CIG restricts travel from mainland China

| 10/02/2020 | 22 Comments
Customs and Border Control officer

(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government has imposed travel restrictions that limit entry, by boat or aircraft, for anyone who has travelled to, from or through mainland China within fourteen days immediately preceding arrival in the Cayman Islands. Returning residents with a travel history that includes China within two weeks will be quarantined, most likely at home.

If non-residents have to be quarantined, this will take place at a quarantine facility. The travel ban does not, at this time, include Hong Kong and Macau, according to a government release issued late Monday afternoon.

Cabinet has given approval for the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which is largely affecting mainland China, especially province of Hubei, to be added to the Schedule of Notifiable Diseases of the Public Health Law (2002 Revision), the release said. Once an illness has been added to this schedule, it provides for additional powers under the law to manage outbreaks of certain diseases.

Cabinet has also approved the issuance of Regulations to control the entry of people into the Cayman Islands who have a travel history to mainland China under the Public Health Law (2002 Revision).

Under the new travel restrictions, Caymanians and returning residents who have been to mainland China, are planning on returning or have already returned to the Cayman Islands will be subject to quarantine and surveillance for up to fourteen days since departing mainland China at a location to be determined by the Medical Officer of Health, which may be their homes in some circumstances. 

Visitors who have gained entry into the Cayman Islands who have travelled to mainland China within the last fourteen days will be quarantined at a location to be determined by the Medical Officer of Health until the expiration of the fourteen days from departing mainland China.

If someone in the Cayman Islands with travel history to China is suspected to be suffering from the novel coronavirus, they will be subject to increased surveillance and observation and will be removed to a quarantine location during the incubation period, which is up to 14 days. 

Health Minister Dwayne Seymour said that Cabinet had taken the advice of his ministry to add more extensive protections to the health of the people of the Cayman Islands from the threat of the novel coronavirus.

“We appreciate how seriously this matter has been taken and the expeditious actions undertaken to help us safeguard the public,” he said. “It is important, however, that we all continue to do our part. We must remain vigilant and take personal steps to protect our own health, and be reminded of cough and sneeze etiquette, to wash our hands often and to avoid close contact with people who have symptoms of a respiratory illness.”

Residents are being reminded to keep up to date about 2019-nCoV in any travel abroad. They are also urged to practice general infection control measures, such as frequent hand cleansing with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, covering thier nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections, and avoiding unprotected contact with farm or wild animals.

Public health officials are reminding arriving passengers to seek medical attention and to share their travel history with their healthcare provider if they have symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, especially when arriving from other countries where cases have occurred.  

Common symptoms of the 2019-nCoV infection are of the respiratory system, such as shortness of breath and coughing, along with ‘flu-like’ symptoms and fever.

Officials confirmed that at this time there are no cases of the novel coronavirus in the Cayman Islands. Public Health officials and the Health Services Authority continue to assure the public of their capability to manage any imported cases of the novel coronavirus and continue to activate national contingency plans as needed.

So far, about 40,000 people have been infected with coronavirus in China, 6,500 of whom were in critical condition and 908 have died. On Sunday alone, 97 people died in China, the highest daily death toll since the outbreak began.

New Chinese research has found that the coronavirus can be transmitted by saliva, urine and stool, as well as through respiratory droplets. It generally takes three days from the time of infection for symptoms to manifest.

For more information on the 2019-nCoV, contact the Public Health Department on 244-2621 or visit the HSA website here.


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Category: Business, Health, Medical Health, Transport

Comments (22)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    What about the Chinese lady here who quarantined herself? What is the status of that now, is she still quarantined or moving about the population? Don’t rely on Jon Jon for advice or action he fool as duck s**t.

  2. Anonymous says:

    How exactly will Immigration officials find this out? Looking at passport pages will not work as most residents have multiple passports.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    kepp the ban in place until they stop eating dogs and sharkfin soup.

  4. Anonymous says:

    According to all reports I have read, the infection to death ratio with this virus is around 2% which (so far) is apparently slightly less than the normal death rate for a “normal” flu. Flu viruses are always particularly dangerous to the very young, elderly and those with underlying illnesses. Whilst I am no medical expert, analysing those reports would suggest that some people are perhaps making an awful lot of money out of a somewhat (albeit so far only) “normal” flu virus. Or it is being used as a distraction or tool in trade wars. Creating hysteria prevents proper thinking, but does wonders for sales of masks (ineffective to this strain) and flu remedies.

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    • Anonymous says:

      It’s serious enough that the industrial engine of the planet took two extra weeks off and quarantined 400million people. Of the 40k+ infected, most of those in last 2 weeks, only 4000 or so have emerged on the other side, and 25% of those finished dead, putting it on par with 2012 MERS. Two weeks from now, all things being equal, we might expect 10k+ deaths, which fits with the number of cases already acknowledged as “serious”. The difference between acknowledged and unacknowledged is China’s PR machine, which is also going full steam and laying-off and reassigning senior comrades.

  5. Tom says:

    It is waste of time as now people can have virus without getting to China. There is cases people caught the virus in different part of world.

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  6. Where are we going to quarantine people? says:

    Ridiculous. This is what happens when you have Jon Jon, who has NO medical experience or education at all, as Minister of Health! Well done Alden. Giving government ministries to people who don’t have the slightest idea about the Ministry they preside over. Alva asked Jon Jon in the LA if HSA had a quarantine facility. The answer was no. We currently don’t have anywhere to quarantine people in this country. Pandemics aren’t new. This should have been prepared for long before now. Cayman is importing labor from around the world now, so it is only a matter of time before we are confronted with being exposed to global pandemics.

    Where is foresight and planning Jon Jon? There should be a proactive approach to pandemics, NOT reactive when the horse has already bolted!

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Not sure how they will enforce this? Is there a travel database somewhere that they can access or are they just looking for passport stamps?

    This seems like it would be difficult to enforce.

  8. Anonymous says:

    More laws with no enforcement of even understanding how to do it. Caymankind.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    what about cruise ship passengers?

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Just put some Wicks on your foot bottom and sleep with your socks on.

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  11. Christ Almighty says:

    Too late! This virus has the top officials stratching their heads and Cayman only just now starting contigency procedures? The incubation period could be as long as 24 days. Talk about dragging your feet CIG. Thanks again for showing us you can’t handle @&@€.

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  12. Pam says:

    They shud be quarantined ELSEWHERE FOR 14 DAYS B4 they’re brought back here!!! What kinda shit is this!!!! WHY is ur caption is soooo misleading???!!!! So, if they have the virus & it’s discovered are here, then what???!!! Do we have the medicine China now has that they’re using to combat it??? Most likely we only have Tamiflu!! What help is that???!! Why risk this??!! Why risk us???!!! Let them spend the 14 days wherever they are!!!!

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  13. BeaumontZodecloun says:

    I don’t think we can fault HSA nor CIG for their response. Yes, it has taken precious days, but this is a new, untested situation, measured against our tourism bread-and-butter.

    I feel a hell of a lot more safe and confident in the response of government than I did a week ago. I’ll take that.

    As we the earthquake response, we are all rolling with the changes. I trust us to do the right thing. I hope.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    Enacting a travel restriction policy many days after everyone else in the world is not what I’d term an “expeditious” response, nor is this phrased as a temporary policy subject to regular review, as recommended by WHO.

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