Belize’s Land Borders to Re-open on February 7th 2022

February 4, 2022
by Larry Waight +

You just might want to lift up that mattress and check whether your passport is still there and that all is in order because the countdown to the reopening of Belize’s land borders has officially commenced and according to the Ministry of Health and Wellness, no further delays are expected at this point.

The Minister of Health Kevin Bernard confirmed earlier this week that the reopening date which has been set for February 7th still remains in place. That means that in three days’ time, only persons who have gotten two doses of their vaccine will be allowed entry or exit through the official border crossings. In his interview, the minister also clarified that Belizeans will be given the chance to show their vaccination card as proof of vaccination or will be given the option of utilizing the ministry’s online app to access their vaccination status.

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While Bernard told us that a Statutory Instrument (SI), which would lay out the regulations in detail will be released before the end of this week, he revealed that instead of remaining open 24 hours, as was the case prior to the pandemic, the borders will only be opened from 6:00 am to 10:00 p.m. Furthermore anyone who intends to stay more than 24 hours across the border will need to undergo a rapid test prior to their entry back into the country.

In a separate interview given to the media, Prime Minister John Briceno also revealed that anyone who tests positive upon their return back to the country and who is utilizing buses as a mode of transportation will not be allowed back on board. Rather they will be given an alternative to be transported back home via a private vehicle or a gold standard bus approved by the Belize Tourism Board (BTB).

The reopening of borders, which have been closed for almost two years, was officially scheduled to occur on January 1st, 2022, however, due to it coinciding with the reopening of schools that date was pushed back to February 1st, 2022. The second reopening date was later rolled back to February 7th, so that the newly installed Minister of Health Kevin Bernard would have time to meet with his technical team to finalize the health protocols that would allow for a smooth and safe transition.