As of Tuesday, September 15th, health authorities on Ambergris Caye reported that 168 COVID-19 patients have fully recovered, with 116 cases still active in San Pedro Town. Meanwhile, Caye Caulker is seeing a slight increase, with 48 testing positive, 42 cases active, and six recoveries.
The most recent batch of tests saw 334 samples processed on Tuesday, with 27 testing positive. None were reported in San Pedro. The day before, 13 new COVID-19 cases were identified in Caye Caulker. The rest of the patients were from Belize City, and Orange Walk and Corozal Districts. Caye Caulker registered its first case on August 10th, and since then has seen a gradual increase. As swabbing continues on La Isla Cariñosa, newer cases are expected to be confirmed.
In San Pedro the Mar de Tumbo flu clinic continues to tend to anyone with flu-like symptoms, swabbing people daily. The clinic opens 8AM to 5PM, and appointments are no longer needed like before. Islanders are encouraged to continue practicing proper hygienic measures, social distancing, and to stay away from mass gatherings. The virus is still considered quite active on the island, and a spike can happen anytime.
Director of Health Services at the MOH, Dr. Marvin Manzanero could not confirm if the COVID-19 curve is beginning to flatten, despite an increase in recoveries. Manzanero warned of a potential increase in cases due to the reported gatherings for the September celebrations. “This coming weekend, which is a long one, you can anticipate [a] potential increase in cases towards the first of October,” said Manzanero.
At press time, 11,825 tests have been carried out in Belize, with 1,528 testing positive. There are currently 846 active cases countrywide, 663 persons have recovered and unfortunately, 19 perished. While the latest COVID-19 statistics show an increase in recoveries, 56.06% of cases remain active across the country. Belizeans are therefore urged to continue safety practices of proper handwashing, social distancing, and the wearing of masks when in public places.
