Belmopan. August 10, 2021. 6:00 p.m.
The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño, met in regular session on 10th August 2021.
- Cabinet received an update from the Ministry of Health & Wellness informing that Belize is currently experiencing its third wave of COVID-19. In addition, reports received from the Central Medical Laboratory on 9th August 2021 indicate the presence of the following variants in Belize: Alpha, Gamma and Delta. In response to the presence of the very active Delta variant, Cabinet agreed to extend the current regulations, including the 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. curfew until 31st August 2021.
- Cabinet was apprised of the status of vaccines and the number of vaccines available in Belize. As of 9th August 2021, 141,770 or 32 percent of the population had received at least one dose of the vaccine and 56,330 or 13 percent of the population had been fully vaccinated.
- Cabinet requested the Attorney General seek medical expertise from the Ministry of Health & Wellness to explore all necessary legal measures that the government may lawfully implement to help contain the spread of COVD-19, including options to implement mandatory coronavirus vaccinations for both the public and private sectors or to require vaccination passes for the use of public spaces and for business facilities.
- Finally, Cabinet asked the Attorney General to explore the increase in penalties for offences relating to the spread of falsehoods, in particular the spread of disinformation on public health matters.
Ends
