The Government of Belize introduced a new amended Statutory Instrument (SI) on Monday, October 19th to the Quarantine (Prevention of spread of infectious disease-COVID-19) regulations 2020. SI 149 of 2020 focuses on restaurants, traveling to Belize by air, and amendments when it comes to tourists visiting the country and returnees.
The amended document is a different version of SI 136, and under the section for restrictions to restaurants, diners and saloons it repeals Regulation 12, which did not allow more than ten persons at any given time. This means that restaurants can now host more than ten guests based on their square footage, so long as they are maintaining a distance of six feet between tables.
Also repealed is Regulation #16 which required persons to apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the nearest embassy/consulate prior to traveling to Belize. Anyone returning home to Belize or traveling to the country because of business interests can now skip that process.
In the case of tourists visiting around the Jewel, paragraph ‘b’ of Regulation 17 initially asked that visitors make transportation arrangements with the hotel they were staying at. Under this regulation, sub-regulation 4 mandated tourists to only use means of transportation provided directly by the hotel. The new SI repeals this requirement, and tourists can now move around in other means of transportation, like renting a vehicle, as long as it is from an approved rental by the BTB.
The SI ends by erasing sub-regulation 1 of Regulation 20 which mandated returnees (Belizeans, permanent residents, holders of a valid work permit, Qualified Retired Person, foreign home owners or long stay non-nationals) to self-quarantine for ten days at home. Starting today Monday, that requirement is no longer imperative, but rather optional.
The amended SI was signed by the Minister of Health, Honourable Pablo Marin.
