Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Sep 01, 2025

Bermuda Hospital cuts visits & braces for COVID-19 surge

Bermuda Hospital cuts visits & braces for COVID-19 surge

An overflow intensive care unit is to be pressed into service as the hospital braces itself for a surge in Covid-19 cases, it emerged tonight.
The King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and the Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute will also introduce visiting restrictions and routine surgery as part of the fight against the disease.

Wesley Miller, the Bermuda Hospitals Board Chief of Staff, said: “BHB is now experiencing an increase in emergency visits and admissions.

“Higher community transmissions also increases the risks of an individual visiting a loved one and not knowing they are infected.

“We have once more prepared our overflow ICU in the surgical area so that we can care for all those who need it.”

Dr Miller admitted: “These actions divert resources and space, which impacts our other services.

“We apologise for the impact on patients and families as we manage this surge and thank everyone for their co-operation and understanding.”

A BHB spokeswoman said the hospital would halt visits to inpatients and long term care residents at the KEMH and MWI from tomorrow and cancel elective surgery.

The maternity unit, the Gosling ward – for child patients – and intensive care patients will be allowed limited visiting by designated individuals.

Patients at the hospice, Agape House, who are close to death will be allowed two visitors in their room at a time, but both will have to wear full personal protective equipment.

Judy Richardson, the BHB chief of nursing, said: “We have seen numbers surge in the community and this is now being seen in our hospitals too.

“We have been through surges before and know that timely action maximises the safety of all people in BHB units and group homes.

“We feel for all the people who will see less of their families and loved ones, but our first step is to strengthen the protections that help protect them.

“We need everyone to play their part in keeping our most vulnerable people safe, so thank the community in advance for their understanding and partnership in following all guidelines and precautions."

Michael Richmond, the BHB CEO and president, added: “We are all working extremely hard to manage our bed capacity and focus resources where they are needed so we are able to care for all who need it, as medical emergencies still happen on top of the increase in Covid-19 cases.”

Dr Richmond said: “It not only adds to the clinical pressures felt by individuals and services, but brings continued financial pressures to BHB and the healthcare system and we were under pressure even before the pandemic.”

He added that the BHB had worked hard to achieve savings through efficiency programmes, contract reviews and management of assets.

Dr Richmond said: “The financial costs of responding to the pandemic, on top of international increases of medicines and supplies, and the pressure to keep pace with international standards in healthcare to offer the people in Bermuda are immense.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×