London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025

Bermuda ministers quit over breach of COVID-19 rules

Bermuda ministers quit over breach of COVID-19 rules

Two of Bermuda’s leading cabinet ministers resigned on Monday night after sparking a furore by attending a party at a plush restaurant, where COVID-19 regulations were breached.

National Security Minister Wayne Caines and Tourism and Transport Minister Zane DeSilva left the cabinet after they accepted an “invitation to resign” from Premier David Burt.

Friday night’s party at the Blu Bar and Grill restaurant in Warwick parish was attended by Caines and DeSilva – the only white among the Progressive Labour Party’s 30 parliamentarians – and drew widespread criticism for breaches of COVID-19 health restrictions.

A short video clip making the rounds on social media showed guests dancing in proximity without face masks, including Caines and DeSilva.

Caines had granted permission 24 hours earlier for more than 50 people to gather at the party, a fundraising dinner for the charity Meals on Wheels.

A frustrated Premier Burt said in a statement “the events of this weekend, seen widely on social media, did not represent this government’s months of struggle and hard work to keep Bermuda safe.

“Every citizen has been forced to make significant changes in how we live, work and socialise; ministers are no different. It is this that I communicated to Ministers DeSilva and Caines.”

‘IMMENSELY DISAPPOINTED’

Burt added that he was “frustrated and immensely disappointed that this incident has deprived the community of two extremely hard-working and dedicated ministers”.

He said both had worked “tirelessly” during the pandemic to keep the community safe and support economic recovery.

“Their energy and zeal demonstrated a genuine care and concern for the people of Bermuda. I will remain forever grateful for their contributions.”

Burt, who reshuffled the cabinet just last month, said he would replace the two in “the coming days”.

“Make no mistake, our commitment is unchanged, and each day continues to be devoted to doing the best that we can to create opportunities for Bermudians.”

Earlier, the restaurant issued an apology for a lapse in social distancing filmed at the party and said it would close for two days to train staff in guidelines for protection against the pandemic, which has led to nine deaths among 146 confirmed cases on the island.

In 2018, Caines attracted media attention in both Bermuda and Britain, after he filmed himself asking female staff at a café in London whether “titty milk” was available, which he then posted on a social media site.

After public criticism, Caines issued an apology, telling reporters here that he was “deeply disappointed” in himse

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
Explosive Email Shows Sarah Ferguson Begged Forgiveness from Jeffrey Epstein After Taking His Money
×