And with the end of the first wave, hospitals are rolling back COVID routines to accommodate much-needed consultations and surgeries. But that might mean more wait time in your hospital lobby. And earlier today the DHS ask patients to bear with hospitals.
Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director Of Health Service
"Hospitals were asked to go back to their new routine as of today, so that will start to happen in terms of trying to plan surgeries and your consultation for chronic patients, so that they will be spaced out throughout the day. We will ask that you bear with us, because not everybody will be seen in the morning. We are asking hospitals to space out patients throughout the day, so that up to late afternoon you can have patients that are coming in on a routine basis as we go into a new norm."
Many Factors Considered For Airport Opening
Hospitals are resuming routines and one industry that wishes it could say the same is the tourist industry but Manazanero says it may be a while before the airport re-opens and he wondered out loud whether tourism is even a viable option at this time.
Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director Of Health Service
"What factors would you consider Belize safe before you open the borders and the airports?"
"Multiple factors, epidemic everywhere else, whether people want to travel is also a factor, because people might not be travelling. As long as the US has that travel advisory and it seems that will stick for the end of 2020. People are not going to be coming to Belize in any case. That's one. Two, is the availability of rapid tests, so that you are able to determine upon arrival who is in point of fact negative or what measures you have in place to ensure that nobody else is going to be escaping through the system and this is the same discussion all Caribbean countries were having in the meeting I just came from when is it going to be safe to open, understanding that tourism is no longer a viable option at this point in time given what's happening everywhere else."
Manza: Cruise Ships Are A Petri Dish
And while those would be the possible airport protocols, for cruise ships, it's a lot more uncertain. There were major COVID outbreaks on a number of cruise liners in March and today Manzanero made it clear that welcoming them back is another consideration altogether:
Belize In a Bubble As Region Spikes
As we told you at the top of the news, 13 countries or territories worldwide have been COVID free for over 28 days. And as Belize joins the list we find ourselves in a unique position giving advice to international partners on the public health measures that helped us get our heads above water. But DHS Manzanero says it's no secret, just science.
Email
Print