COVID-19 Update Ministry of Health 24 March 2021
Good day.
The Ministry of Health received 1197 test results since the last update, and 40 were positive for COVID-19. Nine of the new cases are classified as imported by two residents who arrived on American Airlines AA 308 from Miami on March 8th 2021, and tested positive on their Day 14 test. One non-resident who arrived on Delta Airlines DL 584 from Atlanta on March 8th 2021, and tested positive on their Day 14 test. One non-resident who arrived on Delta Airlines DL 617 from New York on March 14th 2021, and tested positive on their Day 8 test. Three residents who arrived on American Airlines AA 308 from Miami on March 14th 2021, and tested positive on their Day 8 test. One resident and one non-resident who arrived on British Airways BA 2233 from London on March 18th 2021, and tested positive on their Day 4 test.
Twenty-one of the new cases are classified as local transmission with known contact as they are associated with known cases. The additional ten new cases are classified as under investigation. These cases are among residents with no currently identified link to other known cases or history of travel in the past 14 days.
Additionally, since the last update, there were three (3) recoveries.
There are currently 150 active cases, of which;
- 150 are under public health monitoring and;
- None are in the hospital, and none in critical care.
Since March 2020, Bermuda has recorded 880 total confirmed cases of COVID-19; out of those, 718 persons have recovered, and 12 persons have sadly succumbed to COVID-19.
The mean age of all confirmed positive cases is 41 years (median: 39 years), and the ages range from less than one (1) year to greater than 100 years.
The mean age of all currently active cases is 31 years (median: 32 years), and the ages range from less than ten years (age group: 0-9 years) to greater than 80 years (age group: 80-100 years).
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:
- 237 are imported
- 611 are classified as local transmission of which:
- 519 are local transmission with known contact/source and
- 92 are local transmission with an unknown contact/source
- 32 are under investigation
As investigations proceed, transmission categories may change.
Of the over 190,000 test results reported, the mean age of all persons tested is 43 years (median: 42 years), and the ages range from less than one (1) year to greater than 100 years.
The seven-day average of our real-time reproduction number is above one (1), and Bermuda’s current country status remains “Sporadic Cases”.
“Stay home if you are sick because going to work means that you will infect your co-workers, and then more people will be required to be out of work because they are infected,” stated Kim Wilson, JP, MP, Minister of Health. “Our confirmed positive COVID cases is increasing, and people are still going to work with COVID symptoms such as a runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat and other cold and flu-like symptoms.”
“This is contributing to the spread. If you have any of these symptoms, do not go to work, speak to your doctor and get tested. I encourage people to get tested to know your status and be reassured that you’re not positive. This is a highly contagious variant, and we need everyone’s cooperation to reduce the spread.”
“If you are identified as having a risk of exposure or as a close contact and asked to quarantine, you will be advised by the Ministry of Health’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit. You will be told when and how to quarantine and the testing protocol to follow. Please follow this guidance. It is unacceptable to break quarantine and possibly be out and about infecting others. You can find detailed quarantine information on gov.bm/coronavirus.”
Bermuda is currently in Phase 3, the final phase of the vaccine allocation strategy, allowing anyone over the age of 16 to get vaccinated.
“Although priority will be given to those aged 65 and over, everyone can now register to be vaccinated. I urge everyone to register an interest to get vaccinated by going to gov.bm and clicking COVID-19 Vaccine Registration. And remember, when you go to get your vaccine, please wear a proper mask, not neck gaiters.”