Last night, we showed you the latest COVID report from the Ministry of Health and Wellness which noted that there were 10 deaths in the previous 24-hour period. Later on, we'll tell you about the 11 on today's report, but we turn to an announcement from the Minister of Health And Wellness.
He was available for a press encounter on San Pedro at the Belize Investment Summit, and that's when he announced that the curfew is about to be relaxed, along with a few other public health rules.
Here's that interview from this afternoon:
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health and Wellness
"Starting on the 22nd November the curfew time is going to be moving from 9pm to 10pm, so it's going to be 10-4 in the morning from Sunday to Thursday. Friday and Saturday it's going to be from 11-4 in the morning. So we are going to get an extra 2 hours on the weekend. Additionally, we are discontinuing the requirement to have a vaccine card to enter restaurants. After further discussions with the stakeholders, we find that it is causing a lot of difficulty with them and we find that there is a problem with enforcement at the moment and so for now we are backing down from that position and so that anybody can now enter into a restaurant. The requirement of the 50% indoor dining is still there and 75% outdoors. Additionally, cabinet has approved boosters for everybody who is 18 years and above. So we are no longer just doing it for persons who have comorbidities who are 60 years and above and for healthcare workers. It is now open to everyone who is 18 years and above to get a booster."
Reporter
"Some people will criticize the relaxation of the measures, because simply yesterday alone we had a report of 10 deaths."
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health and Wellness
"Yes, we know that. However, there is a balance that we are trying to strike here between the economy and health. We always try to have a balance and when there is a outcry from the stakeholders we have to stop and look at our policies and review it."
Hon. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations
"It should be able to us to have a better high season starting thanksgiving weekend for the United States, which is the last Thursday of November."
Reporter
"Going back to that balance, because you're talking about as was mentioned in one of our conversations you point out the number of covid deaths, so somebody might look at it and say okay so you;'re trying to relax restrictions appease a certain sector."
Hon. Anthony Mahler
"It is a tough balancing act, but we have a lot of people struggling to live day to day right now - poverty and hunger I have to deal with as representative for predominantly southside division, I see it on a daily basis. We don't have enough resources to go around. We take a licking every day with regards to trying to provide assistance for our people and so yes, there has to be a balance between livelihoods and lives in terms of opening up the economy in a safe way, but there are examples all around us, so if more and more people get vaccinated then we should be in a better position going into 2022. We have to get back the economy on track, there are so many businesses on the brink, there are so many people who are on the verge of losing their homes, there are so many people who cant pay their bills, cant even feed their children, they can't send them to school and so it is our fiduciary responsibility to have the balance like I said."
