Today's Belize News: August 27, 2020

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Today's Belize News: August 27, 2020 #544491 08/27/20 06:02 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,404 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report. Specials and Events Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials. The San Pedro Sun Lockdown lifted in Orange Walk villages; Ambergris Caye remains quarantined On Tuesday, August 25th, the Government of Belize made an amendment to the current State of Emergency (SEO) lifting the special lockdown for the villages of Guinea Grass, Santa Martha, and Shipyard in the Orange Walk District and excluding San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye. These villages and San Pedro have been on a special lockdown since August 7th following an increase in Coronavirus. That lockdown, which is part of a national SOE, expires on September 3, 2020. GOB's COVID-19 Relief Food Assistance Program assisting Ambergris Caye's residents To help residents in the currently locked down communities of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, and Santa Martha, Shipyard, and Guinea Grass Villages in the Orange Walk District, the government through its Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation established the COVID-19 Relief Food Assistance Program. The program is only available in the mentioned areas which were locked down following a surge in cases of COVID-19. Residents who are not receiving aid from any other food program, are asked to apply by visiting the LINK and wait for a representative from the ministry to get in touch with them. The ministry has partnered with members of the business community, through which the food items are distributed to persons screened and approved. Three San Pedro Pirates F.C. players called to join the National Football Team Three footballers of the San Pedro Pirates Football Club have been called to be part of the Belize Football National Team. The selected players from San Pedro Town Jesse Smith, Asrel Sutherland and Moises Hernandez will join the A team in its upcoming qualifying matches for a ticket to represent the Jewel at the 2022 World Cup event to be held in Qatar. Various Belizean Sources Caye Caulker Soup Kitchen day Location Thursday. August 27th, Meal pick ups. Location: BELIZE DIVING SERVICES, Ltd. Times: Village: 11:00am - 11:45am, Bahia: 11:45am -12:30pm. July 2020 External Trade & CPI, 2nd Quarter GDP Economy contracts 23.3% in the second quarter, consumer prices up 0.1%, and both imports and domestic exports down 37.8% and 37.3% respectively in July 2020. The most recent figures from the Statistical Institute of Belize's monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) survey show that, as of July 2020, the All-Items CPI stood at 105.4, a marginal overall increase of 0.1 percent from 105.2 in July 2019. This was the result of higher home rental costs and prices for a variety of food items being balanced out by substantially lower prices for fuel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Town Council Offices Sanitized, Re-opening Aug. 31 Mayor Daniel Guerrero and the San Pedro Town Council hereby inform the general public that our offices have been properly sanitized and disinfected by the Ministry of Health. In addition, our offices will be sanitized periodically throughout the day to welcome you as we will be re-opening Monday, August 31st, 2020, on our regular opening hours: Monday to Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon, 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. BHA INFORMED\| Join our Live Webinar Today at 2 PM Join us, as Dr Senator Hon Carla Barnett, Dr. Leroy Almendarez of Beltraide, Mr. Armin Cansino of DFC and Ms. Sheryl Anderson of QSSI discuss the financial road to recovery for the Hospitality & Tourism sector. Ask your burning questions. Learn about the support systems and facilities in place that are meant to help navigate these challenging times! COVID-19 UPDATE This is our data for today. A total of 266 samples were processed today with 30 new cases identified. Unfortunately, we can confirm one death in a female from San Felipe who died on her way to the hospital. This happened on Monday evening. The 30 new cases have a preliminary breakdown as follows: - Orange Walk - 8 (2 in OW town, 2 San Felipe, 2 August Pine Ridge, 1 San Pablo, 1 San Jose). - Cayo - 2 (1 in Belmopan and 1 in San Ignacio). - Stann Creek - 2 (both in Independence). - Belize - 18 (San Pedro 11, 4 Caye Caulker, 2 in Belize City, 1 Ladyville). We have 6 recovered cases. COMPOL Chester Williams visits police officers of Caye Caulker With a gracious heart & a big smile, COMPOL Chester Williams, along with Eastern Regional Commander ACP Dr. Richard Rosado, this afternoon, visited the police officers of Caye Caulker Village & gave each of them a warm cooked meal along with a cold beverage for lunch. As part of building moral, support & self esteem, COMPOL Williams also gave each police officers positive words of encouragement. There is also a new Officer Commanding Caye Caulker Village Police Station, Supt. Francisco Ack. Presently, there is a high number Police Officers who are attached to the Caye Caulker Police Station are being quarantine & are awaiting their COVID-19 results. Passing of Ms. Emily Jacobs Mayor Daniel Guerrero, the San Pedro Town Council and Staff would like to extend its sincere condolences to the Jacobs family on the sad passing of Ms. Emily Jacobs. Ms. Jacobs was a loving wife, mom, sister, grandmother, aunt, and she will be greatly missed! We hope her family and friends find the strength in each other to overcome this great loss. May her soul rest in peace and rise in glory. ITVET Corozal Instructors Upset CTV3 News is reliably informed that a number of ITVET Corozal instructors are up in arms after they were informed this morning, via a virtual meeting with the Board Chairman Raul Rosado, that they are required to report to work tomorrow. The instructors are concerned that ITVET Corozal is a COVID19 quarantine facility for the Corozal District, housing individuals and patients who remain under observation. Up to this day, the center has medical and security staff present and from what we understand is basically out of space to take on additional COVID19 observation patients. MER BEL announces courier service from Merida to Corozal MER BEL announces its courier service from Merida to Corozal and from Chetumal to Corozal. For information, please contact Diana Leiva via Whatsapp at 9993359669 (M�xico #). Smart is having a triple up this Friday on purchases of $21 or more Great news, Smart customers! On Friday, August 28th, enjoy DOUBLE & TRIPLE UP with Smart! Customers who add $1 - $20 credit will receive DOUBLE UP, while customers who add $21 & UP will receive TRIPLE UP! Channel 7 Guinea Grass Gets Free You saw them protesting on successive days last week, demanding an end to the lockdown. And, as of 12:01 am this morning, Guinea Grass villagers are free, as well as their neighbours in Shipyard and Santa Marta. That's thanks to Statutory Instrument 122 of 2020, crafted because because the Ministry of Health is sufficiently convinced that the community spread of COVID 19 which was identified in those Orange Walk villages at the start of August has now subsided. Swift and Stiff Penalties For Cops Who Extort And this SI 122 also puts into law stiffer, swifter penalties for extortion by cops. Under the SI, any member of the security forces found to be extorting an individual under the guise of their office is liable to one year imprisonment Also, SI 122 makes it an offence to bribe or offer anything of value to a member of the security forces or any public officer to avoid prosecution. These offences carry a minimum sentence of one year imprisonment. Already Charged For Extortion, Cop Now Being Investigated For Theft And the troubles for Constable Diego aren't over yet. Information suggests that after he got bail on the extortion charge today he was detained in connection with another investigation, this one for theft. Two Deaths Within Days For Wicab Family On Monday we told you about the death of Natalio Wicab, the San Felipe resident whose death caused the closure of Caribbean Chicken outlets countrywide. And later that night the Wicab family was shocked by another death, this time of Natalio's sister, Teresita "Tely' Cruz who also succumbed to complications caused by COVID-19. Cruz who had experienced fever and shortness of breath a week before her death had seemed to recover but then on Monday evening she complained of shortness of breath and extreme fatigue. Latest COVID Numbers Show More Infections in OW and San Pedro The latest COVID numbers mark her death as the 11th. They also show 760 confirmed cases with 695 active cases. A total of 266 samples were processed today and 30 new cases were identified. They are as follows: eight in Orange Walk, namely two in the town, two in san Felipe, two in August Pine Ridge, 1 in San Pablo, and 1 in San Jose. Charged For Chinchilla Murder Last week we brought you the horrific story of the woman who was slashed to the throat after refusing to lend money to a man she knew. She was in critical condition at a private hospital for one week, but died on Monday morning. Citizen Sanker Gets COMPOL's Commendation Yesterday, we told you how painter and patriot Alex Sanker saved his neighborhood tamales man from a brutal beatdown. It's a story that got national attention after Sanker's facebook live which featured a passionate and obscenity-laced re-cap of the attack. And this morning social media Supercop, Chester Williams invited Sanker to his office and commended him for his act of bravery. 20 Year Old Charged For Robbing Cayo Cabbie Last night we told you about the suspect detained for the shooting and robbery of a taxi man on the Bullett Tree Road in Cayo. Well, tonight Cayo police have moved quickly to charge 20 year old Bryan Navid Guzman of Hillview Area, in Santa Elena Town. Doubles Whammy From Contractor and Court Boots Crescent Resident Jacqueline Banks is incensed at Carlos Alvarado Jiminez, the contractor who she says swindled her out of thousands of dollars meant for the construction of her home. Her ire only increased when a committal warrant put out for his arrest was allowed to slide. Banks says she's been wronged, first by a shady contractor and then by the courts. But as always there are two sides to every story. And this morning Cherisse Halsall heard from all parties concerned. GDP Contracted By 23% in 2nd Quarter Turning now to the economy, the Statistical Institute of Belize today released the figures for the second quarter of 2020. That's April first to June 30th, three months which were spent mostly under lockdown. And the figures reflect that. Belize's GDP took a historic nosedive, contracting by 23% in that second quarter. Here's more from the SIB's quarterly press conference which was held virtually today via ZOOM: Cattle Production Down by 69% Due To Guat Border Closure And it wasn't only COVID slowing down the economy, drought conditions also affected agricultural output. And there were trade issues, where cattle could no longer be exported to Guatemala causing a huge downturn in that sector. Here's an overview of the various contractions in housing, agriculture and forestry: Jacqueline Sabal, Statistician II, SIB: "Within the primary sector agriculture, hunting and forestry contracted by 10.5% or 8.1 million, totaling 68.8 million dollars..." Beer Production Declined Sharply During Shutdown And, in the secondary sector, which covers manufacturing, electricity and water and construction, production at the Belikin factory was way, way down. That has to do with the cancellation of tourist arrivals and the shutdown of bars. Here's more on that decline in beverage production in the second quarter: "Within the manufacturing and mining industry, beverage production suffered immensely from the lack of tourist visitors to the country, the closure of restaurants and bars and the restrictions placed on alcohol production due to COVID19..." Imports's Record Decline And looking now at imports and exports, the widespread economic slowdown in the second quarter also led to a sharp decline in imports for the first six months of 2020. Imports were also way down - and the only thing that went up is cooking oil: "For the period January to July 2020 Belize's imports were valued at nine hundred and twelve point eight million dollars..." Free Zone Imports Crashed Here are the areas that had the sharpest downturn - including the free zone and food imports, again, with that cooking oil exception: "Once destined for the commercial freezone fell by 50.9 million dollars to 132`.6 million. This was a 28% drop due to decrease imports across a number of items including clothing and bags..." Exports Were Down, But Bananas and Beans Went Up And, of course, during that worldwide slowdown, exports also declined across many sectors, including petroleum exportation where not a single barrel of oil has been exported. "For the period January to July of 2020 Belize's Domestic Exports were valued at $220.4 million dollars, this was a decrease of 13.1 percent or $33.3 million when compared to exports of January to July 2019..." A Time Of Statistical Abberation For the SIB, capturing the statistical anomalies of this time is an eye opener. The record 23% downturn in GDP is an aberration, We asked about that: Jules Vasquez: "What is it like for you all to see these large statistical aberrations?" Diana Castillo - Trejo, SIB, Deputy Director: "We are though, seeing as you said unfold in almost real time in the data that we produce and publish..." The PUP Plan For Health 2 weeks ago, we brought you a detailed snapshot of the PUP's education reform plan, the first chapter of its Plan Belize, basically their manifesto for the upcoming election. Well today, they returned with the second chapter of that plan, which they call Plan Belize Healthcare. But, since it is currently illegal to host gatherings of more than 10 people under the State of Emergency Regulations, they officially unveiled their plans via a teleconference event, which was carried live on their Facebook page. 7News was tuned in for their presentation, and Daniel Ortiz reports: Politics Back And Forth And keeping it on the subject of politics, there is a he said, she said story coming out of the Elections and Boundaries office for Fort George, Freetown and Caribbean Shores. Activity at this office is feverish right now because it's the end of the last registration period before the general election. Tensions and tempers often run high between political operatives for the two mass parties. A September Theme For Unity In A Time of COVID The National Celebrations Commission has selected the winning theme for the 2020 September Celebrations. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has forced all of us to adapt to social distancing, and only leaving our homes when it is absolutely necessary, there will still be a scaled-down observance of the 222nd Anniversary of the Battle of Saint George's Caye, and the 39th anniversary of Belize's independence. This year's September celebrations will be commemorated under the theme: "Over Adversity, Creating Opportunity, Belizeans: Unite for Prosperity!" Chester At Sea Yesterday, Police Commissioner Chester Williams went to Guinea Grass to deliver a donation of groceries to the residents of that lockdown community. And today, he went to visit his officers who are attached to the Caye Caulker Police Station. He was accompanied by ACP Dr. Richard Rosado, the new Eastern Regional Commander. The Compol provided them with a meal and a beverage for lunch as a show of appreciation. Air Ambulances to City At this very moment, a B.E.R.T air ambulance from San Pedro is traveling to the City. Reports tell us that it's transporting an elderly man suffering from respiratory complications who is bound for the KHMH. Channel 5 30 New COVID-19 Cases! There are thirty more COVID-19 cases to report tonight. The Ministry of Health says that the new cases came out of a batch of over two hundred and fifty samples. [...] Teresita 'Tely' Cruz is Belize's Eleventh COVID-19 Related Death! Back to the eleventh death. That victim is fifty-year-old Teresita 'Tely' Cruz of San Felipe. We reported on Cruz's case on Tuesday - and as we shared from our interview [...] COVID-19 Patients Transferred from San Pedro to K.H.M.H. Two suspected COVID-19 patients from San Pedro were rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital late this evening. According to a colleague on the ground in San Pedro, two elderly [...] Testing Capacity of the Public Health Sector is Inadequate The People's United Party launched its health plan this morning and we will come to that later in the newscast. This morning, the virtual event included experts in the sector [...] Waking Up to Another S.I., Some Relief for Northern Communities A new Statutory Instrument has come into effect which sees a relaxation of the states of emergency in several communities within the Orange Walk and Corozal districts.� With the new [...] Monitoring Increase in COVID-19 Cases The COVID-19 situation remains fluid and the National Oversight Committee has had to remain on the ball on an hourly basis.� That's according to AG Peyrefitte who sits on the [...] P.U.P. Launches its Plan Belize Health Policy As the coronavirus pandemic batters the health system, the People's United Party this morning rolled out a health plan that it says will make healthcare efficient, affordable and accessible to [...] P.U.P.'s Plan to Tackle COVID-19 While the P.U.P.'s health plan is broad, covering ten primary areas; how would it tackle COVID-19? �The party plans on investing in technology and human capital by building epidemiological and [...] John Brice�o: "Coronavirus Response Will Take Effect from Day One" Prime Minister in waiting, John Brice�o says that when the P.U.P. assumes control of the government, the COVID-19 plans take effect immediately to ensure that there are ample medical supplies [...] Low Cost Medication and New Hospitals for Several Municipalities John Brice�o says that the P.U.P. recognises the need to address mental health challenges across the country. Technology must be used to develop professional virtual mental wellness services in partnership [...] Economy Contracted by 23.3% between April and June 2020 There is grim economic news tonight; the economy contracted by twenty-three point three percent in the second quarter.� That is the highest contraction we've seen in the past two decades. [...] Production Across All Sectors Recorded Major Decreases The primary sector contracted by twenty point two percent during the second quarter of the year, from eighty point six million to seventy point eight million dollars. �Sugarcane production declined [...] Secondary Industries Decreases by 19.5% In the secondary sector, a decline of nineteen point five percent over the three-month period was recorded. �Within this sector, the 'Manufacturing and Mining' industry saw output fall by twenty-two [...] Food Home Rental Costs Up, Fuel and LPG Prices Down The most recent figures from the Statistical Institute of Belize's monthly Consumer Price Index show that on average Belizean households saw the overall cost of regularly purchased goods and services [...] Are C.P.I. Figures a True Reflection of On the Ground Situations? According to the Acting Director General Diana Castillo-Trejo, the price collection basket used to determine the Consumer Price Index is an old model. The updated model was not used and [...] Exports, Imports Down External trade decreased significantly due to COVID-19 for July 2020.� In July, the country imported goods valuing one hundred and nineteen million dollars, a decrease of thirty-seven point eight percent. [...] One Year for Bribery or Extortion Over Face Masks One year in prison for bribing an officer to give you a break for not wearing your mask is also the same jail time officers will receive should they coerce [...] Countrywide Lockdown Still on the Table if Necessary While we had the AG, we asked if the two-week curfew period is sufficient for the mounting COVID-19 infections to be brought under control given the ever increasing report of [...] Guinea Grass Chairman Welcomes Lifting of the Lockdown! So, as you heard just now, the Attorney General announced the lifting of the lockdown of three communities in the north - one of them being Guinea Grass. As we [...] September Celebrations Theme 2020 is Chosen "Overcoming Adversity, Creating Opportunity. Belizeans: Unite for Prosperity" - that's the theme for this year's September celebrations. �The theme was chosen from among a record breaking three hundred and twelve [...] Precious Martinez Submitted the Winning Theme! The winning theme was submitted by a thirteen-year-old second form student from Sacred Heart College in San Ignacio. Precious Martinez is the youngest to win the competition. Today, she shared [...] LOVE FM Attorney discusses new amendment to labour act Much opposition has been stirred after a Bill to amend the Labor Act was passed in the House of Representatives on August 14. This Bill allows employers and employees to agree on a reduction of wages in instances where working hours have also been reduced, as well as to provide exemptions from periods of rest. MOH confirms eleventh covid-19 related death Belize has registered eleven confirmed Covid-19 related deaths. As we reported yesterday, Teresita 'Tely' Cruz Wicab passed away on Monday night after complaining of breathing difficulties. September Celebration theme announced The show must go on and the September Celebrations Committee is ensuring that even during a pandemic, Belizeans can still feel as patriotic as they have in past years. PUP announces health plan for Belize Under ordinary circumstances it would be 'silly season' in full mode in Belize. A general election is less than three months away and politicians are forced to scale back on their political propaganda, paraphernalia and house to house campaigns. Policing the police Border Jumpers are not the only ones being targeted by the police. Police are actually keeping an eye on their own. Over the last week we have heard of several complaints against police officers who are abusing their authority and taking advantage of the Covid-19 regulations to extort money from citizens. FCD gives update on damages caused by forest fires Earlier this year wildfires raged through parts of the Chiquibul, Vaca and Caracol Forest Reserves. Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) concluded their analysis and assessment report on these fires indicating that over 22,000 acres of land were affected by wildfires. Lockdown for Orange Walk Villages lifted The lockdown of the three northern villages has been officially lifted by the Government of Belize. The announcement came last night via a Statutory Instrument that signaled the lifting effective at midnight last night. PUP comments on the health sector The People's United Party (PUP) launched its health plan this morning via a virtual presentation led by the Leader of the Opposition, John Briceno. Prior to unveiling its plans for the health sector Briceno had interactions with several stakeholders in the sector including medical practitioners. Repairs ongoing at mile 38 Ten weeks ago we brought you the story of the portion of the George Price Highway at mile thirty eight that broke apart due to rains and flooding. Chaos at Elections and Boundaries The employee of Chon Saan Restaurant who was accused of having Covid-19 yesterday infront of the Elections and Boundaries Office on Cleghorn Street has come forward to the media defending his name. Breaking Belize News Man robbed at gunpoint in Belize City today A man was robbed whilst walking on the street in Belize City this afternoon. Dion [�] NBA playoff games postponed after planned boycott following Wisconsin unrest Photo Credit: The Stream The National Basketball Association (NBA) has postponed today's first-round playoff games [�] Consumer prices up by negligible 0.1 percent during month of July The Statistical Institute of Belize's (SIB)s latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) says that Belizeans paid [�] Belize's economy contracts by 23.3 % in second quarter; five consecutive quarters of GDP decline Belize's economy contracted by 23.3% in the second quarter of 2020 (ie. April to June [�] COVID-19 has claimed the lives of 11 victims in Belize The COVID-19 pandemic continues to claim lives around the world. As medical professionals grapple [�] Commissioner of Police takes food to Caye Caulker officers The Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams and Eastern Regional Commander Dr. Richard Rosado today visited [�] Health officials monitor 695 active cases of COVID-19 Health officials in Belize are currently monitoring 695 active cases of COVID-19 The country has [�] Ministry of Health confirms San Felipe resident died of COVID-19 Today, the Ministry of Health confirmed that San Felipe resident, Tely Cruz died as a [�] Ministry of Health: 30 new cases of COVID-19 identified The Ministry of Health informed that 30 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified. The [�] Sacred Heart College congratulates Precious Martinez for winning September celebrations theme contest Sacred Heart College congratulates Precious Martinez for winning September celebrations theme contest The Sacred Heart College Board of [�] Opposition experts discuss current health situation PUP leader John Briceno turned the microphone on a few of the party's health experts [�] Dr. Marco Tulio Mendez: "We need a Center for Disease Control" Former area representative for Orange Walk East and head of the PUP Working Committee on [�] People's United Party discusses #planBelize for Health Two weeks ago, the Opposition People's United Party (PUP) shared its vision and plans for [�] Pastor charged for stealing tools from Farmer's Trading Center Police have arrested and charged Roberto Ruiz, 49, pastor of San Ignacio for theft. Ruiz [�] US researchers find link between obesity and COVID-19 complications Researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC) say that they have discovered a link [�] Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 relief fund donates $20,000 to The Belize Zoo The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center has been proudly serving Belize for over 37 [�] Director of Health Services to update nation on COVID-19 today Today the Director of Health Services, Dr. Marvin Manzanero and the Deputy Director of Health [�] Marco weakens to Tropical Storm, Laura strengthens to hurricane After tearing through the Caribbean over the weekend, Hurricane Marco weakened to a Tropical Storm, [�] Amendments to State of Emergency regulations lift lockdown in Orange Walk villages Yesterday evening the Government of Belize issued Statutory Instrument Number 122 of 2020, amending the Belize [�] Blogs The Best of Belize's Island Getaways Getaway - defined in the dictionary as 'an art of escaping'. When I hear the word, I think of Belize's islands. Specifically, it's crystal clear Caribbean Sea, underwater adventures, the postcard-perfect beaches, and the laid-back lifestyle. And with over 200 islands dotting the Belize coastline, choosing which one may be the hardest bit of planning your getaway. Whether it's castaway camping atop a natural monument or lulled asleep in rustic overwater caba�as, there certainly is an island fit for every traveler's dream. The Difference in Cruising the Western Caribbean, like Belize For cruise fanatics, the Caribbean is the warm-weather option of choice. However, choosing where within the region's three divisions - Eastern, Western and Southern - can prove daunting when itinerary planning. If you're already looking forward to your next Caribbean cruise, here's the difference in cruising between the western and eastern Caribbean, so you can choose the destination that's best for you. A September to Remember: Celebrating Belize's 39th Independence Day In Belize, we're approaching an Independence Day that is far from traditional this 2020. Where some families might head out for an annual firework show, sandbar party, or even roadside Carnival march with friends, our "typical" plans are simply not possible this year. However, civic pride should never hinge on the celebratory activities, but solely on celebrating the month itself and the milestone achievements held within. Much akin to our current climate, Belize celebrates this September with the following national theme, thanks to Martinez, a thirteen-year-old second form student of Sacred Heart College in San Ignacio: International Sources Mexico to donate Mexican-made ventilators to 8 countries Mexico is not only making its own ventilators now to treat COVID-19 patients, it announced Wednesday that it will donate the machines to other countries. The foreign relations department said the Mexican ventilators would go to nations around the Caribbean. They include Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Guyana, Haiti, Santa Luc�a, Suriname, the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago. Another 51 machines are also now being donated to 14 states in Mexico. Running on empty? Emerging markets burn through reserves fighting virus LONDON (Reuters) - Reserves are running out for several emerging markets as governments from Belize to Zambia use up their financial firepower to fight the coronavirus crisis. The problem is particularly acute for those burning through reserves to tackle additional challenges, from sliding economies to a shortfall in commodity or oil revenues. Among the larger emerging markets, Turkey stands out, having seen its gross foreign exchange reserves nearly halve this year as it sought to defend its currency. The future of Belize at risk in the upcoming general election By Wellington C. Ramos According to the constitution of Belize, every five years the prime minister has the power vested in him or her to call general elections. The prime minister also has the power vested in him or her, to call the elections earlier if he or she chooses to do so and that has happened several times in the past. Most of the general elections that were held was between the two major political parties namely; the People's United Party (PUP) the oldest political party in Belize and the United Democratic Party (UDP), a party that emerged out of three political parties in 1973. Since Belize obtained its independence on September 21, 1981, this will be the ninth general election to be held. The UDP won in 1984, 1993, 2008, 2012 and 2015. The PUP won the elections in 1989, 1998 and 2003. Over 1,000 New COVID-19 Cases In One Day In 15 Caribbean Countries Fifteen countries in the Caribbean saw a combined 1,000 plus new COVID-19 cases Wednesday and some 37 deaths, a News Americas tally shows. The new cases were especially high in the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. The DR saw another 340 news cases yesterday as its total case load passed the 92,000 mark, while the country, the epicenter of the virus in the region, reported another 28 new deaths as its death toll past 1,600. Videos Belize - Global Leadership Adventures Service Trip, 3.5min. I got the chance to mentor a group of GLA students on a service leadership trip in Belize and it was a great time! Belize is such a cool place to travel and the people are awesome, I highly recommend! Statistical Institute of Belize Press Conference, 1hr20min. ROTARACT CLUB OF COROZAL DISTRIBUTES MASKS TO FRONT LINE WORKERS, 1min. In the spirit of our collective responsibility, the Rotaract Club Of Corozal distributed to our front line workers much needed masks as part of the Rotary Club of Belize "MaskupBz" project done in partnership with the Lord Ashcroft Covid-19 Fund Dr. Manzanero has a message, and it mentions asymptomatic cases, 1.5min. BELIZE SUNRISE, 5min. ROUTE TO CAYE CAULKER \| BELIZE, 1.5min. Boat ride