Postponement of Border Reopening Met with Mixed Reviews

Meredith Kelly

G.O.B.’s announcement on the postponement of the opening of land borders and sea ports has been met with mixed reviews. On our News Five social media page, followers were up in arms, expressing their frustration and discontent with the decision made on the advice of the COVID-19 Advisory Committee. So today, we took to the streets of Belize City to get some live reactions. Contrary to those Facebook viewers, we found majority are in favour of the borders remaining closed. 

Meredith Kelly, Belize City Resident

“I happy cause I noh think. Well dehn say, we have to learn to live with the pandemic. And I could understand that, but this point when the omicron deh out and we noh know what it is all about yet. So to open the border to me would be a disaster. So for me, I miss Chetumal and Melchor, but to me, my life comes first.”

Jakema Moreira

Jakema Moreira, Dangriga Resident

“There is a reason why they are not opening it up because there is a new variant so we just have to wait it out.”

Duane Moody

“Did you anticipate going because I know a lot of people have been saying that they miss going across the border?”

Jakema Moreira

“Yeah, I do miss it, but I wasn’t in a rush to go. I want to wait until things calm down before I go so I am good with it.”

Shamira Neal

Shamira Neal, Resident

“It doesn’t really affect me honestly. I had no intentions of travelling right now especially in this pandemic. I have an autoimmune disease so the border is off for me right now.”

Resident

“It really frustrating honestly because yo deh ina Belize all day, all week, everything. Yo want get out and take wah lee circle because ah yo family. But I guess we stuck.”

Duane Moody

“What do you miss the most about the fact that you can’t go across the border?”

Resident

“Freedom that dah weh yo miss. Yo just feel restricted now. Ih feel like dehn really hold yo down and dehn got yo and you cannot move. That’s the most thing yo know.”