Email

Print

We wondered whether that had been the case at the KHMH. The CEO addressed that concern earlier today.

Michelle Hoare, CEO, KHMH
"There is no disappearance of PPE’s from KHMH. There are instances where the management of PPE’s has to be carefully done and we’ve implemented that system just to ensure that we are able to account for the PPE’s that are distributed to us and so for that, it’s not open and available, readily available as staff members would have liked it to be. PPE’s are issued based on need in the different areas and specifically for COVID there is a special type of PPE that needs to be used. Procedures a little more heightened as it relates to COVID but generally we do have PPE’s available for standard operations here at KHMH."

Courts Cares For In a Time Of COVID

Recently, we've been telling you about how the business community and the Government have been engaging in programs to provide relief to the thousands of Belizeans who lost their jobs when the coronavirus gripped the world.

There is a lot of need, and not enough aid to help, and so, different organizations have been taking the initiative to provide whatever help they can. That's just what Unicomer, the company associated with Courts Belize and Tropigas, did today when they made a ten-thousand-dollar donation to the Belize Red Cross.

The humanitarian organization is launching a feeding program to provide help to the elderly and disabled individuals who won't benefit from the unemployment relief program, or the food assistance program. So, today's UNICOMER's donation was a welcomed infusion of funds to support the Belize Red Cross' initiative.

Here's more:

Lilly Bowman - Director General, Belize Red Cross
"We’re so grateful to UNICOMER under the banner of Courts Belize for this donation today. It will help us to expand our feeding program which is starting today, actually. Our first distribution [is] starting today, and it will allow us to reach more of the target population that we are assisting. As you know, the Belize Red Cross supports the National Response plans in any disaster or emergency. So, what we are doing is just our contribution toward that national plan. We know that the government is doing their feeding programs, but of course, it’s impossible to reach everybody, and so, we are looking to reach those pockets of people who don’t normally qualify probably for the government assistance. Our target mainly is looking to assist older persons who don’t have strong family support. We’re looking to reach the persons living with disabilities, who also don’t have strong family support, and the migrant community."

Javier Antonio Ponce - Managing Director, UNICOMER
"UNICOMER, throughout the region and here in Belize, acknowledge the difficulties that many of our fellow citizens are living [through] right now. So, we are trying to help in as best a way we can, with this donation that will hopefully get to the neediest people right now. So yes, we’re happy to be here. We’re happy to be donating to the Red Cross, and I hope it won’t be the only thing we give."

According to the Red Cross, this donation will allow them to afford supplies to feed 68 families.

Khaleesi Got Speared

There's sad news about Belize's critically endangered Antillean Manatee.

The Fisheries Department reports that an Antillean manatee, which was recently released into its natural habitat by Wildtracks Rehabilitation Center in Sarteneja, Corozal, was found with a spear injury to the head.

It is believed that the endangered animal was injured sometime between April 9th, and the 10th. Her handlers at Wildtracks call her "Khaleesi," and at this time she's an 8-foot female who has not reached adulthood just yet. Her natural habitat is the northern end of the Shipstern Lagoon, and that's where she was found with the injury from a spear, a fishing tool commonly used by local fishermen. The manatee is currently back at the Wildtracks Rehab Center, where she is undergoing treatment.

The Fisheries Department is categorically denouncing it as a heinous act against a gentle and harmless mammal. They are now actively investigating this incident, with the intent of bringing charges against the perpetrators.

Belmopan Buckling

Last night on 7News you heard the Belmopan Mayor talk about the difficulties of trying to run a cash trapped city hall in a time of national crisis and economic stoppage.

He said their revenue stream has slowed from 120 thousand a week to a mere trickle:

Khalid Belisle - Mayor of Belmopan
"For example at the beginning of March we were averaging somewhere between 110 to 120 thousand collected per week and in that 4th week of March shortly after the first positive case was announced, it dipped dramatically to 50 thousand dollars, two weeks later that was down to 20 thousand dollars and of course now, council are absolutely closed, there is close to nothing coming into the councils chauffeurs at this point in time while we still have to pay, especially the manual worker on a weekly basis who are still out collecting garbage and the like around the city and of course we haven't reach the point yet where we have started to just outright slash employee salaries, so we have continue to employ our full staff compliment and continue to pay them. Fortunate for us, we manage to work something out with out banking institution but that is unsustainable, again, digging a hole to fill another and I just don't know how much longer we will be able to do that. In terms of our plans going forward, we're really going to have to appeal to the civic mindedness of residence of Belmopan and the same will true in the other municipalities knowing that your council will only be able to continue to function if you do your part and I'm certain that things like discount incentives are being considered - I think that's a proposal that is going forward to the Ministry of Local Government at the earliest to try to give people a break but there is only so far that you can go in even doing that. We are really going to have to count on the civic mindedness of our resident population to come in pay what you know is due to the council, there are measures available to councils to go after that money but we would really just hope that understanding the situation, people would come in and pay."

CITCO: $150k to $150?

And while Belisle leads a UDP council, the story is pretty much the same in Belize City with a PUP council. They are dirt broke and government doesn't have any help to offer. As you know they are struggling even paying the salaries for teachers and public officers.

So, the City Hall in Belize City council says they have gone from $150,000 a week to 150 dollars:

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
"That letter was sent I believe Tuesday or Wednesday of this week essentially telling us that you will have to make do with what you have and lucky for us at Belize City. We’ve been making with what we had for the last two years and so we’ll just continue along that same lines making with what we have. Obviously our revenue stream has been cut significantly. Roughly whereby we’re down to 20% performing in our revenues. That clearly cannot be sustained. If we are thinking about laying off people that is not on the agenda right now. We don't want to add to the already large unemployment market right now so we are looking at it and we’re taking it day by day and when that time comes to really look at that situation then we’ll have to look critically at it."

Cherisse Halsall:
"Sir could you provide us with some collection figures because the Belmopan Mayor says he’s gone from 120K weekly to almost nothing, what is it like."

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
"It went from 150K, the first week of April 150, that was very well below what we would usually get per month but for the first week of April we were at 150K and I watched it the second week it went down to like 2000 and this week here it’s at like 150 dollars. This is the reality out there and I'm thankful that my staff continues to work along with us. We agreed prior to the lockdown that we would take half pay. Those that work essential services continue to get their full paycheck. We will continue to work with all resources we have to meet the demands of the city."

Mayor Calls On Commercial Banks

And so while the revenue stream has collapsed, what happens when the economy does start back up? the private sector will struggle to get back on its feet after months of taking losses. the mayor says the commercial banks will have to step in to spur economic activity:

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
"The Economy everything is connected and as we look forward post-COVID we will need the financial institutions to take up their loads as well banks will need to take risks. They will have to begin to inject money into small businesses because we have over 5,000 I believe unemployed right now in the City. There’s no way any business entity would be able to hire 25,000 people immediately so we will have to. The banks will have to begin to look at new approaches a new model of driving young entrepreneurship, driving small business because these people that can't find another job they will have to find a job of their own they will have to be their own bosses."

Cherisse Halsall:
"But Sir in terms of getting the Banks to take the risk, how are you going about doing that because I know right now they’re not even giving loans to people who have kept their employment." Bernard Wagner , Mayor, Belize City
"I can’t tell the banks what to do. I’m just suggesting and maybe from the government's vantage point the central bank taking a lead role in that and easing up on restrictions, easing up on capital requirements, that probably would help the banks feel more compelled to help."

"I have been a banker for 30 years and when you sit in that seat you have a different viewpoint but from this viewpoint that I am seeing the banks have to play a better and a bigger role in this getting back. The thing is that they told us you’ll get a waiver but you have to apply just do it across the board and not just the interest-only but do the principal as well."

Drug Plane Dodged Belize

A drug plane landed in Bacalar this morning - and rpeorts are that it could have been circling Belize before that.

Police were at the Hill Bank area in Orange Walk where it seemed to have been planning to make a landing. But, the presence of law enforcement on the ground seemed to have scared the traffickers off.

And then at 7:00 am, the Mexican army found this plane in Reforma near Bacalar.

Reports are that the Mexican did not intercept the drug cargo.

PUP Cries Foul Over Cattle

For the past few days now, we've been telling you about the sudden halting of cattle exports through Bullet Tree Falls Village in Cayo, into Guatemala.

It was the informal way of doing things, but indications were that the Bullet Tree Chairman stepped in to stop Belizean exporters from moving their livestock through his village until fees were paid to the council.

Well yesterday, Agriculture Minister Godwin Hulse appeared on Love Television to provide a counter-narrative that this system was unsustainable. Shortly after that, the PUP's Shadow Minister of Agriculture, Jose Mai, blasted him on Facebook in a post suggesting that this account quote, "lacked clarity".

Mai also added, quote, "This occurred on Belizean territory. The Guatemalan authority was never present. Stating that the Guatemalan authorities stopped the Trade is being deceitful and misleading." End quote.

But, while Mai is criticizing Hulse for the way this matter is being handled, the Agriculture Minister has since been trying to resolve the cattle exportation issue at the Government level with his Guatemalan counterparts. On today's COVID-19 Watch show, hosted by Color Blind Studios, Hulse told the hosts that the trade of cattle may soon be in a better position than it was before. Here's how he explained why:

UB Defers Graduation

As we've been reporting, schools have had to make a huge adjustment to COVID 19 and the national lockdown. The President of the University of Belize has announced that its student body will also have to adjust the loss of classroom time due to the COVID-19 crisis.

In his 1600-word press statement, President Clement Sankat says quote, "these are uncertain times, times we have never seen before. And it is therefore not possible for me to make definitive statements about the immediate or even not so immediate future."

The president then goes on to list 12 points on which he and senior administrators have decided is the best course of action.

"Face to face" classes for this semester cannot resume until the Government provides guidance as to what will happen after the end of April. The University remains closed and only essential services are allowed to operate.

All teaching, learning, assessment, and other related matters, will "stepped up" using online platform, provided that the successful completion of courses allows for it at this time.

The president then goes on to mention that over 4,000 students responded to the University's online questionnaire about their ability to access online education. The President is publicly appealing to Belize's internet service providers to assist registered UB students to have access to the internet at a reduced cost for the next 3 months. He notes that this kind of assistance is happening in other jurisdictions, including Caribbean nations.

Also, the two graduation ceremonies for Belize City and Punta Gorda, which were scheduled for July, have been postponed to a tentative date in late October, with the approval of the University' Board of Trustees.

The president then closes by saying, quote, "When we resume the new academic year on the 1st of August 2020, Universities and the world alike are expected to enter a new normal. Things will not be the same. Notwithstanding this, however, the University of Belize will have to be able to respond to meet this new normal," End quote.

Changing Ramadan For COVID Reality

Fasting, it's a universal tradition, while practiced across the three Abrahamic religions, only Islam prescribes fasting as a principal article of faith. For thirty days a year hundred of millions of Muslims give up food and drink while seeking Allah through readings of the Koran and worship.

Ramadan is also practiced in Belize. And this morning we spoke to a local missionary at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Ja'amat about how this year's observation of Ramadan, affected like everything else by the global pandemic, has been celebrated.

The End of Ramadan's month-long observance is celebrated as Eid al Fitr, a festival of fast-breaking, gift-giving, and coming together.

Blackout and Drought

During last night's news, we told you about the early morning blackout which sent the most of the country into darkness for a little under an hour. Well, BEL has since provided a detailed explanation.

As we told you, the company is reporting that the drought, its dry weather conditions, and the accompanying wildfires have been causing contamination to their electricity infrastructure. Over the past few days, the company has noted an increase in pole fires due to excess contaminants covering their insulators, which then causes them to fail. And then, there are the bush fires that damaged poles.

That's what caused yesterday's blackout. A transmission line near San Estevan in the Orange Walk District failed, that line connects national gride to the Mexican grid, which was supplying most of the energy being used in Belize. That caused a temporary collapse, and by 1:26 a.m. yesterday, most of the country suffered that unplanned outage.

Power was restored to most areas between 2:15 a.m. and 3 a.m. Power was restored to areas of the Belize and Corozal Districts between 4:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

The company expects that the drought will continue to present challenges, and it may cause more outages.