Thursday, November 7, 2024

Changes to COVID-19 regulations include new curfew and measures for travelers from Africa region

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As of Monday, December 6th, the new curfew is (as per Sunday through Thursday) is 11PM to 4AM and Fridays and Saturdays midnight to 4AM. Minors are not allowed to be on the streets after 8PM, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. The other amendment will affect travelers entering the country from at least eight African countries following the new COVID-19 variant Omicron announcement.

The new set of rules under Statutory Instrument (SI) No. 151 of 2021 (https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/SI-No-151-of-2021-Public-Health.pdf) states that anyone traveling to Belize from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, or Zimbabwe must be immunized and tested before entering the country. In addition, travelers are subject to a period of ten days of quarantine at a government-designated quarantine facility following the Ministry of Health and Wellness guidelines.

Further relaxation of the curfew is more than welcome in San Pedro Town, where tourism is the primary income earner. The current tourism season looks promising, and the previous curfew (10PM and 11PM) was a factor worrying many stakeholders, who saw it as a threat to the local economy.

These new amendments were passed during the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, November 30th. The government, through a release, said that this new SI supersedes and repeals the previous set of regulations under SI No. 149 of 2021(https://www.pressoffice.gov.bz/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/SI-No-149-of-2021-Public-Health.pdf). The official note said the rules went into effect on December 6th, the same day it was gazetted.

In the meantime, the government reminds the public to follow the prevention protocols to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The daily COVID-19 reports have consistently shown more recoveries over positive infections. The latest report shows 980 active cases across the country. Any future amendments to the regulations will depend on the rate of infections in the country. The virus does not move alone; it does when people move around. The public is reminded that mask-wearing is mandatory in public places, continues, often hand sanitization is highly recommended, and social distancing is a must.

 

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