And while the cases will continue to go up after Christmas - especially because - despite stern warnings - people will continue to congregate in one form or the other - where really did the current spike start?
Some have surmised that all the election activity may have been a super spreader, after all 150,000 people did go out to vote - and a fair number of those people did celebrate after the blowout victory for the blue was announced.
Let's put it like this: on November 11th, there were 4,520 confirmed cases; tonight, 42 days later, there are more than two times that, with 10,370 positive tests; on November 11th, there were 75 deaths; tonight there are three times that, 226 deaths.
But, Chebat says, don't blame the election:
Cherisse Halsall- Reporter
"This spike that we've had in the country, the one that has led to these new regulations, many people would say that this spike came about due to the elections. Perhaps not people travelling back to where they live to vote but all the campaigning that was done by both parties."
Hon. Michel Chebat- Minister of Health
"I don't see how it can be blamed for the spike. As you will know the incubation period is anywhere between 7 to 10 days and so we are long beyond that time frame from the day of election and the previous campaigning. What the data has shown us is the spread we are seeing is as a result of a community spread. So, that is pretty much what we are seeing in Belize."
Cherisse Halsall
"Really though, Minister? It seems interesting that that would be your opinion because there was a lot of movement that had to happen for that election day to be possible and all that movement had to have consequences on the way the disease started to be transmitted."
Hon. Michel Chebat
"No, I think there is some confusion in the public because what happened shortly there after the elections when we took office is that almost immediately we expanded testing. So the people we found would have been infected even before the election. So, that is the reason why we have done these conclusions. It is not without some evidential basis."
Cherisse Halsall
"We did see, again on election night, all those celebrations, all those motorcades. And as someone who was on the field that night it almost seemed that there were no rules that night. That with the change of government people said: alright this is it, we are free."
Hon Michel Chebat
"Cherisse I don't know what your point is. I have given you what the evidence is and what our point of view is here at the Ministry. I see you share a different point of view and that's fine."
