Numerous persons were hurt in a road traffic incident that happened in the area of the Jacinto Bridge in the Toledo District. Medical Emergency teams arrived on the scene and had taken persons that was injured to the nearest hospital. We will more details on this developing story.
Belmopan. September 4, 2020. 2:15 p.m.
The Ministry of National Security is currently engaged in an all-out search in the area between Machaquila and San Jose, Hawaii for a missing member of a joint BDF/Police Border Patrol.
On September 3, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. the patrol commander reported that PC Bernard Ical did not arrive at the rendezvous point in San Jose, Hawaii along with the remainder of the patrol.
For their safety, the patrol was recalled from Machaquila due to the pending threat of Hurricane Nana. According to the patrol commander, PC Ical had gone ahead of the rest of the patrol around 10:00 a.m. on September 2nd. The remainder left shortly after; however, they did not catch up with him and upon arriving at San Jose, Hawaii around midnight, they realised that he did not arrive at that location. The patrol waited until 8:00 a.m. expecting that PC Ical would show up. Thereafter, they reported that he was missing.
Search parties comprising of BDF, including the BDF Air Wing, and police have been deployed, and Guatemalan counterparts have been notified in case he may have mistakenly wandered into Guatemala.Ends
This morning in Belmopan police prevented market vendors from setting up shop at a new facility that went up from the Social Security headquarters.
The Belmopan City Council says that the market project has not yet concluded the procedures to obtain a trade license, as required by law.
It notes that the site is being promoted as an alternative to the current market day location.
The vendors say they started to lose money, and so, they were contacted by the private landowner, David Zabaneh, to re-locate to his family land situated right next door from the Social Security Board and the Civic Center. Based on the City Council, Zabaneh must apply for a license to use his family property designated as the new market place.
When the vendors came and start setting up their shop this morning, police came and deterred them from selling their goods and services.
Tropical Storm Nana Continues Westward with Little Change in Strength
At 6:00 am Tropical Storm Nana was located near latitude 17.1N, longitude 83.7W or about 305 miles East of Belize City. Maximum sustained winds were near 60 mph and the system was moving west at 18 mph. A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch is in effect for the entire coastline of Belize. Tropical Storm Nana is expected to become a hurricane by tonight and the hurricane watch will likely be upgraded to a warning. The National Meteorological Service of Belize continues to closely monitor this system and urges the public to make the necessary preparations for the passage of this storm and stay informed with official information issued by the NMS and NEMO.
At 3:00 am Tropical Storm Nana was located near latitude 17.0N, longitude 82.7W or about 365 miles East of Belize City. Maximum sustained winds were near 60 mph and the system was moving west at 18 mph. A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch is in effect for the entire coastline of Belize. Tropical Storm Nana is expected to become a hurricane by tonight and the hurricane watch will likely be upgraded to a warning. The National Meteorological Service of Belize continues to closely monitor this system and urges the public to make the necessary preparations for the passage of this storm and stay informed with official information issued by the NMS and NEMO.
TROPICAL STORM NANA APPROACHING BELIZE EXPECTED TO BECOME A HURRICANE BEFORE LANDFALL
TUESDAY, 1ST SEPTEMBER, 2020 as at 4:30 PM
The National Meteorological Services of Belize and the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO)advise that Tropical Storm Nana was located near latitude 16.8N, longitude 79.3W or about 590 miles east of Belize City. Nana was moving to the west at 18mph with maximum sustained winds of 50mph. Nana is forecast to continue moving west and to make landfall on Thursday as a category one hurricane. Residents across the country should be prepared for category 1 hurricane force winds between 74 and 95 mph. This system could also produce rainfall of up to 4-6 inches across the country which could lead to flash flooding and possible landslides. The NMS of Belize will continue to monitor the system and update the NEMO and the general public accordingly. The public must monitor the progress of this system but do not panic!
NEMO hereby declares a HURRICANE WATCH for Belize (one red flag with a black centre), Belize City, and the Cayes are under a Tropical Strom WARNING. The Warning is declared as the system path puts those areas under direct threat. Associated heavy rains can cause flooding, washout roads, bridges, culverts, winds can damage homes, trees branches, power lines and poles, loose items can be blown about and storm surge can cause flooding, drowning and beach vessels not securely moored. The next declaration is expected to be a Hurricane Warning (two red flag with a black centre flown one above the other) which means it is imminent that the Hurricane will make landfall on Belize within 24 hours.
The WARNING means the public must put their family emergency plan into action and to be prepared to seek safe shelter, (2) school management is notified that NEMO will need to access schools as shelters, (3) boat owners must secure their vessels, (4) a price freeze is in effect (5) public and private essential agencies and utility companies must release their employees when they need to seek shelter for their safety, (6) road infrastructure works need to be prioritized to maintain the lines of communication and (7) media houses and telephone service providers are advised to be prepared to secure your communication infrastructure.
All Emergency Operations Centre (Command Centres) countrywide is under partial activation. A joint NEMO Headquarters, national committees’ liaison officers and NEMO district coordinators virtual meeting was held. The meeting dealt with PPEs for public officers, human resource requirements, transportation for national committees, COVID 19 concerns and public health requirements in shelters, possible evacuation, shelter plan, mile 38 situation on the George Price Highway which is being addressed, acquisition of small equipment, sharing of certain standard information, the national needs list, BDF deployment in support to NEMO.
overnment ministries are at this time is in transition where only essential staff engaged in the ministry emergency plan and those who will work NEMO duties should return to work tomorrow or as directed by their CEO in accordance with their ministry emergency plan.We are asking people not to panic, stay calm, don’t listen to rumours. Stay tuned for and adhere to the official release from NEMO and the National Met Service and stay alert. Prepare, and move without alarm, scare mongering does more harm than good considering some people’s medical condition. NEMO will keep the general public updated. Do not panic Belize we have faced tropical cyclones many times before, the bigger threat is COVID 19 we must wear our masks, social distance and clean our hands and all surfaces on a regular basis.
This is our data for today.
A total of 317 samples were processed today.
We have 43 new cases with distribution in districts as follows:
Cayo – 5 (3 in San Ignacio, 1 in Belmopan, 1 in San Jose Succotz)
Belize – 6 (3 San Pedro, 2 in Belize City, 1 Caye Caulker)
Corozal – 10 (4 Xaibe, 4 Libertad, 1 Concepcion, 1 Corozal Town)
Orange Walk – 22 (4 in Orange Walk Town, San Felipe and San Jose; 2 in San Estevan and Trial Farm; 1 each in Santa Martha, Guinea Grass, Trinidad and Nuevo San Juan and 2 from repatriation process)
We have 40 recovered cases.
Please continue to remain safe and as preparedness plans are set into place for Tropical Storm nana, we must remain vigilant in terms for COVID-19 as well.”
The shooting took place yesterday evening in the Trench town section of San Ignacio, Cayo District, has left one guy dead and another male in the hospital. 29-year-aged Joshua Villas had been together with Anthony Tzul when a lone gunman fired a multiple shot at them. Villas succumbed to his injuries and Tzul was transported to the KHMH where he’s being treated.
Twenty-two year aged Joaquin Perez Jr, is the casualty in Orange Walk’s most recent homicide. The initial report is that briefly just before 1 o’clock, on Tuesday, September 1st, Pérez armed with a machete reportedly decided to chase a male person who was riding on a bicycle on Royal Palm Street inside the Louisiana area of Orange Walk Town. In accordance with details collected, the individual apparently got off the bike and a scuffle ensued between him and Pérez.
Pérez was stabbed several times. Pérez was rushed to the Northern Regional Medical center where he passed away while undertaking treatment.
The Other individual fled from the scene, but supposedly the authorities, track down him afterwards, and he’s now in police custody.
Belmopan. August 31, 2020. 5:10 p.m.
The Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation hereby provides an update on the COVID-19 case at the Dorothy Menzies Child Care Center (DMCCC).
The resident of the DMCCC whose COVID-19 test yielded a positive result has completed the second test and the result is negative. The child is doing well physically and is engaged in counselling. The Ministry of Health has advised that the contact tracing result is inconclusive.
The remaining 21 residents of the DMCCC were swabbed by the Ministry of Health and the results were negative for COVID-19. The psychological health of the other children in the facility is also being monitored by counselors from the Belize City Community Counseling Center.
Ten members of the DMCCC staff were also swabbed by the Ministry of Health and their results were negative. The selection of the staff to be swabbed was determined by the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation thanks those individuals who responded at short notice to cover the shifts of the staff who were in quarantine and awaiting their test results.
The Ministry is appreciative of the entire staff of the DMCCC who worked tirelessly to care for the children. Even with all the uncertainties and fears that COVID-19 presents, the staff continues to be responsive and vigilant in the execution of their duties to ensure the safety, well-being, and protection of the children.The Ministry reminds the media and the public to be considerate and respect the privacy of the children placed at the DMCCC to minimize any further traumatic effects on them.
Ends
