Sorry this post is so long but as an expat Canadian investor I am outraged at the Ministry of Home Affairs blunder in banning visitors to Canada and believe it was not necessary!
As Lan said 15% of our tourism comes from Canada. Other countries are not banning visitors from nations with SARS outbreaks with the possible exception of a few small nations in the immediate vicinity of Southeast Asia and China. Even Malaysia a close neighbour of China has stopped their travel ban on visitors from the origin of the virus as of April 12th.
If the unwarranted fear of a SARS outbreak in Belize is worth such a blow to tourism..... if the Minister of Home Affairs is making every effort to stop SARS then he must not allow ANY Cruise Ship passengers that have Canadians or other banned visitors on board from leaving the ship while in port. The passengers will have been living in a closed environment so everyone could be infected! For that matter he should consider a ban of visitors from the U.S as well! Anyone with knowledge of US/Canada entry regulations know that Americans and Canadians do not require passports to enter each other's country. Americans cross the border into Canada daily in droves! According to the statistics of the year 2000 39 million people cross the border at Detroit/Windsor and Buffalo/Niagara each year. That means 325,000 people, of which many are U.S. citizens, are entering Canada from areas that are 200 miles (Detroit) and 60 (Buffalo) miles from Toronto where the SARS outbreak is centred. They could be infected as well. How about traveller's who have had a layover in Toronto or have visited there just prior to their trip to Belize? Ban them too??
Does the Hon. Fonseca know that Belize City citizens live at a distance of 2,000 miles from the outbreak in Toronto. Vancouverites live 2200 miles away! He is in closer proximity to the Canadian contained outbreak than and many Canadaians!
It is my belief that any decision that directly affects tourism should require a complete examination of the issue and should be only allowed after a special meeting of the Cabinet.
I invested my life savings to open a small hotel in Belize. I have worked long and hard to establish a successful B&B that provides employment, tourist spending, and taxes to the people, businesses and government of Belize respectively.
I find it ludicrous that after struggling to build my hotel, establish a client base (largely Canadian), surviving and rebuilding hurricanes, 9-11 travel fears, outrageous Internet, telephone, water and power costs, and the constant disruptions of these overpriced utilities, I am now being shot in the foot by our country's own government! Those with vested interests in tourism are now facing a possibly irreparable loss of business from the Canadian market due to what I deem as an ignorant action of one of our Cabinet Members.
Prime Minister Musa promised in his recent election campaign that there would not be a repeat of the "passport sale" fiasco as he would be completely in control of the members of his Cabinet and their actions. Either Mr. Musa has not kept his promise or he supported a decision to lose 15% of the country's primary source of revenue! I am all for any effort to protect the people of Belize from disease and harm but if the Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Ralph Fonseca has a sincere interest in protecting the "Home Affairs" of Belize I suggest that he direct his attention to matters such as AIDS, traffic accidents, and drug related crime. These issues in the opinion of this "San Pegringa" pose a much greater threat to the lives of Belizeans and that efforts directed to these three areas would support the health and welfare of Belizeans and would not involve robbing us of 15% of our tourism market.
I have copied the facts from the Toronto Star on SARS in Canada below. They support my view that this travel ban (on Canadians in particular) was an uniformed and unneeded decision. I have also provided a link to a Toronto Star's article regarding Toronto's outrage at the World Health Organization's "travel warning" for Toronto which further supports my position that the threat of contracting SARS even in Toronto is extremely low.
I sure hope that this ban is reversed ASAP or we will have long term repercussions in our GNP and in our respect in International Community!
SARS primer
The deadly outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), an illness about which little is known, has left the public and the scientific community scrambling to learn how to deal with its effects.
Here are answers to some of the basic questions about SARS and its spread.
What are the symptoms?
A defining symptom of SARS that sets it apart from the symptoms of a cold or flu is shortness of breath.
"It starts with a fever, which becomes a high fever, mild respiratory symptoms, coughing and eventually shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, which then becomes severe and then needs medical attention," says Dr. Bhagirath Singh, scientific director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in London, Ont.
These symptoms develop as a package; a cough or fever on its own does not indicate SARS infection, Singh says. "Clearly, people who have fever, high fever, cough, should take precautions not to have other people exposed."
How fast do the symptoms develop and when are they a cause for concern?
Toronto Public Health says symptoms show up within 10 days of coming into close contact with an infected person.
Close contact means caring for, living with or having direct contact with the respiratory secretions and bodily fluids of a person with SARS.
Singh says some people who have returned from travelling in suspect areas (Southeast Asia, China) in the last two or three weeks have developed symptoms.
"As soon as people have a high fever, they should consult their doctor. There is no point in waiting for this to develop to a stage of infecting other people," Singh says.
Anything above 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 F) is considered a high fever.
While everyone does not respond at the same rate, he says, there should be concern if the fever is still high after three or four days and if there is shortness of breath.
Who is getting SARS?
It's not affecting the general population, at this point. It's striking those who have either had contact with people with the disease, people who have travelled to Southeast Asia, particularly China, and have come back in the past few weeks, Singh says.
Toronto Public Health says people whose symptoms show up within 10 days of visiting Guangdong province in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam (city of Hanoi), Taiwan and Singapore may have contracted the illness.
There are cases in Southeast Asia of children being exposed, Singh says.
"It seems to be affecting people who, I'm sure, are in a good health state." But people who have had organ transplants, have heart conditions or a weakened immune system are more susceptible to SARS, just like they are to any other illness, he says.
What is known about the source of SARS?
The outbreak started in China, where it sickened hundreds, and was carried to Toronto by Sui-chu Kwan, who was returning from Hong Kong. Kwan died of the disease March 5.
The outbreak has been traced to a 64-year-old medical professor who was believed to have carried the condition to Hong Kong.
How are infected people being treated?
"At this point, there is no known cure."
Toronto Public Health says patients with SARS are being isolated, treated with antibiotics and antiviral agents and are receiving supportive care. Hospital staff are using appropriate precautions.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) doctors, this is the usual sort of treatment when it isn't known what a patient is suffering from.
Dr. Andrew Simor, an infectious disease expert at Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Science Centre, told the Star that an antiviral agent called Ribavirin is being used to treat patients at Sunnybrook. But the WHO says that agent is being used with unremarkable results.
Singh says because the disease is so new, it's too early to treat infected people with antibodies from another person who has recovered from the illness. "Really, there is no obvious treatment at this point."
What are the chances that a person who contracts SARS will be killed by it?
The WHO says the illness has a mortality rate of 4 per cent. This is slightly greater than the mortality rate for West Nile virus in North America, which is not high.
A senior official from the WHO told Reuters that between 80 and 90 per cent of patients begin to recover after a few days, but a minority quickly become critical.
What precautions can people take?
"You should avoid visiting people if they have severe fever, colds," Singh says, adding that, "obviously, if you have (these symptoms), you should consult your doctor immediately so that there is no chance of spreading to your family or your close contacts."
Health Canada advises that people "should defer all travel until further notice" to the destinations listed above.
Is there any indication about what form the illness takes?
Eleven labs worldwide are working to figure out what causes SARS. The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and the WHO believe it is a corona virus, which causes the common cold and other, more serious, respiratory diseases. The National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg thinks it could be a virus from the family that causes mumps and measles.
What should a person with symptoms do?
"The first contact should be their own doctor," Singh says. If that's not possible, they should go to the local emergency ward.
Toronto Public Health officials urge people who think they have SARS or may have had contact with a SARS case to call them at 416-338-7600 or seek medical attention. General questions about SARS can be answered by calling Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.
The proper masks to wear to prevent the spread of SARS are N95 surgical masks. They are often used to protect against other highly transmissible respiratory infections such as tuberculosis. The mask should be changed twice daily. They can be bought at medical supply stores but have been flying off the shelves, so call before you head out to buy.
The Red Cross, in co-ordination with Toronto Public Health, will be delivering five days' worth of masks and thermometers to the people under quarantine in the city of Toronto.
If you have been exposed to SARS, remain at home, in isolation, for 10 days. Do not leave the house or have anyone visit.
During this period, wear a mask if another person is in the same room. Have people drop food off on your doorstep. Sleep in a room alone. Don't share your personal items.
Wash your hands frequently and take your temperature twice daily.
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