The Ministry of Health received 360 test results since the last update, and none were positive for COVID-19. 

Additionally, since the last update, there was one recovery.

There are currently ten active cases, of which;

· Six are under public health monitoring and

· Four are in hospital with none in critical care;

Since March 2020, Bermuda has recorded 692 total confirmed cases of COVID-19; out of those, 670 persons have recovered, and 12 persons have sadly succumbed to COVID-19.

The mean age of all confirmed positive cases is 43 years (median: 40 years), and the ages range from less than one year to greater than 100 years.

The mean age of all currently active cases is 55 years (median: 50 years), and the ages range from less than 30 years (age group: 20-29 years) to greater than 80 years (age group: 80-100 years).

Age information will not be provided on the hospitalised cases, to protect privacy and confidentiality.

The mean age of all deceased cases is 75 years (median: 77 years), and the ages range from less than 60 years (age group: 50-59 years) to greater than 80 years (age group: 80-100 years).

The source of all cases is as follows:

· 200 are imported

· 490 are classified as local transmission of which:

· 400 are local transmission with known contact/source and 

· 90 are local transmission with an unknown contact/source

· Two are under Investigation

Of the over 160,000 test results reported, the mean age of all persons tested is 43 years (median:  42 years), and the ages range from less than one year to greater than 100 years.

The seven-day average of our real-time reproduction number is less than 1, and Bermuda’s current country status remains “Sporadic Cases”.

Regarding questions about the side-effects of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Minister of Health, Kim Wilson, responded, “We have been getting questions about the side effects of the vaccine. While no major safety concerns have been reported, you may some side effects for a few days after you get the shot.”

“In addition to a sore arm and swelling at the injection site, side effects reported by some trial participants include tiredness, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills and fever. This is normal and is not an indication of COVID-19 as there is no COVID-19 virus in the vaccine. These minor side effects, which are not experienced by everyone, is your body’s immune system responding. If, however, the side effects are more than a mild reaction, you should contact your doctor immediately.”

“Side effects are less common in patients 55 and older, and they occurred more frequently after the second dose. If you have a history of severe allergic reactions, also known as anaphylaxis, talk to your doctor before you get the vaccine.”

For information on vaccines and how the COVID-19 vaccination will be administered, as well as frequently asked questions on the vaccine, visit www.gov.bm/vaccines.  The COVID-19 vaccination registration form will be temporarily offline after 6 pm today 4 February 2021, to allow for upgrades to the registration system. The form will be available on Monday, 8 February 2021, at 8 am.

The Minister of Health apologises that the vaccination centre at the Police Recreation Club received long delays due to a shortage of available staff to administer the vaccines. As well, the Vaccine Hotline is experiencing technical issues as a result of the volume of calls being receiving. Callers may find themselves directed to voicemail or put in a queue without having their call answered. The Ministry of Health is working expeditiously to resolve this issue, requiring additional channel capacity to meet the current demand.”

“It is disappointing that we are experiencing challenges this week with our vaccination programme as a result of the demand to register, and the sheer volume of people who are getting vaccinated. However, I have to congratulate the vaccination team for doing a tremendous job in getting our residents vaccinated, notwithstanding that not everything goes according to plan, all the time,” explained Minister Wilson.

“We are making incredible progress, and our focus remains on getting as many residents vaccinated as quickly as we possibly can.”