Ministry Raises Local Threat Level To “Elevated”

January 27, 2020

As the coronavirus continues to impact people in China and other nations worldwide, Bermuda’s Ministry of Health have “raised the local threat level from ‘Guarded’ to ‘Elevated” and confirmed that they “are in a state of heightened preparedness for a Public Health Emergency.”

According to CNN, “82 people are dead and more than 2,700 cases have been confirmed in mainland China, as the Wuhan coronavirus continues to spread throughout Asia and the rest of the world. Nearly 60 million people have been affected by partial or full lockdowns in Chinese cities as the country’s government steps up its response. There are more than 50 confirmed cases in 13 places outside of mainland China, including at least five in the United States.”

A Government spokesperson said, “As of today, the World Health Organization [WHO] confirmed that the risk of the coronavirus in China is very high, and risk to all other countries is high, due to extensive global travel.

“Therefore, the Ministry of Health’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit [ESU] have raised the local threat level from “Guarded” to “Elevated” and are in a state of heightened preparedness for a Public Health Emergency.”

The Minister of Health Kim Wilson said, “Bermuda’s routine public health surveillance activities have been increased through the well-established collaborations between the ESU and the hospital, physician offices, Customs and Immigration Departments. Enhanced monitoring of patients presenting with respiratory illnesses will continue, guided by recommendations from WHO, and our regional authorities, Pan American Health Organization [PAHO] and Caribbean Public Health Agency [CARPHA]. The public is advised to act on the recommendations of the Epidemiology & Surveillance Unit.”

The Ministry said: For travelers arriving to Bermuda:

  • “If you have travelled within the past 14 days to China or an area known to have human-to-human transmission of 2019-nCoV, please identify yourselves upon arrival to Customs and Immigration officials who will provide you with a health information card for follow up if necessary.
  • “If you are ill upon arrival, inform airport personnel for assistance. If you become ill with a respiratory infection following travel to China or another affected region, call your healthcare provider in advance, inform them of your travel history and seek medical care.

For travelers leaving Bermuda:

  • “Avoid non-essential travel to China and to jurisdictions where there is confirmed human-to-human transmission of the 2019-nCoV. Affected areas are updated continuously by World Health Organization [WHO] website:
  • “Assure you have updated your routine adult or childhood immunization, including the seasonal influenza vaccine.
  • “Hand hygiene and safe food practices are essential [see WHO website]
  • “Avoid close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections, as much as possible in travels
  • “Avoid contact with farm animals or wild animals
  • “If symptoms of respiratory illness occur during or up to 2 weeks after your travel, you are encouraged to seek medical attention and share your travel history with your healthcare provider.

For the average resident who does not intend to travel:

  • “Maintaining one’s general health is critical to avoid preventable visits to healthcare facilities or the hospital. Assure prescription medications are refilled and take medications as prescribed.
  • “Assure routine vaccinations are up to date. If you have not had a seasonal influenza shot get one from your healthcare provider or the Department of Health Clinic [67 Victoria Street, Hamilton]. Reducing visits to our Emergency Department and hospital for vaccine preventable diseases will help the island manage a public health emergency.
  • “If you are ill with an infectious disease, respiratory or gastrointestinal, please stay home from work and social gatherings until you no longer have a fever or cough, or vomiting and diarrhea.
  • “Always cover coughs with tissues or sleeves and practice thorough hand hygiene, washing for at least 20 seconds and generally avoiding touching face with unwashed hands.
  • “Consider restricting non-essential travel to areas known to be affected with the 2019-nCoV. These areas are updated regularly by WHO. For information see here.
  • “The WHO website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [www.cdc.gov] are reliable sources of global information. Use scientific, trustworthy websites for information to avoid being misled or alarmed unnecessarily by rumor and misinformation posted on social media.”

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Comments (11)

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  1. What steps will be taken to ostracize these frequent fliers??
    What might Bermudians look out for?
    Where would frequent fliers fly in order to bring this virus to our island home??

    • bluenose says:

      “ostracize these frequent fliers” You really are a piece of work. I pity you. It must be miserable to wake up being you every day.

  2. True faith says:

    Bermuda has numerous planes landing with sick passengers, ships with sick crews arriving. Not once have I seen or heard of any sort of precautionary steps taken when this happens. Due to our location and
    Population our resources are in my opinion limited to deal with any of the corona or Ebola out breaks . It would be beneficial if the lamb Foggo clinic is fitted to care for arriving unknown conditions that could be infectious person to person to cut the possibility of exposing the people, as all of us that have the need to attend the hospital be it as out patient, inpatient visit, work, labs , lunch etc. Several you tube news feeds show the health professionals coverings their eyes with what appears to be construction goggles. The passengers are removed from the airport in enclosed capsules.
    Can we the public be giving the opportunity to see the preparatory measures in place ? In the event that a full plane of passengers need to be quarantined has a section of the airport been planed for that ? To provide showers and food . Even after hours ? Fold out beds ? The world is changing and not been prepared can have us isolated from the rest of the world and at the the mercy of others . It will be the final nail For Bermuda. Oh forgot to mention all the jet setters arriving daily in small planes .

  3. Imjustsaying says:

    Here’s a good reason to track a flyers movement particularly from the East.

  4. SweetLoquat says:

    Does gov understand that the virus has already left China? Advising people not to travel to China gives of the indication that it’s still restricted to China. Why is there such a lag in report timing?

  5. china says:

    are we supposed to guess what the symptoms are? this big helpful article lacks this surprisingly. Here is a tip: ban travel to china and from china, and ban connecting flights which did the same. If our island gets a virus we are in serious trouble.

  6. Birdlegs says:

    My question is this. Is the hospital ready to handle anyone who may have the corona virus? I doubt it.

  7. Southampton Resident says:

    Does no-one proof read these notices.

    “Assure routine vaccinations are up to date.” The correct term is “ensure”.

    To assure someone is to remove someone’s doubts.
    To ensure something is to make sure it happens—to guarantee it.

    • bluenose says:

      There is no error in the way assure has been used here.
      To assure may also mean to ‘make (something) certain to happen. “victory was now assured”‘

  8. Jerry says:

    Give em a glass a fruit punch when they arrive

  9. ImJustSayin says:

    Are they gonna take passengers temperature that have traveled from the east?What steps are they gonna take to monitor traveller’s from those areas? SMH!