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COVID-19

MINISTRY OF HEALTH COVID-19 UPDATE MARCH 4TH

COVID-19 Daily Release 4 March 2021

Thursday, March 4th, 2021

Good day.

The Ministry of Health received 346 test results since the last update, and three (3) were positive for COVID-19. All three of the new cases are classified as imported. The first new case is a non-resident who arrived on Delta DL 584from Atlanta on 22 February 2021 and tested positive on their day eight (8) test. The second new case is a resident who arrived on Delta DL 617 from New York on 22 February 2021 and tested positive on their day eight (8) test. The third new case is a resident who arrived on Jet Blue B62231 from New York on 2 March 2021 and tested positive on their arrival test.

Additionally, since the last update, there were two (2)recoveries.

There are currently 22 active cases, of which;

  • All 22 are under public health monitoring and;
  • None are in the hospital.

Since March 2020, Bermuda has recorded 721 total confirmed cases of COVID-19; out of those, 687 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 42 years (median: 47 years), and the ages range from less than 20 years (age group: 10-19 years) to greater than 50 years (age group: 50-59 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:

  • 214 are imported
  • 507 are classified as local transmission of which:
  • 415 are local transmission with known contact/source and
  • 92 are local transmission with an unknown contact/source
  • None are under investigation

As investigations proceed, transmission categories may change.

Of the over 170,000 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 approaching one, and Bermuda’s current country status remains “Sporadic Cases”.

The Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (ESU) reminds the public that all information gathered through case management and contact tracing processes is kept in confidence and can only be shared for the purposes of safeguarding public health. Any enforcement action regarding breaches of the COVID-19 Regulations is separate from the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit processes.

“The Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit understands that there may be persons associated with a social event which led to a number of new cases that are not known to us,” said Minister of Health, Kim Wilson, JP, MP.

“We believe that these persons know of their exposure and are reluctant to make themselves known for a variety of reasons. However, we strongly encourage these persons to get tested, contact the ESU and follow all recommended public health guidelines to protect their own health and the health of others they may come into contact with.”

“As well, I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank everyone who answered our request to get vaccinated yesterday as we had additional doses of the vaccine available,” added Minister Wilson. “There were more people than we anticipated, and we are grateful for all those who wanted to be vaccinated. There is a big demand, and we encourage everyone to go online to register or call to register.

A very special thanks, also, to the volunteers and staff at Bermuda College and Bermuda Hospitals Board vaccination centres, who went to extraordinary lengths, working long hours, to make sure that these doses were not wasted.”

You can register your interest in taking the vaccine by completing the registration form through https://forms.gov.bm/covidvaccine  or by calling 444-2498, option #2. The hotline hours are 8:30 am – 5 pm, Monday to Friday and 9 am – 1:30 pm on Saturdays.