Official Closure Notice Under Public Health Act
Certain establishments — such as spas, gyms, cinemas, schools, bars, clubs, restaurant dine-in services and more — have been “ordered to close pursuant to section 88 of the Public Health Act 1949,” effective 5pm today [March 23] until 5.00pm on March 30th.
This drastic measure is aimed at containing the spread of the Covid-19 virus, with Bermuda currently having six confirmed cases, while there are over 375,000 confirmed cases worldwide, resulting in restrictions and closures across the globe, and the official notice says the measure has been put in place as “there is an immediate risk of an outbreak of Covid-19.”
The official Government Notices states, “The Minister of Health has determined that a communicable disease of the first or second category exists and in the opinion of the Chief Medical Officer there is an immediate risk of an outbreak of Covid-19, as such the following places of public resort are hereby ordered to close pursuant to section 88 of the Public Health Act 1949, effective 5pm 23rd March 2020 until 5pm 30th March 2020:
- Bars and clubs
- Beauty salons, spas and barbers
- Church services [except funerals]
- Cinemas
- Concerts
- Gyms
- Organized sports club activities with more than 10 people
- Restaurant dine-in services
- Retail stores [except supermarkets, grocery stores, pharmacies, health supplies, utilities and IT support]
- Schools and day care
- Swimming pools in hotels, Airbnb and guest houses
Update: In his press conference today, the Premier noted that “Retail stores ordered to close are permitted to deliver or arrange pick-up services.”
As the island and world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic, we are doing our best to provide timely and accurate information, and you can find more information on the links below.
- Our continuously updated live blog here
- All our coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic here
- The official Bermuda Government website here
- Dashboard showing all the cases worldwide here
- Our newly launched Covid-19 website here.
Officials are urging everyone to please follow all guidance like washing your hands, adhering to self quarantine if relevant, and practicing social distancing, and they have asked that if it is not urgent, a necessity or work, to please stay home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
