And from CitCo to COVID, the numbers have been down over the past month and Belizeans are crossing their fingers and hoping that we've seen the height of this pandemic. Others though are holding their breaths and anticipating that things will get worse before they get better.
This is especially since there is a widespread concern that the numbers being reported are not a true reflection of the actual figures.
But one medical professional is trying to put those worries at ease; Dr. Fernando Cuellar says that the numbers are accurate. Courtney Menzies has a look at how the numbers have decreased over the past six months.
Yesterday's report of a single COVID death ended a 6-day respite from COVID deaths. It's cause for relief since only two months ago, in December, Belize faced its deadliest month with COVID.
And in other positive news, Belize has not reported new daily cases in the triple digits since January 6, with 100 cases exactly. In fact, yesterday, there were only 8 new cases. And on the 5th of February, there were only 5.
These rapidly declining numbers may seem too good to be true, as one patient said on our newscast yesterday. It seems farfetched that in only two months, the COVID storm has calmed so drastically.
But not for internist, Dr Fernando Cuellar. He says he believes the numbers because he has seen for himself that the health system is not under as much strain as it used to be.
Dr. Fernando Cuellar - Internist "We see the numbers, we see the downward trend of the total COVID cases, of positive cases, we see less hospitalization maybe over the past two months. I haven't had a hospitalized patient perhaps for the last three weeks, two weeks. We are indeed, in the private setting, and I know because of my close contacts with the public that we ae seeing numbers. Which brings me to that very common question that I get every day, are the numbers real? There's a lot of skepticism, sometimes there's some mischief, sometimes there's genuine concern that maybe the numbers are being cooked, that the numbers are being played with."
Jules Vasquez "Are they?"
Dr. Fernando Cuellar "No, no they're not. Like I said, I know the people who work in the ministry and they would never do such a thing. And I feel it on the ground that the numbers are coming down."
In the past six months, Belize has seen the worst of the pandemic. At the start of August, there were only 56 confirmed cases, and now there are 12,195.
In that time, we've also gone from 2 deaths to 314.
And perhaps the spike in cases and deaths is what led Belizeans to become more health conscious to try and flatten the curve. Dr Cuellar says the credit for the decline should go first to the citizens.
Dr. Fernando Cuellar "I am the type of person who always wants to give the community the kudos first, the credit, and perhaps in the middle the medical health workers, perhaps the technocrats at the Ministry of Health. Remember the technocrats, the people who actually does the work, and leave the politician for last in terms of getting the credit. Definitely the community should be applauded."
But Dr Cuellar also says that Belizeans should not become lax. He warns that just as quickly as the numbers went down, they can shoot up again and as he predicts more waves of the virus, he's hoping that they won't be as severe as the one we've faced.
We note that reports tell us the head of the epidemiology unit was reportedly transferred to the Central medical lab - so there is no one currently heading that unit.
