Details Of Mandatory Supervised Quarantine
Effective June 6th, “all non-immunised persons travelling to Bermuda are subject to mandatory supervised quarantine and will be required to bear all costs for the hotel/guest house,” National Security Minister Renee Ming said.
Speaking at this evening’s press conference, the Minister said “You must ensure that you have a confirmed [pre-paid] booking at a government-authorized hotel before boarding a flight coming to Bermuda.”
She explained that there are three approved quarantine locations, Coco Reef Resort and Grotto Bay, Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, with rates — while not implicitly stated, but we assume are per night — ranging from $200 to $356.
“Last year, the Government spent over $1.5 million on quarantine expenses. This was due in part to the fact that the hotels were closed. This year, the government is simply not in a position to subsidize the cost of quarantine accommodations,” the Minister said.
People that are exempt from mandatory supervised quarantine and are allowed to quarantine at home include people under 17 years, parents travelling with a child aged 4 or less, people over 65, people with a medical certificate, residents who left Bermuda before May 6 and are unable to meet requirements through no fault of their own, those traveling to escort a minor to or from an educational institution and more.
Update May 7, 10.18am: The Government has now issued a clarification to the official press released issued last night and what was posted on the official Government website. They have now advised that rather than the original statement of “you can only book your government-authorized hotel stay through the ResQwest portal” should in fact be “your hotel stay will be booked as part of the Travel Authorization process,” so we have removed the original line.
An extract from Minister Ming’s statement follows below:
Here are some general guidelines regarding the mandatory supervised quarantine for non-immunised travelers arriving in Bermuda by air on/after June 6, 2021.
By ‘mandatory supervised’ quarantine, it is meant those hotel/guest house properties that have been designated as such by the Government.
All non-immunised persons travelling to Bermuda are subject to mandatory supervised quarantine and will be required to bear all costs for the hotel/guest house they choose from amongst of participating properties.
The Disaster Risk Reduction Mitigation [DRRM] Team will oversee the mandatory 14-day quarantine for all incoming non-immunised travelers.
You can only book your hotel up to 14 days in advance of your arrival.
You must ensure that you have a confirmed [pre-paid] booking at a government-authorized hotel before boarding a flight coming to Bermuda.
If rooms aren’t available for your preferred dates, you must change your flight for a date when a government-authorized hotel is available or, you should book at another hotel.
You could face a fine if you don’t provide evidence of pre-paid accommodation at a government-authorized hotel prior to arriving in Bermuda.
Non-immunised travellers coming to Bermuda should follow these steps:
- 1. Have your traveler details ready.
- 2. Choose and book your hotel.
- 3. Get a confirmation to show at the time of arrival in Bermuda. Non-immunized foreign nationals who arrive in Bermuda without a confirmed [pre-paid] booking at a government-authorized hotel will not be landed and will be immediately returned to their place of origin.
Government-authorized hotels You may choose one of the following hotels for your mandatory quarantine:
There are three approved quarantine locations:
- a] Coco Reef Resort – $200 for single and $230 for double occupancy. Available rooms – 32+ rooms; each unit is equipped with WiFi, A/C, refrigerator, room safe
- b] Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa [$291.88 pp/ +$12.50 for additional person/ 3x per week maid service]. Each unit equipped with WiFi, A/C, refrigerator, room safe. Maximum of 4 persons per room. Meal plan available for $64.35 pp daily. No pets.
- c] Hamilton Princess & Beach Club – $289.30 for a Deluxe Garden view room; $356.30 for a Deluxe Harbor view room.
Last year, the Government spent over $1.5 million on quarantine expenses. This was due in part to the fact that the hotels were closed. This year, the government is simply not in a position to subsidize the cost of quarantine accommodations.
We do appreciate that these are significant costs, however the prices are comparable to other jurisdictions.
We will however continue to look for options that may be more affordable.
Here are some additional quarantine guidelines for non-immunised travelers.
The following persons are exempt from mandatory supervised quarantine and are allowed to quarantine at home:
- 1. Minors – Defined as 17 years or younger and parents travelling with a child aged 4 or less;
- 2. Seniors – Defined as 65 years or older;
- 3. Medical – Defined as either a] having a medical certificate; or b] certified essential medical travel; or c] certified essential medical companion;
- 4. Bona-fide residents who left Bermuda before May 6 and are unable to meet requirements through no fault of their own – Will need to define proof of residence and proof of inability to get vaccine;
- 5. Essential travel to escort a Minor to or from an educational institution. Applies to both parents OR guardians – no more than 2. – Defined as showing proof of travelling with minor and proof of school enrolment.
All exemptions are to be handled by the Ministry of Health Quarantine Authority – as they approve exemptions under the Quarantine Act.
You can find more information on the links below and also on our dedicated website BermudaCovid.com, which is the most comprehensive resource and historic record available of Bermuda’s handling of the pandemic.
- All: Our coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic here
- Bermuda Stats: Chart of testing stats here
- Vaccinations: Data covering vaccinations here
- Live Updates: Continuous updates here.
How is “non-immunized” defined. I know this sounds like a dumb question but do they mean people who haven’t had a vaccine shot at all OR does this also include people that have only had 1 shot?
I believe it to mean there have been 2 weeks from the second vaccine, so if you have your 1st jab and travel with the aim of getting your 2nd shot when you return (as an examole(, you would be considered non-immunized. Or if you had your 2nd jab, traveled for a week, and in return less than 2 weeks had passed since your 2nd jab, you would be non-immunised until a 2nd week had passed. That’s my understanding but welcome clarification.
It’s not a dumb question because “immunized” implies immunity to the virus and vaccines do not provide immunity. Also people who have recovered from Covid have antibody protection. Could be an interesting time for lawyers.
Nonsense. Get the jab, stop being obtuse.
– I think we’ve heard enough from you. Your constant nagging is making non-vaxers dig their heels in even more. I am one of them, there are many. Give it a freaking break!
Nonsense? Are you so incredibly gullible to believe everything you are told by the media and authorities? They all have their own agenda! If you took the time to read history you would understand the great levels of deception Governments are willing to go to. Doctors are too afraid to speak out about this absurdity for fear of being ostracised from the medical community. Go ahead get your shot and hope you don’t contract a mortal side effect from the experimental vaccine.
You do know you are being spied on from satellites and the droplets from aircraft contrails can affect your behavior.
Oh, gotta go, Finding BigFoot is on TV followed by Ancient Aliens.
Idiot.
You’re only correct by the strictest of semantics. Immunized means the person has become immune (extremely low chances of contacting the infection) to Nothing is 100% effective since humans as imperfect machines and viruses mutate.It was never touted as 100% effective and arguing otherwise is either a bad faith argument or shows your complete lack of understanding on the topic.
To actually answer the question, they mean you’ve had both does more than 14 days prior.
The PLP Government has been using the word “immunized” to mean both Pfizer jabs plus 2 weeks. A person who is “non-immunized” would be a person who does not meet that criteria
It not a dumb question at all, as many countries will be providing booster shots to those who have had two doses of the vaccine. So it may exclude those who have not had their booster shot as well. Remember the Premier said this arrange will stay in place until the end of the pandemic. The effectiveness (catching and spreading) against the virus of those with only two doses will diminish in time I believe.
Wow this will certainly discouraged anyone coming to visit Bermuda. Not to mention the high cost to be there. Wow
No it won’t – quite the opposite in fact.
I think immunized means 2 weeks after 2nd shot so anything less than that is non immunized
Hospitality peeps might as well pack it up. Nobody’s coming to Bermuda.
I think the opposite will happen, it says we’re safe. I support this.
I’d go further, and lock up any Bermudian or resident who refuses to get the vaccine.
Amen brother. And lets have another prison wing for idiots like yourself. Don’t want your stupidity to spread.
You just need to go away with your prejudice comments. It’s very clear your a racist too
What’s racist or prejudiced about that?
We’re in the middle of a global public health crisis. Grow up and get the jab.
I think you should be locked up for such a nonchalant comment.
There is precedent for forced vaccinations here, the UK and the US. There is precedent for vaccinations when travelling to different countries for different diseases.
Why are Bermudians so spashal. Oh yeah, because they constantly tell themselves that and they believe their own press.
Grow up and get the jab.
Move to china! You’ll love it! Communist?
Come looking, as my family has almost been wiped out by heart disease. Family member two years ago had to have open heart surgery abroad, so don,t think you will find any of us getting anything in our bodies that could or may shorten our lives in any way.
Continue to live in your confusion while we enjoy our lives and family.
With all due respect, I don’t think the COVID vaccine is your issue. But if you are in the unfortunate situation of being unable to take the vaccine, it’s even more important the rest of us do to protect YOU.
Something the selfish, belligerent idiot anti-vaxers fail to understand.
Orwell 1984! SMH!
Orwell literally died from TB. A viral respiratory disease which was spread to him. 1894 cationed against oligarchs, not democratically elected officials putting in public health measures to stop the spread of a once in a generation pandemic.
Orwell would hate your comment.
Red Pill has never read Orwell.
Curious. They have no funds for quarantine expenses but have yet found the money to put together a Disaster Risk Reduction Mitigation team (I can only imagine how much their salary will be) and pay for a new software portal called ResQwest (those things are not cheap!!) which will probably be as ineffective as all their other attempts of going online. But hey! We’re broke!
The DRRM is not new, it was implemented several years ago and gets us through other emergencies including hurricanes in conjunction with the EMO.
“People that are exempt from mandatory supervised quarantine and are allowed to quarantine at home include … residents who left Bermuda before May 6 and are unable to meet requirements through no fault of their own”
Who is that exemption meant for?
For example university students who were not eligible for the vaccine before they left and have not had access to a vaccine where they currently are. There are probably other examples
Premier Burt had the vaccine plus the two weeks and contracted Covid so I guess nobody is ‘immunised’
The costs associated with the forced quarantine are excessive. Premier Burts says the vaccine is not mandatory, just don’t take a trip folks or $3500 return bill. Does that include food? Swizzle?
I don’t like to not be trusted by my government.
You seem to not understand how immune systems, immunizations, science, or gramma work. You also seem to not understand the different between infection and disease.
He tested positive that he had been exposed to the virus and it was trying to make him sick. The virus was in his system but he never got sick, the virus was never able to get a strong enough hold on his immune system (due to the vaccine), and it was never able to establish enough reproduction to be able to be spread to others. His immune system (again, aided by the vaccine) was able to overrun the virus and stop the spread and the potential for a mutation to develop and spread.
You, right now, have trillions of viruses living in an on your body. While many of them are harmless, the ones that are not are unable to make you sick without making enough copies of themselves. This is due to your immune system doing it’s job. You help your immune system do that by getting a vaccine (which we have been using without much issue for nearly 200 years).
It’s like training someone for a job before their first day of work. Sure, you can probably learn as you go, but it will be easier and more efficient if you were told what to do before hand. The major difference is that if your immune system can’t figure it out on then job, you may die or cause a variant.
Just get vaccinated.
Exactly, at this point, I don’t trust my (that is our) government either!
Minimum $200 -356.30 per night works out to $2,800 -$4,988.20. By the time to eat and pay extra your whole paycheck plus would be gone. Most people do not even make that kind of money. Forcing people to compile, smh.
“At the present time, it is WHO’s position that national authorities and conveyance operators should not introduce requirements of proof of COVID-19 vaccination for international travel as a condition for departure or entry, given that there are still critical unknowns regarding the efficacy of vaccination in reducing transmission.
WHO also recommends that people who are vaccinated should not be exempt from complying with other travel risk-reduction measures”.
The WHO doesn’t get to determine.
THANK YOU!! It’s an experimental vaxxine, for the love of GOD! Who in their right mind thinks coercing an experimental injection is legal?? Who injects themselves with an experimental liquid anyway?? If Trump had his way, would you all be injecting yourselves with bleach??
No it isn’t. And no we wouldn’t.
Why? Because we’re capable of listening, reading, and understanding.
It is ‘draconian’ to force people to vaccinate especially since we are trying to gain tourists to come here. Not everyone is on board with the vaccine, and for that reason, I don’t think it should be forced, no one in their right mind is going to stay here for 3 grand to quarantine for 2 weeks and be confined in a room. If the govt thinks this is the right way to govern and implement covid rules, they are way off in my opinion, being that we are hanging on a string financially. The govt needs to realize that they’ve created one of the most expensive places to live, a massive debt and yet they are totally indifferent to the fact they have cost people jobs and their incomes. They continue to use harsh, unpractical protocols during this pandemic which continue to hurt our pockets.
I’ve moved past the “everyone should get vaccinated because…” argument now. Those that are stupid enough to not be vaccinated won’t have their minds changed by me.
I’m now in the “go get sick in a corner already” frame of mind. But, when you’re drowning in your own lung fluids don’t come running to me for solace.
Exactly! And, Gov’t always finds money for what it wants to do! Plenty of examples.
Here is another: Gov’t spends lots of money on Contractors every year, when they can use their very own workers
To do the same types of work. They have nearly quit proper training in some departments. A lot less tax payer’s money would be wasted by using their own resources. So when they complain they have no money to help the public with Quarantining, to me this is a big hoax! I have seen to much waste over too many years, it is shameful!
Some Bermudians have it very difficult financially, living in this country any more, and Government would put mammoth burdens on us, the people who make them look good! Very disgraceful!
There are local Government municipalities in the United States that have very good ratings financially, even during Covid, and even though they took a revenue hit this past year, they were prepared for ‘a Rainy Day’ and went into Covid with thousands in the Bank and still went under the Tax Cap, therefore, not burdening their local residents with any higher taxes! Not So in Bermuda! The Foresight seriously lags and it is very disturbing! This is why our residents pay dearly to live hear! Soo, I am not fooled in the slightest! And just look at our National Debt! LOL! We are to small for this foolishness.
Government is guaranteeing the complete destruction of the Bermuda economy as prescribed by the WHO. What will follow is the dissolving of all personal wealth for the benefit of the state.
As a cheaper option could we not re-purpose some of the existing assets that us tax payers have already paid for, like Bermudiana Beach, Morgans Point, Sandys 360? We could erect the 80+ low cost housing units that have been discarded in Sallyport Dockyard on the Cross Island we shipped in from Canada. People who want to make their own choices for what is injected into their bodies should not be made to rent rooms in lavish hotels. I think its a two birds with one stone concept: Fill hotels and get people vaccinated. Its a paradox because the people you are trying to protect with this rule are the ones who are chastised by this rule.
When is the protest?
I’m not going to get the vax until it is actually given FDA approval so, let me get this straight:
* I’m not 65 yet so I have to quarantine – I’d call that age discrimination.
* I’m over 17 so I have to quarantine – age discrimination.
* I’m not able to have children but if I did I would be accompanying them to school overseas – so I have to quarantine – I’d call that fertility discrimination.
* I’m not able to have children aged 4 or under to travel with so I have to quarantine – fertility discrimination.
And let me repeat for the hard of hearing and illiterate: I’m not getting the vax until it is FDA approved. End of.
I think your biggest issue is intelligence discrimination
Will there be an extra bio-hazard cleaning charge added to the hotel bill along with the usual 17% “gratuity?”
By my whiskers! This reminds me of the old British saying, “In for a Penney, in for a Pound.” And the proverb, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” We (Government & BTA) can see the hotel occupancy rates soaring!
This focus on the 14-day quarantine is a great way to deflect attention from Bermudians demanding to know the metrics to declare everything is back to normal. Or rather, the yet-to-be-defined “new normal.”
I fail to follow the logic of this new procedure. If the idea is to reduce the risk of the spread of the virus, people under the age of 18 can spread the virus and so can immunised people, so to confine some but not others, doesn’t make any sense.
Some people cannot get vaccinated for medical reasons, some people have had one shot but then suffered adverse reactions to it and cannot get the 2nd shot, should they have their liberties taken away?
Taking any form of medication carries a risk, and rightly or wrongly some people feel that the risk of the medication is not worth taking, others think the risk of being harmed by the virus outweighs the risk of the vaccine and hence get inoculated. If the vaccine is effective then all the people who have been vaccinated don’t have anything to worry about and the people who haven’t been vaccinated know the risk, don’t people have the right to choose?
At the time of writing 39% have had 2 doses and 51% one dose, thus one would assume by June 90%+ will be fully vaccinated, so Bermudians won’t have to worry if they are exposed to the virus by tourists or returning residents. Why introduce a further restriction which is only going to harm the economy more?
The government needs to clarify what its objective is with this policy.
That is a lot of money to be charging Coco Reef Resort with your outdated furniture
Will a traveller who is tested negative to the virus be quarantine on arrival in Bermuda?