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.

Good morning.

Some parents have raised concerns regarding the mask-wearing policy for students while in school. Some feel that our coronavirus testing in schools is sufficient to ensure the safety of our students and staff, and they are requesting that children be allowed to remove their masks while sitting at their desks.

Unfortunately, testing alone will not protect students, teachers and staff, and removing their masks while sitting could increase transmission.

The Government is providing the following general reminders for persons who need to access SafeKey.

As the public is aware SafeKey will be required for patrons of indoor public spaces where masks are permitted to be removed, namely; indoor dining, bars, clubs, and sports/members clubs as well as attending a gym/fitness facility.

SafeKey will also be required to board all Island Boats with more than 20 passengers, and is required for the granting of all new large group exemptions.

The Ministry of Health received 12,615 test results since the last update, and 52 were positive for the coronavirus, giving a test positivity rate of 0.4%.

These results are from testing done on:

•        Wednesday, August 11: 12 positive out of 2821 results (0.4% positivity)

•        Thursday, August 12: 2 positive out of 3086 results (0.1% positivity)

•        Friday, August 13: 9 positive out of 2671 results (0.3% positivity)

•        Saturday, August 14: 15 positive out of 2344 results (0.6% positivity)

Thank you, Acting Premier. Like you and all of Bermuda, I am simply thrilled and overjoyed about Flora's historic Olympic gold medal win for Bermuda.

I cannot offer enough congratulations to her as an extraordinary athlete and to her family. This incredible accomplishment has been hard-fought and thoroughly deserved. 

And Bermudians around the world are overjoyed that one of our own has brought us one of the proudest moments in our country's history.

So Flora, we cannot wait to welcome you back home so we can celebrate your achievement.

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Good Afternoon,

I am pleased to be joined by the Premier, the Honourable E. David Burt, Minister of Health, Honourable Kim Wilson, my Warwick colleagues Minister Lawrence Scott and MP Neville Tyrrell and Dr. Carika Weldon and members of the Bermuda Government Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory.

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen of the media:

Thank you for being here today as we celebrate the opening of the new Molecular Diagnostic and Research Laboratory. I’m joined at this afternoon’s press conference by the Minister of Health, the Hon. Kim Wilson, Minister of Public Works, the Hon. David Burch and MDL Director and Government’s Scientific Advisor, Dr. Carika Weldon.

Madam President, today I’d like to advise this honourable chamber and the general public on the upgraded process to apply for exemptions to host large group gatherings.

As we advised the public recently, the responsibility for approving large group exemptions is now under my Ministry.

Under the current Public Health (COVID-19 Emergency Powers) (Phased Re-opening) Regulations 2021 the maximum number of people allowed to gather is 50 persons. 

Premier, the Hon. David Burt, JP, MP, today announced the assignment of Senator Arianna Hodgson, JP as the Junior Minister for Health, taking over the role from Senator Curtis Richardson, JP. Senator Hodgson will keep her responsibilities in the Senate for Finance and Labour; while Senator Richardson will continue to speak for Transport and National Security in the Senate.

The Government of Bermuda advises that several travellers who recently returned home to Bermuda and received a waiver from payment for hotel quarantine were sent home to quarantine in error. 

These travellers do not fall within an exempted category (unaccompanied minors or medically vulnerable & their caregivers) and therefore should not have been quarantined at home.