Roatan Business Owners Discuss Ways to ‘Normality’

Free of Covid-19, Bay Islands remain tied down by draconian laws set by Central Government

The March 30^th Roatan Municipal ordinance allowing opening of most business and transport for April 1-10 has been challenged by Honduran Central government. While free of Covid-19 virus, Roatan is back in a situation of the Honduran mainland where 141 cases have been detected: paralyzed and confused.

“We don’t have Covid-19, but hunger is going to kill us,” said Dino Silvestri, governor of the Bay Islands.

While food is arriving on the island form US and the Honduran coast access to the supermarket has been limited. “If we get this [Covid-19] here it will be 10 years before Roatan recovers,” says Julio Galindo, ex-mayor of Roatan and owner of Anthony’s Key Resort. “We have to do whatever we can to stop people coming from the mainland.” The forced lock-down of the island has only cut of cash flow to the island, it has forced for many employers to lay off workers or put them of partial pay. “The longer this goes on the harder it is for us to get back,” said Galindo. A light at the end of the tunnel could be for the Central Government to consider the geographical isolation of the Bay Islands Department and since there has been no cases for longer the 14 day incubation period of Covid-19.

“We don’t have Covid-19, but hunger is going to kill us.”

Jerry Hynds, Roatan’s Mayor spoke of government official being “receptive” to his proposal of lifting. At a meeting of business owners on March 31, the idea was given of “Cabildo abierto” that would circumvent the stringent national lockdown.