On Friday night we told you how 3 new cases of COVID-19 detected in border jumpers from Blue Creek had prompted fears of community spread and led to a state of emergency being declared for Both Blue Creek and San Felipe villages in the northwestern Orange Walk District.
Well, last night in a facebook post, the Director of Health Services Marvin Manzanero warned that more cases should be expected.
Those villages remain on curfew and lockdown enforced by a heavy police presence. This morning ACP Joseph Myvette told the media that the only thing coming in or out is poultry and corn.
Hon. Jose Mai
"I've been in contact with the officer commanding the Orange Walk police Supt. Cocom and we've been also trying to liaise to the attorney general's office to look at the protocols. SI 99 and 100, 100 actually tells about the measures; the curfew, the quarantine and what areas are quarantine. This SI 100 did not specify on essential services. So that's what people are worried about. At this time, people have farms out of the communities and they need to go to their farms. There has been discretion, some wise discretion to address that. The problem right now is that we have to understand that Blue Creek is the bread basket in the constituency and part of the country. Products that are produced there mostly are poultry, eggs, beef, chicken, corn, animal feed, soybean oil for export every week - these are some of the products that are produced weekly. The problem is how do we get this out to the nation. I understand that there is a protocol that have been release, but I haven't seen it yet, but I have been told about it and it addresses how these large quantity relief. The protocol is essentially saying that if the transport is coming out of the declared area, then it must stop at the quarantine border and then another truck must hook up if it is a tandem truck. Another driver will take it. There has to be disinfecting going on and then driving to Orange Walk. It does not speak about domestic food supply or household. People don't have food in their homes. They usually come to town once a week to buy groceries. It doesn't speak about that. It doesn't speak about people who are requiring medical assistance, those who are on dialysis, it doesn't speak of those who work in the essential services. I know that there is a doctor stranded there that works at the Karl Heusner who cannot go to work, because the protocol does not include that and if the officers on duty are saying that they are not on the protocol then these people can't come out. These are what we are facing right now."
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