The full reopening of land and seaport borders with Mexico and Guatemala, set for Tuesday, February 1, has once again been postponed. The new reopening date is February 7th.
The new Minister of Health and Wellness, Honourable Kevin Bernard, reportedly announced this change. The reason is to allow Cabinet to review the recommendations of the COVID-19 Advisory Committee. The aim is also to ensure everything is in place for a successful reopening of the borders.
These borders have not been fully open since March 2020, when the pandemic started. The first time the Government of Belize announced a reopening was on December 22, 2021. The borders were to reopen by January 1, 2022; however, this date changed to February 1st following the COVID-19 Advisory Committee recommendations. The delay is believed to be due to the current contagious COVID-19 variant-Omicron.
This is expected to be the last postponement, and by next week, Monday, the land and seaport borders will be fully reopened. This government believes that the integrity of the country’s health system and the welfare of Belizeans is paramount and must be protected. The government will continue monitoring the reopening of the land borders and COVID-19.
