Belmopan Market Vendors Moved to Create COVID Vaccination Site

According to Mayor Palacio, the Council also took a loss when it had to give up revenues from the spaces it once rented to vendors near the centre of Belmopan. Those public spaces are now being used by the Ministry of Health as COVID testing sites. There was some pushback initially, but now Mayor Palacio said it’s all part of an effort for the greater good.

Sheran Palacio

Sheran Palacio, Belmopan Mayor

“There was a controversy because they heard that we were relocating them to the Devon Beaton Field but the residents came up in arms and I remember vividly what happened the last time, so I quickly sat with my City Administrator and my Finance Manager and we decided we were deploying them to the Show Grounds. That was a no-no. Nobody wants to the Show Grounds, so at the end, they all went to the Zabaneh’s market place and I haven’t heard a word of complaint. We had to accommodate the testing for COVID, so we’ve given up our Civic Centre; we’ve given up where the market was and all that was – we’re losing income but we call that collaboration.”