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OW Market Stays Closed
posted (August 5, 2020)
And while American Airlines will just have to wait - so will shoppers at the Orange Walk town market.

That market will remain closed for the next 14 days. That's because the relatives of a confirmed case who own a stall at the market are said to have been operating as late as Saturday. Still, the market's closure is a difficult decision that affects many livelihoods and one that the town's mayor says his council does not take lightly. HE spoke to CRTV-3 today.

At the time of his interview, Mayor Bernard was awaiting the Prime Minister's Press Conference and any news of a possible northern lockdown.






Senate Debates Southside State of Emergency

And, in other news, the Senate met today in Belmopan. The only issue they debated was the Southside state of emergency being extended for two months. The debate on the house on Monday was lively and revealing and it was rough in the Senate today as well. Here's the back and forth:






Why BNTU Told Students and Teachers To Not go to School

And speaking on the adjournment AT today's Senate meeting, Labour Representative Elena Smith outlined why the BNTU sent out a press release today telling teachers and students not to go to school next Monday.

It was a major release and if the Ministry had any doubts, that disclaimer certainly tipped the decision in favour of not opening schools.

Here is how she put it:

Hon. Elena Smith - Labour Senator
"Our parents are very much concerned with their children's safety and the ability of our schools and teachers to keep their children safe, while in our care. Our teachers are, similarly concerned, not just about their students, but about themselves, especially seeing that a lot of our teachers might not live in the area where they teach. But, they commute, and should something happen at the village where they are, for example, they are could possibly take back whatever infections they may have to the community where they live."

"We can't have things perfect and guarantee that nobody will get ill at any point in time. That we cannot do, but what we've been trying to say is that our schools must do its best to ensure that we have things in place, and in visiting our schools countrywide, we have noted - via our reps on the ground, our teachers in the schools - that many of our schools are not fully prepared for re-opening because they don't have what it is that they're required to have right now. Despite that, we see our teachers going to school on a daily basis, doing their best, seeking donations. Principals are out there, begging to get stuff for their school, and that is commendable. We must commend them for the efforts that they have been making."

"I want to ask our parents to take on the responsibility of ensuring that their children engage in meaningful activities, not just leave them to walk around the yard, or to be roaming the streets. Give them something to do. Ensure that they have a book to read. Sit and watch a program on the television that is educational. Spend a few minutes of the day with them, engaging them. Take them in the yard to plant something. As you are doing that teach them about math and measurement. All of us must do our part to ensure that while our children are not physically in a classroom, learning is still occurring. I appeal to our teachers, our principals, our managements as well that during this time, we look at preparing ourselves for in the event that there has to be a lockdown, that before that time comes, you will have a proper plan in place, whether we're going to do online, whether we're going to be sending home packages to our students, that we take this time to be at school and work on these programs, to ensure that our children are getting educational materials, if and when we end up in another lockdown."

In its release the Union asks all concerned to consider distance learning, either through online portals or through home-based learning packages, as an alternative to opening schools next week.

This evening, a press release was sent out from an organization known as the Belize Progressive Teachers Union.

In their statement, this union says, quote, "we are confident that schools are not ready to open their doors. Close monitoring with our teachers suggests that the assistance from [the] government has been scarce and their schools' resources will not suffice to cater to the sanitization protocols expected to be carried out by the schools." End quote.






Investigating The Pecarry Kill

And in an update to the story we ran last night on those dead peccaries in the Toledo District, CEO in the Ministry of the Environment Percival Cho says the investigation has shown that there are no water quality issues in the area. "The team from the forestry department met and drove around with the chairman, a police officer and personnel from Belize Audubon Society. The team went to a shop where it was reported that the meat was being sold and so the police took the shop owner around to try to find meat that were sold but they did not find any." End quote.

He says that basically, thus far, it appears there are two facts: "1. the community absorbed the meat and 2. everyone's tight lipped."






Another Jumper

And even is Belize is going through its toughest COVID spell so far, the reports of border jumpers keep on coming in.

Police say that around 7:45 last night, two specialized units in San Pedro responded to reports that someone entered the country illegally, and was on the island. They later encountered 47-year-old Julio Rodolfo Oscal Gonzalez, a naturalized Belizean construction worker of 21 Angel Coral Street. He was spotted sitting in a park, and that's where officers started to question him about his recent travel history. During that field interview, he admitted that he entered the country illegally through Arenal and that he arrived on San Pedro on a water taxi earlier that day.

The health officials were informed, and he is now in quarantine, pending a test for COVID-19.




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