Mr Speaker, 

Today I rise to share with my honourable colleagues and the community at large an update on the impact of COVID 19 in our public and private schools.

Mr Speaker

Good afternoon.

I want to start by expressing my concern with the increase of positive coronavirus cases. There is a level of complacency and risky behaviour contributing to the spread of the virus in our community.

More and more people are not taking this seriously and not following public health guidelines and safety measures.

Households are mixing without considering how easily the virus can be transmitted, and mask-wearing is inconsistent.

“Sadly, Bermuda has experienced another death of someone who was COVID positive,” said Minister of Health, Kim Wilson, JP, MP. “I extend sincere condolences and prayers for support to the family and friends of the deceased during this difficult time.”

The Ministry of Health received 10,984 test results since the last update, and 225 were positive for the coronavirus, giving Bermuda a test positivity rate of 2.0%. 

These results are from testing done on:

The Ministry of Health received 8358 test results since the last update, and 125 were positive for the coronavirus, giving a test positivity rate of 1.5%. 

These results are from testing done on:

•        Monday, August 30: 35 positive out of 2479 results (1.4% positivity)

•        Tuesday, August 31: 31 positive out of 2983 results (1.0% positivity)

•        Wednesday, September 1: 59 positive out of 2896 results (2.1% positivity)

Good Morning Bermuda:

As we prepare to reopen Bermuda’s Public Schools on Thursday, September 9th we are excited about welcoming back our pre, primary, middle, and senior students as safely as possible.

Although we are still navigating a global pandemic, both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry and Department of Education have been diligently working to ensure that the safety of our students and staff is thoroughly prioritised in our safety and health protocols and guidelines.

The Ministry of Health received 10,128 test results since the last update, and 79 were positive for the coronavirus, giving a test positivity rate of 0.8%. 

These results are from testing done on:

§  Thursday, August 26: 24 positive out of 3188 results (0.8% positivity)

§  Friday, August 27: 31 positive out of 2843 results (1.1% positivity)

§  Saturday, August 28: 12 positive out of 2308 results (0.5% positivity)

§  Sunday, August 29: 12 positive out of 1789 results (0.7% positivity)

The Ministry of Health received 8703 test results since the last update, and 52 were positive for the coronavirus, giving a test positivity rate of 0.6%. 

These results are from testing done on:

·Monday, August 23: 16 positive out of 2411 results (0.7% positivity)

·Tuesday, August 24: 17 positive out of 2710 results (0.6% positivity)

·Wednesday, August 25: 19 positive out of 3582 results (0.5% positivity)

10 of the new cases are classified as imported with history of travel in the previous 14 days, with details as follows:

The Ministry of Health received 9972 test results since the last update, and 42 were positive for the coronavirus, giving a test positivity rate of 0.4%. 

These results are from testing done on:

·Thursday, August 19: 16 positive out of 2931 results (0.5% positivity)

·Friday, August 20: 15 positive out of 2906 results (0.5% positivity)

·Saturday, August 21: 9 positive out of 2375 results (0.4% positivity)

·Sunday, August 22: 2 positive out of 1760 results (0.1% positivity)

"This is welcoming news as we continue to provide the COVID-19 vaccine for a safer community,” commented Kim Wilson, JP, MP, Minister of Health, following the announcement that Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine wins full FDA approval.  “This is excellent news for those individuals who have delayed getting vaccinated until the FDA fully approved the vaccine.”

The Zoo area at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo (BAMZ)  has been closed to the public to protect certain animals that are susceptible to corona viruses.

Dr. Robbie Smith, Acting Principal Curator, said: “Unfortunately, BAMZ still faces the same concerns regarding the health and welfare of our animals, as we have in previous instances where the facility has closed to the public, in response to rising SARS-Covid-19 cases in our community”.