Government

Dear Brother Chris,

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

Many of you will recall the work by this Government over the last decade to advance the country’s transition toward greater use of renewable energy. 

The Energy White Paper of 2011 and the Integrated Resource Plan have proved to be practical tools throughout this journey. 

Bermuda’s sustainability and renewable energy strategy have us positioned to become a regional leader in this arena. 

The Ministry of Education is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Bermuda Government Scholarships and Awards. 

Each year the Ministry of Education provides scholarships and awards to Bermudian students to pursue a higher education. 

The Minister of Education, the Hon. Diallo Rabain, JP, MP said, “I wish to commend our scholarship award recipients for their hard work, perseverance, and commitment to focusing on their goals.

The Government of Bermuda has issued the following statement regarding a letter received from the Bermuda Industrial Union. 

A government spokesperson stated: “The Government of Bermuda can confirm that on August 19, 2021, the Premier of Bermuda received an ultimatum letter from the President of the Bermuda Industrial Union Chris Furbert. The letter stated:

On Thursday, 19 August, the Minister of Labour, the Hon. Jason Hayward, JP, MP, held a brief ceremony to recognize fifteen Department of Workforce Development 2021 scholarship recipients for their accomplishments.

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”.

The Ministry of Health received 7434 test results since the last update, and 35 were positive for the coronavirus, giving a test positivity rate of 0.5%. 

These results are from testing done on:

• Monday, August 16: 10 positive out of 2289 results (0.4% positivity)
• Tuesday, August 17: 12 positive out of 2573 results (0.5% positivity)
• Wednesday, August 18: 13 positive out of 2821 results (0.5% positivity)

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

The Ministry of Social Development and Seniors recognises that some seniors may have difficulty accessing SafeKey certificates.

The Minister of Social Development and Seniors, the Hon. Tinee Furbert, JP, MP, shared, “We encourage family members, friends, and charities to assist seniors who may not have access to a computer, printer, or smartphone and who may not be familiar with the use of such devices, to obtain their SafeKey Certificates.

The Ministry of Social Development and Seniors will be joining the global observance of ‘World Senior Citizens Day’ on August 21st, 2021.  The Minister of Social Development and Seniors, the Hon.

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 Minister of Health, the Hon. Kim Wilson is reminding the public that if they wish to get the COVID-19 vaccine they can visit either the King Edward Memorial Hospital on any Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday or stop by the Washington Mall on August 28.

The Department of Libraries and Archives would like to advise the public that the Adult and Youth Libraries are experiencing issues receiving calls from One Communication telephone numbers.

The situation is presently being rectified however in the interim, the libraries are still operational and can be reached via email.

Please see below the email addresses for the respective libraries:

·Adult Library: library@gov.bm

·Youth Library: youthlib@gov.bm

The Ministry of Transport wishes to advise the public that the 2021 cruise ship season is shaping up with a total of 33 calls as of today.

Bermuda has attracted two additional cruise ships this season.

As announced yesterday (Aug.18), SafeKey will be required for 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. 

Minister of Transport Lawrence Scott confirmed that an agreement had been reached with the Bermuda Industrial Union in the ongoing dispute over scheduling / rosters however, a failure by the BPSU to support the agreement means the issue is not yet resolved. Minister Scott said: “ In good faith the BIU came to the table with the DPT management and we arrived at a workable solution to the issue which would see service resume tomorrow, August 20^th.

The Department of Workforce Development’s 2021 Summer Employment Programme recently concluded with the interns participating in two career guidance webinars last Thursday and Friday.  

This evening the Minister of Health, Kim Wilson said, “The scale of this outbreak is such that we must make some adjustments to the Public Health Regulations and protocols. We cannot ignore the fact that we now have 113 active cases. However, this is not 2020 and the progress we have made in vaccinating 75% of our eligible population means that we can adjust but not interrupt our everyday lives and continue to safely enjoy this summer. 

This evening, the Department of Public Transportation and the Bermuda Industrial Union met, and a tentative agreement was reached. It will be proposed at a BIU Bus Division members meeting at 8:00 am tomorrow, 19 August. If ratified, it is anticipated that the service will resume at around noon.

Over the past few days, the Ministry of Labour has worked with all parties to resolve the matter of the dispute between the Bermuda Industrial Union and the Department of Public Transportation.

The parties have agreed to meet again this evening to mutually determine a way forward. As a result, the Minister of Labour has not yet referred the matter to the Employment and Labour Relations Tribunal. It is hoped that the outcome of this evening’s meeting will lead to an agreement that is in the best interest of the workers, the public bus service users and the Government.

In the wake of tragic events unfolding in Haiti, the Premier of Bermuda, the Hon David Burt, JP, MP, shared sentiments on behalf of the Government of Bermuda. 

Premier Burt said, “The people of Haiti have once again experienced a devastating earthquake that has left the country, and her people directly affected by the catastrophic damages. The images emerging from Haiti are heartbreaking. We have learned from the communications coming from Haiti that damages to the country’s infrastructure, food and water sources and health services are severely impacted. 

The Bermuda Road Safety Council and Sandys Parish Council are pleased to announce their next event – The Road to Recovery.

The purpose of this event is to raise the awareness of the aftermath of road traffic collisions and to provide support to victims and their families.

The Bermuda Post Office (BPO) has issued its second commemorative stamp release of the year, featuring the Bermuda Sandcastle Competition.

Founded almost 30 years ago by Nicky Gurret, the mainstay beach competition is held annually at Horseshoe Bay on Labour Day weekend.

In 2017 Hannah Emmerson, a long-time contestant and previous winner took over the competition, and Ms. Emmerson has spent the last four years showcasing Bermuda’s beaches with weekly builds across the island.

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)

The Minister of National Security, the Hon. Renee Ming, continues to encourage the public to remain vigilant during hurricane season. And with the presence of Tropical Storm Henri near the island, the Minister said this serves as a timely reminder to the public about ensuring their storm kits are stocked.  

The Bermuda Weather Service (BWS) advised as of 3.00 p.m. today, Bermuda remains under a Tropical Storm Watch and TS Henri is located approximately 115nm to the south, with maximum sustained winds of 50 knots.

Head of the Public Service, Dr. Derrick Binns, today announced the reassignment of two Permanent Secretaries.

Ms. Marva-Jean O’Brien recently completed a secondment as the Secretary to the Commission of Inquiry into the Historic Land Loss in Bermuda. She will now take on the role of Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Social Development and Seniors.

Mr. Christopher Farrow has been assigned to the role of Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of National Security.

“You would have heard in an earlier release that the dispute between the Department of Public Transportation (DPT) and the Bermuda Industrial Union over the bus roster. 

“The parties met this morning and were unable to reach an agreement, and as a result, the disruption in the public bus service continues.  The matter has been referred to the Minister of Labour.   

“Yesterday, the BIU was informed that the government’s no work, no pay policy applies.