Multiple isolation breaches raise risk of COVID spread
(CNS): There have been an undisclosed number of COVID-19 isolation breaches of protocol over the last two weeks by travellers quarantining at home or private residences, according to Travel Cayman. These breaches involved those isolating engaging with members of the public and exchanging items. All of these reported breaches have been reported to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) and remain under investigation.
In many instances individuals have been placed in quarantine and are now facing prosecution. Officials said that all of the alleged breaches were isolated and that there is no cause for public health concern, but given how contagious the Delta variant is, these breaches threaten to burst Cayman’s infection-free bubble.
Over the last two weeks 27 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and there are 13 active cases, with five of those suffering symptoms of the virus. Almost all travellers returning to the Cayman Islands are coming via Kingston, London or Miami, places where the virus continues to spread rapidly.
Although the vaccine protects against serious illness, those who are fully vaccinated can still become infected with the Delta variant and can still spread the virus, as scientists now believe that the viral load in vaccinated people is no less than the viral load in those who are not. The release of several studies last week indicate that the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines wanes in the face of the Delta variant.
While government is depending on the vaccine to keep people safe, Cayman remains below the 80% target set as a national vaccination rate that experts believe is necessary to protect children and other unvaccinated individuals. The risk of community breakthrough is expected to increase next week when Cayman opens the borders to commercial airlines and lifts the limitations on who can travel to and from the country.
With the move to isolation on trust, Travel Cayman is even more dependent on members of the public reporting breaches of isolation. Travel Cayman Director Casandra Morris thanked those individuals who reported the latest cases.
“We would like to thank our community who reported all of the recent breaches we investigated. As we continue with the phased reopening, engagement from the public will become more vital to our mission of keeping our Islands safe,” she added.
On 14 October, Cayman plans to continue with the second phase of the reopening plan and will be lifting all quarantine and isolation requirements to travellers who have been fully vaccinated and can verify the shots.
in the meantime, the Travel Cayman team reminded those in isolation that all deliveries made to them if they are isolating on trust or with a wristband should be contactless. This includes by a company, friend or family member. Those making the deliveries should immediately leave the quarantine location once they have completed their delivery. Members of the public are also reminded to never accept items from a person in quarantine.
The public and travellers are reminded that anyone found to be in breach of the mandatory quarantine provisions will be warned for intended prosecution and will liable on conviction to a fine of up to ten thousand dollars and imprisonment for up to two years.
People who witness a suspected breach of Covid-19 protocols are asked to call 943-7233 (943 SAFE) with the names of those involved in the breach if they are known, the number of people involved, the time and location and a brief description of the breach.
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Category: Health, Medical Health
Well letting people in who have no respect for the laws or well being of others in their own Country, welllll isn’t that a novel idea… Did we not see this when they locked people up for breaking quarantine.. Ohhhhh yeah, No oversight, No care for their own laws… Surrrrre open the doors.. flustercluck yet again…
Why bother? Nobody reads anything much longer than a sentence or a headline anymore. That has become very clear in the past 18 months.
You are confusing politicians with the rest of us.
The big joke is that the old A/C units in many places moves the air from condos with infected people to condos with healthy people. Nowhere in government’s plan is there anything to limit this form of spread.
Happened in our complex…..foreign owners with their usual disregard to residents decided to capitalize on approved quarantine units. Why isn’t part of CIG approval process getting approvals from neighboring units?
Typical accusations with no real evidence. I am not surprised.
It’s pretty common…btw we really aren’t missing you visits.
8:29 here.
Sorry, I’m on island, did the quarantine as required. But I get your message – Caymankind – 2021. Which is VERY different than Caymankind – 1986.
Been an owner since 1986. Bought a condo in receivership and needed a lot of repairs – all supported the local economy for the past 35 years.
Your attitude speaks volumes of how Cayman has deteriorated since then. My Honeymoon was at Don Foster’s Royal Palms before it burned down. I love Cayman, but it seems you group all expats as evil; well we are not. Many – sure, but it is grossly unfair to reflect such ignorance and disdain.
I do hope that you and your family does not depend on expats spending money on Cayman, or have any need for foreign investment in Cayman. Maybe you work for one of the CIG agencies who pay for you to not work.
We have always and will continue to welcome people that come to the island understanding they are guests and respecting the rights of local residents including expats. However the entitled disrespectful idiots can go elsewhere….they’re easy to recognize…..they confront complaints about their abuses with at first vacant denials and then martyred whining how they are not appreciated. If you can’t live with the Caymankind that stands up for their rights then maybe you should find some other place that will allow you to lord over them and abuse their people’s rights and safety without question. You won’t be missed.
But how are we going to be able to report a breach if we don’t know who is quarantine?
Exactly, our expertly run gov’t has figured this all out… NOT! Caymanexpertise…
Touching something that someone in quarantine handled is not likely to give you covid.
I can’t begin to imagine what cleaning protocols CIG will impose on hotels, and vacation rentals when tourism is really allowed to return. There won’t be enough Lysole and alcohol on the island to supply everyone.
And it will be a waste. Vaccine, masks and social distancing are the keys. Wiping down counters is not effective.
Starting Oct 14 – no more quarantine for the vaccinated so all this will not matter soon…
Except that many do not have access to the vaccine verification that is required. My state in USA (Ohio) has no covid ‘cards’ that Cayman will accept.
So No, it will not just end.
Cayman has still not verified vaccinations from CVS, so to them, I am not vaccinated and do not appear in the statistics as having been vaccinated.
“An UNDISCLOSED number of COVID-19 isolation breaches of protocol over the last two weeks“…………..
Half a breath later…….
“ Officials said that all of the alleged breaches were isolated and that there is no cause for public health concern”
So with the undisclosed numbers it might have been two isolated breaches or 500 alleged breaches that were isolated with no cause for concern……”
Comedy gold. You couldn’t make this stuff up.
Actually yes, CIG CAN make this up – and did. I agree, what are the numbers? 1 from Kingston or 9… 1 from Miami, or 35, etc. This news is total BS. No credibility, but hey, we elected fools, so we get foolish results. Thanks West Bay!
PACT should take this time to re-imagine Cayman. Perhaps to something that is more environmentally and economically sustainable. Not the PPM way of grand projects and higher and higher number of tourists.
‘something’…great plan that.
Need to name the persons and their addresses whom are isolating so the public will know if they are breaking isolation and report them
The governments belief that people will comply with their quarantine requirements without there being some enforceable restrictions is laughable at best. It speaks to a level of naivete that will ultimately be dangerous for the Cayman Islands.
Bringing someone a pint of ice cream and then talking to them for 15 minutes while standing at the end of a 30 foot walkway doesn’t increase the risk. This is what half of these are and crazy neighbors report it as a breach!! Let’s have just a bit of perspective people….
You should share your research and findings as it would help to put things into prospective.
Fosters and many others deliver things everyday and 6 feet is standard distancing….
Where did you get the “6 feet is standard distancing”? I would like to get a copy of that official standard. When Foster’s delivers to me I have them place the items on a table that I have outside and then leave. That said, there are many people of questionable character out there these days.
why not just deliver the ice cream and leave. honestly peoples need to chat about nothing that cant wait 5 days is extremely pathetic. just sit in your house and keep your gob shut for a few days you sad gits.
And you know this how? Another BS response.
If there turns out to be no breach, can the caller be sued?
For what?? That’s stupid.
If someone believes it is a genuine breach it should be investigated.
No names are ever published anyway.
I dont think any “expert” is saying anymore that vaccinating 80% of the people will protect the remaining 20% unvaccinated.
They never did. The aim is to make sure the hospitals are not overrun and can cope when we open – that is the aim of all countries vaccination targets – to make sure hospital demand of unvaccinated is manageable.
Correct, but the typical Caymanian does not understand this. Product of the current Education Minister’s ‘voodoo’ curriculum.
Vaccinating 80% doesnt even protect the vaccinated. They are being vaccinated against the original strain, and that strain is effectively gone. The main strain now is Delta, and the vaccines don’t work against it. We are vaccinating against nothing. Hard to believe. But true. The very best thing that could happen is the virus gets into the community – natural immunity is SHOCKINGLY the best prevention to serious illness.
And remember, of 8 billion in the world…7.5Billion have never had it.
BS. 95% of patients in US hospitals are unvaccinated despite being a minority of the population. The vaccines stop the vast majority of people getting seriously ill, including from the variants.
Absolute nonsense. The Uk is fully open, musical festivals full with hundreds of thousands, football stadiums full, no restrictions, everyone traveling on European holidays through Heathrow, and all data and studies show both AstraZeneca and Pfizer jabs are highly effective against Delta and have so far prevented over 100,000 us deaths, open the border and let those of us that want a vacation and to see family in Europe travel. We need a break and I think this is more important than caving in to the selfish who won’t get jabbed or think we can keep Covid out and stay closed off for the next few decades – Covid will never go away so we are waiting for nothing.
Your comments are vastly wrong – the Vaccines ARE effective against Delta. Please stop promoting BS, the lemmings are going over the cliff.
Sheesh, why can’t folks follow science and logic vs Fox BS.
Oh yea, you elected The Bushbeater…
All I have seen us article after article saying the vaccine DOES NOT PREVENT against Delta (and Lambda btw). So if you’ve read otherwise, please do share your source.
CNS: Here’s How Well COVID-19 Vaccines Work Against the Delta Variant
I suspect your sources are right-wing conservative nutcases that apparently have succeeded with convincing you that the world is flat also.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-27/previous-covid-prevents-delta-infection-better-than-pfizer-shot?utm_source=twitter&cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&utm_content=business&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic
The mRNA vaccines encode part of the spike protein that all the virus variants share, including Delta. Delta is more infectious than the original strains so the vaccine efficacy is not as high, but still pretty good in the high 60% effectiveness. These same vaccines are still over 90% at preventing hospitalization and death.,
honesty system is a recipe for disaster…
since covid began…how many people have been charged and prosecuted???
I think it would be best to sample a incoming passengers with in person checks.
If folks knew that this would be a possibility then non-compliance would be reduced.
Im wondering if the government is secretly hoping the virus gets out just to get it over with.
Would be ironic if community transmission starts before borders open! Apparently people seem to think it’s only tourists that can bring it in.
Since it is now widely accepted that vaccinated people can carry and spread the virus, then why is Cayman reopening on October 14th? Before too long this reopening will lead to another lockdown so instead of tourism-related businesses having customers a few days a week, they will soon have no customers and the rest of the economy will also suffer.
Why not reopen for anyone who wants to travel to Cayman but keep the various quarantine levels in place?
Can’t stay closed forever. October 14 as good as any other date. Covid will be near forever so
May as well get on with it.
Because folks will not travel to Cayman with the quarantine restrictions in place! Plain and simple.
Why are you people so bent on a lockdown?
If they are vaccinated then there is absolutely no need for them to quarantine. This just seems so much like craziness at this stage of the covid game.
Wear a mask in high traffic areas. Social distance. Wash your hands.
Unvaccinated, quarantine.
Why is anyone unvaccinated at this point is beyond stupid.
I agree, but at the time of my reply you had 26 ignorant, willfully stupid folks giving ‘dislikes.’ That is the key – incredibly uneducated, uninformed, misguided people who have not a clue about logic.
Very sad Cayman is so 3’rd world, with 1’st world potential.
You’re agreeing that vaccinated people shouldn’t quarantine even though it’s now repeated public knowledge and scientifically proven that vaccinated persons still get and spread the virus and you’re calling other people ignorant? Really…please read something…anything and stop posting foolishness.
Since Feb 2020, Maury County in Tennessee USA – population 100,000 – has 188 Covid deaths (with and from).
That is a 99.998% survival rate in a state with open borders, massive obesity and usual illness, etc.
More people died in those 18 months from a diet of fried chicken and krispy creme
Why are we continuing to swallow the fear being forced on us. This is not Ebola. This is not small pox or yellow fever. The virus is not waiting outside your front door for you.
Your mental health is going to kill you before covid ever will.
This must end.
your math is assuming that every single person in the county was sick with covid.
You are wasting your time trying to explain the difference between “survival rate” and the “did not die from COVID rate”
😂😂😂😂
Anonymous 9.31 – Maury County TN is 616 square miles and Grand Cayman is 76 square miles. Much more densely populated.
Comparing them is silly, but in any case, 188 deaths of Caymanians and residents here due to COVID19 would be devastating. In such a small island, everyone would know and grieve someone who died. And who would these lost ones be?
Elders, generational Caymanians who are the custodians of the islands’ history.
Unvaccinated children.
Teachers, healthcare workers, frontline workers.
Taxi drivers, bus drivers, food service workers.
Mother’s and fathers and sisters and brothers and aunties and uncles and daughters and sons and grandparents, mourning them and being mourned.
Devastating? How many people per annum in Cayman?
Even your percentages are off, 99.998% of 100,000 is 99,998, or 2 people dead. Lets assume 20% of the population caught Covid, and of that 188 died, roughly 1% die, if 40,000 caught Covid you can half that percentage point to 0.5%, your numbers are then either 99% or 99.5%, but largely irrelevant. If you are 50-60 years old you are roughly 60 times more likely to die that an 18 year old, so the chances of an 18 year old might be 0.05%, but a 50 year old has a 3% chance and an 80 year old has a 12% chance.
If you trust the data coming from Tennessee you are beyond hope! And your calculations are not accurate – must be getting your opinions from the geniuses at Fox.
“ population 100,000 – has 188 Covid deaths (with and from). That is a 99.998% survival rate.”
0.2% of your county has already died by your own numbers and your survival rate claim is off by 10,000%. Anyone this incapable of basic math does nothing but make a fool of themselves for spouting nonsense.
Used to be a word called “alleged”. But let’s just believe the those who call in. I’m sure they know all the details and are in now way paranoid when they make the call.
Stop all those flight coming here ,better safe than sorry we have worked too hard for this to start happening to us now
9:17 stop what flights? We don’t have a bunch of flights coming here and it is BS that there are 5 major airlines returning on 10/14. Major carriers are not going to fly plans here that are empty and there will still be too many restrictions for masses of people to come here.
You worked to hard? Doing what that everyone else in the world didn’t do? And most of the world did it for alot longer.
This is no joke. WTH?! If they do not want to adhere to the quarantine requirements, then why the &$@# do they place themselves in a position that they end up in quarantine in the first place? If they are foreign nationals, they should be deported and if they are Caymanian, they should serve the remainder of their quarantine plus 30 days in solitary in Northward or Fairbanks—that will teach them what isolation is.
Except nationals will not be held accountable. And don’t blame the expats…yet! They are not arriving in substantial numbers. This is a ‘home-grown’ problem, with no ‘home-grown’ set of bal.s to do their duty.
And yet there is no community transmission? People are getting fed up with this circus now. No benefit for double vaccination, what you are not seeing is the stats on where the positives came from. As for those not getting vaccinated, your risk!
Yes, and we pay for their care due to their ignorance.
If only we would go after petty thiefs the way we sre going after alleged Quarantine violators, Cayman would be alot safer.
Can’t wait a week for their Amazon order 🤣🤣🤣