Belize has become the latest Caribbean destination to dispense with all of its travel health protocols. 

This means travelers to Belize no longer need to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter the country, regardless of vaccination status. 

Belize joins a now-growing community of destinations that do not require testing for visitors, regardless of vaccination status, such as Jamaica, Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire and Grenada. 

The Central American country has made the purchase of Belize Travel Health Insurance optional, although officials said it was still encouraged a as a form of protection against incurring medical and non-medical emergency expenses. 

The only remaining protocol is that travelers must continue to book their stay at a Belize Tourist Board Gold Standard-Approved Hotel. However, in light of new variants, Belize officials said vaccines remained the best form of protection against the virus. 

Belize’s Minister of Health and Wellness Kevin Bernard explained that, “with the emergence of weaker variants of COVID-19 and with the global trend of restrictions being relaxed, the time has come to take the pressure off of our health systems. We’ve reached a level where it’s now everyone’s personal responsibility to decide whether they want to be vaccinated or not”.