7 News Belize

State of Emergency To Be Extended For Two More Months
posted (April 22, 2020)

Tonight there is some sense of ease among Belizeans.  We have gone 9 days without the report of a positive test, and while we await the latest test figures which had not been published at newstime, the trend has been encouraging - after it was reported last night that two of the 18 infected persons had recovered.  

But, the government isn’t about to relax. It is going to the House of Representatives and the Senate next week Monday and Tuesday to extend the State of Emergency for two more months!

7News has the house papers which state, quote, “recognizing that the period of public emergency shall expire at the end of day on the 30th day of April 2020…

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House, being satisfied that a period of public emergency persists in the entire country of Belize as a result of the outbreak of the infectious disease known as COVID-19, hereby extends the period of public emergency in the country of Belize for a further period of two months.â€￾ End quote.  

So, there it is, a state of emergency until the end of June.  Of course, it can be shortened within that time span if circumstances change, but formally it goes for two more months, at least. 

A very serious and historic matter, and it will not be a regular House Meeting either.  To keep the social grouping at a bare minimum, there will only be the quorum of 7 members and the Speaker in the House, and 4 members plus the President in the Senate.

For the UDP in the House, that will be Prime Minister Barrow, Senior Member Michael Finnegan and the Ministers of Human Development and Health, Anthony Boots Martinez and Pablo Marin. For the PUP, it will be Opposition Leader Briceno, National Deputy Leader Cordel Hyde, and Julius Espat. 

In the Senate, the UDP will have two members, Godwin Hulse, who is the Leader of Government Business, and Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte.  The Opposition will be represented by Senator Michael Chebat and the Social partners by Senator Elena Smith. 

They will only have one item on the agenda and, as we said, that is to extend the Sate of Emergency. 

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