Third day of negative COVID-19 tests
(CNS): There were no positive cases of COVID-19 reported by Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee on Thursday, as he revealed the results of the latest batch of 117 samples processed over the last day. This was the third day in a row where no new positive coronavirus case were reported after 516 tests were carried out over that period. Cayman still has just two active cases of the virus in asymptomatic patients.
The positive tally remains at 203 since testing began in March and Cayman has undertaken 27,323 tests in that four month period. So far this month public health officials have carried out 3,170 COVID-19 tests with just two positive results, one in a returning traveller and one from the wider community screening.
Meanwhile, Cayman continues to turn its attention to how it can now open its borders. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell is expected to appear at a COVID-19 update briefing Friday afternoon on CIGTV to talk about the future of tourism in Cayman.
While the need to rebuild this important sector of Cayman’s economy is clear, the problem is that while Cayman has run the virus to ground and created a safe-haven, the United States, the source of more than 80% of Cayman’s visitors, is breaking records for new daily cases and is showing no signs at all of getting the virus under control.
To allow visitors into Cayman from there when we have all but eliminated the virus here would almost certainly reverse that success, undermining the sacrifices made to save lives and possibly inviting in an even more virulent strain of the virus.
Especially worrying for Cayman is Florida, where the department of health reported almost 14,000 new cases and 156 coronavirus-related deaths Thursday, the most ever for one day, beating a grim record set earlier this week by 24. Across the whole country there were more than 67,600 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday.
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Category: Health, Medical Health
I’ll support opening our boarders when we no longer have to wear masks.
There’s no point at all of us wearing them now.
CNS: That’s what people in Florida, Texas and Arizona thought. Wear a mask in an enclosed public space.
@CNS, last time I checked, this is Cayman. I woke up with the sweet smell of freedom all around!
CNS: Infantile gibberish!
That is what you are spouting, yes.
MCGA!
Okay Broward baby.
Stop being a jerk and wear your mask! Jeez!
Well, your borders opening on Sept. 1st. The policy needs a bit fine tuning if you ask me. A COVID test 72 hrs. Before. (Perfectly fine) and THEN you need to contact Traveltime and fill out a questionnaire where Cayman can decide if they will give you permission to come ( i.e. if you are traveling from the right country although their Health Minister said although the numbers in Florida sound high , the population in Florida is high so it really is only 2-5 % of Florida’s population that has COVID). Only AFTER you get permission from the government…which is 72 hours before travel can you buy your ticket= Extremely pricey ticket! Government also said prices will be higher since only 50% of tourist can come to island due to social distancing, (so they will be price gouging tourists.) So once you get accepted and buy your ticket and travel and land on island you will receive your Bio tracker which you will have to PAY for. You will have to self isolate for 5 (five days not 14) and on the fifth day take another COVID test. While you have the Bio tracker on it will be taking your temperature, heart rate, oxygen rate Etc. and also be geofencing…..basically an electronic tag like prisoner wear and will send off a red alert if you step out of bounds and alert the authorities. There will be penalties for removal or setting off the alert. The tracker will be a 24 hr. Analysis for 5 days and can not be removed. Where does that medical information end up? A bit invasive- personal.
Also, sounds like you must travel thru Miami as of right now ( which I am not sure if they think is the gateway to Cayman, but I personally try to fly thru any hub besides Miami).
Well, since I usually go for anywhere between 7-10 days and this year it would be 12, this certainly is not for me.
It’s been a long time, Cayman- my April trip was cancelled and my August trip this year won’t be happening and now, my Christmas trip won’t be either. Hopefully, see you when restrictions ease a bit. 🙁
Yup, Covid sucks.
Hope you stay safe!
This is really a venue for returning snowbirds, and wealthy property owners. I think it is reasonable. It is not intended for mass market tourism. But it allows a route in for those persons of means to utilize their properties, return to the islands for extended stays, and benefit the economy.
When we no longer need to wear masks might be more accurate. Right now they are a necessary evil. If we try to open they will remain so. If we had remained insulated, maybe not. But for the foreseeable future, masks it is. So please everyone just suck it up, and wear your masks.
When we no longer need to wear masks might be more accurate. Right now they are a necessary evil. If we try to open they will remain so. If we had remained insulated, maybe not. But for the foreseeable future, masks it is.
I just don’t see how we get around the need for either/or quarantine and self-isolation for everyone (returning residents/citizens or tourists) at this current stage of the pandemic without the risk of the virus spreading unchecked.
It’s clearly not sustainable to keep the borders closed indefinitely, but equally it’s not logical to open them up without maintaining quarantine or self-isolation procedures unless and until a vaccine or a rapid testing procedure/breakthru that categorically proves someone does not have the virus.
there’s just no way around this UNLESS we think the rewards outweigh the risks.
the criticism of home self-isolation needs to stop however, as that is unwarranted simply because a few broke it, it can be monitored effectively and should become the standard for returning res/citizens/2nd home owners.
More than 20,000 investigations are reportedly underway in Canada in relation to persons having broken self isolation requirements. In the early days of Covid, very substantial numbers of persons coming into Cayman who were directly required to self isolate, did not.
We cannot trust it to work, for good reason. Accordingly the likelihood is it will have to remain quarantine or nothing, at least for the next few months.
I’m from Canada, we are total fine, we have the virus under control. Most Provinces are fully opened that includes most of Ontario. The remaining of Ontario should be fully reopening in a week or two. Some Provinces saw very little covid.
We want to return to Cayman, we have a good system in place here, open up to Canada. Especially homeowners and people staying for a period of length.
You can’t stay closed much longer, your economy and the people will be the most effected.
The virus is here to stay, knowing the proper measures to put in place to reopen.
The virus is not here to stay. Once we are rid of it, we would like it to stay away. You can accept it circulating in your country all you want. We do not, and do not wish to.
Where is it going to go? You think we got it via one man in a Wuhan market?
I think it may have come from a single pangolin in a Wuhan market, who itself got it from a bat at some point in China.
Alternatively, it may have come from an accident at a Wuhan lab.
Either way, it is out there circulating in places that have not controlled it. However, we seem to have controlled it. We do not need to have it circulating here.
2:01 We can stay closed as long as we see fit, we do not need to open to you or anyone else. This is prime time for major changes to take place within our Islands. It is wonderful seeing businesses catering to locals here. We actually have the luxury of enjoying our island without it being overrun by tourists, we are spending our money locally, supporting businesses, indulging in staycations, etc. Our economy will be just fine, it will make a comeback through our people and our financial sector. For far too long we have been relying on tourism, that sector has fallen flat,however,our financial sector has been thriving throughout this difficult time.
What is most important is that our community is safe within our borders.
You don’t work in tourism, do you?
9:31 Actually I do. I just recognize the importance of keeping our people safe. We have done incredibly well, especially when we observe what is happening around the world. No amount of money is worth the risk!
Nobody works in tourism!
Caymans Financial sector is dominated by ex pats, exactly how long do you expect these people to support that type of insular backward thinking?
Its not “Our” financial sector its international companies that use cayman because its convenient. When they can no longer recruit or retain staff because the island is sealed, how long will it stay convenient?
Don’t even bother trying to explain the real world to the paranoid sector of Cayman. My understanding was that some teenagers broke quarantine in the very beginning. When we had relatively limited knowledge of the seriousness of the virus. So naturally all responsible home owners, renters are now deemed untrustworthy. Grandma is going to fly in, go home, escape out the window, party at Mango Tree and kill 800 people. Utter ignorance and embarrassment to all the decent folk who make up Cayman.
I think it best to leave it up to Caymanians to decide when we will open. Your opinion matters little to not at all. THANKS!
Very substantial numbers? You know this how? And how many? Very little information has been presented to the public. It’s this kind of rubbish that I’m really getting tired of. If you don’t have facts, don’t post. And with such authority – what a joke!
The problem is that it is not being monitored properly. Someone I know had an experience with a foreigner who came here from the states by private jet last week out. This person was out shopping without a care in the world and claimed they quarantined for a week. How is that acceptable or possible when quarantine is 2 weeks?! So no, the criticism of self-isolation is valid and needs to be addressed instead of swept under the rug.
Prove the people in Cayman and name names OR shut up!
Don’t put rumours on here!
How is that a rumor if the person said they know someone who had this experience? That does not make it a rumor if it is a lived experience. So why don’t YOU shut up hell up.
Who is to say this person hasn’t reported this incident to the necessary authority? Just because they are not on these forums calling out names does not mean they need to stay quiet. People like you are incredibly ignorant.
Really and truly what would YOU do about it if you did have a name to go off of? Be a keyboard bully? GTFO
It’s provide, not prove. Learn to write idiot
SO these home owners can also go out on the beach in front of their houses whilst quarantining?
If the test numbers get much lower they are going to go negative.
Why not door to door testing as is being done in many countries???
I think that is a good idea in light of the fact that many persons are refusing to come in to get tested
Instead of testing the same people over and over, they need to start testing retail workers, banks, lawyers, restaurant staff etc. I know of someone who has been tested 3 times now while others who are now exposed to people even more than this person have not been tested.
How are we supposed to know how far reaching this virus is within our community if we are not testing more sectors within it?
Canada could be a source of visitors for us as they are in pretty good shape than the idiots south of them.Just a thought.
See no reason why we could not open up to Canadians on October 1. We have to start somewhere with opening up to tourists so let’s start there.
One reason is there would be a disproportionate risk of them reintroducing the virus, unless of course the risk was next to eliminated by them undertaking quarantine requirements.
As there is no evidence of the existence at all of any Cayman Islands problem the politicians ignorance about the complexity of economic life is stunning as is their hypocrisy. Every elected official and so-called public health expert who lectured Caymanians about the need for lockdown has a secure job. Not one of them has an employer who would go bankrupt.
We have no need for tourism in the circumstances. We can welcome long term visitors (prepared to stay for months and prepared to quarantine). We need to increase our quarantine capacity to deal with the demand, and hunker down for the long haul. The volume of long term visitors and others seeking to come are able to substantially compensate for the economic damage.
We do not need any visitors right now, short or long term. You don’t see the madness happening in the world right now?! Florida alone is struggling and that’s our closest connect to the US.
Call them short term residents if that helps you to understand the opportunity – through quarantine – which can bring in both needed money and opportunities and keep everyone safe.
“We need to increase our quarantine capacity” – No, wrong, at the very most we should allow home quarantine with random checks, or use already installed phone apps like findmyiphone etc
I have to go to the UK in Aug with my daughter who after working very hard has got into University over there. I will not be coming back until I know I can at most quarantine at home. Anything more is now totally ridiculous, not that it wasn’t before.
At home isolation does not keep the general public safe. The risks of people breaching the rules are simply too great. Those risks might be acceptable in a country that already has Covid in wide circulation – but are entirely non sensical on an Island that is effectively (we hope) Covid free.
We are doing at home isolation for people that have it so your comment is stupid!
You basically are saying that anyone that comes on a plane is dishonest.
And with all the out of work people it would be cheeper to have a private security guard then pay for a hotel room.
And if you try to get by the security guard you are employing, what are they to do (without you coming within 6 feet of them) to present you from getting within 6 feet of any member of the public?
I’ll give him $7 an hour and do as I please.
Your not paying him the Gov. is.
That’s my point.
Exactly the point and why self isolation will not protect the people of Cayman.
Dumb answer what is stopping me walk out of the hotel here now.
Right the same security guard.
Get with it!
Police?
Like they do with personal trainers?
See ya. Keep safe and warm, and remember to report in to Inland Revenue before your 89th day. You should probably take some advice because there may be circumstances which shorten that timeframe.
What is the tax rate on your worldwide income?
do you have someone to bring you groceries etc
The decision to open or not is definitely a difficult one. I have a business that relies 50% on tourist. But I would rather see our boarders remained closed, at least to the states, until America gets a better handle on this virus. I cannot afford to be locked down again. Half is better than none.
I would also like to remind all shoppers that wearing a mask is Mandatory. I am so sick of people fighting me about about masks. I do not care if you do not like wearing a mask, that you left it in the car, that you think I should provide your irresponsible self with one for free. Either you wear a mask, or you get out of my store. We are protecting our parents, grandparents, and medically challenged friends and family. Man up people!
Except it’s not your store, nor is it mandatory.
It is a right of entry. A condition imposed by the shop owner, just like saying you can’t come into my shop no shirt.
Not mandatory but a right of entry.
Which is why I take my business elsewhere.
good, don’t want your germs near me anyways…I’ll survive without your pittance.
You’ll be closed before the end of the year.
Many of them will be closed and are already losing their regular customers because of how they’re carrying on. I, like many others, just go to another location where I am welcome without all of the hassle from some of these panicky business owners that need to just get on with life.
because putting on a mask is such a hard arduous task.
do you have the same issues when you try and put on sunglasses.
Its such a hardship, my heart feels for your difficulties.
9:06 & 10:47 am
No, they will not. There are many people who appreciate and respect store owners who have safety measures in place. Lol how do you get groceries when every grocery store is requiring masks and sanitizing? I bet your happy a** puts your mask on then though.
As she said, go right ahead and find somewhere else to go because it is customers like you who are NOT needed nor welcome.
But unna want our money though?
1:48 If you can’t abide by rules and precautions then na. Your money na welcome or good ya. Keep it for your hospital bills.
We provide a safe shopping experience for our customers. I do need not your money bad enough to risk lives. I think we will benefit because customers know we are a safe place to shop. Not that we do it for profit. We do it for family, and staff. You don’t like it, okay. Shop somewhere else. Really I do not need your business. I find those that complain the most about the masks are uneducated persons. With no sense of reason or facts.
Thank you for your sage advice. I am sure you are correct that we should let clearly irresponsible, and idiotic persons in without masks. That was in my most recent business plan. The one where I actively try to to kill my elders and destroy the local economy. I am sure that degree you got from John Grey is far superior to my masters.
6:56 the commenter literally said “get out of MY store” or are you incapable of reading? Furthermore,, wearing your mask is mandatory if the business requires it, which basically all are or your won’t be served. Dr. Lee and the Government are constantly reiterating that masks are required and social distancing needs to be adhered to.
Take your head out of the sand.
if wearing masks are a choice, so should wearing a bikini into a church
Hahahaha, sometimes I wish it wasn’t my store! Especially when I have to deal with idiots.
I wish I could like your comment a million times! I also work in retail it is tiring and aggravating having people taking off their masks once inside, constantly complaining, or being disrespectful due to our safety measures. If you can not abide by the rules, then get out, and stay out! We value and respect our staff as well as our clients. The safety measures are for all of us. Do I enjoy wearing a mask for hours and hours? No, but I do it because I value my health and respect the customers that I serve! Just wear your mask people.
What are you protecting your parents, grandparents and medically challenged friends and family from ? Covid is not here at the moment, or at least a transmittable strain is not here, that’s the whole point of this news article !!!
You wanting our borders closed is one thing but then banging on about people not wearing masks clearly shows that you cannot comprehend the current situation that the island is in.
CNS: Cayman Mom is correct. The very low positive rates and the fact that almost everyone is asymptomatic is cause to be very optimistic, which is why society here has largely opened up again. However, it would be foolish to act as though we are out of the woods. Because this particular strain of coronavirus is so contagious, especially because most people are asymptomatic, it can flare up very quickly. Continuing to wear a mask in an enclosed space is a small thing you can do for the community you live in.
Thank you CNS! People seem to not understand that while these results are encouraging it does not mean we can be complacent. This virus is still within our community, we have to be cautious. I wish they would do wider testing now that businesses are open again
Don’t like it, fine don’t go. Do you throw a hissy fit at any of the big stores, or did you just save it for small businesses, where your cowardly self can flex their idiocy. You are an a-Hole if you harass small business owners for being responsible, yet go to Foster’s, Kirks, Cost U Less, Hurley’s or Priced Right. So put you money where your mouth is. I dare you to stop going to all of the above mentioned stores. Try it. I dare your hypocritical ass.
Lock it down, starting with the pool cleaners!
Aren’t you tired yet of writing the same thing time after time???
That’s all he’s capable of apparently.
You’re very boring.
What so pool cleaners have to do with the price of tea in China?