| The border jumper, by now he or she has been ingrained in the national conscious as the ultimate COVID 19 bogeyman and superspreader.
Well, tonight, one of those accused border jumpers is speaking out publicly, and he is alleging that the authorities are mistreating him and other quarantine detainees being held at the facility in Orange Walk.
He's 56-year-old Alfred Usher, a resident of Belize City. He was arrested in Orange Walk 18 days ago for being in possession of 4 cartons of Sunny cigarettes, which are contraband items.
Since then, he has been detained in quarantine, and he says that the authorities are dragging their feet to restore his freedom, even though he was supposed to have finished his quarantine 4 days ago.
Additionally, he is claiming that although he was told that he tested positive for COVID-19 in the first test, he says follow-up tests have been negative.
This morning, he spoke with us via telephone from the quarantine facility, and here's what he had to say about the experience that he and other fellow detainees are being subjected to:
Voice of: Alfred Usher - Detained in Quarantine
"I in quarantine from the 31st of July 31. The first time they tested me, they said I'm positive. That's when they took me to the hospital. They left us here. They brought me to the complex, where they bring everybody who is in quarantine."
Reporter
"In which district?"
Alfred Usher
"It's Orange Walk, the multi-complex. So, I've been here from the 31st to the 18th of August. The second test negative. I don't understand it because I am 56 years old. The second test, negative, the third test is negative. So, I should have come out from at least the 14th of August. And I am still in the complex. I called the lady from Health. She told me that the policeman have to charge me. I was going to Belize. I was standing and waiting on the bus, in front of Shell."
Reporter
"In which district, Orange Walk. I was trying to catch the 4 o'clock bus. When the policeman came, I didn't have any cigarettes on me. They found it in an open lot and said it's mine, 4 cartons."
Reporter
"Are you accepting guilt for what they're accusing you of, contra-banding?"
Alfred Usher
"Well, they have to prove me guilty. I am not guilty of any crime because they didn't find the cigarettes on me. They found the cigarettes on the ground, in a lot."
Reporter
"And it's not yours, is what you're saying..."
Alfred Usher
"Well, you've got to prove me guilty. If they found it in a lot, that's lost and found. We have got people in here. This morning, we haven't gotten food as yet. It's after 9 o'clock, and the food hasn't come as yet. We haven't gotten water for 3 days in the complex."
Usher claims that his character was unfairly maligned when an officer posted his picture of Facebook and identified him as a COVID-19 positive patient. He is also asserting that there are other detainees, who should have been released from quarantine for whatever criminal charges to be formally brought. He says that these detainees are being held long past the 2-week quarantine phase.
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