Cayman passes 35,000 PCR tests

| 27/08/2020 | 20 Comments

(CNS): The Cayman Islands has now conducted 35,054 PCR COVID-19 tests since March. On Thursday Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee revealed the results of 239 samples, all of which tested negative over the last day. Two asymptomatic travellers who tested positive for the virus over a week ago are still in government quarantine, alongside 220 other people who arrived on island over the last two weeks, officials said Thursday.

With no community transmissions here since 11 July, health officials now believe the virus has been eliminated within the borders, which is largely due to the massive testing programme that Cayman has undertaken.

Although the number of tests no longer represents 35,000 different people, since healthcare and other front-line workers have been tested more than once, the bulk of the test are individuals and more than half of the local population has been tested.

Dr Lee said this week that the public’s cooperation with the screen testing was fundamental to the virus burning itself out, allowing cases to be tracked their contacts traced and the individuals isolated, preventing the spread and leading to Cayman now being under far fewer restrictions than most countries in the world.

Although the two positive travellers means that Cayman has lost is ‘no cases’ status with the PAHO and is likely to see more cases among those in quarantine, until the borders open the community is COVID-19 free.

However, people are still being invited to take tests, as officials point out that there is still some risk through those who must interact with arriving residents at the borders and in isolation.

Dr Lee announced this week that a less invasive PCR swab test has now been cleared for use.


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Category: Health, Medical Health

Comments (20)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Where can we find our “Global Citizen” temporary residency framework?

    Where can we find the “Snowbird” inducement details for the tens of thousands of multi-millionaire senior citizen retirees that would normally winter in southern states from late Dec-April. 14 days quarantine is not an obstacle. These are the people we want/need this season. These wealthy vacationers must be re-evaluating their usual plans and need clarity on Cayman’s competing value proposition ASAP:

    There’s no known virus
    Statement on Hospital Capacity and General Competence
    Culinary Restaurants? Are CITA offering Senior Discounts?
    Multi-month hotel/condo booking discounts?
    Garden tours/Golfing/Tennis/Diving?
    Art Gallery/ Painting classes?
    Entertainment?
    Live Music?

    Let’s get with the program.

  2. Richard says:

    What a waste of time and resources.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Covid deaths per capita 27 August 2020 starting with the worst country. Peru 884 per million, Belgium, U.K. 624 per million, Spain, Chile, Italy, Sweden, Brazil, USA 551 per million.

    Seems our mother country should neither be our source of guidance or planes. Yet, that is our main port of entry and the first people we are going to let in with bio-buttons.

    And for the paranoids, please note the sequence is not Sweden “12,500 per million” then Peru 884 per million. Remember Cayman would be 800 if we didn’t lock down? Sweden would have been 125,000 if it didn’t lock down. Oh wait, Sweden didn’t lock down. And for the haters please note Jamaica is 6.5 per million. Again, the U.K. is 624 per million.

    Let’s continue to make policy decisions based on fear and ignorance.

    • Anonymous says:

      You’re not exactly right. The great unknown is how it may have affected those known to be vulnerable – the elderly, the pre-existing conditions, and also unfortunately those with darker skin. A perfect storm across the Cayman Islands. Hence the CIG did the right thing and should be applauded for it.

  4. Anonymous says:

    they purchased the tests kits. Too many. They have to use them up.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Not really, most of these people have been tested several times..

    Dr. Lee needs to give us the true numbers..My feeling is that it is much lower and we just kept testing those people we thought may have the virus..ie health care workers and front line workers..

  6. Anonymous says:

    Yet still no plan

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