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But, the PM’s panic disclaimer aside, at midday today, it seemed that all of Belize froze when an official press release went out, titled, “Government of Belize Enacts Quarantine Order for Entire Countryâ€￾.  

It sounded like the COVID-19 lockdown we have all been waiting for, either with dread or anticipation.  But, it turns out, it was not. The headline was over the top, and what we all thought was a national lockdown was in fact just a list of simple rules to contain the spread of COVID-19.  

A few minutes after the Quarantine Order came out, Attorney General Mike Peyrefitte appears on the Government's “Ask The Expertsâ€￾ show to say there is no national quarantine:

Hon. Michael Peyrefitte - Attorney General
"The country is not under quarantine, just certain rules have been made so that we can practice some social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID 19, if it exists and we don't know where it does in certain places. All we're saying is that no person shall gathers in numbers of more than 10 anywhere in Belize in public place, public space. We're saying now if you're out in the public and you're in a space where there is less than 10 people, then keep a distance of 3 feet from the nearest person. So that is what we're pushing for and asking for within the country. Every person shall practice social distancing and is defined in the rules in the SI that was just passed and it just means stay home if you can, avoid crowds and refrain from touch one another as much as possible. We're also saying that people may for better or for worse need to move around the country and if they have to go to work or choose to go to work, we're limiting the transportation on the buses to the seating capacity of the bus. So if the bus only seats 30 people, that's the maximum amount of people that can be on the bus, the seating capacity, no standing on the buses. Whenever a bus stops at a terminal, everybody must come off, even if that isn't your last stop, the bus must be sanitised and the people before they come back on, have to be sanitised along with new passengers that are coming on to the bus."

"As of now, casinos and gaming establishments are to be closed, spas, beauty salons, barbershop are to be closed. Gyms, sporting complexes are to be closed, discotheque, bars, rum shops, night clubs are to be closed immediately. Restaurants, saloons, diners and other similar establishments, are to be closed except that restaurants, saloon diners and other similar establishments may operate to offer take out services only. Next thing, no person has host or attend a private party which includes any person from outside of the immediate household of the house occupant. No more house parties, no more private parties unless it's being done with people who live at the house because remember the overall theme, we can't people to be encouraged to stay home as much as possible. There's to be no recreational competitive sporting events, no wedding which host 10 or more persons other than the bride, bride groom, official witnesses and the marriage officer. A banquet ball or reception, those are not supposed to happen anymore, no more social events. Any other ceremony of public worship in any facility of public space which involves the participation of any member of the general public, no more public worship, none of that. Certain churches have already discontinued mass celebrations. No funeral except 10 members of the immediate family and at least one officiant at the central mortuary staff. I repeat, the country is not on quarantine, the country is not being locked down, life goes on, it's just that there's certain measures we're putting into place. You can still go to work, you can still socialise if you have to."