Eight people in isolation test positive for COVID

| 31/08/2021 | 105 Comments
Cayman News Service
Senior Forensic Scientist Christian Taylor operates a machine used in PCR testing

(CNS): Eight travellers currently in isolation have tested positive for COVID-19 in the latest batch of results released by Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee. There are now 18 active cases of the virus among those in government quarantine or home isolation, six of which are showing symptoms of the virus. No details have been give about whether or not this latest group of positive people have been vaccinated. CNS asked at the press briefing last week, and has since followed up our query, about the percentage of vaccinated individuals who have been positive for COVID-19, and we are still waiting for a response.

With Cayman counting down to 14 October, which is the date when quarantine restrictions will be lifted for those who are fully vaccinated, the clear evidence across the world that those who have had both doses can still spread the virus is raising concern for parents, given that th vaccine is not yet approved for children under 12.

The vaccination clinics were closed in Cayman on Monday, so the national rate for those who have had at least one dose remains at 72% of the population, and 70% have completed the full course.

Even though the vaccine is proving to be extremely successful at preventing people who contract COVID-19 from getting very ill and dying, the Delta variant of this virus is proving capable of infecting people who are fully vaccinated, who can then go on to infect the unvaccinated.

Over the last few days countries all over the world are reporting extremely high infection rates and hospitals are once again seeing a surge of patients.

In many of the US southern states, such as Florida where many travellers passing through on their way to the Cayman Islands, hospitals are running short on oxygen as the numbers of unvaccinated patients continues to increase.

Jamaica, another gateway for Cayman’s repatriation flights, hit a record number of infections in one day on Saturday and in the UK, where 80% of the over 16s have been fully vaccinated, the number of infected people is still high, with around 32,000 people on average testing positive every day.

See the vaccine schedule on the HSA website here.

For more information on vaccines contact the HSA Communications team at
communications@hsa.ky

See here for more information on securely verifiable vaccination records.


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Category: Health, Medical Health

Comments (105)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Just buy plenty facemasks , and get vaccined

  2. Anonymous says:

    How do we socially distance ourselves from our children? Can you tell me that?

    • Anonymous says:

      Wear a mask around child, dimwit.

      • Anonymous says:

        All day and night you idiot?

        • Anonymous says:

          Yup. I mean, come on. It’s been said so many times.
          To protect your child, you get a vaccine. You social distance from others. You wear a mask in high traffic areas. You wash your hands. You do all these and your chances of bringing home covid is extremely low.

          Depending on your child’s age: They get vaccinated. If they can’t, they wear a mask when in high traffic areas. They social distance when possible. In schools, the desks should be spaced apart. On buses, they should wear masks. Play outdoors whenever possible. Indoors have good circulation. Wash hands and clean surfaces. These are common covid protocols that have been listed over and over again. Nothing is full proof, but we must do our best to live cautiously and follow the necessary guidelines. The island can be open and successful with very little disruption with a little thought put into these protocols by all. The world has been living this way for over a year. If more people got vaccinated, it would help. That should be the first step in protecting your family.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Reading these comments makes me sad for the people in the Cayman Islands. The level of terror is off the charts with the commenters. Like bugs in a jar – the authorities shake the jar and the bugs fight each other.
    Each shake of the jar:
    The unvaccinated are the problem
    The children who can’t get vaccinated
    The next variant is coming
    The vaccine isn’t working
    The proof of vaccination is not verifiable
    Not enough hospital beds

    A movie about this wouldn’t be believable unless it was Monty Python.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Next year after the newest loans run out and the money to keep government workers in paychecks slows down to a trickle the Caymanian side of the island will finally start to pay for closing the economy off to everyone else. Plan on having Covid still within the population and a non functioning economy. This is how you pay for keeping Covid out. Great plan for now. No plan on how to fix no money in the near future. No future.

  5. Anonymous says:

    What a bunch of panic-stricken fools we have among us. Covid WILL be in the community whenever we open…..whether October 2021 or ten years from now. Vaccines have been offered for free for the last 8 months. Get vaccinated!

  6. anon says:

    These reports of new traveller cases should indicate if any are the Delta variety.

  7. Anonymous says:

    There are other treatments with successful trials and results but many doctors are afraid to prescribe them or even talk about them. In Ohio a judge had to order a hospital to give a dying patient ivermectin.

    https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21051020-j-smith-ivermectin-complaint

    dropbox.com/sh/v0njezpupx8ayjg/AAAHfWPH0RhjQn0oh8CEY32Ka/NOV 03 2020 Elections?dl=0&subfolder_nav_tracking=1

    If ou want to see an aggregate of the studies on (human grade Dr. prescribed) Ivermectin. They are consolidated here:

    https://ivmmeta.com/

    • Anonymous says:

      Cuckoo for cocoa puffs vibe

    • Anonymous says:

      “So scared about dying, that they forgot about living”.

    • Anonymous says:

      Bs

    • Anonymous says:

      If people are going to take farm animal medicine worm instead of a vaccine than society is doomed. But at least it’s the part of society most of us avoid.

      • Anonymous says:

        What a jerk you are. My family live in a country where no vaccine was available. Two of them got covid and were treated with ivermectin and came through it. It was prescribed by a hospital. So please take your pompous attitude and shove it.

        • Anonymous says:

          Exactly! My sister who lives in the US has chronic ischemia. There’s nothing American doctors can offer to her. Thankfully in her home country there’s an established course of treatment for her condition, 3 x per year, that makes huge difference in how she feels. The medicine is manufactured by a pharmaceutical company, doctors prescribe it, and a patient can do injections himself. In fact it is sold without prescription.

          So if a medicine is not used/approved in the US, it does not mean it doesn’t work. Many countries have pharmaceutical industry and manufacture medicine that is unheard of in the US.

          Emergency medicine is excellent in the US. But how you’re going to live after you were “glued” together is another question.

          Cayman medicine is following the US model. Thankfully, someone was wise enough to recognize that An Alternative health care clinic was overdue to help people with chronic conditions.

  8. Anonymous says:

    PACT – get with the program!

    “Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, said people will have to show digital proof they had been inoculated against Covid-19 to enter a wide range of establishments, dropping earlier opposition to the idea.
    From September 22nd people will need proof of full vaccination to visit bars, restaurants, nightclubs and indoor sporting facilities.”

  9. Anonymous says:

    Should really amend your article as it is misleading:

    Even though the vaccine is proving to be extremely successful at preventing people who contract COVID-19 from getting very ill and dying, the Delta variant of this virus is proving capable of infecting people who are fully vaccinated, who can then go on to infect the unvaccinated.

    Should read:

    “.. who can then on to infect both the vaccinated and unvaccinated.”

  10. Anonymous says:

    The Canadian province of Ontario is following other provinces in introducing a vaccine passport that will be required to enter places such as bars and restaurants.

    Hopefully our government will stop hitting the snooze button and get on with doing this as well. It is critical that this is fully implemented before they drop quarantine and flood the country with Covid.

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-covid-vaccine-passport-certificate-proof-1.6160728

  11. Anonymous says:

    I hope none of these were teachers going into a mostly unvaccinated population.

    PACT needs to also reconsider the phase 4 start date. Please do not start this right before mid-term school break sending anyone straight from the airport into a school after the Oct school break.

    Also, please add in both phase 4 and 5 the requirement for both students and all school staff to have a negative test 24 hrs (or the minimum time) prior to entering a school if you traveled.

  12. Sheriff says:

    The elimination of quarantine for the securely verifiable vaccinated visitors as of 14 October STILL depends on reaching the 80% vaccination target. Do all of you really believe we will reach that target? And IF we do, I for one believe PACT will move the goalposts again. I think there are a lot of people stressing out over something that is likely NOT going to happen.

    • Anonymous says:

      He wasn’t exactly clear on that point. The way he phrased it, 80% sounded like a goal but he didn’t say the border would remain closed if we didn’t reach the goal. I think that was on purpose. Got to keep us sheep confused.

  13. Anonymous says:

    The latest, 45min presentation on vitamin D, broken by chapters for your convenience or specific area of interest. Based on the published studies.
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BWl2m5eQzd8

  14. Anonymous says:

    Pact DO NOT OPEN UP THE BORDERS WITHOUT QUARANTINE ,

  15. Anonymous says:

    …many more people are recovering from COVID at home.

    Those at home should have a pulse oximeter and a thermometer to check on symptoms.

    In the early days of feeling sick, check with your doctor to see if monoclonal antibody treatment is the right option. It has been shown to prevent severe illness from COVID-19 if administered early.

    If quarantining at home, stay in one room and separate yourself from others to avoid passing on COVID-19.

    Stay hydrated and take over-the-counter medication like acetaminiphen (Tylenol) to help your body fight off the virus,

    “Laying in a prone position on your stomach can also help with oxygen flow to your lungs. Move around as much as you are able, and refrain from laying on your back. If possible, eat to keep up your energy,”
    https://www.winknews.com/2021/09/01/lee-health-619-covid-patients-in-hospital-system/

  16. Anonymous says:

    On 18 July 2021, the day before the UK lifted its Covid restrictions there was 1 Covid related death reported. Today, 6 weeks after Covid restrictions were removed, the UK reported 207 deaths. The PACT government’s plan to remove quarantine restrictions here is downright stupid.

  17. Anonymous says:

    The evidence from Bermuda which has a similar vaccination rate shows that what our government is proposing is NUTS!

    Bermuda requires arrival testing for fully vaccinated people as well as testing on day 4 and day 10 after arrival. With that protocol they have as of yesterday –

    202 active cases (more than 10x what we have) with about 1/2 of their Covid cases being imported cases and the rest being local transmission secondary to imported cases.

    (86%) of their imported cases being in travelers who are fully vaccinated, and 6 (14%) are not vaccinated.

    If we do not have either quarantine or testing and dozens of fully vaccinated arriving here also have Delta then we are screwed.

    We need to all contact our elected representatives and tell them that opening without quarantine and testing is INSANE.

    https://www.gov.bm/articles/covid-19-update-31-august-2021

  18. Anonymous says:

    WHYYYYYY would we reopen for a week to a month just to go back into lockdown again? This makes zero sense. There is no doubt in my mind that PACT will freak out and put us back into lockdown once cases start popping up in the community. This will not in any way benefit the tourism sector or the economy. It will just delay the economic recovery for tourism even further and will penalize the rest (ahem – MAJORITY) of the island who do not work in tourism.

    I just keep thinking of the children. We should be doing absolutely everything to keep them in the classroom. Such dumb decision making being made right now.

    • Beaumont Zodecloun says:

      That really is the bottom line, or at least your and my bottom line. Our future is those children in the classroom now.*

      *Hey! Teachers! Leave those kids alone!**

      **sorry, Pink Floyd flashback. As you were.

  19. Anonymous says:

    this day in 6 weeks, headline will be:
    8 cases of covid confirmed in community.
    next headline will be: cayman re-introducing national lockdown for 4 weeks.

    • Anonymous says:

      Why lock down…..virus is here to stay and we must live with it.

      • Anonymous says:

        Yeah but we all are too small so need to get Vaccinated, must people in Can fearing lockdown are the crazy ones that are not vaccinated period an they will be the cause of lockdown….

      • Anonymous says:

        10:07 am, lots of people won’t live with the covid because they will die

  20. Anonymous says:

    and these people are on the honesty quarantine system????
    only vaccinated people should be allow travel/enter cayman.

  21. Anonymous says:

    so how do you keep a virus away???…close borders forever???

  22. Anonymous says:

    Even the third vaccine doesn’t prevent infections. Already over 2,000 triple vaccinated infected in Israel in just 1 week.

    https://data.gov.il/dataset/covid-19/resource/9b623a64-f7df-4d0c-9f57-09bd99a88880

    Cases between August 15th and August 21st.

    2x Vax 3x Vax No Vax Total Vax %
    20-29 5452 1911 7363 74.0%
    30-39 5719 21 1664 7404 77.5%
    40-49 5072 68 1066 6206 82.8%
    50-59 2953 513 627 4093 84.7%
    60-69 1296 782 380 2458 84.5%
    70-79 558 531 238 1327 82.1%
    80-89 293 235 107 635 83.1%
    90+ 76 56 42 174 75.9%

    CNS: To be fair to the commenter, the table of figures doesn’t really work when published – the columns get messed up. However, this data covers cases and does not indicate the percentage of vaccinated who became seriously ill or died.

    Here’s the full story on NPR: Highly Vaccinated Israel Is Seeing A Dramatic Surge In New COVID Cases. Here’s Why

    Since Israel has a high vaccination rate and used the Pfizer vaccine, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on, especially their findings regarding the need for boosters.
    Reuters: Israel’s COVID-19 vaccine boosters show signs of taming Delta

  23. Anonymous says:

    What we need is some more 24 hour science from the CDC, FDA, HSA and Pfizer to form a solid strategy. Let’s never consider other science outside the realm of our Angelic handlers.

  24. Anonymous says:

    I would still be OK with the 5-day quarantine for vaccinated for now IF, AND ONLY IF, we can add more flights so that residents and visitors can freely travel. The restricted Cayman Airways schedule is ridiculous.

    Based on comments on this and other posts, it looks like the main concern is leaving children vulnerable where they have no opportunity to get vaccinated, and more vulnerable adults who are now 8 months post vaccine. So OK, if we want to buy a few more months until a child vaccine is approved (Pfizer is expecting early winter with the FDA) and boosters, I am OK with this.

    But my first preference is opening up and moving on with things.

    • Anonymous says:

      Additionally, if Cayman started testing the unvaccinated travelers at day 10 of quarantine, we could establish data on whether anyone tests positive between day and 10 and 14 and potentially reduce quarantine to 10 days for families with unvaccinated young children. Quarantine would remain, it would just be shortened if the extra days are not actually necessary.

      There are situations where children need to travel, including medical reasons.

      • Anonymous says:

        86% of the more than 200 Covid cases Bermuda now has were detected by their 4 and 10 day post arrival testing not pre-arrival. We need to keep quarantine of fully vaccinated people for at least 5 days and probably test even longer if we are going to control Covid. As a reminder, Bermuda has been allowing in fully vaccinated people and that is how they have ended up with 200 Covid cases and a total of 34 dead since Covid started.

        https://www.gov.bm/articles/covid-19-update-31-august-2021

        • Vigilante says:

          Bermuda’s COVID deaths came almost entirely in April as a direct result of unvaccinated youth returning from the UK, carrying the Delta variant, who then attended illegal gatherings (eg house parties) with other unvaccinated youth, many of whom took the variant home to their unvaccinated grandmothers who contracted COVID and died. An unfortunate tragedy based on a callous disregard for the health of others, and major misunderstandings of the benefits of preventative measures in the face of a deadly disease.

  25. Anonymous says:

    The CDC increased Bermuda’s COVID-19 risk rating to “Level 3 – high” in a travel advisory on the organisation’s website. The advisory said unvaccinated travellers should avoid the island.

  26. Anonymous says:

    We need to keep quarantine! This is bullshit

  27. Anonymous says:

    See how Israel is fairing after the 3rd shot, then decide. Too much antibodies are not good.

  28. Anonymous says:

    The media is reporting pfizer has reduced effectiveness against the delta variant and an increase in hospital admissions for the vaccinated. This really doesn’t seem a good time to drop quarantine.

  29. Anonymous says:

    Lock down coming. So sad, after working so hard to keep the virus away, soon opening up to bring the virus in. So very sad indeed.

  30. Anonymous says:

    While infections r high proportion of hospitalisation is very low that is a good sign. In one of my comments I suggested,having maintained the buble so long , to observe the trend in us and uk before fully comting to oct 14.
    I repeat the request to govt to review by oct 1 and if necessary postpone for a month or so.

  31. Anonymous says:

    We need to start stocking up on oxygen? How many facilities and how much capacity do we have here? We are not going to be able to important from the USA if they are already in dire need?

  32. Anon says:

    Another reason to get vaccinated, if ever you need one by now

  33. Elvis says:

    Get used to itits coming in October anyway

  34. Anonymous says:

    We would be a glorified bunch of lunatics to open our borders at this point.

    The EU has restricted the admission of US visitors to essential travel only. Florida is setting records daily as is most of the USA.

    And yet we are choosing at this point to open our borders and remove restrictions?

    And turn against our own citizens who up to now have enjoyed the privileges of not having to suffer the restrictions imposed previously.

    For what reasons? The Almighty Dollar? Giving up our freedoms to satisfy a few non-Caymanian hotel owners and managers? To only close again in a matter of weeks and go back to square one and start all over again?

    This is absurdity at its highest!

    Get real PACT. Get real Wayne Panton. Stop this nonsense now before it us too late.

    JUST SAY NO!!!

  35. Anonymous says:

    Those selfish resident Walmart shoppers- lockdown the boaaarder.. I’m not going to wear a mask because of them and I’m not going to get vaccinated and I’ll never social distance. Who do they think they are? What about the children? Schools will now lockdown forever. All businesses will have to close.

  36. Anonymous says:

    Bermuda is a good proxy as to what we might expect, with similar vaccine rates, similar population size, similar workforce. Bermuda is open, with about 50 flights a week.

    Bermuda requires quarantine for 14 days for unvaccinated. Vaccinated do not quarantine but require an arrival test, day 4 test and day 10 test. So it is not complete unmitigated freedom, and a bit of a hassle to do on vacation.

    Bermuda had 79 positives announced today. Link below. I know a lot of people in Bermuda and there are mixed opinions. Most seem to prefer their openness relative to Cayman’s bubble. Their openness wasn’t/isn’t costless. They had to wear masks quite a bit and they had a couple more periods of work/school from home again, including in the May period.

    https://www.royalgazette.com/health/news/article/20210831/covid-19-claims-34th-death-as-active-cases-rise-to-205/

    • Anonymous says:

      They have also had 34 people die so far in their experiment. I don’t want that here.

      • Anonymous says:

        People die everyday

      • Vigilante says:

        Bermuda’s COVID deaths were almost all in April – as a result of unvaccinated students returning from the UK, who brought the delta variant, spread it to others at illegal gatherings, all of whom then took covid home to their unvaccinated grandmothers who sadly died.

  37. Anonymous says:

    Thank you Travel Cayman and Public Health for keeping us safe.

  38. Anonymous says:

    At least everyone can have a front row seat for the pantomime. They should give third and fourth jab to save time.

  39. Anonymous says:

    Yet these fools want to do away with quarantine and open our borders. We need to keep quarantine!

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