HAMILTON, Bermuda – The Ministry of Health says a further outbreak at a home for seniors has seen Bermuda’s confirmed COVID-19 cases increase to 81.
Of the 24 new cases, all but one were at the Matilda Smith Williams Seniors Residence in Devonshire parish.
Minister of Health Kim Wilson described the cases at the home as “disheartening news”.
Four cases at the home – two residents and two staff — were reported earlier.
Wilson declined to say how many of the new cases were residents and how many were staff on privacy grounds.
Wilson told the government’s daily press briefing on Wednesday night that 80 test results had come back since late Tuesday and that 56 were clear.
So far, five people have died in Bermuda from the global coronavirus pandemic that has already killed more than 137 000 people.
The fifth person to die in Bermuda was a 66-year-old resident at the care home, who passed away from the illness on Sunday, a week after he first showed symptoms.
Wilson said that a member of staff at another care home, which has not been identified, had picked up the virus from a contact “not related to the home”.
Of the 81 confirmed cases, 33 have recovered, Wilson said. Forty-five of the victims are female and 36 male.
A total of nine people aged between 67 and 82 are in hospital.
Finance Minister Curtis Dickinson said that “as of this week, the government expects to have paid” unemployment benefits to more than 5 000 people – about 15 per cent of Bermuda’s workforce – at a total cost of about US$8 million.
He added that the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) was playing a part in helping companies on the island.
Dickinson said that $12 million was allocated to the BEDC to expand its support of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Premier David Burt said there was an incident at a government quarantine facility, where a person under quarantine was arrested after the individual was alleged to have been caught with drugs.
Burt also said the decision taken earlier in the day to cancel the Bermuda Day celebrations in late May was made out of “an abundance of caution to ensure the continued health and wellbeing of everyone on the island”.
The island is under lockdown until May 2.
(CMC)
