Active COVID-19 cases linger in isolation

| 15/09/2020 | 20 Comments

(CNS): Three travellers who tested positive last week for COVID-19 have still not been given the all clear. On Tuesday Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee reported on 231 samples tested for the virus over the last day, all of which were negative. But although no community transmissions have been recorded here for over two months, Cayman is not currently considered COVID-free as a result of these lingering, but asymptomatic, cases.

Cayman has now carried out over 37,000 tests, with a running total of 208 cases since March.

Since the borders closed in March, the country has retained a strict quarantine protocol for residents and workers cleared to return. Everyone has been required to stay in government facilities or, if there are medical issues at home, at home but supervised closely by public health, officials have said. At present there are 233 people in mandated quarantine.

However, on 17 September around two dozen pre-selected people arriving on the first of a new fortnightly British Airways regular service between London and Grand Cayman will be isolating at home or in designated accommodation using a geo-fencing device.

This is a test run for the anticipated and limited phase one border opening on 1 October, when all cleared passengers arriving in Cayman will be given the option of using one of these devices and subject to random checks by public health to ensure they are remaining in isolation outside of a secure quarantine facility.


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Category: Health, Medical Health

Comments (20)

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  1. Bruce says:

    Your government has done a remarkable job. Clearly being on the Island makes it controlable. A slow and careful opening is inevitable. Covid is likely to be around forever like the flu. A vaccine will only kill certain strains and for unknown periods of time. Maybe you could accept tourists from responsible countries like Canada and New Zealand.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Do what Bermuda and Barbados is doing and open up your borders, your tourism, your economy and your mail.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Government employees. Or friends & family of MLA’s.

  4. Anonymous says:

    The idea floated by the Ritz and Cobalt Coast Hotel for creating bubbles for returning citizen, permit holder and property owners is the first good idea of thinking outside the box. It is an idea that CIG should honestly consider in addition to the proposed geo fencing.

  5. Facts says:

    What about the canoe boats that visit these islands do they get an option for quarantine too?

  6. anonymous says:

    Cayman has a serious problem and it is not covid. It is the fear and hysteria of covid. Cayman appears to be unable to adapt to the existence of covid. The belief that Cayman is covid free and should remain covid free forever is a completely unrealistic position many on this island believe and expect. Cayman is going to need to accept the existence of covud to some degree to move forward. The option to hide forever is not realistic. Reasonable measures need to be undertaken and accepting nature and the limitations of human control of nature needs to be realized by the citizens of this nation. The hysteria and urge to overact with every possible positive case needs to be resisted. There is no room for scare tactics, diligent testing and short isolation is the most reasonable control.

  7. anon says:

    The three could be locked up for a month or more.

    • Anonymous says:

      It’s not like they are innocent people with families. (Sarcasm) Anyone who tests positive should be 2 out of 3. Too many asymptomatic persons test positive only to test negative within hours / days. First time in history we’re locking healthy persons up. First time in medical history that someone who isn’t ill, is treated as a case, recorded, labelled and published internationally.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Can anyone explain how the two dozen are preselected? Random, money, friend, political affiliation?

  9. Anonymous says:

    Why not test the 231 in quarantine now and give them a choice to geo fence? The fact that they have been a here a week or so and have no symptoms (or they would have called for help). Surely this would safely increase the sample size of the experiment.

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