Belmopan. April 14, 2020. 2:20 p.m.
The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) announces that, following a phone call between Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow and Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin of the Cayman Islands on Saturday, April 11, Belize can obtain from Cayman as many COVID-19 test kits as needed.
Belize has so far received 2,500 tests from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and is expecting an additional 11,500 tests from the organization. Additionally, Belize ordered 4,000 tests from the Roche Agency in Guatemala, 2,000 of which are to be delivered this week and the remaining next week.
The Ministry of Health has also confirmed that a test kit is different from an actual test, and in fact, contains 100 tests.
The OPM is, therefore, determining in consultation with the Ministry of Health, how many Cayman test kits to procure, and will place its order as soon as the 11,500 tests from PAHO are in hand. Furthermore, the OPM confirms that the Cayman kits are compatible with Belize’s PCR test processing machines.
On behalf of the Government and people of Belize, the OPM thanks Premier McLaughlin and the Government and people of the Cayman Islands.
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