As of February 1st, AstraZeneca vaccines will no longer be available at the COVID-19 vaccination sites. The Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) confirmed this on Friday, January 21st. MOHW encouraged those who have received their first dose of AstraZeneca eight weeks or more ago to visit the nearest vaccination center and get their second vaccine.
A representative from MOHW explained that the current batch of AstraZeneca expires at the end of this month; thus, there will be no more availably in February. The San Pedro Sun was told that the ministry is securing another batch of AstraZeneca vaccines. In the meantime, the Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Sinopharm vaccines will continue to be available.
COVID-19 vaccination clinics are usually open Monday to Friday across the country. In San Pedro Town, the San Pedro Lions Den serves as the vaccination site opening Monday to Thursday 1:30-3PM and on Fridays from 8:30AM to 2PM. The center also offers booster shots for persons having received their second dose of the vaccine three months after. Over 200,000 Belizeans have received two doses of the vaccine equivalent to 50.6% of the country’s population.
Other services available in San Pedro include COVID-19 testing for symptomatic patients at the Mar de Tumbo Flu Clinic south of downtown. This opens Monday to Thursday 8AM to 12-noon, and Fridays 8-11:30AM. Asymptomatic patients can get swabbed for the virus by the Roman Catholic Church by Central Park. This testing site opens Monday to Friday from 8AM to 2PM.
The surge in COVID-19 cases remains on the increase; however the number of hospitalizations and fatality rate is low. Medical experts in Belize believe the country is experiencing the peak of the current wave, and infections will start to decrease very soon. Additionally, they believe that the pandemic will soon transition to endemic, and COVID-19 restrictions such as curfew could be abolished.
