And Ground Zero for any campaign against the cross border transmission of swine flu has to be the Santa Elena border and the Corozal Free Zone. Thousands of Belizeans and Mexican pass both ways every day – and there is no plan at this time to close the border. The Mexican state of Quintana Roo reports no confirmed cases of swine flu – there are 22 cases of inlfuenza and reports say that 15 of them have been confirmed as not being swine flu – while the other 7 are being tested. So far most confirmed are from communities around Mexico City. But measures are in place to minimize exposure to and transmission of the virus at Belize’s northern-most point of contact with Mexico. Keith Swift went north today to find out more.

Keith Swift Reporting,
Gloves on their hands and masks covering their nose and mouths were mandatory for personnel at the northern border today as the employees on the frontline of Belize’s swine flu threat – prepared for the worst.

And here at the Corozal Free Zone itself, they have been on alert since Saturday. That is when employees began wearing masks and gloves and nurses are posted at both entrances to the Free Zone. The zone’s CEO Raul Rosado says they are on alert but not alarmed.

Raul Rosado, CEO – Corozal Free Zone
“As of Saturday I know that a medical team has been in all the vicinity of the Northern Border, in all the stakeholders; Customs, Immigration, BAHA, at the casinos, Border Management and including the Corozal Free Zone educating people as to what are the symptoms and what can be done to prevent from acquiring this virus. I know there have been doing a lot of educational, making preparations without inciting panic in the people. They have asked us to comply with what they’ve been asking and we have been doing so.”

Keith Swift,
And what are some of those precautions?

Raul Rosado,
“Well actually with our personnel, the wearing of masks, the washing of hands constantly, the wearing of gloves – those are the steps we have been taking.”

Keith Swift,
Are you guys afraid of this?

Raul Rosado,
“Afraid no, concerned a little. But with the precautions we have put in place, we are trusting we will not reach to that stage that other countries have been.”

Keith Swift,
Have you considered closing down the zone?

Raul Rosado,
“No, no. It is business as usual. We have not even thought about it.”

Business as usual – in fact today we only found one businessman concerned enough to wear a mask. The other business owners and shoppers were taking the threat in stride.

[Woman in Spanish saying the swine flu is in Vera Cruz, not Quintana Roo or Chetumal.]

Businessman #1,
“It is nothing. It is like it is nothing because you have so many thousands of Mexicans they come with nothing on their face, no covering on their hands – nothing and they just walk all about like nothing is there. But only Belizeans take it serious.”

Keith Swift,
So you haven’t considered closing down your store?

Businessman #1,
“No. My workers are coming and coming everyday. There is no problem.”

Keith Swift,
You won’t wear a mask?

Businessman #1,
“Actually there is nothing. In Belize there is nothing.”

But there were some concerns.

Businessman #2,
“Safety is first right. We got notification from CFZ office that we should use it. Just now I spoke to my workers to use it also but it is up to them. It will affect our business. I am not personally frightened.”

Woman #1,
“Well yes because the Mexicans are coming and we could get affected because of them coming. I heard that the government is doing a meeting and they will know if they will close the Free Zone because the Mexicans come here.”

Free Zone CEO Raul Rosado says however that there are no plans to close the zone.

Raul Rosado,
“We are administrating and we are looking at the health situation as well. Actually there is a meeting going on right now with the stakeholders of the northern border, with all the departments that I have mentioned to see where we stand; if it is a threat or if it is not a threat and if we should continue the preventative measures which I think we should but business is as usual. I know that the border entries are open, people come and go.”

Keith Swift,
So you haven’t seen a reduction in the number of people coming to the zone?

Raul Rosado,
“No. It is business as usual.”

And while that’s the Free Zone, at the border, immigration and customs personnel are also taking precautions with masks and anti bacterial lotions for their hands. But that’s about the sum of it, and, again, there are presently no plans to close the border, but the border management team is prepared to activate plans in the event that the threat to the border escalates.