Inter-Island Communications News Brief – Thursday, January 23, 2020

Inter-Island Communications News Brief January 23 2020

In some much anticipated and decidedly wonderful news, Destiny Winters has been located and returned to the care of the state. This update was provided by the Bermuda Police Service in an infographic, confirming that the 14-year-old has been found and returned to the care of the Department of Child and Family Services. As you’ll recall, the 14-year-old has been missing for over a week, since January 10th, when she departed from her designated Government Care Facility without the permission of her stewards, which led to national distress and extensive search efforts to determine her whereabouts and return her to a safe place. The BPS’s publication reads specifically quote “Destiny Winters has been located and returned to the care of the Department of Child and Family Services. Thank you all for your kind assistance in ensuring her safe return.”

A Government spokesperson said quote, “A new coronavirus was identified in Wuhan, China and has swiftly spread to some neighboring countries, including Thailand, South Korea and most recently, Seattle, Washington in the United States. The Ministry of Health’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit [ESU] was made aware of the occurrence of cases of the newly identified virus in China approximately three weeks ago via direct communications from the World Health Organization [WHO] and International Health Regulation National Focal Point in the UK. The ESU continues to monitor global developments through these sources as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] in the US. The current threat to Bermuda residents is low. However, due to the significant travel into and out of Bermuda, the ESU considers the Threat Level to the island to be ‘Guarded.’ The situation is quite dynamic and could raise the threat to ‘Elevated’ in a short span of time.

It is important to note that the risk of the new coronavirus is for those travelling to affected areas. Currently, only Wuhan, China is known to have [an] ongoing spread of the infection. Bermuda’s routine public health surveillance activities have been increased through the well-established collaborations between the ESU and the hospital, physician offices, Customs and Immigration Departments. Enhanced monitoring of patients presenting with respiratory illnesses will continue, guided by recommendations from WHO, and our regional authorities, Pan American Health Organization [PAHO] and Caribbean Public Health Agency [CARPHA].”

A government spokesperson said, “The Ministry of Public Works is advising that during the week of 27 January 2020, it will conduct its Biannual Septage Disposal Operations. These operations may result in unpleasant odors experienced in the residential areas surrounding the Marsh Folly Composting Facility. Despite the unpleasant odor, the Ministry assures there is no environmental risk to area residents. For the public’s reference, the operations process is as follows: The Tynes Bay Septage Receiving Facility collects residential and commercial cesspit waste from around the Island. Every six months, the Tynes Bay Septage Receiving Facility is required to remove these waste solids and transport them to Marsh Folly. The Ministry uses the best health and safety and environmental practices while executing these procedures. The Ministry thanks the public for their patience, cooperation, and understanding while these necessary works are conducted.”

A spokesperson said, “Despite diligent efforts to keep its doors open, The Centre on Philanthropy has ceased operations as of December 31, 2019. The Board and staff of the Centre were unable to secure the necessary funding to ensure the viability of its operations going forward and were forced to close the Centre at the end of last year. The Board is now taking the required steps to wind down all operations and wishes to thank the many nonprofit leaders, donors and community members who have shared encouraging messages. Although staff at the Centre were made redundant on December 31st, former Executive Director Danielle Riviere has agreed to serve in a volunteer capacity until March 31, 2020, to oversee pre-existing training obligations. These include the Under 40s in Philanthropy Board Training which concludes January 2020, the AML Compliance Officer Training scheduled for January 20, 2020, and the 2019 cohort of the Nonprofit Leadership Development Programme which ends in March 2020. While the Centre’s closure creates a considerable service gap for the nonprofit sector, the Board is considering options on how the knowledge and the assets of the Centre can be retained. The Centre on Philanthropy has been the central resource and coordinator of programmes and services for nonprofits, donors and volunteers in Bermuda for the past 28 years. Since 2011, it has held 383 workshops with more than 5050 participants and has hosted six major conferences with more than 1,100 attendees.”