Feb 5, 2021
Corozal Free Zone Successfully Reopens!
Shifting from crime to economic recovery…As we showed you on Monday, the Corozal Free Zone reopened for business after being closed for ten months. Some eight hundred persons were employed, under strict COVID-19 protocols. Minister of Agriculture, Abelardo Mai, who sits on the inter-ministerial committee that plans and reviews COVID-19 protocols for the Corozal Free Zone, says that he has some small concerns. But, he knows that the measures are working. There was mass testing of the employees over the weekend and the results detected four COVID-positive persons.
Abelardo Mai, Minister of Enterprise
On Monday, February 1, the Corozal Free Zone officially opened after being closed for the better part of 10 months. Over the weekend before the opening, the Ministry of Health went into hyper drive to do testing of Belizean employees and businessmen who will be operating out of the zone. Chief Executive Officer Neri Martinez has said that of those persons who took the rapid tests none came out positive.
The lack of positivity in the tests is encouraging for Belize; however, the nature of the Zone is that it caters specifically to Mexicans. Currently, Mexico has registered one of the highest death tolls in the world at almost 160 thousand. There is now growing concerns that while there may be some control of the spread of the virus in Belize, with the reopening of the zone it is as if the government is once again opening the flood gates to the virus.
Feb 1, 2021
Corozal Free Zone Reopens to Snaking Lines
The Corozal Free Zone reopened for business today following ten months of closure. Discussions about reopening had started soon after the general elections, and there was collaborative planning to ensure area could open for much-needed business in the safest way possible. But when the gates opened today, it was not without its kinks. There were long snaking lines of Belizeans trying to get into the zone for work and lines of Mexicans ready to conduct businesses. News Five’s Duane Moody was there for day-one of business and files this report.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Since coming into opposition following the 2020 General Elections, the United Democratic Party Leader and current Leader of the Opposition Hon. Patrick Faber formed a slate to make up a Shadow Cabinet and Opposition spokespersons. They are now the persons responsible to hold the current administration to their word and to ensure that they are acting legally and within the best interest of the country. While they meet on a weekly basis, since the November election, the first public proclamation from members of the Shadow Cabinet and Opposition spokespersons was held on Thursday, January 21, 2021 when Hon. Patrick Faber expressed that it is his and the party’s opinion that the PUP is not acting in the country’s best interest in some areas. Some of their actions so far have not been productive to the country’s development.