Quarantine (Amendment) Act No.21 of 2020

1. Short title.

2. Insertion of section 3A.

3. Repeal and replacement of section 4. No. 21] Quarantine 205 No. 21 of 2020 I assent, (SIR COLVILLE N. YOUNG) Governor-General 7th August, 2020. AN ACT to amend the Quarantine Act, Chapter 41 of the Substantive Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2011; to empower the Minister to declare the whole or any part of Belize to be an area inflicted by, or under the threat of an infectious disease; and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. (Gazetted 8th August, 2020). BE IT ENACTED, by and with the advice and consent of the House of Representatives and Senate of Belize and by the authority of the same, as follows:

1. This Act may be cited as the Short title. QUARANTINE (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2020, 206 Quarantine [No. 21 CAP. 41. and shall be read and construed as one with the Quarantine Act, which is hereinafter referred to as the principal Act. Insertion of 2. The principal Act is amended by inserting after section 3A. section 3, the following new section– “Powers of 3A.–(1) A Belizean handed over by an Quarantine Authority. immigration officer to the Quarantine Authority CAP. 156. pursuant to section 24(5B) of the Immigration Act is required to submit to a medical test by a medical doctor designated by the Quarantine Authority. (2) A Belizean who refuses to submit to a medical test under sub-section (1) commits an offence. (3) The penalty for, and the procedure on arrest and charge of a Belizean who commits an offence under this section shall be prescribed by Regulations.”. Repeal and 3. Section 4 of the principal Act is repealed and replaced replacement of section 4. with the following– “Power to 4.–(1) The Minister may make regulations, in make regulations. relation to any sector in Belize or the whole or any part of Belize, including the ports and coastal waters of Belize, for preventing the threat, outbreak or spread of an infectious disease or danger to public health from– (a) persons, ships, aircraft or any other form of conveyance arriving at any place in Belize; or (b) persons or things in ships, aircraft or any other form of conveyance arriving at any place in Belize. No. 21] Quarantine 207 (2) Without prejudice to the generality of the powers conferred by sub-section (1), regulations under that sub-section may make provision for any of the following– (a) the collection and transmission of epidemiological and sanitary information; (b) the signals to be displayed by ships or aircraft; (c) the questions to be answered and information whether oral or documentary to be supplied by masters, commanders and other persons who are or have been on board any ship or aircraft or are desirous of boarding any ship or aircraft; (d) in the interest of preventing the threat or the spread of an infectious disease, health and safety requirements upon entry into Belize at any port, including– (i) requiring persons to submit to medical testing at any port upon entry; (ii) screening requirements prior to travel; (iii) mandatory quarantine of persons; (iv) designating places for mandatory quarantine; 208 Quarantine [No. 21 (v) the requirement to provide information to an officer in the Ministry responsible for health or the Ministry responsible for immigration; (vi) requiring persons to subscribe to any digital technology required by the Ministry responsible for health; (vii) requiring persons to use any device or tool prescribed by the Ministry responsible for health; (viii) regulating the transportation of international tourists; (ix) prescribing standards for the sanitization for ships, aircraft or any other form of conveyance; (x) prescribing the procedure on the arrest and charge for an offence; and (xi) prescribing entry require- ments for categories of persons entering Belize; (e) the detention of ships or aircraft and of persons and things that are or have been on board them; No. 21] Quarantine 209 (f) the destruction of things which are or have been on board ships or aircraft; (g) the duties to be performed by masters, commanders and other persons who are or have been on board ships or aircraft or who are desirous of boarding any ship or aircraft; (h) authorising the making of charges and providing for the recovery of charges and expenses; (i) the enforcement of the regulations; (j) the imposition of fixed penalties for the breach or contravention of any regulation made under this section; and (k) the conferring on appropriate officers of powers to board ships and aircraft and to enter premises. (3) Fixed penalties imposed under sub- section (2)– (a) in respect of contravention by a person, shall not exceed ten thousand dollars; and (b) in respect of contravention by a hotel or tourist accommodation, shall not exceed one hundred thousand dollars. 210 Quarantine [No. 21 (4) Regulations made under this section may provide that any breach or contravention of any such regulation may be punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars or by a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years.”. Printed in Belize by the Government Printer