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Relaxing The Restrictions On Air Travel
posted (October 16, 2020)
But today's three hour virtual press conference by the Prime Minister wasn't about the elections - in fact those subjects came up in the third hour.

The Primary purpose of today's press conference was to announce the latest decisions of the National Oversight Committee. These are to significantly relax the quarantine regulations governing travel into the country for both Belizeans and tourists.

Tourism resumed at the start of this month, and in the first two weeks, 1,547 passengers arrived, and 845 of those, or 55%, have been tourists.

Well, starting next week, those visitors won't have to go through any kind of quarantine or - in the case of Belizeans - they won't have to apply for repatriation.

The Prime Minister explained why they Oversight Committee thought it only made common sense to liberalise the regulations governing arrivals:

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"The NOC agreed that the 10 day quarantine or self-isolation for Belizeans, permanent residents, qualified retired persons, work permit holders, foreign second home owners, long stay foreigners would no longer be prescribed and penalized under the quarantine act SI. There is no way we can police these people and we at the NOC feel that it is better to move to a regime that will see us step up in terms of the public service announcements, in terms of the campaign to get everybody including those that are coming into the country to abide by the fundamental rules with respect to social distancing and the wearing of masks. Since the come either with a negative PCR test that's no older than 72 hours, or are tested at the airport and are only allowed to enter the county if they are negative, it in consistent to say to them you need quarantine for 10 days when there are masses and masses of untested Belizeans who are able to move freely about. It doesn't make a great deal of practical sense to us and hence the decision to switch from what is supposed to be or what is currently mandatory, the breach of which is punishable by court action, we thought the time had now come for us to move away from that regime."

"None of them would have to write to anybody for approval. The airport is open, you can come. Clearly again on the condition that you bring your negative PCR test result or that you are subjected to our testing at the PGIA and that that testing that we do shows you to be negative."

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