Belize removes all public health measures for entry

July 19, 2022
by belizehubstaff +

Belize Remove All Remaining COVID Entry Requirements for Tourist

Traveling to the tiny Central American Country of Belize has never been easier in a post-pandemic world as the Government has recently announced the lifting of all its remaining COVID entry requirements with immediate effect.

The major changes to travel requirements for tourists were made last week during a meeting of Cabinet heads and were later announced on July 14th. It reads,” Cabinet approved the removal of all public health measures at all points of entry.”

The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) advised tourists that the changes can be found via statutory Instrument No.100 of 2022. The BTB said, “proof of vaccines or a negative COVID-19 test is no longer required upon arrival and for entry into Belize at all official border points (land and sea).

About the mandatory travel insurance, the BTB explained that while it is no longer mandatory to purchase travel insurance before arrival in the country it is still being encouraged as an added layer of protection against incurred medical and nonmedical expenses as Belize continues to grapple with COVID infections across the country. Travelers are also being reminded of the turmoil in the air travel industry where flight cancellations and delays are becoming the new norm.

The BTB however is asking that tourist continues to abide by previous regulations that required them to book their stays at Gold Standards Hotel which were previously approved by the BTB. These Gold Standards properties have been cleared by the BTB as meeting the required health and safety regulations to keep their guests safe and can be found on the BTB’s website.

Additionally, the changes have also scrapped-departure testing for both the vaccinated and unvaccinated as well as post-arrival quarantine irrespective of immunization status.

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Belize Minister of Health and Wellness Kevin Bernard after two years into the pandemic has decided that it is now time for the tourism-dependent nation to move into a new era where everyone has a personal responsibility to ensure their safety as well as that of their loved ones. That means that the public as well as visitors to the country are now free to choose whether or not they want to wear masks, get vaccinated, or practice social distancing in public spaces.

“It is now everyone’s responsibility to decide whether they want to be vaccinated or not,” said Bernard. He says that with weaker variants of covid circulating in the country and the majority of countries jumping on the reopening trend the time has come for Belize to join them in taking the pressure off its health system as well as ease up the requirements at the borders.

The new changes are expected to boost tourism arrivals in the country even more as tourists have been flocking to destinations such as Belize for revenge travel after two years of constantly changing health and quarantine measures.