Cayman remains COVID-free
(CNS): Cayman has ended another week retaining its COVID-free status. On Friday Medical Officer of Health Dr Samuel Williams-Rodriguez said all of the 160 PCR tests carried out over the last day were negative. The last people to test positive for the coronavirus were cleared on 1 September and there have been no further positive results since. This week officials carried out 805 tests, bringing the total to exactly 36,000 with a tally of 205 positives.
Both of the individuals who tested positive last month were in quarantine and had returned to Cayman from a still as yet undisclosed location, which was likely to have been Miami, London or Kingston unless the travellers arrived via private jet.
Cayman has not seen a positive case of community transmission of the COVID-19 virus since 11 July, almost eight weeks ago. But the total number of people currently in isolation, either at a government facility or in their homes, is now 403. This means it is possible that Cayman could see more positive tests from those in quarantine.
Most of these people, who are returning residents or essential new workers, have come to Cayman via Miami, which is in one of the worst affected counties in the state with the highest active cases, the UK, which is also struggling with some of the worst numbers for the virus in the world, or Jamaica, which has in recent weeks seen a worrying spike in infections.
Category: Health, Medical Health
CNS – is there any way to “dislike” a comment but “like” your response to the same comment?
CNS: No, sorry. I know some people get annoyed when I do that but I attach a note when there is a reason I cannot post the comment without one.
It is commendable that most Cayman Islands residents voluntarily and/or willingly wore masks during the more restrictive periods. Granted that it was a requirement for access to most places and while many people criticized that, there was no general outcry against it, nor general refusal to comply. Clearly that helped us towards out present status.
However it is notable that as soon as those mandates were removed how many people stopped wearing masks immediately, especially at indoor establishments. So be it. For sure, that will be a good indicator if the virus is still present in our midst because mask-free activities have resumed in bars, clubs, supermarkets, many offices, etc., etc.
Seems like we’re indeed safe but we’ll soon know!
The powers that be need to call for Prayer and demand the Principals of our Schools stop telling our Children that “they don’t have to use their masks” We are letting hundreds of people back into our island every week and the virus is still out there. Dr. Lee did not say there were no positive cases in Cayman. He said “none had tested positive”. The Education Minister especially needs to stop allowing our school staff to be so complacent about this virus. Once we get the 1st positive in our schools, that’s it, schools are shut down again. Lets not forget the same buses our children travel on, are the same buses they bus the people from the airport to Quarantine. The Gay and Lesbian issues is the least of our worries right now. Lets not lose focus people. This VIRUS IS STILL VERY REAL.
They will open the border to the US and we will be back to square one. The only thing that will stop this is a vaccine.
An effective vaccine – when distributed – will improve the situation immeasurably and hopefully allow regular travel to resume. Presumably Cayman will require visitors/WP holders to show a vaccination certificate, even if they can’t mandate vaccines for Caymanians – I don’t know if they can make vaccines compulsory for all.
But given the huge percentage of people who say they won’t be vaccinated, the virus will not be stopped. We will just have to hope that sufficient numbers are vaccinated – and that it is as effective as possible – to allow outbreaks to be controlled.
A human body produces antibodies when it fights an infection. COVID19 patients along with producing antibodies develop small blood clots in the blood vessels of the lungs.
All they test volunteers for is antibodies. Unless they also regularly monitor volunteers for signs of potential blood clots, such as IL-6 which contributes to clotting in the small blood vessels of the lungs and D-dimer the vaccine can’t be declared safe. This takes time. Not weeks, but at least several months.
the virus won’t be stopped. the flu, cancer, malaria, diabetes, road accidents, drunk driving, suicides, homicides won’t be eliminated, ever-part of life experience.
Used to say the same of Polio and Spanish flu …
look at deaths in usa for 2020 for pneumonia. Now look at covid. More deaths by pneumonia than covid. Why are we overreacting to this rediculous virus. At first we did not know. Now we know. Enough with the idiotic lock downs and quarentines.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1113051/number-reported-deaths-from-covid-pneumonia-and-flu-us/
CNS: You are allowing yourself to be swallowed up in the utter madness of the ‘it’s only flu’ BS. The US, like all other nations, aims to reduce the death rate as much as possible. Obviously people die, because mankind has not yet found the key to immortality. However, the known conditions that kill people each year are statistically stable, having been reduced as far as possible (we’ll ignore the issue of health insurance for now).
The statistic to look at is ‘excess deaths’, the number of deaths above the predicted number based on previous years, which at this point is probably more indicative of the real impact of covid than any other figures. In the US, this number so far this year is 200,000. See here.
Now blank all other factors from your mind for a minute and think about 200,000 people and all those who mourn them. And then imagine that this is only this low because of the measures taken to contain it (which, because of the bungling of the US government was much higher than it should have been). Also understand that this is not over yet, there is a possible second surge coming in the US and Europe. No one really knows how this disease acts because it is new.
Those news sources that are telling you this is just flu are lying to you.
Yes and no. The real issue here is whether excess deaths of 200,000 is problematic for all, or whether it’s worth utterly devastating the lives of hundreds of millions tosave 200,000 (that’s a real question…).
The issue is how we are dealing with it, and we are failing to deal with it. The vast majority of deaths are of the old and vulnerable. Yet we are penalizing everyone.
that’s the problem that needs solving
otherwise, 200,000 dead will be many millions – but from economic poverty.
This is a very emotional subject, nobody has the right answer. But its fast becoming apparent that a trade off between death of a few against an economic devasation of the masses is coming to the forefront. Not easy to digest. But it’s coming.
Cocooning the old, already ill, etc is what logic dictates. But do the will of the masses manage to make it happen before we’re all broke?
Who knows…
CNS: Agreed. But the conversation must start with the right facts.
The latest numbers say over 400 in quarantine..Where are these people coming from? Do we have more people now then we did before covid? Are these new work permit holders or Caymanians..Something fishy is going on here? How much is this costing us? If these are all Caymanian, at CI$2600 a pop which would be CI$1,040,000 or almost US$1.27M. Somebody is getting some kickbacks here and believe me I smell politicians..If we were to calculate it based on new permits and quarantine costs, this is a big shot into the financial engine of the government but very risky..
This quarantine business is another scheme to make politicians rich at the expense of possibly exposing us to Covid again..
I think a FOI needs to happen to break these things into a more transparent light..
Headline: “Cayman remains Covid free”
CIG: “Hold my beer while we open the borders and peddle some bullshit woo magic bio-buttons”.
What else do you suggest? Given the decisions made to date there are not to many good options.
14 day quarantine. In CIG facilities or with ankle tag (yes, the same tag used for the local crims).
You breach quarantine, you are fined 50K and deported, with bar on returning for 25 years.
Lol, I’ll just wrap that in foil paper and be on my merry way.
Shame – anyone been stuck in traffic for longer than 30 mins again to get 4 miles!?!? Please can we invest in a small water taxi business? Stops at Old Morgan’s Harbor, Bacaro, Camana Bay, GTYC, Harbor House Marina, the boat ramp at top of Leeward Drive and Rum Point.
A proper bus service would work as well
Cheaper and 100% actionable right now: shoulder cleanup/maintenance, and cordoned/painted commuter bike lanes/sharrows. We already paid for these as part of the 2015-2020 NRA Budgeted Plan. Why is our plan not being executed?
Letting the rich quarantine in their own places without a proper plan or scrutiny ? Just how long do you think this current status will last?
Yet not even a hint of a plan
Sure keep your scare mongering up!!
Wait until the first flight from out of Miami in October, we’ll be back on lockdown again due to the LOVE OF $$!