News | Update on Regulations

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   A wave of shock and murmur of disbelief is rippling through the Mennonite colonies and throughout the Christian community in general after the government announcement this afternoon. After a suffocating two-week lockdown, the Ministry of Health is partially lifting some of the restrictions. However, the two "new" regulations which have been met with dismay and frustration are the church mandate and restaurants restrictions.
  The official statement makes it clear that certain restaurants and other eating establishments may reopen for indoor dining at 50% capacity but only for fully vaccinated customers. This is sure to cause controversy with Mennonite restaurants in Spanish Lookout and Blue Creek, especially those with a monopoly on the food business such as Western Dairies and Quality Poultry Products, since the government had earlier said that proof of vaccination would only apply to government-owned buildings after it had scaled back its mandatory vaccine requirement.

Western Dairies, a popular dairy parlor and restaurant owned by the community of Spanish Lookout, with small outlets country wide

 The second hammer blow is the church mandate. On its official press release, the government document states: Churches are to remain closed.
  Period.
  So what next? Will the churches in the autonomous Mennonite colonies comply? For two weeks, from Sept. 19th until Oct. 2nd, some Mennonite churches, except for the isolated and extremely conservative ones, did obey the "close the church" mandate, a rare moment of submission to Covid rules in the history of these Mennonites. But only for two weeks. Now today that time is up and the government is refusing to let the churches open up for services while allowing saloons and restaurants to operate. The injustice of it is causing many other non-Mennonite Christians to support the Mennonites in their "rebellion" against the government mandates. To require churches to remain closed for an indefinite period of time is a suppression of freedom of religion and ultimately, freedom of speech.

A Kleine Gemeinde church in Spanish Lookout

    With Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram down for most of the day, many Belizeans were unable to express themselves online. But I'm pretty certain by tomorrow the reactions will be in full swing. By tomorrow we will also see what stance the Mennonite colonies will take on the restaurant and church mandate.









                                             A. Mendoza


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