Prime Minister Dr the Hon Keith Rowley said today Phase 2, initially scheduled to begin on May 24th, 2020 will now commence earlier due to favourable testing results.

Phase 2 will also include the reopening of :
* Auto repair/parts and tyre shops
* Laundry and dry cleaning services

Starting 15 May 2020, services at places of worship will be allowed to resume. In addition, funeral services will be able to take place without limits to the number of family members or friends in attendance. Restaurants will be able to open, but will be limited to a maximum of four people per table (or parents with their children). Museums, libraries, archives, as well as sports centers, sport venues and fitness centers will be allowed to reopen. Fitness and sport classes such as yoga or spinning are therefore also limited to five people including the instructor.

Regulations made by the Governor-General in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by section 18(9) of the Belize Constitution, Chapter 4 of the Substantive Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2011, and all other powers thereunto him enabling.

The measures shall take effect from the 4th May 2020 and last until the 3rd June, 2020 unless earlier terminated, extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Public Health after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions.

The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa F. Etienne, asked countries to analyze specific trends in the COVID-19 pandemic according to their unique contexts, and warned that reducing social distancing measures “too soon could accelerate the spread of the virus and open the door for a dramatic upsurge or for spread to adjacent areas.”

In a briefing with journalists, Dr. Etienne also expressed her particular concern for Haiti in the context of the pandemic, and warned of the dangers of a large-scale outbreak in that country, which, added to the difficult situation Haiti is going through, could trigger a humanitarian crisis. “A much broader coalition to address a potential health crisis in this country is needed,” said Dr. Etienne.

Este artículo de MIT Technology Review indica que la mejor estrategia para frenar la pandemia de coronavirus requiere que nos confinemos durante dos de cada tres meses, según un modelo del Imperial College de Londres. Y el mes que podamos salir, las normas sociales deberán cambiar drásticamente, algo que afectará principalmente a los más vulnerables.

This article by The Dialogue claims that the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the worst shocks ever to affect Latin America and the Caribbean. Governments, firms, and workers are coping with a severe economic crisis with yet unknown human losses and potential for social disarray. The region is being hit by large demand shocks from sharp commodity price falls due to a slump in external demand, external capital flight, financial sector volatility, and a collapse in tourist flows due to border closures and immobility measures. These shocks have been exacerbated by output disruptions associated with mandatory social distancing which have paralyzed all non-essential economic sectors, with a high toll on the spending capacity of millions of firms and consumers. In view of this situation, there is an urgent need to build more resilient societies, with buffers to mitigate shocks and adequate delivery of public goods and services. This will test the capacity and determination of all relevant actors in the region.

With global coronavirus cases heading toward half a million, Harvard infectious disease experts said recent modeling shows that — absent the development of a vaccine or other intervention — a staggered pattern of social distancing would save more lives than a one-and-done strategy and avoid overwhelming hospitals while allowing immunity to build in the population.

Measures, adopted individually or in combination depending on the context, should be implemented as soon as possible after the determination of the transmission scenario. From the experience in countries, in WHO Regions other than the Americas, having experienced different transmission scenarios since the beginning of the pandemic, it seems prudent to plan for the implementation of measures for, at least, two to three months.