7 New, Total Of 57, Some At Seniors Home

April 12, 2020

The Ministry has received seven new positive test results, Bermuda’s total confirmed positive cases is now 57, and the Ministry has received  “confirmation of COVID-19 in two residents and two staff members at the Matilda Smith Williams Seniors Residence” which “confirm spread of the virus within the facility.”

Seven New Positive & Total Of 57

A spokesperson said, “Today, the Ministry of Health received 14 new COVID-19 test results; seven were negative, and seven were positive.

“Bermuda’s total confirmed positive cases is now 57; 29 have now recovered, eight persons are hospitalized [three persons in ICU], and there are 16 persons under active public health monitoring, but who do not require hospitalization.

“The age of persons hospitalized ranges between 62 and 78 years, and the average age is 70. The average age of all of our confirmed positive cases is 52. The median age is 53, and the age range of all of our positive cases is from 18 to 86 years.

“Out of the 57 positive cases confirmed to date, 31 are males, and 26 are females.”

Bermuda Confirmed Cases 57 April 12 2020

Two Residents & Two Staff At Matilda Smith Williams Seniors Residence

Minister Wilson said, “Regrettably, I must inform the public of some disappointing news which I learned of this afternoon. Today the Ministry of Health Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit [ESU] received laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 in two residents and two staff members at the Matilda Smith Williams Seniors Residence. Unfortunately, these results confirm spread of the virus within the facility.

“As a result, all residents and staff will undergo testing for COVID-19. The outbreak is being managed by strategies put in place prior to the cases being confirmed and these will continue and include: no visitors to the facility, emphasis on infection prevention and control hygiene practices, enhanced daily monitoring of staff and residents’ health, isolation of any symptomatic individuals, and exclusion from work of any staff with symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Enhanced cleaning and disinfection is taking place. The investigation is ongoing.

“This news today underscores the importance of our decision to amend Bermuda’s Residential Care and Nursing Homes Regulations to prevent employees from working at more than one site where there is a risk of communicable disease spread, which I announced yesterday.

“We hope this will safeguard our residents from COVID-19 by eliminating any potential transfer of the disease among the different long-term care homes by unknowing staff members.”

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Comments (17)

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  1. Rotten onion says:

    Now will you covidiots stay home, entitled fools.

    • Bring_it says:

      -internet gangster

    • Red rose says:

      Now will govt tell us what the plan is for other homes? Will they at last admit that this is community transmission? Will they tell us where the chinese equipment is? Will they tell us when the 40k tests from the uk will arrive?
      I could go on. Rapidly losing faith in this govt. I really am.

      • Dejavu says:

        Been lost faith the moment they decided to leave the borders open!!

    • Silly says:

      Stay at home orders had nothing to do with this.

      This was all on the fact that we imported the virus on flights after the airlines had suspended service and then families decided to visit each other.

      The few people breaking the shelter at home guidelines didn’t infect these people.

      This also doesn’t change the fact we have yet to hear anything about the long term plan. All we have discussed is the short term, but we cannot open the borders if only 100 people out of 63,000 end up having the virus before a vaccine is in place.

      Time for the government to think of the long term.

      • WTH? says:

        You can not lno2 for sure that people breaking shelter at home guidelines did not cause the infection in the nursing home. If some dumb*** who broke the shelter in place had the virus but didn’t show symptoms and infects someone in their house or someone they had contact with who works at the rest home or second scenario- had contact with someone who then had contact with someone who works there – it’s possible for the virus to have entered the rest home in these scenarios.

        That’s what dumb***es are not getting – how easily and wide this spreads without anyone who is spreading it or catching it knowing. This is community transmission. People need to keep their dumb***es home!

        • trufth says:

          Nope, sorry, the govt says there isn’t community transmission.

  2. Ringmaster says:

    7 new, and it appears 4 were at Matilda Smiths. That leaves 3 unaccounted for. Were they quarantined, linked to previous positives or “under investigation”? The Government is not giving all the facts. Why is the reference to “isolating symptomatic individuals” when the virus is also spread by people with no symptoms? This seems to be a serious gap in the monitoring and is why the spread will continue. We need a medical expert, not a lawyer, to give the facts.

  3. Barbara D Cooper says:

    Please have the Chief Medical Officer attend the Press Conferences – not a lawyer who is the Health Minister (with no medical qualifications). Also may we please have representatives from the OBA on the panel ? We are ALL in this together – and that needs to be made obvious and will show transparency.

  4. X says:

    This makes no sense to me, why say where the 4 came from but not the other three, were they from the quarrantined flights? Were they transmitted people? THe unknown is what causes people to panic more and not giving sources on those numbers feed into that unknown.

  5. Roger rammithart says:

    To the ignorant morons which include

    Those that wanted to draw chase
    Those that wanted to visit their loved ones in quarentine and expected to see them in person
    Those that are on the roads when told to stay home i call you stupid and beyond ignorant.

    You disgust me
    Why cant you listen and do as your told? Ive always been unimpressed by the entitled Bermudian who feels that laws and instructions dont apply to them.”He cant tell me nuffin, his shoes arent under my bed …does that sound familiar?”. You people need to learn to take instruction

  6. Tiny says:

    Totally agree with you Ringmaster. Also, are the families of the staff being tested? As they have been in contact with or in the presence of families or others when they leave the premises and go home. It obviously got in the Nursing Home from someone working there and that person had to have been in the presence of someone else that has the virus and it goes on and on. My point is I think that ALL staff and residents of all Nursing homes should be tested. Whether they have the symptoms or not.

  7. Aggresive Testing? Really! says:

    I am so tired of hearing the Hon. Premier say that we are continuing with our aggressive testing! We are all stuck at home not allowed to exercise for more than an hour, while we watch the economy goes down the drain along with our livelihood and now they very people we are suppose to be protecting – we forgot to test! We applauding ourselves for now stopping staff from working at more than one rest home, wait after the virus is already in the rest home! Aggressive testing, 4 tests, 14tests, ……. we hardly test! Then watch a newscast and the press ask such nice little questions and everyone pats each other on the back and asks how are you feeling, how is your stress, did you enjoy your day off, the kids and wife let me sleep till noon…. There are no days off till we get this under control. The Premier though is happy that the press have on their face masks, not he has one on, apparently we don’t practice what we preach. Let the regiment do something more useful than stop me on the way to the grocery store and twice on the way home. Test every health care and grocery store …. worker this week. They deserve to be tested! WE need to get this under control and we need to get back to work and our seniors need to be safe in our rest homes!

  8. Agressive Testing? Really! says:

    I am so tired of hearing the Hon. Premier say that we are continuing with our aggressive testing! We are all stuck at home not allowed to exercise for more than an hour, while we watch the economy go down the drain along with our livelihood and now the very people we are suppose to be protecting – we forgot to test! We applauding ourselves for now stopping staff from working at more than one rest home, wait after the virus is already in the rest home! Aggressive testing, 4 tests, 14tests, ……. we hardly test! Then watch a newscast and the press ask such nice little questions and everyone pats each other on the back and asks how are you feeling, how is your stress, did you enjoy your day off, the kids and wife let me sleep till noon…. There are no days off till we get this under control. The Premier though is happy that the press have on their face masks, not he has one on, apparently we don’t practice what we preach. Let the Regiment do something more useful than stop me on the way to the grocery store and twice on the way home. Test every health care and grocery store …. worker this week. They deserve to be tested! WE need to get this under control and we need to get back to work and our seniors need to be safe in our rest homes!

    • DonnaC says:

      First of all, let me be clear that I’m not a supporter of either party.
      My remarks are based solely on my observations, and I will give credit where credit is due.

      Ok,I know you’re frustrated but the fact is, in every country that has cases, no government has experience with a pandemic. It’s all trial & error. Unfortunately, mistakes are going to be made! Even in countries where the borders were closed earlier, there are still new cases, albeit at a slower rate. It’s easy to complain AFTER the fact. Everyone has a solution afterwards. Unless someone really knows 100% about what has to be done, we’ll have to do what’s best for the moment. I believe the Premier & the government are doing a great job. Certainly better than the orange one, who called it a hoax. Now look where they are! Anyway, back to the matter at hand.

      As for testing, of course more testing would be ideal! There are unknown challenges obtaining tests kits & PPEs. We’ve seen some cases where the U.S. has confiscated kits & PPEs slated for export for their own use. The fact is we don’t have the WHOLE picture & government has chosen not to share that info with us. Maybe we don’t have enough healthcare personnel to test as much as we would like.

      You say, “We need to get this under control”. I agree, but the only place that I have not seen widespread transmission is Africa. Reasons for that could range from extreme heat to very little or no travel outside its borders & no tourists! The only way to control the spread is 100% solid cooperation from the public! But ppl need to give this the same level, if not more, of serious thought as they do to grocery shopping (of course I’m joking), but some ppl take that very seriously.

      As for the downward spiral economy, everyone is in the same boat. Ppl are suffering, but to start re-opening business literally could be the nail in the coffin. Eventually, businesses will re-open but it’ll have to be on a different scale. Because at the end of the day, everything will NOT be as it was. There will be a new normal. Take this time to consider other options, look & see what other ppl / businesses are doing right now. Make modifications to suit you! Ppl have become very creative (I don’t like using that word, but it’s appropriate) during this time. Don’t wait! Who knows, maybe all of this is a reset!

  9. Port 2 Port says:

    People dont have money to buy food at this point so stop calling people idiots! It sounds like you got and your ok you entitled $&*@!

  10. Triangle Drifter says:

    Testing is all well & good however, the person who tests clear of the virus today may pick it up tomorrow.

    This is more like fighting a war where you never know if the enemy is standing right in front of you, hiding in plain sight, waiting to kill you if you let your guard down & give him the chance.