Signs of emergency services resuming after coronavirus outbreak – The Royal Gazette

Created: Jan 22, 2022 08:07

Hamilton Fire Station (file photo)

Emergency service staffing began to recover after quarantine rules were relaxed, it was learned yesterday.

A spokesperson for the Fire Service Association said a relaxation of Covid-19 regulations that allowed close contacts of an infected person to return to work if fully vaccinated with a booster had helped.

The spokesperson said: ‘There were some setbacks as we had to wait for delays in PCR testing and the few people who tested positive on their return to work test, but overall we see an improvement.

“At best, we’ve seen a quarter of those discharged due to previous protocols return to work so far.”

He added that the number of firefighters unable to work had peaked at around 40, but the situation had started to recover.

The spokesperson warned: “We are certainly not off the hook, and there is still a need for occasional double shifts and overtime in order to keep stations open, but hopefully things continue to work out. ‘to improve.

“Of course, the fact remains that even at full power we’re short, but that’s another issue.

“For now, we’re just happy that our firefighters are healthy.”

A spokeswoman for the Bermuda Hospitals Board confirmed yesterday that the number of workers off work because they tested positive for coronavirus or were in close contact with an infected person had dropped by nearly 150 in the week last at 103.

She said: “At the moment hospital services are operating as usual but we continue to monitor the situation closely.”

Staff in the Department of Works and Engineering’s waste management section were also believed to have been hit by the latest wave of infections.

But a spokesman for the Department of Public Works said rubbish collection had not been affected.

He said: “Staffing levels are being assessed daily and staff have been repositioned across the department to minimize the impact on essential services.”

The spokesperson added that the public can still drop off household waste at the Tynes Bay Incinerator between 7am and 7pm daily.