7 News Belize

Closer To A New Normal, The Rollback Continues
posted (May 14, 2020)
That's a costly position to take and later on in the news, you'll hear the PM's answer when we asked him if retrenchment could be in the cards sometime down the road.

But, first, to what we've all been waiting for: a greater relaxation in the State of Emergency measures now that Belize has gone 31 days without a confirmed case of the coronavirus.

Yes, measures will be relaxed, but not all that much. First off, the curfew remains in effect, and so does the requirement to wear a mask at all times in public - except now during morning exercise.

Most important, swimming in the sea, the river, or a pool is permitted. The Prime Minister explained it as a kind of local tourism push - which starts when the new regulations take effect on Friday:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"The NOC, supported by Cabinet, has now decided that use of pools, use of the sea (or rivers in the case of inland resorts) is to be permitted. As always, this is subject to social distancing."

"Regarding hotel restaurants, the last position was that they could only offer room service or take-out food. The new arrangements will permit eating at the restaurants so long as the restaurant has outdoor seating facilities. Again, social distancing will obtain so that tables will be six feet apart and not more than 10 persons are to be accommodated at any one time."

"Cabinet recognized that charges of discrimination could arise if we did not do for restaurants generally, what we are doing for hotel restaurants. Accordingly, all open air restaurants will be allowed to reopen once the amended SI comes into effect. I need to stress again, though, that the social distancing prescriptions will still apply. Indeed, the National Task Force is developing a set of written protocols to guide these restaurants on how properly to operate while still social distancing."

"Using the same non-discrimination principle, the general public will now be able to go swimming in our rivers and seas. We can't, for local tourism purposes, encourage it at resorts, but continue to outlaw it generally. So subject to separation, spacing and the cap on the number of persons that can gather in any one place, Belizeans will be able now to again enjoy our aquatic wonders."

"Our Doctor Manza, as some of you know, is quite the jogger. So he certainly sympathized with his fellow aficionados that complained about the difficulties of face mask running. The medical literature bears out the thesis that the masks are not necessary for outdoor exercising. Accordingly, that requirement has been shelved and so the keep fit people can now literally breathe easier."

"Churches can now hold services at their physical facilities, though subject to the 10 person limit."

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