HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) — Bermuda’s death toll from COVID-19 has risen to 11 as Health Minister Kim Wilson announced that 9,000 doses of the vaccine would arrive on the island on Friday with vaccination to start for healthcare and essential workers next Monday.

The Health Minister said that seniors in rest homes who provide their consent can receive the vaccine at sites to be arranged and the first doses will be given next week, with the second dose administered three weeks later.

There will be no cost for the vaccines.

Wilson told Tuesday night’s media briefing that the latest death was “very upsetting” for the community, but she gave no details about the victim.

An unnamed senior died in late December, the first COVID-19 death since May.

Eight new cases in the latest batch of 875 tests took the island’s total to 632 — half of them took place in December.

One of the new cases was a returning resident who flew to the island from New York last Thursday and tested positive on day four. Another arrived on a flight from Atlanta on Sunday and tested positive on arrival.

Two others arrived from London the same day and tested positive on arrival.

Burt said the nightly closure of businesses would move from 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm, but bars and nightclubs would remain closed for “the time being”, to be reviewed in two weeks’ time.

Gatherings remain limited to 10, but the limit on outdoor funerals has moved from 10 to 20.