If you haven't gotten your COVID 19 vaccine yet - you might want to start planning to - because if you're working in the service industry or on the frontline - starting on August first, your life is going to get a whole lot more complicated.
Statutory Instrument No. 74 of 2021 was published today - and it says that every frontline worker who is not immunized by August 1, 2021 will have to present to their employer, a negative rapid test or PCR Test on reporting to work.
And if you don't? The law adds, "a frontline worker who fails to comply with this regulation shall be deemed absent from work and subject to disciplinary proceedings in accordance with any law that regulates the services of that frontline worker." So, basically, they will be sanctioned and could lose wages.
So, officially who is a frontline worker? The list of 11 includes health care workers; police officers, Coast Guardsmen, BDF soldiers; teachers; tourism workers; customs and immigration officers; public transport operators; transport officers and public utility employees.
Once any of those workers has received one shot of the vaccine, they don't have to take that bi-weekly test.
And the rules are even more stringent for restaurants, and other eateries, including street food vendors.
The new regulations say, "restaurants, saloons, diners and other similar establishments holding a restaurant licence shall be allowed to operate if the employees of that restaurant, saloon, dinner or other similar establishment are immunized."
This one is significant and it shows government trying to zone in on one area which is considered a source of major virus transmission.
We are aware that there is some discontent amongst persons and groups affected by the strict new regulations - and some cops have even said they will file a petition.
But we note also that since the measures were announced last week, daily vaccine numbers have been surging. Yesterday, the Ministry posted a total of over four thousand jabs given in a single day. Over 93,000 Belizeans have now received at least one dose.
