17-03-2020
As of March 16 there had been no confirmed cases of COVID 19 in Bermuda, according to Bermuda Premier David Burt.
Addressing all Bermudians, Burt stressed the government has been making preparations so that services will be ready to respond when the first confirmed cases are reported.
He said: “Starting today, the emergency measures organisation COVID-19 team, chaired by the minister of national security Wayne Caines and supported by a well-qualified and experienced team of public health officers and security service chiefs, will be coordinating the government’s response to COVID-19.”
Burt promised the team will provide regular updates to keep Bermudians informed.
Burt said: “Since the World Health Organization declared the outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern in January, the public health emergency response team, led by the chief medical officer, has been preparing Bermuda, ensuring that additional supplies for our health care system were ordered, effective containment policies were being identified and contingencies for any conceivable outcome were prepared.”
COVID-19 testing continues to be performed at the Caribbean Public Health Agency facility in Trinidad. The government is investigating options to speed up the delivery of test results, Burt said.
He reiterated his expectation that testing kits will arrive on the island later this week.
The government has also asked the public to suspend public gatherings of 50 people or more, while access to hospital patients and vulnerable Bermudians, such as the elderly, has been restricted. For now, schools remain open.
David Burt, COVID-19, Caribbean Public Health Agency, Wayne Caines, World Health Organization
