Faber said that government could not even consider entertaining the Chamber's proposals to hold the election on a Sunday because that would put them in trouble with the churches.
So what will that election day be like? And how will the likely hundreds of persons with an active COVID diagnosis vote? And how will the authorities from the political parties, to the election official, to the police police make sure the election does not become a super spreader event?
Today, we discussed all those variables with the UDP leader - elect:
Jules Vasquez:
"180,000 people. 11 hours. How can that be done with COVID measures?"
Hon. Patrick Faber, UDP Leader-Elect
"It is going to be difficult, I am pretty sure, and I suspect that there will be a lower turn out as a result of COVID, naturally there will be people who…well, first of all there are… if what the numbers are now is any indicator we would have anywhere from 500 to 800 people who are of voting age who would not be allowed to vote so that immediately cuts numbers but..."
Jules Vasquez:
"Yes, but how do you handle that, is it your feeling that these people should be denied their right to vote because they are COVID infected or in Jamaica for example they allow them to vote after polling was closed."
Hon. Patrick Faber, UDP Leader-Elect
"It is a difficult situation and one that we are grappling with to try to come up with some kind of decision but to endanger so many many more especially if you are considering that last hour as they did in Jamaica that for us in Belize is crunch time. We have great concerns about ensuring that that process is safe for instance when you dip your finger in the ink maybe you need to sanitize your finger before you put it in the ink because of course when you hold the pencil and when you put it back in the box so that pencil has to be sanitized. These are things that we are suggesting so we have been trying to educate our voters as much as possible to get them to understand that the party is going to make every precaution necessary, all that we can do sanitizing cars, making sure that the cars aren't overcrowded, that some level of distancing can be maintained within the vehicles, to make sure that elderly people and people who are vulnerable are taken special care of that kind of thing."
Jules Vasquez:
"But I just want to be very clear since right now we have over 800 active cases, your intuition at this time is that we can't have those and it will be a similar number or greater number at that time that we can't have those people vote even though you know."
Hon. Patrick Faber, UDP Leader-Elect
"That is a bit pessimistic Jules I would want to imagine that our numbers are improving and that..."
Jules Vasquez:
"It would be an imagination indeed sir."
Hon. Patrick Faber, UDP Leader-Elect
"Or that by that time we would have had a better handled on things but I don't want to be premature in saying that because I don't think a solid decision has been made as yet but it is unlikely and in my view it may well jeopardize the safety of others if that route is taken."
