In Bermuda today, teenagers here have the opportunity to get the COVID-19 vaccine, with health authorities on Monday opening vaccination to all residents over the age of 16.
Health Minister Kim Wilson told the House of Assembly that the government’s vaccination campaign was “our best chance of moving beyond the pandemic”.
She said the island’s latest outbreak of COVID-19 infections – 40 in the space of three days – stemmed from social gatherings last month that broke restrictions against the spread of the virus.
“Everybody in Bermuda is now being impacted as a result of the actions of a few irresponsible people. Now is not the time to relax our vigilance,” Wilson said.
Unlike similar outbreaks in November and December, linked to three events at two venues in one weekend, the surge in new cases was “almost all” linked to a more contagious UK variant of COVID-19.
Minister Wilson said it was spreading among a “noticeably younger” demographic, and that “more workplaces, more schools and a greater variety of activities are being impacted” as people test positive and their contacts are quarantined.
She noted that the Cabinet had responded by rolling back “earlier relaxations” and imposing restrictions, including an 11:00 pm to 5:00 am curfew and reducing gatherings from 25 to a maximum of 10.
Source-CMC
