Senators on Wednesday passed the final extension to Covid-19 emergency powers.

Arianna Hodgson, the Junior Minister of Labour, Finance and Health, assured senators that Bermuda’s healthcare services had the expertise and resources needed to feel confident in lifting the measures by the end of November.

She spoke after several senators raised concerns about ending the measures during the autumn and winter months, which could see new Covid-19 variants.

Ms Hodgson said: “Over the last two years health systems around the world have dealt with an overwhelming number of challenges and an overwhelming number of deaths.

“But Bermuda is in a much better place than it was two months ago and even two years ago.”

Ms Hodgson admitted that there had been some apprehension to end the emergency powers during the autumn and winter because viruses became more frequent during this time.

But she added that the decision was made instead to stagger the relaxation of measures for the sake of safety.

Ms Hodgson said that 75 per cent of the population had been fully vaccinated and that the figure was expected to rise to 84 per cent.

She added that the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital was not overloaded with Covid-19 cases as it had been during the early stages of the pandemic.

Ms Hodgson stressed that, despite the emergency powers being lifted, it was still important for people to monitor their own health and take a “caution-based approach” to the gatherings they went to.

Mr Hodgson also defended the controversial travel authorisation forms, saying that there had always been health documents needed to travel to come countries even before the Covid-19 pandemic.

OBA Senate leader Ben Smith and Senator Robin Tucker said they were pleased that the emergency powers were coming to an end on November 30.

“We expressed concern about the timing of the announcement to end the emergency powers as it is seemingly at odds with health minister’s warning that “the consensus among most public health experts is that this upcoming season is important … around the world there is a relaxation of public health measures… with colder months approaching a new, more infectious, deadlier variant can cause havoc.”

Mr Smith said: “The OBA is fully supportive of ending the emergency powers; we have been calling for it to end for quite sometime, but we questioned the timing of ending the powers, in view of the minister’s warning.”