A senior scientist’s repeated warnings that Bermuda’s COVID-19 testing system was about to be overwhelmed were ignored by Government officials.
Director of the Molecular Diagnostic and Research Laboratory, Carika Weldon said she warned that thousands of additional tests before the reopening of public schools was unworkable.
“I was told that education had to be pushed forward and we had to make it work,” Dr Weldon (pictured) said.
“The maths is pretty simple; we didn’t have enough staff to do it,” she said.
“They didn’t respect my opinion.”
Dr Weldon was speaking after she announced that she would quit her job at the end of January — just months after she signed a new contract.
The Director declined to name who she had spoken to saying “it’s really just about Civil Servants.”
It is understood that the problem was worsened because Acting Ministers had covered the Health and Education portfolios over the holidays.
“I was supposed to be off from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day and ended up working most of that time,” she said.
“My mental health was struggling.
“I put the country first, but it really boils down to bearing the country on my shoulders.”
Dr Weldon said that as she watched numbers soar after Christmas, she came to the conclusion that “I do not want to be in this”.
She said the laboratory had already been short of staff, then more staff had been forced to take time off because they were close contacts of people who had tested positive for the virus.
“We’ve all accepted we are behind. We pride ourselves on keeping up with demand.
“It’s been mentally taxing for all of us, because we are used to efficiency. We’re just keeping pressing on.”
Dr Weldon said she had no idea where she would go when she left at the end of the month — “I’m not really worried about where I’m going next”.
Hamilton, 11 January 2022
