Tomorrow marks the long awaited reopening of the P.G.I.A. But when tourists and returning Belizeans alike touch down they can expect to pass through a 7 checkpoint process before being cleared to enter the country. And while that may seem a bit daunting it's a process that's been designed to hopefully mitigate another spike in COVID cases.
But if you're returning home tomorrow or nervous for a returning loved one, we have your first glimpse of the post-COVID P.G.I.A. It was presented in a media walkthrough this afternoon and Cherisse Halsall has all the details:
When arrivals at the P.G.I.A. step onto the tarmac tomorrow they'll be at the start of quite a thorough process. First, there's the hospitality meet and greet standard for arrival to any tropical tourist destination.
But once they get to checkpoint two it will be clear that even paradise has to take measures against the pandemic. This is where airport officials will make sure that all arrivals have downloaded the Belize Health app, and completed either their arrival or quarantine forms. This is also the point for a temperature check.
Checkpoint three is a health check where arrivals will meet nurses in full PPE's. Next they're split in red and green lines depending on whether or not they brought that all important PCR test. This is called the safe corridor. At this point those without a PCR will be ushered into a newly built health facility for further processing.
But with a test in hand, it's off to the arrival hall for a stamp on their passport. Then they go through the usual immigration and baggage and they're out the door for ground or air transfer.
But as we've noted this isn't the boom that the tourists industry is thirsting for as tourists only make up 20% of the first weekends arrivals. Still, procedures have to be in place and with a few weeks to practice BTB director of Marketing Misty Micheals is hoping that things are soon to pick up.
Misty Michael, Director of Marketing and Industry Relations, BTB
"I think the industry recognizes that this is still typically slow season, so it wasn't anticipated that with the airport re-opening that we would have had a mass influx of visitors, but we do anticipate that by the time we get closer to November and leading into the end of the year, that the numbers will be picking up."
For now, arrivals and family members charged with pickup will have to get used to yet another set of new norms.
Misty Michael
"Access to the airport compound itself will be more restricted to what Belizeans were used to prior to COVID. Tomorrow when the airport opens, beyond the airport security barrier only gold standard approved transportation will be allowed inside and the airport security will no know that they are gold standard because there is a gold seal that the operators received from the BTB and those are placed on their vehicles. For Belizeans returning home, their family should pick them up just before the security and of course as I mentioned, it's important for Belizeans to remember that when your family members are coming back home to Belize they are entering, but they are going into quarantine, so you don't want to bring your whole family, you have to remember that there is a possibility that within those 10 days after arriving that they could potentially show signs and symptoms, so it's important for them to go home and isolate."
Enrique Hoare, Manager of Operations, P.G.I.A.
"We will only allow the gold standards vehicle from the gold standard hotels and operators. We will only use the taxi to move people from the airport. For people coming to meet on their own, basically we are not going to allow any outside vehicles to come here, except those that have been actually certified."
There are also changes for those leaving the country who won't be able to wave goodbye to family as they board their flight. That's because departure terminals are now for travelers only.
Enrique Hoare, Manager of Operations, P.G.I.A.
"One of the biggest changes that we're going to have is that the terminal will now be for travelers or travelling passengers only. That will then afford us the spacing to meet all the social distancing and all the other protocols that we need to abide by. You will find that the aviation industry is one that is very flexible. We've been able to take various shocks over the years 911, 9 years ago which brought different standard and we here to deal with whatever we have to deal with."
At the helm of all these procedures are over 700 airport employees who have undergone months of preparation for the challenges that lie ahead.
Enrique Hoare
"Well, we have done training for over 700 airport employees with the support of ministry of health and Covid especially. We have also reached out to our airport taxi union that they both are training with ministry of health and they also did a training with BTB to ensure that they can meet the various standards. We at the airport took it upon ourselves to say that everybody that's working at the airport must undergo a Covid training. Failure to abide by that we would not allow that person to operate until they received the necessary training."
And with all those measures in place the BTB can only hope that the re-opening of the country can be a tentative first step toward some measure of normalcy for Belize's most vital industry.
And, if you're wondering about airport access for your private vehicle it won't be granted, instead, you'll have to pick up your loved one at a designated drop-off point either at the junction with the northern highway or at the roundabout with the John Smith Road.
Arrivals will be dropped off there by certified airport union taxis. This is to ensure that they leave the airport in an approved vehicle for verification of their intended quarantine destination.
