On Friday April 3rd, the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) Belize Rural South held a mock drill in San Pedro Town. This exercise included transportation of a person acting as an ill patient to the new San Pedro Care Center via the designated ambulance on the island. This practice was done to ensure the care team is prepared to handle all aspects of protocol.
Shortly after 10AM, the wailing sound of sirens filled the air as the ambulance made its way from the San Pedro Care Center to pick up the ‘patient’.
After ‘stabilizing’ the patient from her initial location, she was placed in the ambulance and taken to the San Pedro Care Center.
Once there, medics performed the removal of the patient from ambulance to the unit specially designated for COVID-19 patients in need of isolation.
This drill happened on the day that Belize registered its fourth case of COVID-19, this time in San Ignacio. The 55-year-old male patient tested positive in a confirmatory test ran at 1:16AM on April 3, 2020.
Of the four COVID-19 patients, two were international travel-related and one was contact-related (mother of the first patient). A mapping exercise has begun so that MOH can ascertain the fourth patient’s level of contact, as he has no travel history. At the end of the preliminary exercise, the Ministry will be able to better classify how he may have become infected.
About NEMO Belize Rural South:
NEMO Belize Rural South, in cooperation with the respective Emergency Management Committees and all Public and Private agencies, is mandated to preserve life and property. NEMO Belize Rural South serves Ambergris Caye, Caye Chapel and Caye Caulker.
