Cabinet is starting to announce the road map for the rollout of the COVID 19 vaccine.
Roll out will go in 4 phases, which should start at the end of March. The plan seeks to vaccinate over 200,000 Belizeans in 120 days or four months. The vaccination process will start with healthcare workers, the elderly, vulnerable citizens with mental and physical disabilities, teachers, and other frontline persons.
A Cabinet brief notes the fall in the daily positivity from 20 percent in November and December to the current average daily positivity rate of 4.5%.
In other Cabinet news, Education Minister Francis Fonseca updated Cabinet on the budget consultations with the unions last week. A release offers this, quote: "The Cabinet thoroughly discussed the recommendations and the requests for information that the unions made. There is an agreement to urgently provide a comprehensive response and to have follow-up discussions."
And, there's also news from tourism where the Cabinet gave its approval for the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations to introduce a long-stay visitor program. It will allow extended visitor permits for targeted visitors and nationalities. This program is aimed at encouraging tourists to stay longer through a "Work Where you Vacation" Program.
Finally, the Government's intention is that stipends paid by public utilities and statutory bodies to non-executive directors be cut by half. This comes into effect next month.
