Community and Society

The air tankers funded by the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) continued flights over the western communities in the Cayo District on April 30th, from 5:00 a.m. up to around 5:00 p.m. Several fires were suppressed in the areas of El Pilar and Chapel Hill in Benque Viejo del Carmen, and in the villages of Georgeville, Barton Creek and Unitedville. A house was saved from flames south of Unitedville and a large fire was extinguished in the Riverwalk area, among many other fires suppressed today. Around 5:00 p.m., a large thunderstorm rolled over the western part of the Cayo District, drenching all the fires in the Vaca Forest Reserve, Arenal, and Blackman Eddy. With the rains this evening, the far west is considered to be significantly out of harm’s way.

On Wednesday, April 29th, the San Pedro Tour Operators Association (SPTOA) contributed 150 packages of groceries to various tour industry personnel displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bowen & Bowen and Companies (B&B) has pledged support to the Ministry of Health (“MOH”) and all Belizeans through a donation of much needed medical supplies. Tomorrow the company will be delivering to the MOH 20 hospital beds with mattresses and 5000 surgical masks. The CEO / President of Bowen & Bowen, Ltd, Michael H. M. Bowen, also advised that they are awaiting the arrival of one thousand PPEs and one thousand face shields, both of which are vital for the protection of the front-line healthcare workers.

In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) recognizes that it is imperative to reach out to help those most in need. On this premise, BTB's staff has come together to donate towards community outreach initiatives in several different areas of the country.

The House of Representatives of Belize approved a two-month extension on the current State of Emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The motion will be debated by members of the Senate on Tuesday, April 28th.

Fishers Edwin Flores, Andy Cob, Cesar Lima, and Elvis Hercules were detained in separate incidents on Saturday, April 25th, in a joint operation conducted by the Hol Chan Marine Reserve (HCMR) and the San Pedro Police Formation.

1. The Government of Belize has issued a proclamation declaring a state of emergency (Statutory Instrument 45 of 2020): (I) Are the employees entitled to...

Even though Belize is not in a heightened state of emergency, the public is still encouraged to plan ahead and consider travelling outside rush hours, where possible, in an effort to promote social distancing. As recommended by the World Health Organization, passengers must keep three to six feet apart from each other when standing in line. This can reduce the possibility of person-to-person transmission of the virus.