PAHO declares Cayman COVID-19 free

| 12/08/2020 | 63 Comments

(CNS): The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has re-categorised the Cayman Islands’ COVID-19 status from ‘sporadic’ to ‘no cases‘, one month after the last positive case was recorded here. On Wednesday, Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee reported that another 111 tests for the coronavirus had been carried out over the last day and all were negative.

The last active case of the virus in Cayman, which was a person in isolation, was cleared on 23 July. Currently, there 158 people in quarantine having returned to Cayman from overseas, largely in government facilities, though a small number are isolating at home at the request of the Public Health Department for medical reasons.

Cayman has now conducted 31,992 tests, recording just 203 positive cases and only one fatality since the virus arrived here in mid-March and the testing began.

Testing continues, however, and CNS has requested information about the current testing regime, including who is being tested and why and whether or not there are plans to expand the testing, and we are awaiting a response.

While Cayman has had considerable success containing the virus and appears to be free at the moment of any spread, news from New Zealand this week underscores the need for constant vigilance.

Auckland, the country’s largest city, is back under a level 3 lockdown after a 102-day streak with no positive cases was halted when a family all tested positive for the virus on Tuesday, despite having no travel history, and on Wednesday, after another case was identified.

Officials there said the sudden arrival of new community transmissions could have been related to a breach in isolation security or international freight, as one of the family members who tested positive worked at a cold-store company, according to New Zealand media.


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Category: Health, Medical Health

Comments (63)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    New Zealand was declared virus free as well. Don’t let your guard down.

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    • N B says:

      Actually they weren’t. They were 100 plus days of no community transmission, but they were never “Covid free”, they still had 20 plus ongoing cases.

  2. Mary says:

    Does this mean I can work with my personal trainer without a mask now?

  3. Anonymous says:

    “This is why people with obesity are more likely to die from coronavirus.”
    https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/this-is-why-people-with-obesity-are-more-likely-to-die-from-coronavirus

  4. Anonymous says:

    I will wear a mask as long as needed but I WILL NOT GO BACK INTO LOCKDOWN. If the virus comes back there better be another plan other than house arrest.

    Retesting of frontline workers should probably happen every 3 months in high traffic areas.

    Tourism is not happening and the pension money pool is going to shrink in the next few months and with that the pandemic will be the least of our worries with no new revenue from tourism, unemployment, and bank foreclosures.

    Wearing a mask is going to be the least of Cayman’s worries.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Add taxation now to your list of worries!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Keep the suppression level at Minimal Suppression 2 instead of giving the all clear. Once all clear is given, it will be too hard to go back, if needed. Let’s be smart!!

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    • Anonymous says:

      199 people in quarantine? How can the island be Covid free? Something doesn’t add up. Aren’t they in quarantine because you are not sure if they have Covid?

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  5. Anonymous says:

    it was trying to get to the post office, but it was closed

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  6. Anonymous says:

    We have to face reality that unless we keep the borders closed covid is coming back. The borders have to be opened, but we can still minimise the impact of covid with the hygiene measures in place and being educated about it. I personally am classed as vulnerable, but I want the borders open. I will take all the precautions necessary, but I will not live in fear, or allow the government to control me with fear. We can continue testing and test tourists and if an outbreak occurs we can contain it.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Amazing how gullible people can be, append the word ‘organisation’ to a title and make stupid declarations that many believe. Now I do not subscribe to all this covid nonsense because there is simply too much conflict with all these experts, but to make a declaration that Cayman is covid free without having tested everyone is pure rubbish. What is accurate is that we have no active recorded cases, not the same thing.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    This Virus is still out there and it is nothing to ignore or call a Hoax. Despite the ignorance and stupidity of some World Leaders it is not going away anytime soon. People we have to be cautious. This is a Global pandemic, not a US pandemic and we will most likely be dealing with it for years to come. You all can hold off on traveling for a while longer. who in their right mind, would even want to go to the USA now anyway??? The Racial issues alone should make you want to stay home.

    Dr. Lee has warned that we most likely still have the virus in the community. Not everyone has been tested and some of those that were negative could very likely test positive at a later date. DO NOT GET COMPLACENT. WEAR YOUR MASK AND STAY SAFE. Oh and STOP WHINING! Enjoy this little piece of Paradise that God gave us and keep it safe.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Unmask our people Alden, time to end this ridiculous masquerade ball.

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    • Made in Cayman says:

      To all youse mask free advocates, I feel ya I don’t like it either . However the reality is there were a fair number of asymptomstic cases declared during the testing, and we all don’t know who they are, if you haven’t been tested you could also be a carrier of the virus. And so we are still at a crucial point and until there is at least 90+ negative testing and a proven vaccine we all obviously need to be careful. Also when we cry for the opening of our borders there is also an acute consideration of reliance on external testing results. All of these factors weighed together dictate a very careful approach that protects all of us , I repeat all of us living in these islands.

      So yes we need to get Back to work , the economy and a plan thereof are all essential survival elements, but Health is also a important component going

      forward. if we have any kind of positive tests we most definitely will be back to square 1. Stay calm, think and be safe not for me but for all of us.

      We’re in this thing together yall

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Time to start thinking about a plan.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    I think that most of the tests being carried out are from people entering the Island and some re-testing of hospital patients as I know a of a family friend who has been tested at least 4 times now. As far as I can remember at the last press conference they were complaining that people weren’t coming forward for testing as much and the hotlines were not getting as much calls as usual.

    There are people too afraid to come forward for testing and there are others who don’t want to be tested just for the sake of getting back to normal. I do hope that we do go back to normal very soon and the borders be open fast, but I still believe that the disease is still out there which is the reason they ask us to still wear masks, this is just my thought on this.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    It needs to be made clear that PAHO changing the COVID-19 status of the Cayman Islands to “no cases” does not mean that we can let our guard down or abandon the practices that have been required or requested to keep us safe. CIG and the CMO need to get the messaging correct so that the low information people within our community don’t start to take risks that will jeopardize the progress that we have made.

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  13. Anonymous says:

    Don’t forget New Zealand; 100 days free of covid – and 4 cases crop up – followed by a few more, I think. No reason why that couldn’t happen here really. Better keep the masks for the time being.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    Cool. Un mask

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  15. Anon Caymanian says:

    Excellent news! Now it’s time to properly prepare for a staggered opening of the Cayman Islands Border!

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  16. Anonymous says:

    government doesn’t care about conferences anymore!?
    nobody will say a word?
    if it is covid free why do we still need masks!?

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  17. Anonymous says:

    Not everyone been tested. I can also see people not coming forward and doing self treatments. It’s definitely a great job done by all but no rejoicing yet.

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    • Anonymous says:

      But no one is in the hospital. No one. Even if they keep testing the same people, we would get positives if it were here still. Everyone calm down.

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  18. Anonymous says:

    Can we please stop having to wear masks now? Can we also get the civil service back to “work”, especially the post office?!

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  19. Anonymous says:

    Once the planes are flying in again, this status will be reversed.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Then could we have even just a short period of Level 1 without being suffocated by masks before the contagion is let back in?!?!

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      • Anonymous says:

        Suffocating masks? its a wonder doctors ever survive performing surgery for hours due to oxygen loss

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    • Anonymous says:

      You realize that “no cases“ includes all the people that flew back in on planes in July? How many was that? At least 300 people? And only 1 positive case from a traveller. Not the Armageddon some are predicting.

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      • Anonymous says:

        This is 100% right and EVERYONE should the note!
        The planes have not been FULL of covid like people say and this was without any type of pre screening, so with the additions of the CIG proposal why do we not start with a soft opening.

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  20. Anonymous says:

    OK Everyone stand up for your rights! No More Masks!!!!!

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  21. Anonymous says:

    So, why are our children not being allowed back in school?

    Why the masks?

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