Covid-19: three more deaths, but active cases drop
The Covid-19 death toll rose to 104 yesterday as the Minister of Health announced another three coronavirus-related deaths.
Kim Wilson said that ten new cases were discovered among 6,461 test results since the last update.
Half of the ten were classed as coming in from overseas.
The other five cases were either on-island transmissions or under investigation.
Ms Wilson said 25 people had recovered from the coronavirus, which left 66 active cases – the lowest figure since the start of August.
A total of ten people are in hospital, two of them in intensive care.
The seven-day average of Bermuda’s real-time reproduction number is 0.6 and the country status remained at “community transmission”.
Ms Wilson said: “Community transmission is characterised by an increased incidence of locally acquired, widely dispersed cases, with many cases not linked to specific clusters.”
She said 17 of the 66 active cases had come in from overseas, 36 were on-island transmissions and the sources of the other 13 were under investigation.
Ms Wilson added 94 per cent of cases that came in from overseas were in people who were fully vaccinated.
She said that 31 per cent of cases under investigation or the result of on-island transmissions were fully vaccinated and 69 per cent were not.
Ms Wilson added healthcare workers and essential workers who got their second vaccination jab more than six months ago could call 444-2498 to book a booster shot.
She said people aged 65 or older who had the second dose more than six months ago could walk in to Pier Six on Front Street between 10am and 5pm, Monday to Friday this week.
Ms Wilson added: "The Covid-19 vaccine remains our best defence in preventing the spread of this virus. It will decrease symptoms and severe illness and, in most cases, prevent death.”
Vaccinations are available at the Hamilton Health Centre on Victoria Street every Tuesday from 2pm to 4pm by appointment only.
Vaccinations are also available at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital vaccination clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 4pm and 7pm and on Saturdays between 8am and 4pm.
The City of Hamilton said it was happy to offer the Ministry of Health the use of Pier Six’s lower floor as a vaccination centre this month and in December.
A spokeswoman added the City had waived the $10,000 rental fee for the period.
Dwayne Caines, the CEO at City Hall, said: “It was important to have somewhere centrally-located and convenient for residents to receive the vaccination and Pier Six seemed the most appropriate and fit for use.”
The City spokeswoman added that renovation work on the upper floor of Pier Six continued and if a cruise ship needed to use the lower floor, vaccination appointments would be rescheduled.