On October 1st, a sweeping new public health policy will come into effect which could seriously affect a large percentage of Belize's population.
Currently, about 60% of the population is unvaccinated. And next month, they won't be allowed into any public space. That includes your neighborhood grocery store, your favorite restaurant, your preferred bank, any government office, and even a bus or water taxi.
The only way to bypass the vaccination card is to have a negative PCR or rapid test which can range from about $75 to about $300.
The Minister of Health made the announcement this morning, and the media questioned the legality of the move.
Hon. Michel Chebat - Minister of Health
"Arising out of the Cabinet meeting held on this Tuesday and in light of the number of cases that we are seeing across the country, government has decided to implement a new measure commencing on the first of October and what that measure is that all persons entering into a public building will be required to have a vaccination or present a negative rapid test or PCR test. The rapid test is a 48 hour test and the PCR test will be a 96 hour test. And so for clarity a public building will include both a privately owned and a publicly owned building and it refers to any building that the public has lawful entry to so now only does it include government building, it would cover restaurants, and grocery stores, it would also cover public transportation so that buses and boats ferrying people back and forth from the islands will also be included."
Reporter
"Does the government have the legal authority to dictate to a private business owner who he can reject from entering his store?"
Hon. Michel Chebat
"Well we are in a pandemic and so the government goes have the authority to determine how and where and when people can access certain business and set the law in relation to this and I will say to you that Belize is not the only CARICOM country that is doing this, if you look at Jamaica, they have implemented it and most recently Guyana has implemented it and this is just an expansion of what we've been doing. Recently we've passed an SI requiring that patrons of Casinos must prove their vaccination status before they enter and as well as BPO's we have by law require that only 60% of their staff be at work at any time and that 60% must be vaccinated so this is not new to Belize."
And while this is a huge obstacle for those who choose not to get the vaccine, it can also be an issue for businesses who will start seeing a downturn in revenue since a large percentage of the population might be unable to patronize them.
Reporter
"Did the ministry take into consideration how much money these businesses might lose because of this new regulation?"
Hon. Michel Chebat
"People would be able to access not only the vaccination cards but they will also be able to access businesses if they present a negative test so we do not anticipate that there is going to be any loss for any business. We have over 170,000 who got a first dose and we have 79,000 who are fully vaccinated so the requirement is for one vaccination at this time and please remember it is not only vaccinated persons but person who feel like some reason or the other, they don't want to be vaccinated then they have the choice of presenting a negative test."
Courtney Menzies
"These people they choose to go into a lot of these stores, they choose to go into these restaurants to patronize them but if they have to pay for a test, I know the vaccination is free but still it's their choice, and if they have to pay for a test, they may opt not to go into these stores and that's how those stores will end up losing money because a lot of those people will say I just wah stay home."
Hon. Michel Chebat
"The point of all this is just the safeguard people, to safeguard health. Time and time again the science has proven that it is with the wearing of the mask, the social distancing, the washing of the hands and the vaccines, these are the best defenses we have. If we don't take some major steps as a country, we are going to be facing a major economic crisis and so we are trying to avert a situation where we will have to go through a lock down and then there is going to be a loss for everybody in the country so it is important to communicate the need for people to get vaccinated. Vaccination is the only way to get of the situation we are now facing as a country."
Reporter
"Was the private sector, the chamber, the BBB consulted about this?"
Hon. Michel Chebat
"We are going to be engaging them and that's why we put the start point on the 1st of October so give us an opportunity to meet with them and to share with them the steps we're taking so that the business community can be ready by the time the first of October comes around."
