COVID-19 Christmas campaign: No parties, gatherings, socializing, Ministry of Health and Wellness asks

By Aaron Humes: It will be a “blue” Christmas, pun not intended, for many Belizeans who are either sick with, recovering from, know someone who has, or lost a loved one to, COVID-19.

At this most wonderful time of the year, when so many look forward to the last gathering to close out the Old Year and bring in the New, the virus may rob us of even that.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness is calling on all Belizeans to break tradition, at least for this Yuletide, and avoid socializing with extended family, friends, or visitors at their homes, and not hold family gatherings or parties with persons outside the immediate household.

Its rationale is summed up in a new slogan to be screened over various advertisements for the next four weeks: “It is better to have a safe Christmas season than to attend a funeral during the holidays,” also true of other potential seasonal mishaps.

But concerning COVID-19, it says, “Such practices only increase the chances of spreading the virus from carriers who may be unaware of their status.

The campaign especially targets young adults aged 20 to 29, who according to the Ministry’s data, account for more than 26% of all confirmed cases.”

The advertisements began on Monday in English and Spanish across the national radio and television spectrum and will be joined by print banners, posters, and brochures in public places.

The Ministry encourages the public to continue to wear masks properly at all times in public, stay at least six feet apart from others, and wash and sanitize hands whenever possible.

The public is encouraged to heed the advice of the Ministry of Health and Wellness and to take personal responsibility to avoid unknowingly infecting someone with COVID-19, which may lead to their death.

Please call the Ministry’s toll-free number 0-800-664-2273 for guidance on COVID-19.

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