This week, Belize's hotel industry has begun to see more COVID cases among both their staff and guests. This morning on Open Your Eyes, industry spokesmen discussed the problems they are facing such as trying to keep their doors open, visitors housed, and workers on the job. Ted Tejada of the Belize Hotel Association says people in the industry are testing more often and randomly.

Ted Tejada, Director, Belize Hotel Association

"We are starting to see, and we've heard from several of our hotels that, yes, hotels staff are coming positive. Actually, I spoke to about ten hotels yesterday who reported that within yesterday they were able to detect one or two. And, what we are doing, as hotels, hotels are now starting to test their staff randomly which is being recommended. Even if they have zero signs, we're asking hotels to randomly check their employees, so that we can start to detect them. Remember that many of the hotels have a cafeteria where our staffs are being given breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And, so they eat in a community and if you have one employee that is positive, you have the possibility of contaminating the entire hotel. But yes, hotels have protocols from two years ago, and we have been practicing. And in terms of guests themselves, we feel very comfortable that we are able to deal with the protocols that we have being able to isolate and take care of our guests. It is more having our employees show to the hotel with the virus that it will start to cripple in terms of the service that we provide."

While no hotels have closed their doors yet, there is concern that increased COVID cases among staff in coming weeks could create a problem for the industry.

Channel 5