And cooperating means not engaging in any recreational or leisure
movement: whether it’s taking a walk, or going to a friend’s house.
Commissioner Williams says it starts with no inter district travel:
Jules Vasquez
“How will you all treat inter-district travel as the Easter holiday
approach?â€
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
“Well, moving from district to district is not permissible unless if
you are going there in the line of your duties. For example, the
delivery person - maybe Bennys might need to go and deliver in Stann
Creek or Belmopan or somewhere, they’ll be allowed to go. The BEL lines
men may need to go out district to do some kind of work, essential
services, they’ll be allowed to move across districts. As it relates to
moving cross district per leisure, is not permissible, as a matter of
fact you can’t even move within your own town or village for leisure,
so much less going across districts and again, I appeal to my Belizean
people that we allow good sense to prevail and working with the police
because we’re not going to achieve what we want to achieve by full
scale law enforcement. We can only achieve it if the public plays their
part as well and that’s the spirit with which I am asking the general
public to please work with us, ensure that there’s cooperation and once
that happens, I believe before the 30 days is up, we should be out of
the state of emergency.â€
Jules Vasquez
“And to just finally build on that, no leisure movements, means because
although the AG said yesterday, people are very insistent on this, no
exercise.â€
Chester Williams
“Yes, the regulation does not provide for outdoor exercise. I know the
fishermen also asking if they can go and fishing and yes the regulation
now included fishing for commercial purpose, so again if you are a
fisherman, who goes to fishing for sale, then you’re permitted. If you
are just fishing for sport fishing or recreational then, it is not
permissible and again, would expect that the fishermen are going to
have their fishing license to show that they are going out to sea to
engage in fishing as they are saying.â€
And including those commercial fishermen, here is s list of some of the
services considered essential.
-
(i)
fuel stations, fuel depots, LPG suppliers, LPS depots and LPG
distributors;
-
(ii)
public transportation providers;
-
(iii)
bakeries and tortilla factories;
-
(iv)
agro-processors, food and carbonated and other beverage
manufacturers ;
-
(v)
agricultural and aquaculture farms;
-
(vi)
fishers;
-
(vii)
construction and construction sites (private and commercial);
-
(viii)
port operations and services connected with the loading and
unloading of ships and aircrafts, delivery at and from ports;
-
(ix)
waste disposal and sanitation companies and auxiliary personnel;
And, here are the businesses that can remain open from 8:00 am to 7:00
pm.
-
(i)
pharmacies;
-
(ii)
convenience stores, food stores, supermarkets, meat shops,
butchers, distributors and factories of carbonated and other
beverages, including spirits and food;
-
(iii)
financial institutions (including commercial banks, credit unions,
money
-
(iv)
hotels, villas and other rental accommodations;
-
(v)
markets (agricultural produce, fish and meat);
-
(vi)
service of take-out or drive thru’ facility only, at restaurants,
saloons, diners and other similar establishments;
-
(vii)
international delivery services by international delivery service
providers (such as DHL, Federal Express (FedEx) Amerijet, etc.)
related strictly to medical supplies and equipment;
-
(viii)
domestic delivery services related strictly to meals, groceries,
medical supplies and equipment;
-
(ix)
mechanic shops, garages and auto parts stores;
-
(x)
store front outlets for essential businesses (public utilities
companies);
-
(xi)
hardware stores;
-
(xii)
wholesalers and retailers of services directly related to any
approved business herein specified;
-
(xiii)
the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Centre (and any research
undertaken or being done);
-
(a)
mills;
-
(b)
sugar, citrus and other approved food
production factories;
-
(c)
oil production and drilling for oil exploration;
and, certain
government offices between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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