Belize has COVID-19 under control, but do Belizeans have it under control?

We were all aware that the entire world would shut down due to the pandemic that is COVID-19, and Belize has been no different. The country received its first case on the 23rd of March 2020, and immediate precautions were taken. Ambergris Caye went into a State of Emergency Mode. As the cases continued to spike, the rest of the country followed. Restrictions, curfews and strict guidelines were placed to keep everyone safe, and people followed it… for the most part.  

Fast forward to June, the lockdown was lifted, BUT restrictions remained the same; wear a mask in public, hand washing stations, remain six feet apart and so forth. Now, for larger institutions, corporations, or businesses, these restrictions were doable, and smaller spaces could adjust to maintain proper rules and regulations. However, for public transportation, this was a challenge. The buses, boats and cargo planes changed their travelling schedules to accommodate the restrictions. Buses claimed to practice social distancing, provide sanitation guidelines, and required that masks be worn inside the vehicle.

I took my first modes of public transportation on the 26th of June 2020, after all the lockdowns and curfews were lifted. I was visiting my second home in Caye Caulker for the first time since March. Needless to say, public transportation in Belize is always a pain, but with these new schedules, it was worse than I feared. I arrived at the Belmopan Bus Terminal at 2 pm sharp to catch the supposed 2:15 express to Belize City. To my horrid surprise, the bus left at 2 pm sharp! The pain of the regulations was already starting to ache. I was told by one of the terminal’s staff that once the bus filled up with passengers, they would just leave. The next express bus would be in an hour and a half – I could not wait that long, the last boat to Caye Caulker was to leave at 4:30 pm – time was of the essence. I stood around waiting aimlessly while maintaining a video conference with my girls at HENBelize via zoom (multitasking aided the anxiety bubbling inside).

While on call, I observed my surroundings, and I had to chuckle at my situation in this public place. No one was practising social distancing, barely anyone was wearing a mask, and if they were, they did not cover their noses (this is a pet-peeve for another time). It became abundantly clear that regulations had become subjective. HA! Nonetheless, I maintained my distance, wore my mask and purelled as if my life depended on it… because it kinda did!

After a measly 45 minutes, a bus came strolling in… a REGULAR bus. If you are not familiar with the way our bus system works in Belize here’s an overview: 

Express buses take roughly an hour and 15 minutes to reach, depending on their destination. Regular buses take FOREVER!!! 

Before me was a moment of swift contemplation: Do I wait another half hour for an express bus that MIGHT get me in with just a sliver of time to reach the boat, or do I play with faith and take the only bus parked in the terminal? Eh, I like to live on the edge, so I took my chances with the regular bus. Now, this experience was one that I struggled with, not because it was mortifying, but because it was hilarious. The bus parked at the terminal and everyone exited, even if Belmopan was not their final stop, I observed with keen curiosity. The conductor took out a bottle of green liquid and began spraying the seats and the floor. He went back and forth twice performing this ritual, then signalled for the previous passengers (some with masks, others without) to go back inside, while spraying their hands with the same green liquid as they boarded. It was then our turn to board. Again, no social distancing, same old shoving and pushing to get on an EXTREMELY EMPTY bus. I was sprayed with what I came to realize was diluted ethanol. I found an empty seat, propped my travel bag beside me and waited. Inside the bus, people decided that the space was impenetrable to COVID-19. Therefore, their masks were no longer needed, and they also did not need to maintain social distancing. The bus was almost full when we took off. 

The upside to this bus ride? It did not take a million years! In fact, I got to the boat just in time! There were a few hiccups here and there; taxi drivers not wearing masks and people still shoving and pushing to catch their transportation on time. But, people are not travelling as much, so the bus did not take as long because it had no one to pick up along the way. Granted, I took an afternoon bus. This may be different for people clocking out of work at 4:30 or 5 in the evening. But for this ride, it was smooth sailing.

The boat ride was a different ball game, and maybe it was because I boarded the last boat to the Cayes, but it was a disaster all on its own. People were buying tickets at 4:30 pm, and the boat was already packed, saturated, sardine-tinned if you will. No one else should have been allowed to board. NOPE! They fit every single person on that last boat. I was amazed! The people who were there on time were rightfully complaining. Social distancing was not being followed, masks were not mandated, and people were literally being stuffed against one another to make space. Again, I was masked, put on my jacket – because paranoia is real – and purelled like the wind. We took off! 

With all these people on the boat, one would think that the Cayes would be packed with people (I cannot speak for San Pedro, this is strictly about Caye Caulker), but they were not. Caye Caulker was a real ghost town compared to even the low tourist season. This village on the sea practised the rules and regulations of COVID-19. It was impressive: everyone wore a mask, every business institution that was open had a washing station with opening regulations. I even visited the bank. There were glass panels in front of all the loans officers, and everyone inside was wearing a mask. People were on the beachside with their masks, and there were checkpoints on the main avenue to maintain these regulations. Needless to say, Caye Caulker had their shit together. 

The ride back home was an easier experience since I already knew what to expect. That made life easier: wore my mask, practised distancing even though others were not, and purell became a verb. 

This blog post is not to create a negative view of how the average Belizean is handling COVID-19. It is just to raise awareness based entirely on observation alone. Many Belizeans abide by the regulations and are concerned about their health, but we can always do better. 

Why is all of this relevant? Because Belize is not fully equipped to track community spreading. Our cases are increasing and a small population like our needs to be able to contain it, therefore, bending the rules just to be comfortable during the time of a pandemic is not going to be helpful to our cause as a population. With our cases rising, our schools have been mandated to stay closed until further notice and our airports will remain closed as well, we need to practice these rules and regulations for ourselves! 

Stay safe and purell like the wind!!!

Written by: April Martinez