Belize to reopen borders on August 15
The
Belize government says it will officially reopen its borders on August 15,
nearly six months after it shut down the country in a bid to prevent the spread
of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow said that the Philip
Goldson International Airport (PGIA) after the health authorities introduced a
raft of health and safety procedures to be implemented in the weeks leading up
to the reopening of the airport and hotels.
He defended the decision to reopen the international
airport despite fears that there has been a significant increase in COVID-19
cases in cities where Belize’s international flights originate.
“After
the most careful consideration, after the most searching examination, after the
most intense debate we are able now to announce a firm reopening date for the
PGIA, the Philip Goldson International Airport. That date, ladies and
gentlemen, is August 15th, 2020.
“I want to repeat that the decision has not been an
easy one. In our region, cases of the novel coronavirus continue to
surge. In the US, our greatest source market for tourism, the number of
states experiencing substantial jumps in the rates of infections is alarming,”
Barrow said.
He said an initial planned date for the reopening of
the PGIA had been set for August first. But concerns pertaining to the
timeline, in respect of testing and all protocols, prompted the prime minister
to postpone for an additional two weeks.
He maintains that the country is ready to welcoming visitors to Belize and that the next five and half weeks are sufficient to retrofit the airport according to the new procedures.
