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Belize to Add New Wreck Dive at Turneffe Marine Reserve
The submersion of a 375-foot concrete ship, The Wit Concrete, donated by ASR-BSI, will become Belize’s largest wreck dive and reef enhancement project to be located at Blackbird Caye, within the Soldier Caye Conservation Zone in the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve. The announcement was made on Monday, August 30, 2021, by the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA), in collaboration with Blackbird Caye Resort and Blue Finance with support from the Ministry of Blue Economy & Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Tourism & Diaspora Relations.
Belize Hosts Sunrise Yoga Session Atop Empire State Building
Belize City, Belize August 26th, 2021: As part of its strategic marketing efforts to heighten consideration and awareness for Belize, highlighting wellness tourism, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) secured an opportunity to collaborate with the Empire State Building in celebration of National Wellness Month.
KV Foundation Assists Students Back to School
Twenty-two-year-old Kyrone Rene Vasquez, a local bodybuilder and personal trainer, has taken upon himself to assist his community in any way he can. With the establishment of the KV Foundation, this year he has managed to assist four students as they go back to school.
Celebrity Spotting: John Ortiz Vacations in San Pedro
Latin-American Actor and director John Ortiz was spotted vacationing in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize last week. Fan photos on social media show Ortiz at the Mata Chica Resort and on a diving trip where he celebrates becoming an officially certified scuba diver. John Ortiz is known for his antagonist role as Arturo Braga in Fast & Furious (2009) and Fast & Furious 6 (2013), including rolls in Carlito’s Way, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, American Gangster, Kong: Skull Island and Bumblebee.
Belize Receives First Shipment of 111,150 Doses of Pfizer Vaccine
The Government of Belize received a shipment of the 111,150 doses of the Pfizer COVID19 vaccine early this morning, August 18, 2021. The shipment arrived on the 8:03a.m. FedEx Express Cargo flight at the Phillip Goldson International Airport. This is the first tranche of an expected larger donation from the United States Government to the Government of Belize through the Caribbean Public Health Agengy (Carpha) and CARICOM. Belize is one of the first countries receiving this vaccine from among fifteen CARICOM member states through this partnership.
Town Council Expresses Concern Over Sir Barry Bowen Bridge
The San Pedro Town Council has issued a release expressing deeps concerns over the safety of the Sir Barry Bowen Bridge at Boca del Rio. The Council stressed that the bridge must be urgently and extensively repaired, plus there is the need for an additional new structure to accommodate the volume and size of traffic that supports life and economic livelihood between the two parts of our town
Miss San Pedro Pageant To Go Virtual for 2021
Like a majority of events in this COVID era, the Miss San Pedro Pageant has announced that its pageant show will take place virtually, broadcasted on its Facebook platform on September 9, 2021. During a Facebook Live session on Wednesday, August 11, at Ramon’s Village, the Miss San Pedro Pageant held a Sponsor & Delegate reveal virtual show! It was here that the six delegates for this year’s pageant were announced and officially presented with their sponsor sash. Miss San Pedro 2019-2020 Litzy Castillo was present during the reveal and sashing presentation.
Carnival Vista Arrives in Belize with COVID Positive Cases
BELIZE CITY, BELIZE, Wednesday, August 11th, 2021: Belize received the Carnival Vista today with 2895 guests and 1441 crew on board. As per the normal protocol, upon submission of the Maritime Declaration by the ship in anticipation of its call to Belize the ship reported that it had on board 27 positive cases, 26 of which were crew members and 1 passenger.
Multiple COVID-19 Variants Identified in Belize Including Delta
Belmopan. August 10, 2021 - The Ministry of Health & Wellness through its partnership with Baylor College of Medicine has detected variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Belize. From a total of 81 persons diagnosed COVID-19 positive for whom SARS-CoV-2 sequencing was done, these are the findings. Sixty-one or 75.31% of the samples tested negative for any of the variants of concern (VOC) or variants of interest but 20 or 24.69% of the samples tested positive for variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Miss Belize Earth 2021 Announced, Aarti Sooknandan
Aarti Sooknandan was officially sashed as the new Miss Earth Belize 2021 on Sunday, August 8, 2021 via a virtual press conference on the Miss Earth Belize Facebook Page. Aarti is a Commercial Model for “Monster Energy” “Circle K”, Clothing line such as Cupshe Bikinis, “Astoria Active Wear” and Brand Ambassador for “Digicel Belize’ to name a few and excellent at multitasking.
Arsonist Lights Golf Cart on Fire Next to Elvi's Kitchen
One man is in police custody today as he was caught lighting a golf cart on fire in downtown San Pedro. The incident took place shortly after 9p.m. curfew on Saturday, August 7, 2021. A surveillance camera showed evidence of a man walking away from a parked golf cart adjacent to Elvi’s Kitchen right after he ignited it with a can of WD40 lubricant.
Belize Requires Negative Covid Test for All Travelers
Belize City, Belize, Thursday, August 5th, 2021: Effective Monday, August 9th, 2021 all travelers, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, entering Belize from other countries will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test. All travelers entering Belize at the Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA) will be required to present a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken within 96 hours of travel or a negative result from any approved Antigen Rapid Test taken within 48 hours of travel.
Price of Flour Not Going Up, as Rumored
The Supplies Control Unit (SCU) of the Belize Bureau of Standards has received reports of an increase in the price of wheat flour countrywide. The SCU advises the public that there has been no change to the controlled price for Bebe Agua and La Gitana flour in the marketplace. Such change would require discussions with the Belize ADM (flour mill) and an approval by the Government of Belize. The reports of flour price increase above the controlled prices are, therefore, not substantiated.
Scholarship Students Excel Under Caye Education Foundation Program
Island-based Caye Education Foundation (CEF) non-profit organization celebrates its success after its scholarship support program at San Pedro High School yielded this year’s Valedictorian and Salutatorian from the Class of 2021; including seven of the ten students that graduated with honors. The foundation aims to guide and help the students so they could successfully graduate.
Frontier Airlines To Start Non-Stop Belize From Denver and Orlando
Belize City, Belize, Tuesday, July 27th, 2021: The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) welcomes the announcement by Frontier Airlines on the start of a non-stop service to Belize from Denver, Colorado and Orlando, Florida beginning on December 11, 2021. The service, which will be offered initially only on Saturdays, will be year-round with the potential for additional growth in the future.
Milestone: Marie Sharp’s Export Pepper Sauces to Israel
A huge milestone, Marie Sharp’s Fine Foods, a Belizean- owned and operated company focused on the development of Belize’s finest hot sauces, announced today that their first ever shipment of Marie Sharp’s Mango Pepper Sauce, Marie Sharp’s Hot Nopal Green Habanero Pepper Sauce and Marie Sharp’s Original Hot Sauce has been exported to Israel. This first shipment of “hot” cargo will arrive in Israel around the third week in August for distribution.
No Lockdown Yet as Belize Braces for Next Possible COVID Wave
Island social activities and events have been cancelled for the time being and national curfew hours will be extended soon. This was announced this morning during the Reef TV Morning Show by San Pedro Mayor Wally Nuñez and Area Representative Belize Rural South and Minister of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation, Hon. Andre Perez. Both Mayor and the Minister were special guests of the morning show to discuss the COVID-19 situation in San Pedro Town. All indications point towards Belize moving into a third wave of the pandemic as cases continue to rise.
Belize Brewing Co. To Export Smirnoff Ice to Caribbean
Starting in July 2021, Belize Brewing Company (BBCo) will produce Smirnoff Ice in Belize for local consumption and for export to several Caribbean Countries. This undertaking expands BBCo’s relationship with Diageo, a global leader in beverage alcohol with an impressive collection of over 200 brands, including Johnnie Walker®, Smirnoff®, Baileys®, and many others. Over thirty years ago, Diageo entrusted BBCo with the production of Guinness FES and later added the distribution of imported Smirnoff Ice, a Ready-To-Drink (RTD) beverage that is enjoyed across the world.
Hol Chan Marine Reserve Enforcement Activities
The Hol Chan Marine Reserve stepped up its enforcement activities by conducting a total of seventeen (17) random joint patrols along with the Belize Fisheries Department, Police Department, and the Belize Coast Guard over the three-week period. This was in conjunction with the closing of the Queen Conch season and the opening of the Lobster Season.
Belize Tourism Board Launches Travel Belize App
BELIZE CITY, Belize, July 13th , 2021: The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) has launched the Travel Belize App which provides a new immersive experience allowing travelers to curate their perfect Belize getaway before even stepping foot in the country. It's an interactive, digital tool that creates a personalized vacation experience.