“Sadly, Bermuda has recorded another coronavirus related death. I extend my sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,” said the Minister of Health, the Hon. Kim Wilson, JP, MP.

Since the last update, the Ministry of Health received 3855 test results, and ten were positive for the coronavirus, giving a test positivity rate of 0.3%.

• Tuesday: 5 positive out of 2058 results (0.2% positivity)
• Wednesday: 5 positive out of 1797 results (0.3% positivity)

Four of the new cases are classified as imported with a history of travel in the previous 14 days.

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

Additionally, since the last update, there have been 24 recoveries and one death.

There are 84 active cases, of which:

• 68 are under public health monitoring and
• 16 are in hospital, with 5 in intensive care

Since the last public report on Monday, there has been one admission and two discharges from the hospital.

Since March 2020, Bermuda has recorded 5647 confirmed coronavirus cases, out of which 5462 have recovered, and sadly 101 COVID related deaths.

The source of all active cases is as follows:

• 16 are Imported
• 50 are classified as local transmission
• 18 are Under Investigation

Active cases by vaccination status, transmission, and type:

• Imported cases: 94% are fully vaccinated, and 6% 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:

• 655 are Imported
• 4851 are classified as local transmission of which:
  • 2998 are Local transmission with known contact/source and
  • 1844 are Local transmission with an unknown contact/source
• 150 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 0.64. Bermuda’s current country status is Community Transmission. Community transmission is characterised by an increased incidence of locally acquired, widely dispersed cases, with many cases not linked to specific clusters.

“Remember, if you have decided to get vaccinated, you can book an appointment or walk into the KEMH Vaccination Clinic on Tuesday and Thursday, 4 to 7 pm, and Saturday, 8 am to 4 pm,” added Minister Wilson.” Medical doctors will be at KEMH to answer any questions about COVID-19 and the vaccines.

“COVID-19 vaccinations are also available at the Hamilton Health Centre, 67 Victoria Street, every Tuesday from 2 – 4 pm. These vaccinations are by appointment only, no walk-ins. You can get your 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd dose. Call 332-8906 for assistance in scheduling an appointment, or you can book online at www.gov.bm/vaccines.

“The COVID-19 vaccine remains our best defence in preventing the spread of this virus. It will decrease symptoms and severe illness and, in most cases, prevent death.

“As a reminder, starting on 8 November, foreign national air travellers to the United States will be required – with only limited exceptions – to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to fly to the United States. Unvaccinated persons contemplating travelling to the U.S. will not be allowed entry. The U.S. travel restrictions may also impact persons needing to travel for medical reasons such as newborn babies whose parents may be unable to accompany them if unvaccinated. Gaining CDC approval to travel in an urgent situation may be extremely challenging. Right now the transfer of medical emergencies is dealt with just between the hospital, the insurer and, sometimes LCCA as well.”

Minister Wilson concluded, “Please exercise caution over the Halloween weekend. Do not host or attend Halloween parties with unmasked, large gatherings where you cannot maintain more than 6 feet apart.

“Do not engage in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door or attend crowded costume parties held indoors. Avoid going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming and don’t participate in hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household.”

There are low-risk activities to enjoy Halloween safely. These include:

• Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household
• Decorating your house
• A virtual Halloween costume contest
• A Halloween movie night with people you live with
• A trick-or-treat hunt (think Easter Eggs) with your household members in/around your own home
• Moderate-risk Halloween activities include: (Only if you can do it safely)
• One-way trick-or-treating where individually-wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go (such as at the end of a driveway). *Wash your hands before preparing goodie bags
• A small outdoor costume parade where people are distanced more than 6 feet apart
• Visiting pumpkin patches where the use of hand sanitiser, mask-wearing and physical distancing is enforced
• Having an outdoor Halloween movie night with local family friends with people spaced at least 6 feet apart.

Everyone must do their part to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Avoid the three “Cs”: closed spaces, crowded places, and close contact settings to decrease the odds of getting the coronavirus. Follow Public Health guidelines, wear a mask, practice good hand hygiene, maintain physical distance and download the WeHealth Bermuda app.