“I am extremely sorry to report today seven COVID related deaths,” said Minister of Health, Kim Wilson, JP, MP. “This is very sad news, and I extend heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased during this difficult time.”

Since the last update, the Ministry of Health received 4982 test results, and 182 were positive for the coronavirus, giving a test positivity rate of 3.7%.

These results are from testing done on:

• Tuesday: 91 positive out of 2618 results (3.5% positivity)
• Wednesday: 91 positive out of 2364 results (3.8% positivity)

Six (6) of the new cases are classified as imported with a history of travel in the previous 14 days.

The additional 176 new cases are classified as either local transmission or remain under investigation.

Additionally, since the last update, there have been 110 recoveries and seven (7) deaths.

There are 1612 active cases, of which:

• 1547 are under public health monitoring and
• 65 are in hospital, with 14 in intensive care

Since the Wednesday update:

• There were 17 new COVID admissions in the hospital
• There were 8 COVID discharges from the hospital

Since March 2020, Bermuda has recorded 4982 confirmed coronavirus cases, out of which 3318 have recovered, and sadly 52 COVID related deaths.

The source of all active cases is as follows:

• 82 are Imported
• 317 are classified as local transmission of which:
  • 317 are Local transmission with known contact/source and
  • 0 are Local transmission with an unknown contact/source
• 1213 are Under Investigation

Active cases by vaccination status, transmission, and type:

• Imported cases: 95% are fully vaccinated, and 5% are not vaccinated
• Local/Under Investigation cases: 36% are fully vaccinated, and 64% are not vaccinated
• Variant typing is not available at this time due to the prioritisation of test results.

The source of all confirmed cases is as follows:

• 587 are Imported
• 2901 are classified as local transmission of which:
  • 2341 are Local transmission with known contact/source and
  • 560 are Local transmission with an unknown contact/source
• 1494 are Under Investigation

As investigations proceed, transmission categories may change. For information regarding age distributions and overall transmission categories, please refer to https://www.gov.bm/coronavirus-covid19-update.

The seven-day average of our real-time reproduction number is 1.02. Bermuda’s current country status is Clusters of Cases. However, local data continues to indicate that Bermuda meets the criteria for Community Transmission. Community transmission is characterised by an increased incidence of locally acquired, widely dispersed cases, with many cases not linked to specific clusters.

“This outbreak is serious, and I am sad to see where we are today. This is heartbreaking,” said Minister of Health, Kim Wilson, JP, MP. “More people are getting quite sick, more people are being hospitalised, and sadly, more people are dying.”

“We must be mindful of where we go, what we do, who we are with and how careful we are at all times. Be mindful of the fact that, while being vaccinated reduces the risk of severe COVID-19 disease for the majority of vaccinated persons, this does not mean there are zero risks for all. Even if fully vaccinated, your personal health is a key factor in determining whether you will develop full protection, get ill with COVID-19 and, if you do, whether you are at risk of becoming sick enough to be hospitalised or be unfortunate enough to die.”

“So, whether vaccinated or not, everyone must practise sensible public health measures, such as wearing a mask indoors and in crowded outdoor settings. Wash your hands frequently and maintain physical distance. Limit your movements and stay within your household bubble as much as you can.”

Each of us has a role to play in stopping the spread of the coronavirus. Follow Public Health guidelines, and download the WeHealth Bermuda app.