7 News Belize

So, there were 86 cases up to last night and 23 more are expected to be confirmed tonight. The numbers are exploding and now that community spread has been confirmed on San Pedro - the first time it is being confirmed anywhere in Belize - that means the island is going on a lockdown - which will last for at least 14 days. The Prime Minister explained that that there will be measures for the entire country, but special attention will be paid to San Pedro and villages in Orange Walk:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister

"We have decided that we will implement an emergency proclamation for the entire country of Belize but I want to explain that under that emergency proclamation, the regulations that will be prolongated will differ for Ambergris Caye, those will be of a particular nature and scope and compass, a second set of regulations under the general umbrella of the overall emergency proclamation for all of Belize. A second set of regulations will be prolongated with respect to the Orange Walk district and then of course there will be rather more limited, rather more general set of regulations that again, under the umbrella of the overall proclamation of an emergency declaration. The last set of regulations will in fact cover the rest of Belize. So, starting with the first set of regulations that will come into effect when people wake up tomorrow. Pertaining to Ambergris Caye, those regulations will mandate a complete lockdown of Ambergris Caye. The general proclamation will be for 14 days, so the regulations there under in each case for Ambergris Caye, for Orange Walk and for rest of the country, will last in the first instance of 14 days. For that period of 14 days in the normal course, nobody in, nobody out of Ambergris Caye. Curfew, 8 PM to 4:59 AM, a separate kid's curfew from 6 AM to 5:59 PM. There will be of course a limitation on gatherings, 10 persons maximum in Ambergris Caye for the duration of the 14-day lockdown. Construction activity will have to cease completely, there will be emergency movement in and out of Ambergris Caye allowed naturally on a case by case basis with the permission of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of National Security."