There were 643 test results received and three were positive for Covid-19 — one imported, one local transmission with known contact and one under investigation — so Bermuda has had 670 total confirmed cases to date, with 75 currently active.
A Government spokesperson said, “There were 643 test results received by the Ministry of Health since the last update, and three were positive for Covid-19.
“One of the new cases is classified as imported by a resident who arrived on AA 308 from Miami on 9 January 2021 and tested positive on their day four test. The second new case is classified as local transmission with known contact as they are associated with known cases.
“The remaining new case is classified as under investigation. This cases is a resident with no currently identified link to other known cases or history of travel in the past 14 days. Additionally, since the last update, 12 cases have recovered.
There are currently 75 active cases, of which;
- 69 are under public health monitoring and
- 6 are in hospital with none in critical care;
“Since March 2020, Bermuda has recorded 670 total confirmed cases of COVID-19; out of those, 583 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 1 year to greater than 100 years.
“The mean age of all currently active cases is 45 years (median: 46 years) , and the ages range from less than 20 years (age group: 10-19 years) to greater than 80 years (age group: 80-100 years).
“The mean age of all currently hospitalized cases is 57 years (median: 58 years) , and the ages range from less than 30 years (age group: 20-29 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:
- · 184 are imported
- · 460 are classified as local transmission of which:
- · 389 are local transmission with known contact/source and
- · 71 are local transmission with an unknown contact/source
- · 26 are under investigation
“As investigations proceed, transmission categories may change. Today’s update has 1 case moving from under investigation to local transmission with unknown contact/source.
“Of the over 150,000 test results reported, the mean age of all persons tested is 43 years (median: 42 years), and the ages range from less than 1 year to greater than 100 years.
“The seven-day average of our real-time reproduction number is less than 1 (0.54) and Bermuda’s current country status remains “Clusters of Cases”.
In response to questions about the COVID vaccine, the Minister of Health Kim Wilson said: “It has come to my attention that many residents have posted questions online and called the Hotline regarding one of my comments yesterday. Specifically, yesterday’s comment was: Please note, the Ministry of Health cannot vaccinate people who are already infected with COVID-19 or quarantined as a close contact.”
“I would like to provide some additional clarity on this statement. If you have recently returned from overseas, you cannot be vaccinated until you receive a negative Day 14 test. If you are in quarantine for any reason, you cannot be vaccinated until you receive a negative Day 14 test.”
“If you have tested positive at any time previously, and are not currently in quarantine, you can get the vaccine.”
“With respect to the over 5000 residents who have already registered to take the COVID-19 vaccination, we thank you for taking steps to protect yourself and the community. Please note however, that registering your interest does not guarantee you an appointment at this time. Supplies of the initial delivery of vaccine are limited and all submissions will be prioritised based on an assessment by our medical personnel.
“When you submit your registration form, you will receive an auto-generated submission receipt. Your submission will be kept on file, and you will be contacted as appointments become available. Every submission will be replied to, and there is no need for you to re-submit. We do ask that people who registered be patient as we work through all submissions and allocate the appointments.
The Minister of Health is again today reminding people to get tested for the coronavirus.
The Minister said, “Testing, along with rigorous contact tracing, is vital in our fight against the novel coronavirus. And while we are pleased that the daily positive cases have reduced, we do not want people to become complacent and let their guard down. People could be out there with mild or no symptoms of the coronavirus, and they could be infected and spreading the virus to friends, colleagues and family.”
“I encourage everyone to please take advantage of the free COVID-19 testing that is offered by the Ministry of Health. If you haven’t already, get tested so that you can know your status.
“As I said yesterday, there are testing slots available. Please note, the Ministry of Health cannot vaccinate people who are already infected with COVID-19 or quarantined as a close contact. If you or your family falls into one of the priority categories for early vaccination, we encourage you to get tested.
“We have convenient COVID-19 pop-up testing at various locations around the island. You can book online at https://www.gov.bm/coronavirus-get-tested or call the COVID-19 hotline at 444-2498 between 9 am – 9 pm.”
“If you are experiencing symptoms, and wish to be tested, please contact your doctor first. Your doctor will schedule you or direct you to the COVID-19 helpline at 444-2498 for to book an appointment reserved for those who have symptoms.”
“The Ministry of Health has made available numerous locations across the island, offering COVID-19 testing to the community. All testing is by appointment only.
Tomorrow evening, Saturday 16 January, the Ministry of Health will host ‘Vaccine Awareness – Join the Conversation’ on the Government’s Facebook page, YouTube and CITV, live, at 6 pm. If you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine specifically, and vaccines in general, tune in for reliable information. This programme will allow viewers to post their questions online to have them answered by medical professionals. This week, our panellists are Dr. Ayoola Oyinloye, Bermuda’s, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Michael Ashton, Bermuda Hospital Board’s Chief of Medicine, and Dr Carika Weldon, Government of Bermuda’s, Science Advisor.
“As the incidence of positive cases decreases, the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 reporting schedule will only be Monday to Friday. The next report updating the COVID-19 stats will be on Monday, 18 January.”
