New COVID-19 regulations come into effect on Monday

By Benjamin Flowers: Beginning tomorrow, February 7, 2022, amendments to the current Statutory Instrument (SI) which contains the country’s COVID-19 protocols will come into effect.

The Government of Belize passed the Public Health (Reform) (Prevention Of The Spread Of Infectious Disease) (Covid-19) (Amendment) Regulations, 2022 last week, which will usher in a number of changes.

Under the amended SI, the country’s land and sea borders will reopen for seaports, during the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; and for land ports, during the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Those exiting Belize from these points must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination prior to departure.

The amended SI also sees the implementation of travel insurance on February 15. Every foreign tourist entering Belize through the airport or through any land port shall be required to purchase travel insurance prior to, or upon, arrival in Belize. This move is seen as counterproductive by some stakeholders in the tourism industry as it adds another condition to the long list of requirements to visit Belize, thereby ‘discouraging’ visitors from coming to the jewel.

The most controversial of the amended SI to date, is the extension of the countrywide curfew, from February 7 to March 7. Under the curfew, Belizeans are required to remain indoors from Sunday to Thursday, during the hours of 11:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m. of the following morning; and from Friday to Saturday, between 12:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.

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