Bermuda recorded a 23rd death due to COVID-19 yesterday (April 22), marking the sixth death within the past week.

Health Minister Kim Wilson said: “This is distressing news, and my heartfelt sympathy goes out to the family and friends who are now grieving the loss of their loved one.”

The Ministry also reported another 23 new cases of COVID-19 in the latest round of 1,570 test results. 

But the number of active cases has dropped to 782  – down from more than 900 at its peak.

The number of people in hospital has also dipped to 31 with seven patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

Although the drop in the number of active cases was good news, the Minister warned that the spread of this virus continues to be a serious threat.

“If we mix households and ignore public health guidance, the number of positive cases will surge, especially among the unvaccinated,” said Ms Wilson.

“It is worth repeating that for the unvaccinated people in our community, their risk of developing serious disease after being infected is greater.

“In fact, none of the people hospitalised during this current outbreak were fully immunized, which supports evidence over the years, with polio and the measles, for example, that vaccines do work.”

Of the 23 new cases confirmed, two were imported – one was a non-resident who arrived here from London on Tuesday and the other was a returning resident who arrived on a JetBlue flight from New York on April 6.

Eleven of the new cases were classified as locally transmitted, while the origin of the other ten cases is still under investigation.

The Minister also encouraged “everyone to pull together to stay at home and, of course, please get vaccinated”.

“Talk to your unvaccinated friends and family and encourage them to speak to their doctor and consider the pros versus the cons about the COVID-19 vaccine.” 

Since the last update there were 85 recoveries, she added.

Of the 782 active cases, 751 are under public health monitoring.

Since March 2020, Bermuda has recorded 2,284 confirmed cases of coronavirus, out of which a total of 1,479 have recovered, and 23 persons have sadly succumbed to COVID-19.

The Minister also issued another reminder that “the Bermuda College Vaccination Centre is accepting walk-ins this week for anyone over the age of 16”.

“The hours are Thursday and Friday, 8am to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 3pm. You don’t need to register online – you can just show up. Again, going to and from your vaccination is allowed under the current restrictions.”

In closing, she added: “Each of us has a role to play in stopping the spread of the coronavirus.

“Please, Bermuda, follow Public Health guidelines, wear a mask, practice good hand hygiene, maintain physical distance and download the WeHealth Bermuda app.

“If you haven’t already, register to get vaccinated. If you are unsure about the COVID-19 vaccine, please go to reliable sources or speak to your doctor for more information to help you make an informed decision.”

For information regarding age distributions and overall transmission categories, please refer to https://www.gov.bm/coronavirus-covid19-update.