Auditor General Heather Thomas today released a Report on the administration of Bermuda’s Travel Authorization program.
A spokesperson said, “This report is her third public interest report supporting Parliament in its examination of the Government of Bermuda’s continuing response to the coronavirus [COVID-19].
“This report focuses on the Government of Bermuda’s actions taken between March 2020 and November 2022 as it pertains to the implementation of its COVID-19 measures relating to travel to Bermuda by air, cruise or yacht and recognises the outstanding response of many public servants and those of the Ministry of Health and others contracted to support the Government’s initiatives.
“The Government showed that it was flexible, innovative and nimble over the last two years when responding to the COVID-19 crisis. COVID-19 dramatically disrupted the normal functions of the Government. The Government had to balance public health decision making with other competing priorities to mitigate the adverse COVID-19 consequences.”
Ms. Thomas said, “No one could have predicted the impact of the pandemic, and its effects and continued effects on the lives of Bermudians and residents. COVID-19, presented an unprecedented challenge for most governments; there are opportunities to capture these lessons and insights that can feed into stronger crisis preparedness programs and policies for Bermuda’s citizens and residents.
A spokesperson added, “This is her final point-in-time report on COVID-19. Her office, will continue to review any COVID-19 related expenses and initiatives as a part of their on-going auditing of the Government of Bermuda’s operations and financial transactions”.
The Auditor General’s Report follows below [PDF here]:
