Government

Good day to members of the media and the listening public. 

Countries worldwide are tasked with implementing effective policy solutions to address the unanticipated social and economic challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In these unprecedented times, leaders and governments must ensure that they remain resilient and laser-focused on implementing critical policy responses.  

Good day.

There were 389 test results received by the Ministry of Health since the last update, and none were positive for COVID-19.

Additionally, since the last update, there have been no recoveries.

There are currently 11 active cases, of which;

· Seven are under public health monitoring and

· Four are in hospital with none in critical care;

Since March 2020, Bermuda has recorded 692 total confirmed cases of COVID-19; out of those, 669 persons have recovered, and 12 persons have sadly succumbed to COVID-19.

Good Morning Bermuda,

Today I will provide an update on the following topics: 

Good evening Bermuda.

I begin my remarks tonight by sending my sincere condolences to the family and friends of former Senator and Junior Minister, Laverne Furbert, who sadly passed away this weekend. 

She was fearless in her convictions and unwavering in her support of Bermuda’s workers, social justice, and equality in our society. Ms. Furbert will be fondly remembered for her strength, dedication, and vibrant spirit.

Good afternoon.

There were 306 test results received by the Ministry of Health since the last update, and none were positive for COVID-19. 

Additionally, since the last update, one case has recovered.

There are currently 11 active cases, of which;

· Seven are under public health monitoring and

· Four are in hospital with none in critical care;

Since March 2020, Bermuda has recorded 692 total confirmed cases of COVID-19; out of those, 669 persons have recovered, and 12 persons have sadly succumbed to COVID-19.

The Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Walter Roban, JP, MP recently visited the Riddell’s Bay nature reserve and recreation area.

Last year, the Riddell’s Bay (Warwick Parish) Special Development Order (SDO) 2020 established one of the largest privately held, publicly accessible conservation areas in Bermuda. A significant component of the SDO is the provision of public access to 64 acres of conservation land.

The Department of Workforce Development recently partnered with Connectech Coding, Bermuda’s first technology training centre, to provide job seekers with the opportunity to refresh and develop necessary IT skills to increase their employability. The Digital Literacy Training Programme provided participants with upskilling and reskilling in the Microsoft Office Suite of products. 

Good day.

There were 1587 test results received by the Ministry of Health since the last update, and one was positive for COVID-19. The new case is classified as imported by a resident who arrived on BA 2233 from London on 29 January 2021 and tested positive on their arrival test

Additionally, since the last update, 15 cases have recovered.

There are currently 12 active cases, of which;

·         Eight are under public health monitoring and

·         Four are in hospital with none in critical care;

Good afternoon.

On the 23rd October 2020 the employees of the Fairmont Southampton were made redundant. At the time, the hotel ownership was unable to meet its obligation to make redundancy payments in a timely fashion to more than 700 employees, and there was no guarantee as to when the owner, Westend Properties Ltd. (“Westend”), or the ultimate owner Gencom would be able to make the payments.

The Bermuda Weather Service (BWS) has advised that weather conditions are expected to deteriorate in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

It’s anticipated that the island will experience windy and rainy conditions similar to last Friday and Saturday (Jan. 29 & 30). According to the BWS, 25-35 knot winds, heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected to pass the island Tuesday morning into the early afternoon.

“The very essence of a freedom fighter.” said Premier David Burt today reflecting on the life of former PLP Senator and labour activist Laverne Furbert. “Laverne Furbert was an unwavering force in support of  Bermuda’s workers, the Progressive Labour Party and the Bermuda Industrial Union. She will be remembered for the strength of her convictions and the fearless manner in which she communicated the core values of social justice and equality in this society. As we mourn her loss, all Bermuda will fondly recall her vibrant spirit and dedication to the very end of her life.”

The Ministry of Health is advising the public about a recall of Waitrose frozen seafood, sold exclusively at The Supermart on Front Street. This is a voluntary recall because the product may be contaminated with salmonella, which could cause illness if consumed. Symptoms caused by salmonella usually include fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.

Product details:

Waitrose & Partners Essential Frozen Seafood Selection, (King prawns, mussels and squid rings) (Frozen) – 250g. All ‘best before’ dates up to and including end January 2022.

The Ministry of Education has issued a call to action to the Bermuda community – ‘Parents, Students, Teachers, Business Owners, Seniors, Clergy, Professionals, no matter what your background it takes a parish to ensure the success of all our young people’. 

During February and March, several meetings will be held for parish communities across the island to share the proposed vision for parish primary schools.

Last week (January 26), the Customs Department observed International Customs Day, and for the occasion, it honoured 27 Customs Officers who have served 10, 15, 30, 35 and 40 years with the service.

Typically as part of the International Customs Day observances, the department hosts a series of events to raise awareness about its work and services. 

This year, however, due to COVID-19, activities were curtailed. 

Good day.

There were 300 test results received by the Ministry of Health since the last update, and one was positive for COVID-19. The new case is classified as local transmission with known contact as they are associated with known cases.

Additionally, since the last update, three cases have recovered.

There are currently 26 active cases, of which;

·         22 are under public health monitoring and

·         Four are in hospital with none in critical care;

Good afternoon all:

I am joined by Kelly Burgess the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation Analyst and the Director of the Bermuda Weather Service, Dr. Mark Guishard.

Bermuda, I hope you and your families, loved ones and friends fared well during yesterday’s winter storm. 

I wish to take this opportunity to extend my thanks to Dr. Guishard and his team for keeping us abreast of all the developments of the deteriorating weather conditions throughout yesterday and last night.

I am joined this morning by Major Dill, General Manager of the BHC, Mr. Mark Melo, CFO of BHC, Mr. Andrew Dias, General Manager of the West End Development Corporation, West End Development Corporation, Mr. Kent Bascome, CFO of Wedco and Mrs. Carmen Tucker, Port Facilities Manager at Wedco.

Thank you for joining me for an update on operational changes at three of the four Quangos that fall under the Ministry of Public Works – they being the Bermuda Land Development Company, the Bermuda Housing Corporation and the West End Development Corporation.

The Emergency Measures Organization provided the following update:

Public schools and government offices are open today. Extra mini buses have been scheduled for the school runs.

The bus service will not resume until about 9am, after the Department of Public Transportation has done an assessment.

BELCO will provide updates on outages.

There is no power at Paget Primary School, parents are advised to keep their children at home today.

All other public schools will open as usual this morning.

Good day.

There were 489 test results received by the Ministry of Health since the last update, and one was positive for COVID-19. The new case is classified as under investigation, as it is a resident with no currently identified link to other known cases or history of travel in the past 14 days.

Additionally, since the last update, two cases have recovered.

There are currently 28 active cases, of which;

·         25 are under public health monitoring and

·         Three are in hospital with none in critical care;

The Ministry of Transport wishes to provide the following update on the winter storm which is affecting Bermuda today.

The Ministry of Education has cancelled tonight’s public consultation meeting on the proposals for parish primary schools due to the winter storm and increased winds anticipated later today and this evening, 

The meeting was to be held online, and simulcast on Facebook Live, CITV and YouTube from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The Ministry of Education would like to avoid any disruption of the meeting due to potential power and internet connections.

Today, Minister for the Cabinet Office the Hon. Wayne Furbert, JP, MP, released the Bermuda Digest of Statistics 2020 from the Department of Statistics.

The Minister explained, “The Digest is structured into ten sections and contains brief analyses, quick facts and charts for each section. There are more than 60 statistical tables which provide a wealth of data about Bermuda’s social, demographic and economic conditions. This publication is an excellent tool for research, school projects, marketing initiatives and business planning.”

Today, the Minister for the Cabinet Office the Hon. Wayne Furbert, JP, MP, released the 2020 Environmental Statistics Compendium from the Department of Statistics.

The Minister explained, “The Compendium is structured into thirteen sections and contains brief analyses, tables and graphs for each section. There are more than 40 statistical tables which provide a wealth of data about Bermuda’s environmental conditions. This publication is an excellent tool for research, school projects and promoting awareness about issues affecting Bermuda’s environment.”

The Bermuda Road Safety Council would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our call for safer roads.

Good day.