Public should get tested to keep a lid on the virus

| 14/08/2020 | 28 Comments
Cayman News Service
HSA COVID-19 Testing Clinic

(CNS): The Cayman Islands‘ COVID-19 risk has been classified as very low by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as the country passes a full month without anyone testing positive for the virus. On Friday Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee reported another 256 negative results over the last day. But despite the success of the testing programme, the number of tests are decreasing and public health officials are urging people to come forward.

The Health Services Authority (HSA) has launched an online appointment booking tool for the public to make it easier to schedule a free COVID-19 screening test, with results delivered by secure email directly to the patient within about 24 hours. A dedicated COVID-19 testing clinic has also opened at the George Town General Practice Clinic.

“With the economy reopening and people interacting more regularly, it is vital that we continue to screen for COVID-19 so we can safeguard our community,” said Dr Eryka Simmons, Clinical Head of General Practice Services at the HSA.

“We want to ensure that all members of the public have access to COVID-19 screening so we have been streamlining and improving our processes to make it easier and more convenient for people to book an appointment,” she added.

Despite Cayman’s month long negative streak, and the likelihood that the virus has been contained, it is important that testing continues to prevent a resurgence of cases so that government can keep the economy open.

“We encourage people to be prudent and proactive by continuing to practice the international COVID-19 prevention measures, such as social distancing, washing their hands, wearing masks, as well as taking advantage of the tests available that screens for the virus and its antibodies,” said Dr Simmons.

The HSA is offering the polymerise chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19, which is able to detect if someone is presently infected by the COVID-19 virus, as well as the immunoglobulin (IgG) test, which determines whether a person has had COVID-19 in the past and now has antibodies against the virus.

Both tests are available to members of the public free of charge and anyone can register for either one as part of the ongoing national screening programme. The HSA is also offering onsite IgG antibody testing to organisations with at least 20 people.

“You could have had COVID-19 and not be aware of it because not everyone who gets the virus shows symptoms. The antibody test will give health officials a better idea of how common the virus has been in Cayman and will provide valuable information for informed decisions,” Dr Simmons added.

To self-register for the COVID-19 screening, book an appointment directly online here.

To register for antibody testing email antibodyscreening@hsa.ky.

People who are screened are also enrolled into the free MyHSA Patient Portal, which provides 24 hour secure access to your health information as well as other features.


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Comments (28)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    What about antibody tests? Can we get those?

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  2. Anon says:

    Open the border in June 2021 after the second winter wave in Europe has passed. Don’t let the USA in until later. Tourism is about 30 per cent of the islands revenue vs 70 per cent from the offshore hedge funds – a recession for sure and some unemployment among locals but nothing the government can’t support for 6 months to a year through borrowing.

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    • Anonymous says:

      4% not 30%

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    • Anonymous says:

      9.16 Are you frikkin joking? Living off my savings for 6 months already. Not even a mask from Government! Some unemployment among locals..? Obviously not coming out of your pocket!

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      • Anonymous says:

        Find another job then and stop being lazy. There are many companies advertising for positions. Seek one of those for employment!

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        • Anonymous says:

          10:36am with all due respect, a lot of companies are advertising for positions but it simply stops there. They are not hiring Caymanians even those with willingness to work, good education with grades and transcripts to prove it and for some, having the requisite to do the job advertised. The employment agencies call you but I feel it’s mere window dressing as you can see the job advertised on overseas sites such as indeed and glassdoor. But mysteriously the advertised role will get filled, the ad disappears locally and immigration or WORC approves a permit and doesn’t question any of it.
          So it’s easy to say to the person find any job but in reality, it’s not available even when advertised.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Persons who have credible information to support the above should report the same to the Director of WORC and your MLA. Ensure you retain documentary evidence of submitting the report. If no satisfactory response then make a complaint to the office of the Ombudsman and and copy the Premier’s office. Next stop the local media and the Governor’s office.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    Unmask our people Alden!

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  4. Anonymous says:

    More deaths from dengue fever than coronavirus in Jamaica this year. Free the quarantine prisoners and start strategically opening the airport. Perhaps not to Jamaica as we don’t want to catch dengue.

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  5. Anonymous says:

    CIG needs to include Bartenders for mandatory testing. Now that bars are back open, that has to be the highest risk profession and local bars are the most probable site for a resurgence of the virus in Cayman.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Stay home.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Scenario: I stay away from optional higher risk activities, e.g., going to the bar. But a COVID asymptomatic person goes out for a drink and the bar tender has to go to work. The next week the low-symptom bartender and I share bus (I’ve got to go to work too). I’m one of the two people on the bus who get sick from the bartender.

        ‘Just stay home’ is not an option (for most people). And the point of community transmission is that diseases don’t stay in neat little completely predictable and avoidable clusters.

        We can argue over who needs ‘mandatory’ testing but we should agree that broader required testing would increase certainty of disease absence, and the likelihood of picking up an asymptomatic cluster (if such exists) as it begins to spread.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Unless a person coughs, sneezes in your face, unless you talk to him face to face, unless you hug him, unless you are together in a 2×2 room and he coughs, sneezes and talks too much, the chances that he, being asymptotic, infects you are very low.
          It has been reported even by tabloids that .5% solution of iodine gargled and sprayed or irrigated through nose passages kills the virus. Sea salt contains iodine by the way. So do it every 2 hours if you’re afraid of catching COVID19.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I agree bartenders should be regularly tested and retested, along with other frontline workers such as supermarket cashiers, police, etc.

      I also suggest that at reopening all UCCI students should be tested on first day of classes and as many churches as possible should initiate Testing of church members.

      We have the tests. Let’s use them up before expiry.

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      • Anonymous says:

        As with many pro-social things you have to bring the thing to the people. Like mobile blood banks. So your idea of tying testing to something people want to do, and something they want to do is a shared space, makes sense. Since it increases ‘random’ testing and if a positive comes up it facilitates contact tracing.

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    • Anonymous says:

      That’s part of the problem — there is no compulsory testing. Some people simply refuse to get tested, and I have to wonder why?

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  6. Anonymous says:

    The disease is so lethal and dangerous, you have to get tested to know you have it!

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  7. Elvis says:

    We can all get tested and its great but lets face it. Its coming one day as soon as our borders open unless a cure can be found beforehand.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Best way to it be killed by zombies is to not let the zombies in your house.

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      • Anonymous says:

        The zombie apocalypse isn’t real, but according to most of the commenters here on cns the dummy apocalypse is what we all need to be looking out for.

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  8. Lonny says:

    Who cares…..snore.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    So, can our kids go back to school now?

    Masks off?

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