“Do not become complacent”. That’s the advice from health officials in Belize following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health & Wellness (MOHW) said the virus and its variants continue to circulate in Belize.

“The ministry reiterates that good hygiene practices, such as frequent handwashing and avoiding crowded places when sick with respiratory symptoms, remain the best methods to stay free of COVID-19 and other infections”.

That is the same advice coming from the WHO. When the WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement a few days ago, he made it clear that no country should use this as a reason to “let down their guard, to dismantle the systems it has built, or to send the message to its people that COVID-19 is nothing to worry about,”.

About 6.7 million people have died after being infected with Covid.