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DHS Says No Active Cases In San Felipe/Blue Creek
posted (July 21, 2020)
We also asked the Director of Health Services and the Minister of Health about the status of the State of Emergency which was implemented in the northern communities of Blue Creek and San Felipe. The residents are clamoring for the lockdown to be lifted because they say that they are running out of available food and water resources.

When we asked the DHS about the COVID status of these two communities, he told us that there are no active cases occurring there. Here's that conversation from this evening:

Reporter
"Is anyone in San Felipe sick? The suggestion is that the lockdown was not justified."

Dr. Marvin Manzanero - Director of Health Services
"Nobody is ill, but when that was lockdown is because we had an active contact tracing happening. We did manage to screen all the persons in the area and I understand there is going to be a decision made in terms of the state of emergency for those 2 villages."

Reporter
"Is there a decision to lift it? Has there been any discussion at the cabinet level to lift the SOE given that for San Felipe and the Orange Walk community, given that it doesn't seem to be any active case there yet."

Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
"I think definitely it will come in a while. Discussions has been put in place, but we just need to hold, I think this is the right time for people to be aware that if you are border jumping we will have to lock your community and then that's the only way for us to be able to safeguard the rest of the Belizean people."

Reporter
"Is this a cabinet discuss, lifting the SOE for San Felipe?"

Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
"I can't discuss whatever we talk in cabinet. Whatever decisions to be done, it will be done by the prime minister he will say it in time."

Reporter
"The villagers were saying that many factors were not considered when that SOE was implemented in San Felipe, because they can't come out, they can't withdraw monies from their banks, the stores are running out of food items, water is depleting as well."

Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
"Yes, I heard about that and I think we have to take that in consideration, but also as Belizeans on a whole, we need to protect them. So whenever we see cases going up in one community we need to be aware of that."

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