As we have reported one UDP candidate has tested positive for CCOVID 19 and two of its candidates have lost in-laws to the disease - which all happened in the north.
But, that same north is where the PUP plan to roll out hard with what we are told is a plan for large motorcades.
After all, the north is the base of Party Leader, John Briceno - who is from Orange Walk Central.
The commissioner says motorcades are allowed but he has insisted that all COVID prevention measures be observed. He explained in a press conference at his office in Belmopan today:
Cherisse Halsall, reporter
"In Lieu of them taking up that responsibility what are the plans for nomination day when in places like Orange Walk we know that up to 200 vehicles are planning to come out for one standard-bearer.?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Well, we have discussed nomination day with all political parties and we have agreed in terms of how we're going to police nomination day and as I said to both of them that while yes they may want to be able to show their political might and have a triumphant motorcade to the nomination center we must be mindful of what could happen subsequent to nomination day which would be a mass spread of the coronavirus and we must even be more meticulous when it comes to the northern part of the country and Belize City because those are the two areas where we're seeing an increase or several clusters of the Coronavirus spreading and so I have asked them to work with us. We will allow them to do certain things, allow them to have their motorcade but at the end of the day, we have discussed the protocols in terms of how they're going to operate. The fact that everybody in the vehicles must wear a mask, the fact that the vehicles must only be allowed to carry passengers based on its legal capacity and when they reach nomination center the only persons who will be allowed to alight any of the vehicles are going to be the candidate and his or her nominators. All other persons must remain inside their vehicles, and they are going to provide the police with the route of their motorcade and along the motorcade, they are not allowed to stop anywhere. They must drive along the route and go to where they expect the motorcade to come to an end and people will then be allowed to get out of the vehicles in an orderly manner so as not to have at any time too many people in any given area and so we're going to see how that works out and I would trust and hope that the political parties are going to be responsible enough to act in accordance with what we have agreed upon if it is a violation and they have vehicles that have excess passengers or persons who are not complying with quarantine regulations then people would just have to get arrested."
