Good Afternoon Bermuda,
I am saddened to begin my remarks today with condolences to more families in our Bermuda community who have recently lost loved ones to the coronavirus. My heart goes out to all those who are grieving at this time.
This afternoon I am pleased to be joined by the Minister of Health, the Hon. Kim Wilson, the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ayo Oyinloye, and the Bermuda Hospital Board’s Chief of Staff, Dr. Wesley Miller, each of whom will address you this afternoon.
First, we will hear from the Minister of Health.
Minister.
Thank you, Minister of Health, Dr. Ayo, and Dr. Miller, for your remarks this afternoon and your continued hard work and dedication to helping our country through this pandemic and this current surge of the Delta Variant. Thank you also to your teams at the Ministry of Health, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, and the King Edward Memorial Hospital.
Your teams have been on the frontline from the very beginning and continue to work tirelessly in service of our country, and we remain grateful for all the work that they do.
We, the people of Bermuda, can assist their hard work by doing our part to contain this current outbreak by following the public health regulations and protecting ourselves in the best ways that we can. This includes the basic methods which we all are aware of, such as hand-washing and sanitising, physical distancing and mask-wearing when you are not able to physical distance.
Our primary goal as the government remains to get students back into the classroom as soon as possible. Pre-return testing has commenced this week, with preschools and primary schools that have received over 80% consent from parents for their children to be part of the regular saliva screening programme.
The schools that have been tested this week include; Lagoon Park Preschool, Southampton Pre-school, and St. Paul’s Preschool, which were tested on Monday. The Ministry is currently discussing plans to have these schools opened on a staggered basis, beginning as early as tomorrow.
Gilbert Institute, West Pembroke Primary School, and Port Royal Primary were tested on Tuesday.
As of yesterday, East End Primary, Purvis Primary, Victor Scott Pre-School, Prospect Primary, and Success Academy Robert’s Avenue reached 80% consent and will be tested starting tomorrow, Thursday 7 October. This means we will have had 33% of our schools that have exceeded 80% saliva screening consent tested in preparation for a return to in-classroom learning.
Once a school reaches over 80% consent, testing is arranged. The results and data received from the tests will help determine when a school can return to in-classroom learning. The schools are aware of those who have not signed up for the regular saliva screening and are making contact with parents directly to discuss. Parents who would like to know the consent level of their child’s school are able to contact the school principal directly.
We can all assist our students and teachers by doing what we can to contain this outbreak, get our schools back open, and to keep them open safely. Vaccinations remain one of the best and most effective ways we can protect ourselves and others. I am grateful that we continue to see an increase in registrations for the vaccine. The more people who get vaccinated, the more community protection we will have against the highly contagious Delta Variant. The presentation from the Chief Medical Officer earlier certainly outlined some of the data surrounding those matters. If you have questions or concerns, or if you are considering getting the vaccination, please speak to your doctor and discuss if it is medically safe for you to do so.
Along with vaccinations and following the basic health guidelines, we must also ensure that we follow the regulations currently set out in law. The 12:30 am – 5 am curfew remains in place, large group gatherings of more than 20 persons require a large group exemption from the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Sport, and they also require the use of SafeKey for all in attendance.
Since the introduction of the latest regulations during this outbreak, large group events which take place indoors have not received approval. That restriction has now been removed, and indoor events will be reviewed and approved in line with the policy for large group exemptions.
Further, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport, the Hon. Ernest Peets also advises that sport is moving to Stage 3 of Return to Play which is competitive training to prepare for competition. I can also report that the Ministry has informed the Bermuda Football Association that it has been given the approval to recommence the football season on 23 October.
The Government, alongside the Bermuda Tourism Authority, is continuing our work in spreading the message that Bermuda is a safe place for those who wish to visit our shores. We are also working collaboratively to build back the business that we have lost in our tourism sector due to this recent surge, as well as securing new business that will benefit those who rely on tourism income for their livelihoods.
As the Minister of Health stated earlier, our metrics are all moving in the right direction, but our hospital is still in a critical state. Further progress will require us all to do our part and accept personal responsibility for doing what is necessary to protect ourselves and our families.
Each of us plays a critical role in our efforts to reduce the further spread of the coronavirus, protect our healthcare system, get students back into the classroom, and protect our most vulnerable.
Our sense of community must be as strong as ever. We must look out for one another and continue to take the necessary precautions to keep ourselves, our family, and our friends and neighbours safe. We must continue to rely on our resilient Bermudian spirit, which has been tested time and time again over the last 18 months and has not withered yet. I know that it is hard to envision a future when there is so much pain in our community - but we must as a country move forward with a sense of unity and togetherness.