Good Evening Bermuda,
Last week the Government was pleased to announce the beginning of our vaccination programme, with the Ministry of Health beginning distribution of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Monday, January 11 th to elderly residents 80 years and over, the clinically vulnerable, frontline healthcare workers and essential workers such as police officers, teachers, and others.
From my perspective, the first week has been extremely successful, and this success is thanks to the dedicated Department of Health staff’s efforts. I thank Dr Heather Armstrong, the Government’s Senior Medical Officer, and her team for all their hard work in getting Bermuda’s Vaccination Centre established and running safely and efficiently.
Tonight, I am joined by The Minister of Health, the Hon Kim Wilson, who will give details of the vaccination programme, including the number of residents vaccinated so far and details on our changes to our travellers’ regime.
Following that, I will provide updates on additional vaccine shipments, changes to the current restrictions that will come into effect on Thursday morning, and the economic measures the Government is employing to stimulate the economy.
First, we will begin with the Minister of Health.
Thank you Minister…
On behalf of the people of Bermuda, I thank you and your team for all of the hard work that you continue to put in on the front line of this pandemic.
In the first six days of vaccination (last week Monday to Saturday), 1,665 doses of the vaccines were administered, in addition to the 197 doses that were administered yesterday at the vaccinate centre. Over 7,700 people have registered their interest in taking the vaccine. I am thankful to all of those who have expressed their interest and have taken the necessary steps to protect themselves and our community. Please do not submit your registration for the vaccine if you are not in group 1.
As a country, we have a very ambitious goal. Our goal in Bermuda is to have 19,000 residents administered two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by the end of March which equates to 36% of the population who are eligible to be administered the vaccine at this time (16 & over). That means that we will work to deliver 36,000 doses in the next 70 days. It is a massive undertaking, but I know without question that as a country, we can do it.
You may ask how we are able to make such bold claims and set such aggressive targets? That is because last week the UK Government informed the Government that additional 29,250 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine would be made available to Bermuda with 19,500 doses expected to arrive on Island next week.
Earlier today the Minister of Health briefed the Cabinet on the plans to expand the Vaccination programme to meet this very aggressive target. I am confident that we will meet this target and look forward to working with all sectors to make this a reality.
I will now provide you with an update on the restrictions currently in place and what changes we will implement going forward:
Today, in line with the Ministry of Health recommendations, and with the support of the COVID Cabinet Committee, the Cabinet has also agreed to the following changes to restrictions:
- Group gatherings of persons in a private or public setting will increase from a maximum of 10 to a maximum of 25 people - this will also apply to outdoor funerals.
- Indoor bars and nightclubs can re-open but will only be permitted to operate as table service only, with a maximum of 6 at a table. No bar service will be permitted.
- The curfew will remain in place between the hours of midnight - 5 am, with businesses closing at 11 pm.
These changes will come into effect on Thursday, January 21st, at 6 am. And as per usual, the restrictions will be reviewed every two weeks.
There will be no Large Group exemptions approved at this time. However, exemptions may be submitted to the Minister of National Security, for events taking place after February 1st.
It is through our collective efforts as a community and country that we can relax some of these restrictions. However, it is essential that we continue to remain vigilant. Please observe the guidance, get tested and obey the laws intended to keep us all safe, keep our economy flowing and the vaccine programme efficient and effective.
I know that the extension of curfew may not be welcomed news to many, and without question, it was a difficult decision. However, we must keep our long-term goals in mind as a country. To expand our vaccination programme we must continue to protect our healthcare system, not only the hospital but also the Ministry of Health team who manage outbreaks and vaccination, and ensure that they are not overwhelmed by minimising the risk of future outbreaks. This will allow healthcare workers to continue to assist the Government in getting the vaccine to those who wish to receive it.
Bermuda, we have shown that we can work together to successfully manage this Covid outbreak. However, we must not let our defences down and become complacent (again). This includes wearing masks. I remind everyone that masks are still mandatory when in public, so please wear your mask. A further outbreak due to complacency would delay vaccination efforts and could lead to health and economic challenges for our country.
As I have stated in the past, we will use technology to help us stop the spread of the virus. If you haven’t already done so, please download the WeHealth Bermuda app today. Right now. It is easy. Go to the app store or Google Play, in the search field type in WeHealth Bermuda, and you can download the app.
Last week I was asked several questions about the WeHealth Bermuda app.
The app was officially launched on December 11, 2020.
The first code was issued on December 22, 2020. I was asked by Ms Palacio of Media Maya at last week’s press conference how many codes have been given out compared to the number of people who tested positive.
There have been 29 codes given to individuals who were confirmed positive since the first codes were administered. In that time, there have been 84 confirmed cases which were not imported cases. This means that 34.5% of confirmed positive cases were able to have a code issued since December 22nd.
Additionally, Mr Lindsay of TNN asked how many people have received notification that they had been near someone who tested positive.
We cannot get that data from the WeHealth app developers as the app is designed to provide notifications about a positive case anonymously.
When asked for the number of people who received exposure notifications, the app developers stated there is no way to know who gets notified of exposures. This is intentional and is a key part of how the privacy model works. When an individual receives an Exposure Notification, they are the only person in the world who knows they got notified.
The app is free, and once you download and install it on your smartphone, there’s nothing else you need to do. The app will run in the background and alert you to any exposure risks.
If you already have the app, encourage your friends, family and coworkers to download the app, too.
If you have questions, visit www.gov.bm/wehealth.
I will now discuss the Government’s economic measures to help us continue stimulating Bermuda’s economy.
On November 16th, following the Throne Speech, the Minister of Public Works, the Hon Lt Col. David Burch announced a short-term economic stimulus programme in partnership with the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation (BEDC). The aim of this programme is to provide jobs for Bermudian owned businesses and to also provide for much-needed upgrades and improvements to the island's infrastructure.
This is in keeping with the Government’s commitment to support small to medium-sized businesses through these challenging financial times, and our commitment to invest in capital development projects.
The Economic Stimulus Programme will initially consist of over 40 projects, where the Government intends to use as many local businesses, tradespersons, and contractors as possible. The Ministry of Public Works will ensure the allocation of funding and opportunity for work is spread across the various businesses within the programme. We strongly encourage Bermudian owned businesses to apply, particularly small to medium-sized enterprises.
The Government understands that there will be small local businesses who are not familiar with these processes. We want these businesses to have the opportunity to participate and not be deterred by the process and documentation required. The BEDC will provide assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises to ensure that they can confidently submit their application, and be involved in the stimulus programme.
This is not about large construction companies. We are looking for local businesses that provide various services related to the construction industry, from large projects to water heater repair, plumbers, AC installation plumbing, painting, dock maintenance, tiling installers, painting (just to name a few).
If you or a friend have a business such as bathroom remodelling, roof & tank cleaning, or even landscaping, we want you to apply and be involved.
The deadline to sign up is February 15th, 2021. Go to the BEDC website www.bedc.bm to learn more and register for the virtual info sessions.
In closing, we are taking another step forward in our fight against COVID-19 with the expansion of our vaccination programme, and the second batch of vaccines on the way.
Public schools are open, and we are implementing a programme to help boost our economy, get Bermudians back to work, and begin to rebuild for the future.
There is much work underway, and much more work to be done. But, I am hopeful that if we continue to work together, make responsible decisions, adhere to the guidance, and get vaccinated when possible, we will continue to progress as a country.
Bermuda with the rest of the world has been living with the coronavirus for almost a year now. This has brought unusually high levels of stress for many. Some have lost loved ones; some have supported family members and friends who were confirmed positive for the virus. Many have lost their jobs, due to no fault of their own.
We know that many in our community may need extra support emotionally. If you need someone to talk with, the Bermuda Psychology Association continue to support the Emotional Wellbeing Hotline. The phone number is 543-1111. I’ll repeat it … 543 1111. The line will be operated every Monday to Saturday, from 5 pm - 9 pm.
This help is available if you need someone to talk with, whether you are:
- feeling anxious;
- caregivers caring and coping with family members with Dementia;
- seniors who may feel isolated;
- or if you are not feeling yourself.
The phone number again is 543-1111.
To get accurate, reliable information sign up for the Government’s WhatsApp service. Add the phone number 504 6045 to your contacts and send us a simple message saying ‘hi’, and you will receive Whatsapp updates from the government.
Before I take questions from the media, I am asking the members of the media to be patient. The Government’s #1 priority is to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible. I have asked the health team to focus on the work needed to accelerate this effort rather than parsing the various statistics requests which are being received. In the coming weeks, we will establish a website where all statistics will be able to be seen, but until then, they will be reported once weekly at this weekly press conference. I am now happy to take questions from the media.