Prime Minister Dean Barrow stated that all non-essential travel around the country should be avoided. Below is a summary outline of the regulations that will pertain to Ambergris Caye during the quarantine specific for the island:
- Complete Quarantine of the island for 14 days (State of Emergency) Starting Midnight, Friday, August 7
- Nobody can go in or out of the island during this time
- Curfew implemented 8pm - 4:59am for Adults and 6pm - 5:59am for Children
- Limitations on gatherings 10 people max
- All work on construction sites will cease
- Emergency movement in and out of the island on a case by case basis
- Cargo will be allowed in and out of the island
- Essential Services Officers will be permitted to perform their duties
- Government offices will be closed
- Banks will be allowed to open
- Grocery Stores, Pharmacies, Essential Stores will be allowed to open
- Closure of bars, disco, night clubs,
More in the Ambergris Today
Ambergris Caye under 14-day quarantine after spike in COVID-19 cases
Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow announced on Thursday, August 6th that San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye is once again under quarantine following a surge in COVID-19 cases. The island shutdown is expected to commence at midnight Friday, August 7th with curfews for both adults and children. The situation on the island has been deemed as community transmission, with three clusters so far, and further cases yet to be confirmed. The State of Emergency on the island will prevent anyone traveling to or from the island and will be implemented via an Emergency Proclamation to be signed by Governor General Sir Colville Young later Thursday.
San Pedro Town has over a dozen active cases and 19 more await confirmation. The results of the recent confirmed cases indicate that 10 cases are related to Case #57 identified on Sunday, August 2nd. Another island case is believed to have been contracted via a church gathering, while another is believed to have been contracted via contact with an infected person from the border cases in Orange Walk. These last two are symptomatic and were picked up through the Mar de Tumbo flu clinic routine and enhanced surveillance. One of these patients has been revealed to be a child.
While the situation on the island will be strictly monitored during these 14 days of quarantine, persons on Ambergris Caye experiencing flu-like symptoms are asked to call the phone number 672-0911 and follow instructions.
Click here to read the rest of the article in the San Pedro Sun
Persons caught with contraband goods will be treated as border jumpers, fined and imprisoned for six months. Schools countrywide will not be allowed to open until further notice.
Persons residing outside the four covid hotspots must practice social distancing of 6 feet and wear masks unless they are swimming, eating at a restaurant or engaged in sports said the Attorney General. Employees must practice distancing rules at work and must wear a mask while at work. Business owners who allow customers entry without mask will be fined for not enforcing mandatory mask wearing.
Persons residing outside of the four locked down areas are still under a State of Emergency explained at Attorney General. As such gatherings are limited to 25 persons. Casino goers must wear a mask and will not be able to smoke in the facility.
For the next 14 days, only essential services should be carried out in Santa Martha, Ship Yard, Guinea Grass and San Pedro. Those services can only be done from 5:00 am to 7:00 pm. Gathering are limited to ten people and police enforcement promises to be strict for social distancing offenders and unmasked persons.
The Reporter
Now in the case of San Pedro, hundreds have been leaving the island. Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced today that Ambergris Caye, where there is community spread and two COVID-19 clusters, will go under total lockdown. So for the second time, Belize's top tourist destination will be cut off from the rest of the country. The Prime Minister explains.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Pertaining to Ambergris Caye, those regulations will mandate a complete lockdown of Ambergris Caye. The General Proclamation will be for fourteen days so the regulations there under in each case for Ambergris Caye for Orange Walk and for the rest of the country will last in the first instance for fourteen days. So for fourteen days there is going to be a complete quarantining of Ambergris Caye. For that period of fourteen days in the normal course, nobody in, nobody out of Ambergris Caye. Curfew, eight p.m. to four fifty nine a.m. Kids curfew from six a.m. to five fifty nine p.m. There will be of course limitation on gatherings, ten persons maximum on Ambergris Caye for the duration of the fourteen days lockdown. Construction activity will have to cease completely. There will be emergency movement in and out of Ambergris Caye allowed naturally on a case by case basis with the permission of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of National Security. Generally there is restriction of movement of the general public even on none curfew hours as was the case before. You are expected only to be moving about for necessary purpose, for so called essential purposes. So that's the position with Ambergris Caye. Total lockdown starting a minute after midnight tonight so that when people wake up in the morning Ambergris Caye will be under a State of Emergency and under that State of Emergency there is going to be a total lockdown."
Channel 5