The countrywide COVID-19 vaccination campaign, ‘Before You Relax, Get Vax’, spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW), reached the islands this weekend. The campaign team was on hand swabbing people for the virus and administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to residents of Caye Caulker and San Pedro Town.
On Friday, July 9th, MOHW’s minister, the Honourable Michel Chebat, and his team, along with Area Representative the Honourable Andre Perez, were on La Isla Cariñosa. They distributed information on the vaccine, face masks and administered the jab to many Hicaqueños. According to Chebat, over 100 persons received the vaccine.
On Saturday, July 10th, the team visited San Pedro and set up camp at Central Park. Minister Chebat along with Perez, encouraged more San Pedranos to get the vaccine. As in Caye Caulker, some people were swabbed while others received their vaccination. From 9AM to noon, the event saw a good number of persons answering the call. A couple of people admitted to initially being hesitant, but after being educated on the vaccine’s benefits, they decided to get their shot.
Perez, Chebat, and Mayor Gualberto ‘Wally’ Nuñez urged island residents to take this opportunity and get immunized against this disease. Perez believes that the tourism business would increase if travelers see that Belize and its top tourist destinations’ population is fully vaccinated. He added that it would not only protect the industry that provides San Pedranos with a livelihood, but the population will be better equipped to deal with the pandemic. Chebat added that due to the dominant industry in both islands, vaccination is critical. “We want everyone to come out and get vaccinated. This is the only way we can reopen fully,” said Chebat. After the campaign ended at noon in Central Park, vaccination continued at the San Pedro Lions Den, where the island medical team and volunteers worked until 3PM.
The number of people visiting the vaccination center in San Pedro reached close to 1,000 just this week. This is considered one of the highest turnouts since vaccination started on the island. Those who are yet to get their vaccine are encouraged to do so as all phases are now open. Anyone 18 years and over is eligible, and appointments are recommended but not required. The total number of persons who have received their first dose of the vaccine countrywide is 102,052, while 37,473 are fully vaccinated.
