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Paulette: Bermuda reopens for business

• Bermuda College will reopen on Wednesday for classes and normal operations, as per pre-Paulette conditions. Most classes will be taught online and students without electricity are invited to come to campus, undergo the required Covid-19 precautionary measures, and be given WiFi access to their classes.• Saltus Grammar School will open as normal tomorrow. Clean up from Hurricane Paulette is well under way at both Saltus campuses.• Clarien Bank will resume normal business operations on Wednesday. A thorough assessment of all facilities and systems has been completed to ensure the safety and security of clients and employees. Hamilton branch operations resume at 9am. for seniors and vulnerable clients, and 10am for all clients as per Covid-19 protocols. The branch closes at 4pm. Clarien client service centre operations resume at 8.30am. Customers may call 296-6969 for assistance. It closes at 4pm.Paget branch operations remain suspended. Online transactions should continue to be completed via Clarien iBank.Clients who need assistance following the storm should contact the bank. For more information, visit www.clarienbank.com.• The Argus Group’s Property & Casualty Department will be available today, and other departments will reopen tomorrow at 9am.Ryan Eve, VP Operations, Property & Casualty, said: “We hope that all are safe after Hurricane Paulette. If you experienced damage to your property and need to urgently contact us, our Property & Casualty Department will be available today, Tuesday, from 1pm to 5pm.“To obtain assistance, please call 298-0888 or e-mail us at insurance@argus.bm. Our experienced claims adjusters will be available for on-site visits to assess any sustained damage and support your needs. Our Argus offices and all other departments will reopen on Wednesday at 9am.” • Warwick Academy will open tomorrow morning. The school has power and has been inspected for safety.• Hamilton Princess & Beach Club is resuming its usual service at Crown & Anchor and The Duchess today. 1609 will be open as usual Thursday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.• The MarketPlace group of stores, including PriceRite and Sears, have reopened — operating at normal business hours.• City of Hamilton crews were deployed around the City at 6am today to assess Hamilton, commence clean up, identify any vulnerable areas affected by the storm and have the City safe and ready for the public.City parks continue to be closed until it is deemed safe to reopen them. City administrative offices will reopen at 9am on Wednesday.• HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited will reopen its Harbourfront, Somerset and St George’s branches on Tuesday at 1pm. The Church Street branch will remain closed until Wednesday.• The Colonial Group said that if the Emergency Measures Organisation advises that roads are safe to travel, its Reid Street office will reopen to walk-in customers between 10am and 4pm tomorrow — Tuesday, September 15.Covid-19 safety precautions will still be in place.A spokesman added: “Customers may also submit claims between 8:30am and 4pm by calling 296-3700 or by e-mailing us at claims@colonial.bm.”• The Bank of Butterfield said its banking centres will reopen to customers from 1pm to 4pm on Tuesday, September 15, if the Government has given the all-clear for road travel.• The National Sports Centre plans to reopen on Wednesday at 6.30am.A spokesman said that staff will do a clean-up tomorrow, Tuesday, to make sure that the facility is ready to use.• Clarien Bank said its offices will remain closed tomorrow — Tuesday, September 15.The company said that updates about returning to business on Wednesday will be sent after “all facilities and systems have been assessed to ensure the safety and security of Clarien clients and employees”. A spokesman added: “If internet access is available, clients are encouraged to complete online transactions via Clarien iBank. “All ACH and wire transactions services will continue to be processed online as per normal.” • Saltus Grammar School and the Bermuda High School confirmed they will be closed tomorrow — Tuesday, September 15.A Saltus spokesman said: “This will allow our crisis management team time to assess any damage, clean up debris and bring our systems back up safely. “We will provide updates as they are available.”A spokeswoman for BHS said that the decision to remain closed came after talks with other private school head teachers.She added: “Our plan is to prepare the campus for a full return to school on Wednesday.” • Warwick Academy will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, September 15. It is hoped that the school can reopen on Wednesday, if there is power. Parents and pupils were asked to watch out for announcements made through media, social media and e-mails. • Public schools will be closed on Monday and Tuesday. Government has said the buildings will be evaluated on Tuesday to determine when schools will be able to reopen.• The LF Wade International Airport closed at 6pm yesterday and is planned to reopen on Tuesday at noon.• The Causeway closed at 9pm yesterday and will not be reopened until after an assessment is carried out.• The Lamb Foggo Clinic in St David’s will be open if residents of St George’s or St David’s require medical assistance.• Public bus service was suspended as of 7pm yesterday.• Government buildings will be closed on both Monday and Tuesday, but public officers are asked to work remotely on Tuesday if possible.• Ferry service between Hamilton and Dockyard — the Blue Route — was suspended from 10am yesterday. The Hamilton Harbour ferry — the Pink Route — was suspended from noon. Ferry service is expected to resume on Wednesday.• The Government shelter at CedarBridge Academy opened yesterday at 3pm. • Tynes Bay public trash drop-off closed yesterday at 5pm. The public are asked not to put out their trash for kerbside pick-up on Monday or Tuesday.• Covid testing at both Southside and the Perot Post Office will not take place on Monday. Evaluations will be made to determine if testing will resume on Tuesday. Appointments will be rescheduled and sent to the travellers by the Ministry of Health after the assessments completed on Monday. • There will be no Advanced Polls on Monday or Tuesday. Following an assessment of the polling stations, the Parliamentary Registry Office will update when the resumption of Advance Polling will be.• The Bermuda Tourism Authority announced its Dinner-in-White kick-off event for the Bermuda Alfresco Dining Festival has been rescheduled from this Thursday to September 24.A spokesman said: “While it’s expected the Fort St Catherine venue will be ready in time for the original date, sourcing fresh, locally harvested foods this week will be a challenge for the event’s purveyors. Visitor travel has also been disrupted by the storm.“Therefore Dinner-in-White will take place one week later. Already-purchased tickets and tickets purchased now on Premier Tickets will be honoured on September 24.”• Luxury Cuts Studio in Hamilton announced it will be closed on Monday.• BF&M insurance announced its offices will be closed on Monday. The firm will advise on reopening through the press, social media and its website. Online services can be found at www.bfm.bm. To reach a representative, call 295-5566.• Hours for Rubis service stations on Sunday:• Boaz Island Service will close at 5pm• Causeway Service will close at 4pm• Dowling’s Marine will close at 6pm• East Broadway Service will close at 4pm• North Shore Service will close at 4pm• Paget, Middle Road will close at 6pm• Robinson’s Marine will close at 6pm• St John’s Road Service will close at 4pm• Van Buren’s (Flatts) will close at 2pm• Warwick South Shore will close at 8pm• The MarketPlace stores, including PriceRite and Sears, will be closed on Monday and reopening at regular hours on Tuesday should it be safe. Stores are operating at regular hours today, closing at 7pm.• Bermuda High School for Girls will not be open on Monday. Staff will assess damage after the storm has passed before making a decision regarding reopening. They will be in contact with parents via e-mail, Facebook, Firefly and the media.• All Bermuda College classes have been cancelled and the campus will be closed on Monday and Tuesday. This includes evening classes. An assessment will be made by the College on Tuesday after the passage of the hurricane, when it is safe to do so and updates will be provided at that time.• Somersfield Academy will be closed on Monday and will assess reopening as soon as it is safe to do so.• Mount St Agnes Academy will be closed Monday. Once the storm has passed, staff will assess the school, and if electricity has been restored, they will communicate further plans for Tuesday. Parents will be notified through Edsby, e-mail, the school website and media.• Saltus schools will remain shut on Monday. More information about when the schools will reopen will be announced later.• The National Sports Centre will close Saturday evening until after the storm has passed. At that time staff will assess damage and reopen as soon as safe to do so.• Warwick Academy will be closed on Monday. The school will monitor weather advice throughout tomorrow and Monday and if safe to do so their aim is to assess the school campus late on Monday. The school will communicate with parents and staff whether school will be open on Tuesday based on advice received and the campus assessment.• Colonial’s offices on Reid Street will close temporarily on Monday due to TS Paulette, which is forecast to be a category 2 hurricane when it passes Bermuda.Richard Espinet, Colonial’s COO of Property and Casualty, said: “Tropical Storm Paulette is approaching Bermuda. Our offices will be temporarily closed on Monday, September 14, and will reopen when it is safe to do so. Customers can still access and review their policies at our online insurance portal at hellocgi.com.“For emergency assistance with your home, car/motor or property claims, we are available at 747-3700 and 537-3700.“We will update our clients after the storm about our reopening and provide updates on how they can get in contact with us to submit any claims they may have. “Please make sure you stay up to date on the weather conditions and be prepared as much as you can be.”• The Progressive Labour Party has announced that it has temporarily suspended its campaign operations, including the party’s virtual rally, that had been scheduled to take place tonight.A spokeswoman said: “All constituency campaigns are to cease political groundwork and focus on checking in with constituents before and after the storm and assisting as we can. “The PLP’s virtual rally scheduled for this evening is also cancelled to allow Bermudians to focus on preparing for the storm.”• HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited will be closed for business on Monday. All employees are advised not to travel in to the office that day and to remain safe.A spokeswoman said: “We will resume normal business operations as soon as it is deemed safe to do so and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause our customers.”Banking will be available on the Mobile Banking App via the AppStore or via Google play; online at www.hsbc.bm, or by automated phone banking at 299 5959, option 1.• Clarien Bank offices will be closed on Monday with further updates about business operations on Tuesday to be issued “once all facilities and systems have been assessed to ensure the safety and security of Clarien clients and employees”.A company spokesman added: “If internet access is available, clients are encouraged to complete online transactions via Clarien iBank. “All ACH and wire transaction services will continue to be processed online as per normal.”Customers can visit www.clarienbank.com for updates and more information. • Ryan Eve, The Argus Group’s vice-president for property and casualty, said that the company’s offices will be closed on Monday.He added: “Business will resume as soon as we are advised that it is safe to do so. “We encourage our customers to make thorough preparations by ensuring their properties are safe and secure. “All marine vessels should be removed from the water or placed on a storm mooring approved by Argus.“If you require immediate assistance, please call 298-0888 and leave your name and telephone number. Alternatively, you can e-mail insurance@argus.bm. An Argus representative will contact you as soon as possible. “We hope that all remain safe.” • The Parliamentary Registry Office said that a decision will be made tomorrow — September 12 — about advanced polling for travellers, incapacitated voters and seniors, which is expected to take place from September 14 to 18.• The West End Development Corporation’s offices will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, and will reopen on Wednesday, September 16, as normal. The team will work remotely during the closure period.To contact Wedco for maintenance matters call 699-0871 or e-mail maintenance@wedco.bm and for general enquiries call 234-1709 or e-mail info@wedco.bm.Wedco updates can also be found at www.dockyardbermuda.com as well as on the DockyardBermuda Facebook and Twitter accounts.• The City of Hamilton said that all of its parks, including Fort Hamilton, will close at sunset tomorrow — Saturday — until it is safe to reopen them after the storm.• The Bank of Butterfield said that all of its banking centres and offices will be closed on Monday.A spokesman added: “The safety of employees and clients is Butterfield’s first priority. “As such, the bank’s ability to reopen for business on Tuesday, September 15 will be dependent upon an assessment of the safety of its buildings and receipt of an ‘all clear’ from the Government of Bermuda to resume operations. “Butterfield will communicate the planned reopening date and time of its banking centres and offices after the storm has passed via the press, social media and its website.“Butterfield Online, the Bank’s secure internet banking platform, will remain available throughout the closure period.”• Friends of Hospice have cancelled their annual Butterfly Blast fundraiser, which had been scheduled to take place tomorrow at Victoria Park over concerns about Tropical Storm Paulette.The storm is expected to approach the island on Monday as a Category 2 hurricane.However the charity has announced that a raffle associated with the cancelled event will take place as scheduled at Lindo’s Family Foods in Warwick at 1pm tomorrow.Alison Soares, Friends of Hospice chairman, said: “This was not an easy decision for us to reach, but we recognise the impact approaching storms have on our community. “It would be unfair to expect volunteers, staff, and event attendees to put aside necessary preparations required at their homes in order to support the event. “Obviously, the cancellation will have a negative financial impact on the organisation, but the safety of everyone concerned needs to come first.”Any questions concerning the Friends of Hospice Butterfly Blast raffle can be sent to executive.director@hospice.bm.