Last night, we took you to both San Pedro and Caye Caulker for a 30,000-dollar donation of food items that the San Pedro Belize Express presented to both communities. Given the hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic, the water taxi company was giving back to the residents, who've given them success.
Well, that donation's handing over gave us the opportunity to speak with the leaders about how the two islands are coping with the shutdown of all commercial activity since the tourism season has been abruptly terminated by COVID-19.
We report first on the state of affairs in San Pedro, where the first and the second cases of the coronavirus were first confirmed.
They were also the first community to face a restriction of movement because of the virus. So, during our conversation with their Area Representative yesterday, we asked him to give an update on how islanders are coping with the State of Emergency, the curfew, and the shutdown of the tourism industry, which is affecting them directly. Here's how that conversation went:
Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. - Minister of Tourism
"Here in San Pedro, everybody has been united. Everybody has been cooperating with one another. We've even been going a little further than what the national emergency process that they have. Why? As an island, we have to make sure that we take care of our residents to make sure that this doesn't spread anymore. Remember, we were the first one to get it. So, as the leaders over here, even in hurricanes, we go a little beyond what other people go, and we have learned to do it well. Right now, I believe that if the good Lord permits it, the two persons that have it on the island will be re-screened again, and the swabs will be done. By Sunday/Monday, we are supposed to know where we stand, and then probably, we can start to - I wouldn't say open up completely, but start gradually to make sure that those persons that want to go back home can go."
Reporter
"How do we recover after something like this?"
Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr.
"Well, you know, you always have to have a contingency plan. Even over here in San Pedro, in there is a step 2, if anything should occur."
"We already have offers from owners of hotels over here, getting together with the Belize Hotel Association, BTIA, BTB, and putting up recommendations as to whenever things start to get a little better, we are already in action. You always have to be prepared. You always have to be on the lookout. I used to say that tourism was flourishing, but it is a fragile industry, hurricane, epidemic, or whatever. Today, you see this pandemic that we have. We don't know how long, but I personally believe that this season is over. We will probably start to see the light in the next 6-7 months."
And Heredia is hoping that San Pedranos and the wider Belizean public will take away lessons from this pandemic. He hopes that Belizeans will think more about saving money, and conserving resources once this crisis is over:
Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. - Minister of Tourism
"In the good days of the tourism industry, I used to tell my fellow fishermen, look, don't dedicate all your eggs into one basket. The day will come, as I mentioned - a fragile industry - the day will come when one of these things will hit us, and what do you do next?"
"I am saying, every time we go to the talk show that we have to start learning from this. This is a lesson for us. We have to start to learn. We have to start to live a different type of life. From now on, I believe that every Belizean has to start to live a different kind of life. In the time of plenty, they used to big life, rich and famous, and when you advise them that the days of crisis might come, they just used to ignore it. Today, we are here. It is not late, but we have to change our style of living from now on."
In other news related to San Pedro, the National Emergency Management Organization in the Belize Rural South Division today conducted a simulation. The authorities wanted to conduct a drill to test all their protocols while transporting a patient who is ill with COVID-19 to the San Pedro Care Center via ambulance.
NEMO Belize Rural South said, quote, "It is important to practice so that everyone on the care team is prepared in all aspects of their protocols". End quote.
This was only a drill, and the person wasn't actually sick with the virus.
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