Good afternoon everyone.
With today’s gentle breezes and sunny skies, it hardly seems possible that just hours ago we were being battered by wind and waves. The sun rose this morning on a Bermuda that, by and large, fared well against the latest test that 2020 has brought us.
While I know that a considerable number of people remain without power, BELCO’s workers returned electricity to over 20,000 customers since the end of storm force winds. This is a remarkable achievement and I have already expressed by thanks on behalf of the people of Bermuda to those men and women at BELCO.
This morning, I was able to get out into the community to personally thank the men and women of the Royal Bermuda Regiment, who assisted in the efforts of clearing our roads from debris. Their hard work and continued effort, has helped Bermuda get back on its feet.
It is a source of some considerable pride in our Island that less than 24 hours after a hurricane warning was dropped in our country, our main roads are clear, the airport is open, transport and other public services will resume tomorrow, and our children will shortly be returning to school. This speaks to our preparation, our leadership at various levels in this crisis, and the overarching desire of the people of Bermuda to always get to work.
As the clean-up continues and we return to a normal sense of operations, I encourage everyone to remember the necessary safety precautions that COVID-19 requires of us, and our interactions with one another. Safety first. With or without COVID, the practice of looking out for our seniors and the most vulnerable in this community must continue. We can safely check on them and ensure that their immediate needs are addressed.
As I turn over this press conference to the Minister of National Security, I wish to reiterate the thanks I expressed yesterday to all agencies coordinated in the effort to restore Bermuda. Their work, under the leadership of Minister Ming, often to the exclusion of the needs of their own families, is invaluable in achieving the incredible results we have seen in such a short time.
Thank you.