Essential workers who have toiled to keep Bermuda healthy and safe throughout the Covid-19 pandemic will be given priority to attend a limited-capacity Bermuda Day celebration.

Ernest Peets, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport, and Government’s Senate Leader, outlined plans in a statement titled Re-imagined Bermuda Day and Heritage Month during this morning’s Senate session.

He said that the theme of this year’s celebrations will be Bermudian Resilience.

“It will come as no surprise in the midst of a pandemic that we will not be able to host our typical Bermuda Day Parade,” said the Minister.

“Instead, the Department of Culture is organising a Covid-safe Bermuda Day Show, to be held at the National Stadium on May 28. The show will feature some of what we all love best on Bermuda Day including dance troupes, vibrant costumes and Gombeys.

“There will be a limited number of tickets available to view the show in person, but it will be broadcast live to the general public and recorded for viewing later.

“And as a way of acknowledging the extraordinary hard work and commitment of our frontline essential workers over the past year, the in-person tickets will be reserved for Bermuda’s immunized workforce who put their lives on the line during the roughest part of the pandemic: healthcare workers, the Police, Bermuda Regiment soldiers, grocery store workers, gas station attendants, as well as other frontline workers who have consistently carried out the labour necessary for our country to stay operational.

“Resilience is at the heart of who we are and we have managed to withstand the difficulties of this pandemic as a people and we will navigate the challenges to come,” he said.

Mr Peets said: “This is a small gesture we can offer as a thank you to their dedication and Bermudian resilience.”

Mr Peets said there would also be a continuation of the Creative Lives Concert which has given local artists a platform to perform on the steps of City Hall in recent months.

“We anticipate supporting through grants and partnerships other organisations and small businesses that wish to host Covid-safe events in May,” he said.

Mr Peets added that following Bermuda Day and Heritage Month: “We will emerge with an even clearer sense of who we are as a people and what is most important to us as resilient Bermudians”.