Health Minister Kim Wilson tabled a Bill in the House of Assembly today that will give her the power to shut down “schools, cinemas, churches, hotels or other places of public resort” to prevent the spread of a communicable disease like COVID-19.
The Public Health Amendment Bill 2020 “seeks to amend” Bermuda’s Public Health Act 1949.
“Clause 1 provides a citation for the Act. Clause 2 amends section 88 of the Public Health Act 1949 to provide power for the Minister of Health to prevent the threatened spread of a communicable disease of the first or second category by closing schools, cinemas, churches, hotels or other places of public resort or meeting in Bermuda if, in the opinion of the Chief Medical Officer, there is an immediate risk of an outbreak of such disease.”
Should there be “an immediate risk of an outbreak of such disease in any part of Bermuda”, in the Chief Medical Officer’s opinion, the Bill states that the Minister “may order the manager or other person in charge of that place to close it; and such manager or person in charge shall forthwith comply with that order, and shall continue to comply therewith until otherwise directed by the
Minister”.
