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Friday, March 5, 2021 AMANDALABelize Page 1 NO. 3443 BELIZE CITY, FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2021 (40 PAGES) $1.50 PUP crushes UDP in municipals BPP mayoral candidate out-polls UDP’s in PG by Kory Leslie(freelance writer) BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Mar. 4, 2021 Yesterday, voters in every municipality throughout the nation went to the polls to cast their votes, and mayors and councilors were elected across the country. After the votes were tallied, it was clear that the outcome was similar to the results of 2020’s general elections, with the People’s United Party (PUP) dominating the polls once more, securing sixty-five of the sixty-seven municipal seats. One Man killed COVID-19 update major difference between the recent during firefight Please turn to„Page 38 with police Gonzalo Rosado murdered (See story on page 37) PUP’s Elvia Vega- Samos wins Corozal Bay by-elections (See story on page 3) BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Mar. 4, 2021 In our last issue, we reported on Please turn to Page 37 SAN JOSE SUCCOTZ, Cayo the official launch of the Covid-19 „ District, Mon. Mar. 1, 2021 Unconfirmed reports are that a woman from Camalote has been detained in connection with the Li admits to multiple murder of 54-year-old Gonzalo Rosado, former manager of the land deals (See story on page 4) Please turn to„Page 37 Page 2 AMANDALABelize Friday, March 5, 2021 Mexican contrabandist shot by Belize police Commissioner Williams, in with other agencies; we always describing what happened next, said ensure that we protect each others’ that the driver, upon exiting the back,” Williams explained. vehicle, “picked up a machete and The driver of the van, later opened the door for the van” and identified as 40-year-old Freddy when the police told him to drop Pech of La Union, Mexico, was also the machete, he did not do so. At accompanied by his son, 19-year-old that point, said Williams, “an Emmerson Gonzalez, who was also officer fired one shot which caught detained for the charge of assault. him [the driver] in the buttocks.” Commissioner Williams said, “He According to Williams, the suspect punched one of the police in the face, is currently in a stable condition at causing severe swelling. So the son the Northern Regional Hospital, will be charged for assaulting the where he is receiving treatment. police. And Customs is currently “The police and Customs took taking an inventory of the items and possession of the van [that the they will deal with the issue of their suspect had been driving] and custom goods.” by Dayne Guy tried to stop the van. Upon seeing inside the van was fully loaded with Pech, according to police, had an the officers, the van sped off and assorted contraband goods,” said assortment of items inside the van, COROZAL DISTRICT, Mon. Mar. they ended up in a pursuit. Williams. including an outboard engine, which 1, 2021 Eventually, the van came to a stop This shooting raised a lot of the police suspect the detainee used Around 5:00 o’clock this near a curve and the driver was speculation among some members on a boat to cross the border. morning, police officers spotted a ordered out of the vehicle.” of the public, who are wondering Commissioner Chester Williams suspicious van at a checkpoint they According to Commissioner how the alleged contrabandist said, “The police still have that had set up along the Belize-Mexico Williams, the driver, after being could have been shot from behind responsibility of ensuring that we border. Commissioner of Police, ordered by police to exit the vehicle, if he had been approaching the maintain the integrity of our border Chester Williams said, “Officers did so with great reluctance. officer. Commissioner Williams, lines to prevent persons from however, has addressed those bringing contraband. And in addition doubts by explaining the Police to that, when we have people Department’s checkpoint protocol. engaging in contraband, it affects our Chebat on “I saw many experts on social local economy as well, because these media speaking about ‘how could goods are coming into the country vaccination rollout you shoot a man in the buttocks if without customs duties being paid. he is advancing towards you.’” And so the government is losing Williams said. “It was not one revenue. And then those persons who and the Moderna COVID-19 police. There were 4 police are bringing in goods, paying duties, vaccine, the recommendation officers and a customs officer and their items are not being sold as fast is to administer the two one of the things we normally do as they should, so that they can separate doses which are when we stop any vehicle is to continue to import. So stopping required for immunity, within ensure that we have the vehicle contraband doesn’t only help to 21 and 28 days, respectively. surrounded. Police officers on prevent the spread of COVID-19, but The Johnson and Johnson operations either with our own or it also helps our economy.” vaccine requires only one dose. On Saturday, the country will receive a batch of 25,000 Deputy DHS takes charge AstraZeneca vaccines from the Indian government. This is a part of a commitment BELIZE CITY, Tues. Mar. 2, made by India to donate 2021 500,000 Covid-19 vaccines Since the current Director to the Caribbean. Prime of Health Services (DHS), Minister John Briceño made Dr. Marvin Manzanero, was a formal request for a supply placed on administrative of these vaccines in early leave and the acting DHS at February, which was recently the time, Dr. Melissa Diaz- brokered by the Minister of Musa, vacated the office Foreign Affairs and approved and returned to her post as BELIZE CITY, Tues. Mar. 2, 2021 by India. Deputy Regional Manager, The Minister of Health and These vaccines will aid in continuing the Deputy Director of Wellness, Hon. Michel Chebat, has our vaccination campaign as we await Health Services, Dr. Francis informed the public that the first 1,000 the shipment from the COVAX facility. Murray, has had to take AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines It is expected that the vaccines which charge of some of the duties have been distributed for inoculation arrive will be used to cover the first and responsibilities of the of healthcare workers across the priority group, healthcare workers, office. During an interview country. On March 2 alone, 417 which according to Minister Chebat with local media, Minister healthcare workers received their first consist of around four to five thousand Michel Chebat stated that dose of the vaccine. persons countrywide. This means that Murray is the only Deputy According to the Minister of Health eight to ten thousand jabs will be DHS and is primarily responsible suspension only to find the locks on and Wellness, these persons will needed to fully immunize that entire for hospital services. his office door changed. When asked receive the second dose of the vaccine priority group of healthcare workers. “There’s always been one, and about these reports, Minister Chebat by the end of the month. This is, of And while the country is expecting that’s Dr. Francis Murray, and Dr. said that he does not want to course, if all goes as planned, and our the second batch of around 280,000 Murray is responsible for, really in “rehash” the Dr. Manzanero issue, first batch of 100,800 doses of doses, Minister Chebat shared that the charge of, all the hospital services adding that the Ministry has already COVID-19 vaccines is delivered from first shipment has been taking longer and so forth. He deals with all of expressed their position on the entire the COVAX facility. than they expected to arrive. The that, and now he’s been assigned situation. According to the Minister of Health allocation letter that government has some additional duties that the DHS For now, the Deputy Director of and Wellness, doses of the vaccines received is for the first batch of 100,800 would normally carry,” Hon. Chebat Health Services is the country’s lead can be administered within 12 weeks. jabs. At this time the country is still said. point person in the fight against the According to the FDA, for two waiting for the COVAX facility to Local media reported that Dr. coronavirus. This is until the issues vaccines authorized in the US, the indicate when the second shipment will Manzanero arrived at work after the surrounding the office of the DHS Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine be sent. end of his five-day administrative are resolved. Friday, March 5, 2021 AMANDALABelize Page 3 Portals opened for pre-registration for vaccines BELIZE CITY, Tues. Mar. 2, 2021 explained. The Minister of Health and He outlined that this will be the Wellness, Hon. Michel Chebat, has process undertaken for all five phases announced that a registration portal of our inoculation program. As has been opened so that persons in mentioned, healthcare workers are the vaccination priority groups can being vaccinated during the first phase begin entering their data and requests of the program, and while Minister for inoculation. Minister Chebat Chebat shared that the Ministry cannot shared that as a part of the Covid-19 force any individual to take the vaccination campaign, the Ministry vaccine, he said that he would hope will also be putting out calls through that they would lead by example. the media to the members of the “Well, we can’t force anybody to groups whose time for vaccination take the vaccine, but we would hope has come.