Dr. Carika Weldon On Her Resignation
Certain decisions being made she does not agree with, the multiple roles are too much for one person to sustain, and the young people at MDL lab are ‘amazing’ and well trained and will be able to handle the operations.
This was from Dr Carika Weldon — the Science Advisor & MDL Laboratory Director — who has resigned from her position, with her last day to be on January 31, 2022.
Speaking with ZBM, Dr. Carika Weldon said, “I’ve learned I can give and give and give, but I can’t give from an empty cup, and I have to take care of myself physically, mentally.
“I haven’t forsaken my country, I’m not turning my back on Bermuda, I feel as though the decisions that are being made are what’s turning their back on the country and I don’t stand by them.”
“I worked for 18 months every day, straight. Most days, 12 plus hours, 16 hours,” she said. “The first six months, I worked for free.
“It was not about money, it was just about helping my country. It continued, and then obviously I went into a paid position. I had multiple roles. Yes, I was science advisor to the government, but within the lab function, I was also having multiple roles.
“It’s too much for one person to sustain. When we hit crisis like we are in now, it then becomes an even more impossible task, because I have five, six, seven, eight staff out. I can’t cover for all eight of them.”
Dr Weldon also spoke on the matter via Twitter, saying, “If it was about money, I would not have stepped away from a $720K 3 year contract.”
Bermuda has, to date, processed over 710,000 Covid tests, since mid 2020 the island has been in top 5% of testing per capita worldwide, and is currently ranked 5th per capita out of of 222 nations/territories. The per capita ranking has fluctuated slightly over the last 20 months, however has always been in top 10, meaning that the island has maintained a very high testing ratio compared to the rest of the world.
When asked by ZBM about the decisions being made, she told them, “Certain decisions… I mean, just simply, just obviously it’s more recent, but we shouldn’t be sending our children back to school right now in person. It should be remote, but because of a staunch position that this is what the government has promised at any cost, they want it to happen, and obviously you saw the reopening of school and it’s been staggered, and now people have to get tested again, if they’re going on Monday for the first time.
“That’s just one example,” she said. “This is the fifth outbreak that we’ve had. We should know how to react, but we don’t, almost like feasibility isn’t considered. It’s just ‘Okay, well, this is what you have to do and we’re going to do it.’
Dr Weldon also told ZBM — which you can watch here — that the lab “runs like clockwork, the young people are amazing, they know what to do, and I am not an ounce worried that MDL won’t be able to survive without me because I have trained them enough to be able to manage. Obviously they need someone to direct them, but in terms of the operations, they will be fine.”
In confirming her resignation earlier this week, a government spokesperson noted, “Dr. Weldon has done an incredible job, bringing immense passion and commitment to the vital operation that has been Covid testing in Bermuda. She transitions with the sincere thanks of the Government and people of Bermuda for a job tremendously well done.”
Dr Weldon was honoured back in the 2020 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours List, and at that time the Government said, “Dr. Weldon returned to Bermuda from the UK to devise a testing regime for Bermuda to increase testing capacity as part of the COVID-19 pandemic response. She has done so at a great sacrifice to her existing work in Oxford. She led the development of the Government’s Molecular Diagnostic Lab and has dramatically increased the island’s testing capacity, a critical element in successfully controlling the spread of COVID-19 on the island.”
You can find more information on the links below from our dedicated website BermudaCovid.com, which is the most comprehensive resource and historic record available of Bermuda’s handling of the pandemic.
- All Charts: Vaccine, testing & more here
- Timelines: Dates of major developments here
- Test results: Chart of testing stats here
- Vaccine: Data covering vaccinations here
- Dedicated website: BermudaCovid.com
Wonder when we are going to hear from the real professionals, you know Ernie Burt and them ..
Must still be getting there orders at the vineyard
Go hold hands with the 5 and 1 jetgate. The ubp I mean oba needs to change the name again to win.
Could rebuild dockyard or port royal again too.. ijs
Or Berkeley, or TCD, or DLBE Bldg, or Sandys 360 and so on…and on.
Hit them with facts, and poor they disappear.
That’s funny, the original “jetgate” resides in the vineyard.
Unvarnished truth that no-one wants to speak of.
The ‘Jetgate’ that cost us millions .
Don’t you mean billions?
The OBA need not win again.
The People need to wing again.
Remember my words.
Sholom.
Change again to never. It’s been that way since day2.
Who cares? Let the racist party have Bermuda, it’s not like you can survive on anything, all you have is pink sand, homophobia and racism…can’t eat that. LOL
Wake up you Racist fool
Thanks, Doctor Weldon, you did a Stellar Job, and it seems This Gov’t took advantage of you. Sorry to lose you. You are a successful Woman. Government (these current Politicians) don’t Know something good for the country if they fell upon it.
You can be more appreciated off this Island and hold a lengthy career.
On other business: Why Government? Why Premier? Why Health Minister? Why Minister of National Security? Are you Ministers to the Public or something else? Don’t you all feel Respect for you diminished? Come clean. You are giving us a bad reputation as a country.
How are the schools? How are the fixed and working busses? How are the roads? How are peoples lives? You demonstrate that you don’t care. Some names now have a bad meaning. If you can’t or refuse to do your ministry, step down and out of the way.
All of us have a roll to play as citizens. We either are an assistance for good or a hinderance for bad. Take your pick, it’s that simple.
Don’t worry as Minister Burch will come to the rescue as his daughter is at risk! Yeah right! What a load of bS!
So why are these kids still doing in person learning. The powers that be need to make the decision to revert to remote learning. Stop gambling with these children’s wellbeing.
It is terrifying that government has allowed Dr. Weldon to come to this point. Exhausted, worn out and completely disenchanted with hope of change. Even more so that we have still not heard from the Premier and or Health Minister. This should terrify every one of us.
It’s a plandemic. Stay tuned. This is just the beginning of it all falling apart. Many heads are going to roll. Truth always reveals itself!
Yes , but i don’t think heads roll no matter how bad or costly the mistakes that have been made . No accountability in this Island, at least up to the present time .
Wow, the amount of sacrifice Dr. Weldon has made for us is beyond a lot, the fact that people must have known this but didnt do anything earlier to help take the load off of her so she could at least get 1 day off is appalling. I hope her contributions to our country is recongnised and honored in an official way like weve honored Flora Duffy, Dr. Weldon has done more than enough to be honored by us.
I wish Dr. Weldon the best!
Actually, when you think about it, What she did will be remembered for quite a while, and it is proving to be the biggest action concerning Covid than what the Premier or his Cohorts have done during the entire Pandemic! She has some power and brains. RESPECT!!! You Go Girl! You proved them Delinquent even with Tactful Words! That is Strength of character. This Government is totally washed up. Right under the Governor’s WATCH! Sorry Governor, but you need to SPEAK UP! Silence speaks louder if you don’t, otherwise you condone the delinquent actions of PLP with all their negligence. Now get the Problems all over this island fixed already……….Many articles and comments have listed and relished them now for some time, hint hint…..
“Sorry Governor, but you need to SPEAK UP! ”
No! Sorry PLP, but you’ve spent decades telling the governor to shut up…you don’t get to dictate now. LOL
Where is Mark Beans party? What do they have to say??
That was a spoiler party meant for one election only.
Yeah, its so obvious now isn’t it?!
“Certain decisions… I mean, just simply, just obviously it’s more recent, but we shouldn’t be sending our children back to school right now in person. It should be remote, but because of a staunch position that this is what the government has promised at any cost, they want it to happen, and obviously you saw the reopening of school and it’s been staggered, and now people have to get tested again, if they’re going on Monday for the first time.”
So the PLP Government will not listen to expert advice, it is doing what it wants to do. Is that a surprise to anyone?