Today marks one full year since the official launch of the Bermuda Government Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory (MDL) on April 19, 2020.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Reflecting on a roller coaster of a first year, we have achieved so much.

The Minister of Health, the Hon. Kim Wilson, JP, MP, today stated, “The Ministry of Health is aware of an email purporting to be from Department of Health Bermuda which is currently circulating in the community stating that the Government has issued a STAY AT HOME order. This image is clearly false. The public is urged not to forward messages that are not credible. Official information from the Government is always shared through a press conference or a press release. 

On Friday, the Ministry of Education released an update made by the Emergency Education Measures Committee (EEMC) on the new COVID-19 testing protocols for schools. 

The new protocol outlines that immediately, the bubble that any positive student is a part of, defined as their close contacts, are ordered to quarantine and get tested via the nasal-pharyngeal or oral swab. Additionally, the rest of the students and staff at the school, defined as casual contacts, will be tested using the Saliva Testing method within a day of the initial notification.

Mr Speaker and Honourable Members,

I am pleased to highlight for this Honourable House and the public that today the Government will be tabling amendments to the Bermuda Health Council Act 2004 to bring about important and overdue changes to the high cost of medications faced by many Bermudians.

Good Day, 

There were 1187 test results received by the Ministry of Health since the last update and eight were positive for COVID-19. 

Three of the new cases are classified as local transmission with known contact/source as associated with known cases/clusters.

The remaining new cases are classified as under investigation. These cases are among residents with no currently identified links to other known cases or clusters or history of travel in the past 14 days.

Additionally, 17 cases have recovered since the last update.

Good Afternoon,

There were 2747 test results received by the Ministry of Health since the last update and 25 were positive for COVID-19. 

Four of the new cases are classified as imported, all testing positive on their arrival test, with details as follows

Good Afternoon,

There were 1157 test results received by the Ministry of Health yesterday (10 December), and 27 were positive for COVID-19. 

13 of the new cases are classified as local transmission with known contact/source as they are associated with known cases and clusters.

The remaining 14 new cases are classified as under investigation. These cases are among residents with no history of travel or any currently identified links to other known cases or clusters.

Bermuda now has 391 total confirmed positive cases. Their status is as follows:

Mr Speaker

I rise today to inform this Honourable House of the preliminary plan for COVID-19 vaccination in Bermuda.

Preparations are well underway to bring COVID-19 vaccine to Bermuda and I will outline what we intend to achieve in the first rollout of the vaccine and how we will include the entire health system in our efforts to offer the vaccine to immunize Bermuda’s population against COVID-19.

Mr Speaker

The Chief Medical Officer has advised that the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (ESU) of the Ministry of Health has become aware of a potential exposure at The Berkeley Institute to someone confirmed with COVID-19. The person confirmed with COVID-19 has been isolated.

Based on an updated risk assessment and in response to potential exposure to COVID19 by the Ministry of Health, the Chief Medical Officer has today directed that all West Pembroke P1 and P2 students and associated teachers be quarantined for 14 days. This means that they must stay home from school and other activities, for 14 days from 4th December 2020 until and including 18th December 2020 in response to potential exposure to COVID-19.