you about shortly - and the last case identified is a patient from San Pedro. At this time, there are heightened concerns about these cases, particularly the one in San Pedro.� The patient is said to have moved across Belize, including the south and north.� As a result, she has had contact with more than fifty people and at this time, health authorities are not able to say if she is the index case on the island.� What we know so far is that there are some highly suspicious cases, but those test results are to be released by Wednesday. So today, the Ministry of Health called a virtual press conference to provide an update on this thirty-one-year-old patient.

Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services

"The ninth case that we identified was on Sunday and that is a female on the island of San Pedro. She was symptomatic and that is the reason why she was swabbed. She had the classic signs and symptoms. The person is no longer symptomatic and never really hospitalized. She was seen in a couple of private entities before showing up in public health facility for swabbing and that person is recovering at home."

Dr. Russell Manzanero, Epidemiologist, Ministry of Health

"It is a thirty-one year old female. She started with her symptoms from the sixteenth of July with the classic symptoms of COVID as well, sore-throat, fever, cough, chest pain. Two days later she started with chills and then she lost her sense of taste and smell. She referred to feeling fatigued and by the twenty-ninth she was seen again at the health facility and was swabbed for COVID. We got those results in over the weekend on Sunday. What we have been able to establish with this case is that her immediate family members have all been ill in the past and her common-law has been ill before her. So, that scenario started around the thirteenth and hers started around the sixteenth. So more than likely we need to look at that case scenario and see if there might have been contact there with someone who was initially ill and not her. Both her children as well are being looked at and they are presenting with flu-like symptoms. In this scenario, there has been a lot of movement around. We do need to highlight that she has been moving around in different parts of the country. So, the kind of work that needs to get done with the healthcare workers and public health inspectors is very extensive."

Is There Community Spread of COVID-19 on La Isla Bonita?

So, health officials say there is widespread concern. But is there a case of community spread on that island? �The Ministry of Health is not ready to call it that just yet; they'll await further results from that island to make a determination. What we do know is that the ministry has sent two additional medical officers to the polyclinic on that island for COVID-19 support. But today as the Ministry pointed out, San Pedro is not the only place they are carrying out heightened surveillance. Here's more from the Ministry's experts.

Dr. Russell Manzanero, Epidemiologist, Ministry of Health

"We are not looking at only one specific case, even though this is a confirmed case. We do have other suspected cases on San Pedro and other areas in the country, as well. So, this is part of the ongoing surveillance that we do with individuals on the ground. There are other individuals who are coming out of San Pedro who have been saying that they have flu-like symptoms. These individuals are being screened as well but probably not linked to this specific case; others might be linked somehow."

Reporter

"Is it your feeling that there may be incipient stages of community spread on San Pedro?"

Dr. Russell Manzanero

"To talk of a community spread or local transmission, we would need to see that from this one specific case we can identify others after this infection has happened. We do look at the incubation period for her, so we do know that it is up to fourteen days. Anybody who might be in contact with this individual after fourteen days and still turns up with symptoms and we can establish and confirm that it is a positive case and that person has had no other link, then we can start looking and mentioning that there may be a local transmission there. You are asking if there has been or do we consider if it is already a local transmission, we cannot establish that yet."

Channel 5

I think, for government policy, it would be a good idea to start doing random antibody testing among the population because it is likely that more people have had the coronavirus and never even noticed it. Similar tests in the United States revealed that for every person with symptoms, there are 9 people who did not get sick and in Spain, for every registered patient there were 15 asymptomatic:
https://elpais.com/sociedad/2020-04-07/mas-del-90-de-contagios-estan-ocultos.html

Not so sure that would be a good idea. I would worry that the more cases that are documented the government would go more ballistic with regulations that arguably do more harm to the economy.
Just like not opening the airport. Tourists coming in that have been tested negative have a greater chance of catching it from a Belizean than a Belizean catching it from a tourist.
Those opposed to opening up for tourism should take a look at the photo posted of all the people getting on the water taxi standing shoulder to shoulder and a good many not wearing masks.

Thirteen of Fourteen New COVID-19 Cases are from San Pedro

The Office of the Director of Health Services in Belize has just released new numbers in the COVID-19 cases in the country. They have identified a further 14 cases today, this is the second highest number of cases after yesterday's record of 15. Thirteen of those cases are in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. The latest San Pedro fishing tournament, plus a few social events are possible SUPER SPREADERS of COVID-19 said Dr. Manzanero

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We have identified a further 14 cases today, this is the second highest number of cases after yesterday's record of 15.

The breakdown is as follows:

- 10 of the cases are related to the case identified on Sunday in San Pedro (some close contacts are still pending to be processed)

- 1 contact related to the case identified in San Pedro yesterday (this would be a second cluster as they are not related to the initial case from Sunday)

- 2 cases in San Pedro that don't appear to be related to any of the above clusters but these are symptomatic patients that were picked up through the flu clinic routine and enhanced surveillance. One of these cases is a child.

The provisional report in San Pedro is also indicating that at least 20 (twenty) symptomatic cases were swabbed at the flu clinic in San Pedro (not necessarily linked to any of the above cases.

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Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister:
"Coming now to Ambergris Caye, well, that is where it seems the bacchanal took place in earnest and that is why I suppose you are talking about preliminarily 14 cases and the tracking and tracing exercises are not yet complete. Now at the moment, apart from the 14 that preliminarily are positive but which the doctors and their team at the central lab will have to confirm."

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Pedro Cops Have To Say Put

And while those cops may be busy on the traversing border backroads their counterparts on Ambergris Caye are on lockdown. This afternoon we got word that No police officer will be allowed to visit or leave the island the only exception being island officers who were on leave on the mainland, they will be allowed to return to work. It's a safety measure that the Commissioner provided an explanation for earlier today.

Reporter
"Sir, we are getting word that no police officer will be allowed to enter or leave the island of San Pedro for the next 14 days barring officers that were on leave on the mainland and have to return to work. Can you comment?"

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"As a police department we have to be a couple steps ahead. We are the ones who are tasked with the responsibility of enforcing the laws and if it is that we don't put mechanisms in place to protect our officers from contracting the virus and if we have a police department that is so infected then who is going to enforce the law. We don't want to end up like Bahamas where we see a number of police officers are infected, a number of police officers in quarantine and then the military have to be called in to be the police. We are doing what we can to ensure that we do not spread the virus among ourselves. You would know that policing is a family. When a police officer comes from San Pedro to the mainland, he or she interacts with a number of other police officers. So if that one would come infected the possibility of infecting many mainland will be extremely high and then once you infect one mainland that one get in contact with others then the department will be contaminated."

"We already have an issue in Corozal where I can tell you that again, today 12 additional officers were placed in quarantine, resulting from the test results that came out yesterday where 2 other officers were confirmed to have the Covid-19 cases and so the contact tracing for those officers led to another 12 officers going into quarantine. I am happy that out of the 14 swabs done, only 2 were positive yesterday and we are hoping that of those who have been swabbed today that when the results come back, that at least none will be positive. But we are in a situation where if it is that we do not put precautionary measures in place to protect our officers then we may have a department that is so contaminated that we will not be able to enforce the law the way we should."

Channel 7

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ALERT!! ALERT!!

All of us MUST do our part. It is that simple. Not one person or a small group of people can get it done. It will take the entire community to come together and fight this virus together . Indeed there will be really tough and challenging days ahead, but our ancestors have gotten through tough times in the past and so will we! There is quite a long road ahead for us , but as long as we work together we can rise above all challenges we are facing now and will face ahead! Lets be Responsible Adults and follow the very basic Guidelines of Washing hands frequently, Wearing Mask in Public, Practicing Social Distancing and Keeping away from crowded places. We can and We will Get through this San Pedro!

San Pedro Tourist Guide Association

San Pedro, Life In Lockdown

Basically, the directive to townspeople is: don't come in, just call, and we'll call you back.

A necessary strategy, but not exactly confidence building...and we asked our colleague about the mood on the island which is now in its first day of lockdown:



Long Lines At San Pedro Flu Clinic

And the very many island residents who have had contact with infected persons like DJ Smalls have been lining up at the town's flu clinic. But the wait can last hours, even all day. Our colleague form the San Pedro Sun spoke to one young man who'd been waiting since the day before:

Voice of: Person waiting at Clinic

"So far it was me and my entire family that has been trying to get tested. I came here by myself whole day yesterday and I was unable to get tested and today finally made some progress. So far what they've been telling us that they are only taking people with severe symptoms, that's basically my mom and my little sister. People without symptoms like me and my dad are told to just be in self isolation and wait for results of my other 2 family members. If they come out positive it's going to be classified as a case where the family would be considered as a Covid19 case. Today my parents came 8am, I came around 9am, but we went in as a family around 10am and so far I say the process is extremely long, because I've been here all day yesterday."

San Pedro Clinic Is Overwhelmed

Our colleague from the san Pedro Sun Dion Vansen did that interview, and we spoke to him via Zoom about the situation at the clinic:

Dion Vansen, Reporter, San Pedro Sun

"The clinic over here is getting overwhelmed. According to people that have been there trying to get swabbed they have been turn back because they are trying to focus on people that are symptomatic, because according to them they don't have enough test kits, so they can't test everybody that shows up and say I think I have it. If you have it and you have no symptoms and you are turn back then you might continue spreading it and until you get sick then you will get swabbed and it might be too late."

Channel 7

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San Pedro under complete lockdown for 14 days

At a virtual press conference held this evening, Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced that because of an alarming surge in COVID-19 infections, the island of San Pedro will be under a complete lockdown for the next 14 days.

Things have been bleak on San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, since last Sunday, August 2, when a mysterious case of COVID-19 was discovered.

As reported, this case originally had no known source of infection, as the patient claimed that she had not traveled internationally; however, her entire family had suffered flu-like symptoms prior to the release of test results which confirmed that she was infected with the coronavirus.

On Tuesday, an additional case, which had no link to the initial case, was detected on the island, and this prompted the Ministry of Health to conduct a more extensive tracing process.

By Wednesday, fourteen new cases had been discovered on the island, and two of them were linked to the case that was detected on Tuesday, and they were identified as persons who attended a church service that the patient had attended.

This is being monitored as cluster number two on the island, and samples were being processed up to Thursday.

Also, ten cases out of the previously mentioned fourteen were linked to the initial case that was discovered last Sunday, while one new case has emerged, which is linked to neither of the two other cases, which indicates that there is community transmission of COVID-19 in San Pedro.

Dr. Manzanero, Director of Health Services, and his department are considering the possibility that the link between the active cases in San Pedro and those on the mainland may be a carrier of the virus from Orange Walk.

Throughout the week, multiple entities such as Scotia Bank's San Pedro branch and BEL's San Pedro branch have announced that some of their employees appear to be exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.

Ultimately, Scotia Bank has closed its offices for sanitization, as it has been confirmed that at least one member of their staff has tested positive for the virus.

According to Dr. Marvin Manzanero, they are also monitoring a cluster that emerged from another church gathering. Between 20 and 30 of the persons who were in attendance at that gathering have been exhibiting symptoms that are characteristic of COVID-19 infections.

Dr. Manzanero has also reported that a number of persons have already left the island since the extensive mapping has begun, and he has implored those who have been exposed to anyone who has been confirmed to have the virus, and is exhibiting symptoms, to contact the Ministry of Health hotline to arrange to be tested. Preliminary data for Thursday suggests that there may be a confirmation of 23 more active cases -nineteen of which are linked to San Pedro.

In light of these findings, The Prime Minister has announced that the town of San Pedro is now under a complete lockdown effective tomorrow, August 7, for the next fourteen days. During the lockdown, a curfew will be in effect from 8:00 p.m. to 4:59 a.m. on the island. A separate children's curfew will be effective from 5:59 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.; however, they may be out until the later curfew starts if they are in the company of their parents or guardians.

Social gatherings are limited to a ten-person maximum. Construction on the island will cease for the duration of the lockdown.

Emergency permission will be granted to persons whose circumstances make departure from the island absolutely necessary, but the decisions to grant such permission will be considered on a case by case basis by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of National Security. Residents of the island are only allowed to move about for essential purposes; however, cargo will be allowed in and out and essential workers will be permitted to work per the norm.

Banks will be open, along with grocery stores, pharmacies, bakeries, tortilla factories and food manufacturers. Bars, discotheques, and nightclubs are to be closed for the entire duration of the lockdown. Government offices will also be closed.

Amandala