Will Health Minister Kim Wilson ask for yet another extension to the Public Health Emergency Order when the House meets on Friday? Will it be approved?
Let’s take a moment to consider the following…
1. The COVID-19 Inoculation program through Public Health and resQwest has ended. As a result, COVID-19
inoculations are now being administered at doctors’ offices, pharmacies, or the Government Health Clinic.
Question: Can these changes be considered a clear sign that the emergency is over?
2. COVID-19 testing can be done at home and is also widely available through non-government entities.
Question: Are we now in a position to manage the situation ourselves?
3. COVID-19 testing is no longer a requirement to enter the US, UK, and many other countries.
Question: In spite of this, why is Bermuda still requiring testing?
4. According to statements made by government officials, the Travel Authorisation is in place until the end of
March 2023. The government has admitted that keeping the Travel Authorisation in place has far more to
do with the revenue it generates than public health, yet its existence is being governed by a Public Health
Emergency Order.
Question: If generating revenue is the main purpose of the Travel Authorisation, can it be tweaked to
become a landing card; without testing, quarantining, or restrictions for foreign nationals?
5. One of the main reasons for keeping the Public Health Emergency Order up until this point was to enforce
mask-wearing where it is still mandated. i.e. health services, public transport, government buildings, the airport, etc.. Although mask-wearing has remained a requirement in some places, very few charges, if any, are being issued, so the Public Health Emergency Order is clearly under-utilised in this regard.
Question: Are mask mandates still a valid reason for keeping the Public Health Emergency Order in place when mask-wearing, in the vast majority of places, has been optional for months?
6. Airlines flying to the UK and USA do not require masks. Therefore passengers traveling to Bermuda spend
hours on a plane together unmasked only to be told to mask up when they enter the massive arrivals hall at
our new airport. People traveling to Bermuda via cruise ship spend days at sea with thousands of unmasked passengers only to be told to put on a mask to exit the ship.
Question: Why has Bermuda yet to come in line with what other jurisdictions have implemented? Most significantly, the UK, which represents our external affairs, and the US, which is our closest neighbour.
How do you feel after taking these items into consideration?
Is there really any need for us to extend the Public Health Emergency Order considering that the House adjourns until November?
If so, how would the country, its people, and our fragile economy benefit by keeping these orders in place?
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