Inter-Island Communications News Brief – November 23, 2020

According to a spokesperson quote, “Today, the Ministry of Health can confirm that two new positive COVID-19 cases have been identified. Both are residents – one symptomatic and one asymptomatic – with no history of travel. One of the newly identified positive cases has a close contact that is associated with a school, who has now become symptomatic. The two positive cases are currently under investigation by the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, with the necessary case isolation and contact tracing already underway. The workplace of the two positive cases has been notified and additional pre-emptive measures regarding the positive case with close contact associated with a school are actively being evaluated. As we enter the holiday season – typically a time when family and friends get together – a resurgence in positive cases of COVID-19 overseas and a recent increase in positive cases locally, is cause for concern. Therefore, it is essential that the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 guidelines on mask-wearing, hand washing and physical distancing are specifically followed by residents as well as businesses. In addition, the Ministry of Health is reminding all travellers – including returning students – that they are subject to mobile quarantine restrictions on their movements and activities until they receive a negative Day 14 COVID-19 test result.”

The Bermuda Police Service is increasing their efforts and focus on making sure that restaurants and bars are respecting the COVID-19 public health protocols. BPS Assistant Commissioner Martin Weekes shared that quote “A quick drive around the City on an average Friday evening makes it obvious that many restaurants and bars have somewhat relaxed their vigilance around the Covid-19 Regulations. Masks are not being worn appropriately, sanitiser stations are being ignored, contact tracing is not taking place, patrons are moving freely among tables and congregating in groups less than 6 feet apart without masks etc. Licence Holders are reminded that The Regulations allow for licenced premises to be shut down for 24 hours where a Superintendent of Police deems that offences have taken place on their premises and it is necessary to close them down. Premises who have become lax in their compliance can expect to be shut down and additionally face consequences in court. The issue of large gatherings at House Parties has also been raised and patrols will be instructed to monitor gatherings and where numbers are suspected to be in excess of 75 persons [and no permit exists] or where the mask and physical distancing protocols are being blatantly disregarded, enforcement action will follow.”

The Annual Christmas Parade will be taking place next Sunday, in a way that’ll keep participants and spectators safe by extending the route nearly island-wide. Seth Stutzman, Marketplace President said quote “Under these challenging times, we felt more so than ever that it was important for us to keep our community spirits high and holiday traditions alive and ensure the safe production of the annual Christmas parade was a top priority. For more than 30 years the joyous holiday event has been the kick-off to the festive season, and it was our goal to remain committed to that. The health and safety of all participants and spectators is The MarketPlace’s top priority and this year’s parade will be expanded to allow the many spectators to comfortably distance from one another and are encouraged to only gather in small groups. As part of The MarketPlace’s plan to adhere to government guidance a number of changes will be implemented in order to execute this event safely.

These changes include but are not limited to the following:

Expanding the traditional parade route to allow for greater viewership.
Reducing the overall number of participants
All participants will be appropriately socially distanced and required to wear face coverings depending on their role
Vehicle only participants, performances will not be included, to ensure the parade moves continuously

Bermudian experts are joining their peers from across the Caribbean region to participate in a forum on human trafficking and what can be done to slow its activity and further spread. The 2-day Virtual Human Trafficking Awareness Outreach Forum is being held in recognition of International Stop Violence Against Women and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5. The first day of the forum will see representatives from Bermuda, Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, and Trinidad discussing how to identify human trafficking, hot spots, protective measures and community resources for victims in their respective countries regarding Human Trafficking. Human trafficking is a serious crime and violation of human rights, involving the use of force, coercion, or fraud to exploit a person into slave labor or sexual exploitation. Human trafficking can happen to people of all ages and genders, and any race or religious background. Women are often used for sexual exploitation while men are usually used for forced labor. It is believed that one in five human trafficking victims are children, exploited for begging, child pornography, or child labor.