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COVID-19

Ministry of Health COVID-19 Update Feb 8, 2021

COVID-19 Daily Release 8 February 2021

Good day.

The Ministry of Health received 1385 test results since the last update, and two were positive for COVID-19. One of the new cases is classified as imported by a resident who arrived on AA308 from Miami on 6 February 2021 and tested positive on their arrival test. The other new case is classified as local transmission with known contact as they are associated with known cases.

Additionally, since the last update, there was one recovery.

There are currently 11 active cases, of which;

•   Eight are under public health monitoring and;

•   Three are in hospital with none in critical care.

Since March 2020, Bermuda has recorded 694 total confirmed cases of COVID-19; out of those, 671 persons have recovered, and 12 persons have sadly succumbed to COVID-19.

The mean age of all confirmed positive cases is 43 years (median: 40 years), and the ages range from less than one year to greater than 100 years.

The mean age of all currently active cases is 50 years (median: 41 years), and the ages range from less than 30 years (age group: 20-29 years) to greater than 70 years (age group: 70-79 years).

Age information will not be provided on the hospitalised cases, to protect privacy and confidentiality.

The mean age of all deceased cases is 75 years (median: 77 years), and the ages range from less than 60 years (age group: 50-59 years) to greater than 80 years (age group: 80-100 years).

The source of all cases is as follows:

·         201 are imported

·         491 are classified as local transmission of which:

·         401 are local transmission with known contact/source and

·         90 are local transmission with an unknown contact/source

·         Two are under investigation

Of the over 160,000 test results reported, the mean age of all persons tested is 43 years (median:  42 years), and the ages range from less than one year to greater than 100 years.

The seven-day average of our real-time reproduction number is less than one, and Bermuda’s current country status remains “Sporadic Cases”.

As a reminder to those who want to get vaccinated, there is an allocation strategy developed based on international best practices. It has prioritised groups who are most at risk of getting sick from COVID-19.

“Phase 1A is the staff and residents of our long term care facilities such as the Extended Care Unit of the Hospital,” explained the Minister of Health, Kim Wilson. “For nursing homes and assisted living centres, we have trained their nurses to administer the vaccine to those who volunteer to be vaccinated.”

“This group also includes our frontline healthcare and frontline essential workers. In this context, healthcare workers include all Bermuda Hospitals Board employees and frontline workers from the Department of Health and those employed in the private healthcare industry.”

“Our frontline essential workers are those who provide services which prevent social disruption and allow society to function, and who are at risk for higher levels of exposure to COVID-19. These include firefighters, police, corrections officers, personnel at the ports of entry, and teachers.

“It is important to note that some essential workers may be younger than those seniors and may not have medical conditions. But they are, as essential service workers, phase 1A priorities.”

“People who are 80 years or older are also encouraged to be vaccinated in this first group as well.”

“Phase 1B: are those persons over the age of 65, but priority will continue to be given to those who are over the age of 80. This group focuses on those who are clinically extremely vulnerable. This group includes people with suppressed immune system such as during and after chemotherapy or after an organ transplant, or who have lupus, severe asthma, severe COPD.

“Phase 2: The third group is those over the age of 50, again prioritised by those who are clinically vulnerable. Clinically vulnerable are those who suffer with: heart disease, chronic kidney disease, liver disease, morbid obesity and, diabetes.”

“Following that, the vaccine will be available to everyone over the age of 18 [or over 16 with parental consent for the Pfizer vaccine] Phase 3.”

“The combination of getting vaccinated and following the Ministry of Health’s guidelines on how best to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from COVID-19. So it remains important to avoid the three C’s, closed spaces, crowded places and close-contact settings, to practice physical distancing, wash and sanitise your hands, wear a face mask in public areas and download the WeHealth Bermuda app.”

The COVID-19 vaccination registration form is back up after being unavailable this weekend due to upgrades.