Teachers among ongoing COVID-19 test groups

| 13/08/2020 | 52 Comments
HSA’s drive-thru COVID-19 testing

(CNS): Public health officials have confirmed that they are testing teachers as well as healthcare and other front-line workers for COVID-19. On Thursday Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee reported another 220 negative COVID-19 tests over the last 24 hours, as the Cayman Islands appear to remain virus free. But officials are keen to encourage people to volunteer for testing to ensure that the country can keep a lid on this coronavirus.

The HSA also currently tests all patients requiring admission and those scheduled for surgery. Any patients who have flu symptoms or are suspected of COVID-19 are also being tested.

Testing is open to the public and everyone is encouraged to be tested regularly. A new online booking calendar for COVID-19 screening will be launched on HSA’s website this week, and officials are urging people to get tested as it is free and a negative test offers peace of mind.

“Although Cayman hasn’t had any positive COVID-19 cases for a while, we still need to continue testing in case there is any COVID-19 in the community,” public health officials told CNS.

Cayman has now carried out 32,212 tests, with around 90% said to be single samples from different people. The last positive case was recorded on 11 July and the last active case to be cleared was on 23 July.

Meanwhile, with the arrival of returning residents on Cayman Airways repatriation flights from Miami and Kingston this week, there are now 228 people in government quarantine or isolation. Health officials have also confirmed that people flying into Cayman are not tested when they enter quarantine but at the end of the two week period.

In the meantime, government continues to say very little about the proposed use here of bio-buttons, which had been proposed as an alternative to the 14-day quarantine period and which would allow visitors, especially vacation home owners, to return in small numbers. In response to CNS queries, officials said its was “still being reviewed and once firm decisions have been taken regarding its procurement and implementation” this information will be shared.

Although teachers are now being tested ahead of the return to school later this month, the Department of Education Services has not yet firmed up the full details of mask and social distancing requirements for students. The ministry is planning to issue a press release on Friday about the school opening protocols, as they are expected to adhere to public health measures.

Parents are advised to contact their schools for specific guidance as the protocols vary, or to check the guidance document released by the ministry in June here.


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Category: Health, Medical Health

Comments (52)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    It will only take one infected child to shutdown the whole system again and have kids back at home. They better get their $hit together cause it’s been a disaster so far.

  2. I’m being proactive says:

    I plan to get my Year 8 son tested as my contribution to the CIG’s effort to minimize further spread; will be wearing his school-issued mask too. Hopefully other parents think the same way.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    Let us quarantine at home! Set a seriously high price (fine) for breaking quarantine. (something like $50,000.00) And then enforce it.

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    • Anonymous says:

      199 people in quarantine? How can the island be Covid free? Aren’t they in quarantine because they aren’t sure if they have Covid?

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    • Anonymous says:

      $10,000,000 would not even begin to scratch the surface of the economic consequences of a quarantine breach. We do not enforce laws anyway, so the threat of a fine is inconsequential.

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    • Anonymous says:

      It was my understanding that to get on a flight into Cayman you have to had a Covid test 72 hours before departure. Is that not happening? So the quarantine is a precaution— though an essential one.

      I agree that students. Including those enrolled at tertiary institutions, should be tested during the first days of re-opening of schools.

      That testing should include teachers.

  4. Anonymous says:

    None of this makes sense.
    Why would you test teachers in the middle of summer?
    Why wouldn’t you test people who are flying here before quarantine to ensure contact tracing if positive?

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  5. Anonymous says:

    Those who will ultimately become registered voters don’t need an education anyway.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Face masks. All desks facing same direction. Social distancing. Wash hands!! And, do not give all clear sign on restrictions as we will never go backwards so keep us where we are at. People can survive at this level!!

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  7. Anonymous says:

    What’s the point in testing teachers but not the students? Could be negative but positive come 10 minutes into the first school day?

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    • Anonymous says:

      Ugh. It’s fine, no one is sick on island

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    • Anonymous says:

      Everyone can be tested that wants to be tested..

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    • Anonymous says:

      Why test anyone if the island is Covid free?

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    • Anonymous says:

      You all are incredibly stupid. They have not tested enough people to determine whether we are Covid free. Testing the same people constantly instead of broaden the scope. Many of you dingbats have already admitted to consistently breaking rules and if you haven’t noticed the majority have not been showing symptoms yet keep spreading the virus. You pieces of sh*t could have spread the virus several times over, but do you care? Nope, because people are not usually showing symptoms so it doesn’t matter.

      As for testing all staff and all returning students should have to be tested. 6:16 I agree, teachers safety is just as important and the students that they are coming into contact with should be tested as well. It should be mandatory in this instance not voluntary.

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      • Anonymous says:

        So what????? If people have it and are asymptomatic and this has been happening all summer with NO one actually ending up in the hospital then who cares????? I seriously can’t comprehend why we’re putting in all these protocols for school when nothing has happened here. I would be on board with all of this if there was an actual risk we were mitigating. But the key here is “actual risk”, not just the chance that maybe there could potentially be someone who catches this. Where is the rational and logical thought?

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        • Anonymous says:

          You apparently need to go back to school because you lack intelligence. These measures that “you do not understand” have been what has saved us from being like other places! CIG took a proactive stance by locking down the islands and limiting people from interacting ad being exposed to one another which is why we are where we are today. We are blessed to not have people in the hospital or have people suffering from this virus. Just because people are not showing outward symptoms does not mean that all is okay. No one knows what this virus is doing internally. People are suffering with long term effects.
          So where the f**k is your rational and logical thought?!

          The stupidity is astronomical.

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          • Anonymous says:

            You’ve eaten the hook, line and sinker. Zero common sense and even less knowledge of other Caribbean islands.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Testing the same people constantly you say – you did read the bit about 90% of the tests being unique tests, right? Did you not read it, not understand it or you just want to ignore facts that contradict what you want to believe?

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      • Anonymous says:

        “Cayman has now carried out 32,212 tests, with around 90% said to be single samples from different people.” 90% of 32,212 is 28,991 which is about 45% or almost half of the approx. population of 65,000.This doesn’t sound like testing the same people constantly.

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  8. Percy says:

    It will be interesting to read tomorrow’s release. Protocols have to be put in place for schools reopening safely. Pupils congregating from wide areas of the island may well be an issue if we get clusters on reopening. Suffice to say most classrooms cannot do social distancing due to being built in the 50’sto 70’s when class size was considerably smaller. A textbook each haha promised 5 years ago! So much more to address and don’t even go down the poor students having issues from lockdown etc in terms of how they react to more authoritarian measures at school since being ejected in March and their mental health.

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    • Anonymous says:

      It’s going to be tough enough going back. Since we have been declared covid free It makes sense to act accordingly. No masks please. Regular hand washing and much better cleaning after hours.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Uh, the virus is airborne. That is how you catch it; not as much from surfaces. Enhanced cleaning protocols do nothing if someone breathes, sneezes, or coughs on you all day. Masks required.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    It would be useful in the test statistics to show the breakdown of the retesting of people, say in the front line and healthcare worker. Lumping them all together to say 31,000+ tests done of a 65,000 population is misleading.

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    • Anonymous says:

      They have done this. Around 10% are re-tests

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    • Anonymous says:

      Thank you 6:09! It is indeed misleading and causing people to have a false sense of safety. I am observing increasing numbers of people not using masks and I think it is because they believe that there are no cases of the virus here at all, which is most likely not true. Since the entire population has not been tested we cannot be sure! The Premier seems to have all but disappeared on this issue but he needs to ensure that folks understand risk still exists and asymptomatic cases are likely still with us.

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      • Anonymous says:

        8.46pm Perhaps you should read this passage again “Cayman has now carried out 32,212 tests, with around 90% said to be single samples from different people”. Meaning that 10% were retests.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    We need more quarantine facilities. So much business and so many residents are being turned away because of a lack of facilities. It is a disgrace and is turning a downturn into a disaster.

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    • Anonymous says:

      You are 100% correct. But the unfortunate really is too may people don’t understand your truth. Maybe when they get taxed they will come around.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Let us quarantine at home! Set a seriously high price (fine) for breaking quarantine. (something like $50,000.00) And then enforce it.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    Face masks in school? What a joke. Grown ass adults can’t be bothered to wear them properly, as there really is no point.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    Tell us why our children are not being allowed back in school Alden.

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    • Anonymous says:

      They are fool. There is just a safe and slow reintroduction to schooling that is being implemented. You might not enjoy being a full time parent but it is the way of things. Suck it up

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    • Anonymous says:

      Children are going back to school. They’re spacing out a few years by only a week. What’s the big deal? I’m more concerned about them wearing masks and having a longer school day.

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    • Anonymous says:

      4:33. Children will be allowed back in school but in fazes. If you would take the time to read what has been sent out by the Ministry you’d see the break down.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The reason they aren’t in school now is because it is summer holidays. But they WILL be starting back in late August – early September.

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