Ministry of Health agreed to a new quarantine facility at Camp D’Silva in Mountain Pine Ridge

Published by BBN Staff at October 1, 2020

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Posted: Thursday, October 1, 2020. 1:52 pm CST.

By Aaron Humes:Minister of National Security Michael Peyrefitte strongly refuted reports that the Ministry of Health was not entirely satisfied with the choice of Belize Defence Force outpost Camp D’ Silva in the Mountain Pine Ridge, Cayo District.

The camp has been retrofitted to accommodate persons who will be placed in isolation for COVID-19. The facility will now become the nerve center for all quarantine activities related to border jumpers and deportees.

Peyrefitte explained that in Cabinet, Minister of Health Pablo Marin joined in unanimously approving the choice: “When the matter of using D’Silva Camp came up to house people who would be under supervision for COVID-related matters or anybody entering in the country who we had to detain and observe, that was a result of a Cabinet paper that I took to the Cabinet. The Minister of Health was very much present in that Cabinet meeting, we had a discussion on it and the paper was widely accepted, unanimously approved.”

And Health CEO Dr. George Gough, as well as ombudsman Lionel Arzu, approved the final design after visiting the area: “When it was approved and we went to D’Silva Camp the monies were given to the Ministry of National Security to go and retrofit the area and we made sure that buildings were brought up to speed, bathrooms, and everything were fixed. We invited several people to visit the camp, the ombudsman and a key person who visited that camp was the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Health who approved the facility and said that the facility was a wonderful facility and one of the best places to house the people.”

The camp presently holds 37 deportees from the United States and various others under mandatory detention.

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