BELMOPAN, Belize (CMC) — The United States says it is disappointed that Belize had refused a couple, including a woman suspected of having the Ebola virus, from disembarking from a cruise ship and using the Phillip Goldson International Airport (PGIA) to be flown back to the United States.
“…we’re disappointed by this. We think it could have been handled differently. Decisions like these need to be made based on information and science and not fear, even though we know this is a very serious disease, serious threat,” said Marie Harf, US State Department deputy spokesperson.
“The ship is on its way back to Galveston, Texas right now. It is expected to dock on Sunday and obviously we’ll be giving any care to this individual that is needed and we’ll keep having the conversations with countries if something like this arises again,” she added.
But Prime Minister Dean Barrow held on to his administration’s position that he would not be putting the lives of Belizeans at risk.
“I stuck to my line which was that in the circumstances we couldn’t take any chances,” he said, noting that US Secretary of State John Kerry had also urged his administration to rethink its position.
“He did ask whether I would consider, whether I would explore the possibility of their sending a helicopter that would land on the deck of the cruise ship and then take the two passengers straight across to the PGIA.
“In other words he thought that an option could be explored that would mean that no Belizean would come into any kind of contact with these passengers. I said well have your people tell us what would be the logistics of that.”
Barrow said that the option was not feasible because Belizean nationals would still be engaged and adding that in the circumstances he was convinced that his original position would remain “because I could not let the circumstances be possible to do what the Americans were asking without exposing some Belizeans to some degree of risk”.
The unidentified woman is a known lab technician who may have had contact with fluids from Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan, who died earlier this month after contracting the virus for which there is no known cure. She had been exposed to his body for at least 18 days.
The woman and her companion were on the cruise ship, Carnival Magic that sailed into Belize Thursday night. They had allowed themselves to be isolated while on the cruise.
A number of Caribbean countries have since banned nationals from Libera, Sierra Leone and Guinea from visiting their shores.
I don’t blame Belize one bit..protect yuh citizen
US fi guh chuckoff!!!!!!!!!!!
Prime Minister Dean Barrow….I commend your valiant effort in standing yuh grung. Dem ah guh set up embargo gainst yuh, suh mek sure yuh friendship tun up wid Cuba cah dem knoe how fi survive terrorist USA. As tuh di USA…read weh Triston seh :travel
But why dese people insist fi tek people fi Claffy…di same helicopter weh land pon Carnival deck, wha mek it caan fly dem straight back ah Merica…mek dem waan guh through di people dem deestent airport? :bingung I smell a rat….
America want fi promote “sharing is caring” with Ebola. I read someplace where someone said it’s a return to sender virus and I believe it. America love export dem things without a return slip 😀
Same way PP :thumbup:
PP, and what them fe share dem doe want share; free up some bailout money mek everybody afford fe live ah kip unu Ebola tuh unuself…
A America Citizen a idiot fi guh pon cruise knowing her possible situation…very selfish an only think bout themselves. If a belizean caught the ebola, would the USA give them a visa let alone let them come get some a dem sample Zmapp vaccine?
lololol…….Right on! Remember they were planning to prosecute the Liberian if and when he recovered! lolol
Belize sey hell no and so it go…Mexico say no and so it go.
I wonder what would happen if the people commenting was one of the sick passengers on the cruise. Better still, I hope the Belizeans realize that the US has the option of not offering aid to their country in the future when their tiny island has severe hurricanes or other natural disaster. They could refuse any further issuance of visas or any time of forign aid. Bad decision.
Oh please! Why u j’cas are so afraid of the U.S? Because ur a tiny Island that doesn’t mean your sopose to bow down to America. America is not the only country that offer aid when disaster strikes. Bad “decision” for you, good decision for the citizens of Belize.
HoneyBee, not all Jamaicans. Belize sey US fi phuck and chuck off!
Anon…people aren’t really rushing to America anymore regardless of what the white wing believes…Belize could give 2 shit. Mexico decline to why not include them in your argument? lol They could give 2 shit too.
Huh? I couldn’t DISAGREE with you more. Belize is a third world country with limited capacity to treat or contain Ebola. Check out the country GDP. See also the number of Hospital and medical professionals capable of handling Ebola. If any of their citizens acquired Ebola it has the potential to spread quickly and devastate the entire island. Denying entry is the only answer and the Minister use wisdom in saying so. I wish more leaders possessed and exercised such good judgement.
p.s. The lives of people are not for sale. Not for Visa nor IMF and their high interest loan under the guise natural disaster relieve. Please
People weh sick nuh waan nobady else get sick. Suh come again wid more reasonable talk. If yuh nuh stan up fi sumting den yuh wi fall fi ebryting. Good move Belize, naysayers will continue to talk.