Last Updated on March 14, 2020, 5:22 AM AST by Anthony Morris
The Prime Minister of Belize the hon. Dean Barrow has claimed that there is no confirmed case of Coronavirus (Covid-19) have been reported in the country. He also said that the country is all prepared to tackle any kind of situation arises.
During a press conference, he said that the main priority of the Government is the wellbeing and safety of the citizens. “As of now, there are no confirmed cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19) in the country, but this is an ever-evolving situation, he added.
He said that the public health, economic and social are such that absolute focus and greatest concentration of the effort are required to fight with them. Belize is, therefore, preparing for all situations and being supervised by the lessons and best studies coming to us every day from our professionals and the experiences of countries across the world.
“The Cabinet held a special meeting to address COVID-19 on Thursday. In that meeting, the Cabinet has confirmed the establishment of a COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Task Force and a COVID-19 National Oversight Committee,” he said.
He said he had asked the Leader of Opposition, and he has also accepted, to co-chair the National Oversight Committee along with me. Apart from the Government and Opposition, the Committee will be made up of representatives from the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Belize Council of Churches, the Belize Social Security Board and the Belize National Network of NGOs.
He said that the sole aim of this Committee is to provide ultimate overall guidance of Belize’s efforts to deal with COVID-19. “The day to day public health response will, of course, be the principal responsibility of the COVID-19 Task Force and the Ministry of Health. Accordingly, while the National Oversight Committee in its efforts at superintendency will keep a check at everything, it will especially zero in on the financial aspects of the crisis. Thus, at our first meeting scheduled for this coming Monday, we will hear from the Central Bank’s Governor, Financial Secretary, and CEO of the Ministry of Economic Development. They, together with SSB, will help the Committee chalk out the necessary response to deal with the consequences of the crisis on employees, employers and all sectors of the Belize economy,” he said.
He said that the second thing they are creating is the COVID-19 Task Force, would be chaired by the Director of Health Services Dr. Marvin Manzanero. “I need to make clear that while this Task Force is now expanded and formalized, the Ministry of Health has had its own working group operational since January 2020. Dr Manzanero will also say more about this and speak to all that has already been done and is being done. The newly named and beefed up Task Force will meet weekly or as often as may be needed, he added.
“Internationally, COVID-19 is constantly evolving. Thus, the Government is also working with our external partners to coordinate responses and to keep updated on the latest information and best practices. We will continue to do everything in the effort to keep Belizeans safe. In this context we have to be prepared at any moment to respond properly as the threat evolves,” he said.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
