London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Bermuda records new COVID death ahead of vaccine rollout

Bermuda records new COVID death ahead of vaccine rollout

Bermuda has recorded a new COVID-19 related death just as the country prepares to begin rollout of the coronavirus vaccine.
Bermuda Health Minister Kim Wilson in a statement Tuesday said she was saddened to report that the island had experienced another COVID-19 related death.

"The loss of another life to COVID-19 in the Bermuda community is very upsetting and I offer sincere condolences to the loved ones of the deceased during this extremely difficult time."

The new death takes the COVID-19 death toll to 11.

Wilson said of the 873 test results received by the Health Ministry since the last update eight were positive for COVID-19. She also reported since the last update three cases have recovered and, sadly, one has died. The total recovered now stands at 522.

Since March 2020, Bermuda has recorded 632 total confirmed cases of COVID-19.

She reported that just over 9,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are scheduled to arrive in Bermuda on the British Airways flight this Friday. She said once the vaccines arrive on the island they will be taken immediately to a storage facility.

Wilson said the ministry will begin administering the vaccine doses on Monday, January 11 to healthcare and essential workers who agree to take the vaccine.

"In this context, essential frontline workers are those who provide services which prevent social disruption and allow society to function and who are also at risk for higher levels of exposure to COVID-19. This includes firemen, police, corrections officers, personnel at the ports of entry and teachers.

"We will also administer the first batch of the vaccine to our most vulnerable, seniors (who give their consent), in rest homes and long-term care facilities. There is no cost for the vaccine and they will be administered at sites arranged by the Department of Health and with primary care physicians who have been approved by the Department of Health."

She explained the vaccine will be given in two doses, with the first dose given next week and the second dose three weeks later. She stressed for the vaccine to be fully effective two doses are required.

She said the vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech has been approved for use in the UK after meeting strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness set out by the independent Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, which follows international standards of safety. The vaccine has also been approved for use in the US by the Food and Drug Administration.

"Thousands of people have been given a COVID-19 vaccine so far, and no serious side effects or complications have been reported."

She reported that on Tuesday the Health Ministry held a mock vaccination trial exercise at the Hamilton Seventh Day Adventist Church. She explained this was a small exercise designed to provide an opportunity for the Department of Health and relevant partners to assess their ability to document vaccine administration events using the 10 to 8 appointment system and the electronic immunisation registry. She said the drill was limited to the simulated movement of patients through the vaccination process.

"We will have post-exercise debriefings tomorrow to evaluate the exercise and determine what tweaks and improvement are necessary."

She also said as people are returning to the workplace after the holidays she wanted to take the opportunity to remind employers that they are responsible for providing your employees with factual information from health officials and assuring that "return to work after travel guidance" is adhered to, as outlined at www.gov.bm/coronavirus-workplace.

"Over 20 per cent of the cases that we had in last month’s outbreaks were workplace outbreaks and transmission. This reveals that workplace standards are often not rigorous enough as employees relax around co-workers. Also, some people return to work too early after travel or even when experiencing symptoms. The Government’s position and guidance remain that persons should work remotely when reasonably practicable. Diligence is needed as cases continue to rise overseas. Through public health officials, we can help to prepare and educate employees without causing unwarranted concern."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×