A burns victim, a conservationist and the team set up to fight the Covid-19 pandemic were honoured by the Government today.

Dejon Simmons, Jeremy Madeiros and the Covid-19 Incident Command were appointed Bermuda Day Grand Marshals.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Culture said the trio represented the Bermuda Day theme of “Bermudian resilience”.

The spokeswoman said: “Collectively, these individuals are deserving of this year's recognition thanks to their perseverance, dedication and sacrifice.”

The spokeswoman added Mr. Simmons was selected for his extraordinary resilience in overcoming a serious motorbike accident where he suffered 90 per cent burns.

She added: “Dejon is well-known for his strength and inspirational manner, which allowed him to overcome this life-changing ordeal.

“Mr. Simmons has turned tragedy into triumph.”

A film about Mr. Simmons’ experience – The Documentary: Dejon Simmons – highlighted the importance of road safety.

Mr Simmons is also is a nine-time Best of Bermuda award winner with more than a decade of experience in digital multimedia.

Jeremy Madeiros was chosen for his important conservation work, especially his stewardship of the island’s national bird, the cahow.

The spokeswoman said the bird was “the perfect symbol of Bermudian resilience given how the cahow has been brought back from the brink of extinction.”

The Covid-19 Incident Command was picked because of the dedication it had shown in the fight against the pandemic.

The team was set up early in 2020 as the Ministry of Health monitored the evolution and escalation of the public health crisis around the world and on the island.

The spokeswoman said: “The Office of the Chief Medical Officer, through the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit started monitoring the coronavirus developments in December 2019 and, by March 2020, it was evident that the Government would need a much larger infrastructure to battle the pandemic.

“The Incident Command structure was adopted, headed jointly by the Director of Health, David Kendall, and the Chief Medical Officer, then Dr Cheryl Peek-Ball and later Dr Ayo Oyinloye.”

She added: “This is a multidisciplinary group of professionals from public health and the wider community whose expertise, blood, sweat and tears has been at the leadership and on the front line of battling the pandemic and steering Bermuda to the success we have enjoyed as a country in mitigating the pandemic.”

“The Covid-19 Incident Command has recognised from the beginning that the pandemic would be a marathon, not a sprint.

“Bermuda owes a huge debt of gratitude to these tireless public health heroes whose resilience in the face of a once in a lifetime crisis is incomparable.“

The Covid-19 Incident Command consists of several organisations, plus a team of professionals who have backed them up.

Jennifer Wilson, a nurse epidemiologist, was picked to accept the honour on behalf of the group.