24 positive cases of COVID emerge this weekend
(CNS): Twenty-three travellers and one person quarantining with a traveller tested positive for COVID-19 in this weekend’s test results. Despite the obvious concern this will now fuel in the community, given that government is still planning to open the borders to fully vaccinated travellers in five weeks, officials said the Cayman Islands quarantine protocols have demonstrated to be very effective in keeping people safe.
Among the 24 people who tested positive were eleven family groups and three single-member households. Nine of the individuals were vaccinated and 15 were unvaccinated, officials revealed.
Officials gave no indication as to where these positive people had travelled from or about whether those who were vaccinated had been isolating on trust. There are now 35 active cases of the virus among people in quarantine and isolation, 14 of whom are showing symptoms, though no one has been hospitalised.
Well aware of the impact these results are likely to have, Premier Wayne Panton said we had to expect an increased given the situation outside the country.
“Based on everything we see happening internationally, we know there will be an increased risk of COVID-19 transmission in the community,” he said. ”The high number of positive test results today reinforces why it is so important that we get the vaccine and encourage our loved ones to do the same. While it is still possible to contract COVID-19 if you are vaccinated, the vaccine is our best defence against severe illness and death.”
Health Minister Sabrina Turner also recognised that the results are likely to cause major concern in the community.
“We understand that everyone is very apprehensive, and will remain guided by the overall health and safety of our people,” she said. “This is also an excellent reminder of the need to follow COVID-19 prevention protocols, including frequent handwashing and wearing masks around the vulnerable as added protection.”
Meanwhile, the national vaccination programme remained stalled with no movement over the weekend on the numbers of those receiving their first shot. Just 73% of the population has had at least one dose and 70% is now fully vaccinated.
See the vaccine schedule on the HSA website here.
For more information on vaccines contact the HSA Communications team at
communications@hsa.kySee here for more information on securely verifiable vaccination records.
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Category: Health, Medical Health
How sad for this place ! Now having to plan for the loss of lives just because some don’t want to take preventive steps to protect others because they feel inconvenienced by these measures! We need to obviously leave quarantine restrictions in place for all to avoid unnecessary deaths.
by that logic…so we should all stop using cars everyday to avoid ‘unnecessary deaths’……zzzzzzz
Loss of life? 719 confirmed cases with 2 deaths means that as of right now in the Cayman islands your chances of dieing from the coronavirus is 0.0027816412%.
Some on here keep misleadingly pointing to Bermuda as the way to do things (ignoring the 35 dead and hundreds ill). This is what the Government of Bermuda said today:
“We are in the midst of a growing outbreak, and the number of positive cases is alarming. It is essential that residents remember the basics,” said Minister of Health, Kim Wilson, JP, MP.
“Many cases have come from persons who were not feeling well and went to work or a social function; if you feel unwell, please stay at home. Residents are attending gatherings where simple things like sanitising hands before touching common serving utensils are not being done, which can lead to entire families being infected. In Bermuda, complacency is our enemy when it comes to the Delta variant, so I must urge all residents to remember the basics that we have been doing for the last 18 months and do what is necessary to keep them and their family safe.”
“I will also remind businesses and their patrons that while a Safekey is not required to be in outdoor settings, unless under a large group exception, masks should be worn outdoors if physical distancing is not possible. We have had outbreaks that occurred in crowded outdoor settings where people were not wearing masks. This variant is extremely contagious, and residents should adjust their behaviour to minimise the risk of contracting the coronavirus.”
https://www.gov.bm/articles/covid19-update-7-september-2021
Interesting news release by Johns Hopkins University today that directly undermines the ‘every lil ting gun be aright’ approach to Covid advocated by some on here:
“The number of patients in hospitals across the US with Covid-19 this Labor Day weekend was nearly 300% higher than this time last year, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The average number of deaths was over 86% higher than the same period last year.”
Seems crazy considering the majority arr vaxed.
Just spoke with my colleague in Bermuda (60 flights a week — no quarantine for vaxxed, just arrival, day 4 and day 10 test). Similar population size, similar vaccination rate, similar worker distribution between financial services and tourism etc.
They have had a couple hundred “cases” in the last couple weeks. No one is panicking and they are going on with life. There are a few precautionary hospitalizations, currently all from unvaccinated adults.
The talk from some commenters of opening the field hospital, massive death tolls is absurd.
Get a grip people. We all got vaxxed for a reason (and one of, if not the most, highly vaccinated in the world).
Don’t know who your ‘colleague’ is but the Government of Bermuda is reporting as follows –
“There are 472 active cases, of which:
· 462 are under public health monitoring and
· 10 are in hospital with 2 in intensive care
Since March 2020, Bermuda has recorded 3273 confirmed and sadly 35 COVID related deaths.
I suggest that we send the Marc of Ritz, Troy Leacock and all other “Open Cayman” supporters to Bermuda for a field visit.
CIG paid.
Pure rubbish which colleague told you that typical idiot who infect others Bermuda is taking it very serious and considering their options to stop the spread. Get a Grip is what is on the steps boarding the aircraft stairway those like you need to be on. With your pretend Covid 19 is nothing speech!
Thanks Cayman!
What I don’t understand is why so many people really think PACT is going to open on October 14. They will move the date or they will change the plan, they have yet to do anything they said they would do.
It is unlikely any of the PACT read these comments so the “don’t open,” “reopen” remarks fall on deaf ears. They will do what they decide to do. Some of us will like it, some of us will be terrified, some will hate any decision they make if it involves opening in any way shape or form.
I am not happy with their lack of commitment to making a decision. A FIRM decision would be better than waiting until the end of September/first of October to make a decision about October 14. If the decision will be based on vaccination uptake then it’s quite clear there will not be enough people vaccinated by the end of September to reach the 80% number.
Hope the vaccine scientists are working on making a super-duper booster shot to cover for Delta which Cayman currently reports 11 cases of. We are set for a massive influx of Delta from UK and USA upon opening, I hope our HSA are geared up for any impending outbreak.
Boosters are Cayman’s best chance of staying ahead of the next wave and returning to some kind of normal operation. Sadly those that don’t believe in vaccinations or can’t take them will have to take cover and hope for the best.
Check out this link, specifically the Country Count Table for Delta variant https://www.gisaid.org/hcov19-variants/
Here’s another link for info on variants https://cov-lineages.org/lineage.html?lineage=B.1.621
Good links, but the anti-vax bots are out in numbers and running scared now desperation has set in.
Nope. Wrong. We home sipping herbal tea and watching the sh*t show.
I’m sorry but I’ve had both vaccines while 5000+ have had none and have no intention of taking any. I won’t be jabbed again no matter what. I’ll take my chances.
Someone prophesied from the beginning of this year that a global FAMINE is coming after this pestilence. I can see why now. THIS PANDEMIC IS A RESULT OF ACCUMULATED SINS. The days are getting hotter as abortion, violence, and homosexuality is still being committed. Now the rider which carry the scales is coming, and people still refusing to surrender to God, accept His Son Jesus, repent, and give Him thanks for your life. BUT GOD IS WATCHING HIS PEOPLE. To those faithful who haven’t put into their bodies mRNA vaccines to mark and instruct their DNA, hold on to your faith! Don’t let no one (no employer, doctor, or, religious leader) brainwash you that any good can come from these injections!
God doesn’t want anyone to surrender to it.
We shall see ourselves and fix self and help others see themselves also, to fix themselves. We will destroy ourselves as is happening now, nothing to do with God.
God has no son, when you die, that’s it, there is no coming back, therefore this second coming is a fallacy.
We all have access to God who help us to help ourselves.
Lunatic
Better start acting like it will be here forever because saying it’s temporary is also conjecture.
If a fully vaccinated “healthy” person with no underlying medical conditions is exposed to someone who is COVID positive and infectious, what happens? My guess is that the viral particles will enter the healthy person’s system and start to multiply. Meanwhile the healthy persons immune system will ramp up and fight away the virus. Undoubtedly there are a few days there where they may show positive on a PCR test, even though if left unchecked, they would eradicate the virus from their system. Double course of the vaccine remains 67-68% effective against even the Delta variant of COVID-19. PCR test also just tests for genetic material from COVID-19 and does not indicate whether live infectious virus has been found or dead viral genetic material.
Too much time on your hands…go for a walk on a beach….whatever left of it
I can’t. I’m currently in quarantine in the Cayman Islands. But when I’m out, I will do that with pleasure!
I would bet that nearly all of these new cases came from Florida.
The COVID situation in Florida is totally out of control with some doctors now not treating people who are unvaccinated.
The doctors are obviously getting fed up with the Governor and his stupid approach to public health policy.
All is fine in Florida…cases are going down…
Exactly deaths in Florida are now a quarter of what they were a month ago. And all seems very normal, but there’s plenty of people in Cayman who don’t want to hear that.
You are dreaming or totally delusional if you think Floriduh is out of the woods now.
The ICU’s, morgues and hospitals are overflowing there right now.
I’m from Florida, whereever your reading that sensation heap of doomsday garbage is full of shit. Was there an uptick due to reopening? Yes, like there is an uptick every flu season. Are the hospitals packed and overruned due to Covid NO!, you can get all the healthcare you need in every hospital in Florida.
You can’t avoid this flu by shutdowns, at some point you must open or die economically. The longer you wait, the worst reopening will be, health wise and economics wise.
Just had a nice dinner here in Florida…..If you choose to be unvaccinated here thats your risk.
I’d bet Jamaica. They are in a way worse state than FL.
Yeh and only going to get worse with a 4% vaccination rate.
Read some more news. If you like lockdowns that is one thing but to say they have any real effect is totally devoid of science. Real science not political science.
But there is another way, perhaps not one you like. Yes we need to open at some point, however, we can wait just a little while longer IMO.
Cases people- no one hospitalized.
Wait for what? Christmas? Covid will still be here. New year’s? Covid will still be here. Valentine’s Day? Covid will still be here. Next summer? Covid will still be here. But, the hotels, restaurants, businesses may not be able to survive that long.
Open to vaccinated people- no quarantine to get people here- masks in high traffic areas- social distance when necessary- wash your hands- get your vaccine!
I’m seriously anxious about the October opening, even the increase in flights to Cayman later this month. There’s no doubt hand hygiene, mask wearing and social distancing will be absolutely necessary for everyone.
Unless we maintain quarantine.
Dont worry the flights aren’t increasing this month.
Children in Florida hospitals are up by 25% in the past month in Florida.
Only a handful have died though.
It would be extremely helpful if PACT would share the reopening plan with the residents of the Cayman Islands. Make a decision with regards to the re-opening on 14 Oct and share the plan you have formulated in order that we can attempt some level of preparation. We’re 5 weeks out from this quite literal life-changing decision and our government is silent while we hang on every Covid related word/post/article and grow more anxious by the day. Oct 14 seems terrifying because we have no information.
We have gone from living in a safe COVID free bubble to now living in anxious limbo ! 5 weeks is not a long time and will be here before we know it.
Terrifying is a bit dramatic. Concerning, sure. We got vaccinated for a reason…..to not get severely ill or die. Vaccines are successfully meeting that goal.
Sure, we’ll have positives but we’ve already had 715+ of them and seen that people do just fine! Only deaths were two people that were already nearly dead before Covid.
This panic people are trying to stir up over the reopening is unnecessary.
Please don’t be dismissive of what others may be feeling at a time where health and safety are at stake. Perhaps “terrifying” does not describe how you are being effected, but there are persons who are struggling and would benefit from your compassion much more than your dismissal. Pro-vax, anti-vax, pro-open, anti-open
– whatever your position, we are all in this together.
Wur aw doomed. Doomed ah tell ye!
What is the plan?
in June, i flew in, no pre boarding test required, but a test on arrival, 11 days quarantine.
Last month, i am a little freaked out, a pre boarding test, what if it’s positive and i am stuck no able to return.
Now we hear that travellers will be tested on arrival. What does that mean for a visitor. They can not fly home because they cant board a flight, do we hope they stay in the hotel? Do we require them to stay in the hotel? Will Travel Cayman still monitor these visitors?
You would think the braintrust that is the PACT government has gone through every possible scenario. Why wont they tell us what the opening plan is?
FEAR is ruling the roost.
The only stat we need to hear when the border reopens is how many people have died from Covid with NO underlying conditions.
That is the true scale of how dangerous the ever changing Covid Virus is.
We can’t stay locked down forever.
The double vaxxed population AND the unvaxxed will not take this nonsense from the govt much longer.
Open the borders and let’s get back to living.
It would be absolutely ridiculous to lift quarantine restrictions at this time, especially since we have 24 new cases as of yesterday, 9 of whom are vaccinated, 15 who are not. The small saving grace is that we still have quarantine. However, if this foolish government does go ahead with this asinine plan to do away with quarantine, let us all be reminded that only individuals who are vaccinated (and verified) are exempt from quarantine. The unvaccinated or those with young children must quarantine for 14 days and test negative before being released into the population. With that being said, if there is any community transmission, it would be the vaccinated that would be the cause of that.
No it would be the government’s removal of the quarantine that is responsible
Might go out and buy all the TP while I can. Do the lockdown shuffle.
A perfect example of why we should remain closed until we are fully prepared to face covid.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/07/asia/singapore-covid-19-restrictions-intl-hnk/index.html
We will NEVER be fully prepared to face Covid. No country ever will. Let’s just get on with living. Take the vaccine to help protect yourself. There is no other way.
We could wait until the under 12’s can get the shot at least…
You forgot about natural immunity.
So many examples of why re-opening in October is a bad idea. Singapore who is years ahead of Cayman in terms of infrastructure and health care yet they looking to go right back into lock down. Learn to live with it they say but Cayman don’t even have enough equipment to help the people that can potentially become seriously ill by covid and its many variants.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/07/asia/singapore-covid-19-restrictions-intl-hnk/index.html
nothing in that article suggests Singapore is going into “lock down” – if anything it points out the alternatives (advanced contract tracing etc.) they will continue in the wake of surges. Any country/island which initially had a “covid zero” approach (NZ, Aus etc) will 100% have to learn to live with this virus as knocking it out completely is not a feasible option – look at Australia. The question about “when” to reopen is indeed multifaceted but will offer the longer Cayman waits the less effective your vaccines given the current trends and don’t expect boosters anytime soon as many might regard your first efforts to have been wasted with your borders remaining closed and so many doses going unadministered.
The virus may already be amongst us, there is no need to fear, be healthy.
716 cases so far on island.
OMG are you in that bubble too? Alarmists SMH
This is not the only issue. Do we think that PACT will let the virus run its course? Unlikely.. we will end up with restrictions, lockdowns and school closures. In a worse position than we have started in. Many people fear this more than the virus itself.
Exactly. I am terrified of being locked down again with a fulltime job AND multiple school aged children that are not old enough to conduct their online school work independently. I barely survived the last time.
PACT has not articulated any plan of how they will react when we have COVID in the community. HSA is beyond ill equipped to handle any type of spike, therefore, what other option does government have but to throw us back into lockdown? Thus erasing all progress and sacrifice to date. For what?
I wonder how you would’ve got on the Blitz in London in WW II. Honest to goodness ‘I barely survived last time’, why is that? Was it a bomb blowing up your Anderson shelter, or lack of food from rations ? Or maybe your 1st World problem of running out of Prosecco. Get a bloody grip.
How many kids did you home school during lockdown, as well as running a full time job and managing the house? This has been a very tough time for women.
You sound like a man!
Did you know the band played on whilst Titanic sank? Alarmists SMH
Do our opinions matter?
Nope
Only if you’re a wealthy expat who bought their way into permanent residency
If facts don’t matter then why would opinions?
Opening the borders will most likely result in community spread of the delta variant and the loss of life or serious sickness amongst the elderly, the most vulnerable and those individuals that cannot be vaccinated.
The government claims that they need to open the borders because the cost of keeping the borders closed is unsustainable. However, the same government is engaged in significant new expenditure which makes their claims of financial difficulties unbelievable.
So when then? Next spring, next summer, next fall, never?
COVID will permanently be around globally. Many commenters on this story seemingly either dont realize this or are failing to factor this in.
Why the hell did 52,000 of us get vaccinated?? Wasnt that the point??
They got vaccinated to protect the vulnerable, to prevent the spread but things are changing.
With such a high number of travelers testing positive 2 questions should be asked:
1) Have the pre-flight PCR tests been carried out correctly?
2) Have the post- flight PCR tests been carried out correctly?
Let’s make sure we find out where the weaknesses in the system are before opening up and dropping the requirement to quarantine.
Testing can be done up to 72 hours before the flight. It’s completely possible the virus can slip through in this time. Dropping quarantine will only lead to community spread even with testing.
Post-flight tests probably overamplified to create false positives! Remember the primary school child that was “positive” yet no one in his home or school got it?
Oct 14th, – what did Einstein say about insanity ? There’s enough examples out there we should be taking heed of,
https://amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/24/hawaii-coronavirus-governor-david-ige-stay-away
There are even more examples of why we should move forward.
(By the way, it is a myth Einstein ever made that comment….).
thank you for that correction, sincerely appreciated
9:42, / I accepted my own invitation following your comment to source case studies/arguments supporting opening the borders. Besides a recent article in The Economist (paywall) I didn’t find much at all except proposed hypothesis from 2020. In contrast there are many against opening borders supported strongly by Singapore which relates to us remarkable well. Help me out so I can better appreciate your comment, thank you
“The PCR test shouldn’t be used for detecting infectious diseases, you will constantly get false positives” – Kary B. Mullis – Inventor of the PCR TEST
CNS: It’s depressing that this still needs to be fact checked. The same BS still doing the rounds on social media.
Fact check: Inventor of method used to test for COVID-19 didn’t say it can’t be used in virus detection
Or: The inventor of PCR never said it wasn’t designed to detect infectious diseases
If you are truly interested in the full story, read this: The eccentric scientist behind the ‘gold standard’ COVID-19 test
CNS…The first fact checker is misleading but not incorrect! The statement is true. The test can give a lot of false positives when the test cycles are set high!
The test can’t show if someone’s sick or if what they have will hurt them. But when practitioners set the amplification (aka Cycle Thresholds) high enough, the test claim’s positive for anything [4].
People are interested….the covid test gives false positives.
It seems like there are a bunch of people responding to articles who are pulling the lever in the trolley dilemma, – the second (our) variation should be adapted to ‘would they push the single man off of the bridge if they knew it would make a trolley carrying a whole bunch of money stop for them ?’ The science and most recent test results tell us it’s not about risk reward Mr Bryan, Mr Pantone, its evolved to common sense propped up by the delta variant consequences but unfortunately with the additional need to placate our population’s ‘single man pushers’. The singular issue in our case is the ‘five or one’ people could be children
Relax people. COVID is not going away. Ever. Whether we partially open next month, in two months or next year, COVID will get into the community.
We’ve now had close to 700 confirmed cases to date but only a handful of hospitalizations, and the majority of the hospitalizations were in pre-vaccine days.
We have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. Learn to live with this and move on. An absolute zero case COVID policy at all costs is not sustainable.
What are we actually waiting for? The UK hasn’t even approved the vaccine for HEALTHY 12 to 17-year-olds yet. And approval of a lower children’s dose for under 12s is at earliest a 2022 event. Regulators want to be sure that the rare serious side effects from the vaccine don’t exceed the rare serious side effects of COVID-19 for young children.
The UK regulator said “the most plausible scenario for 2022 is that a children’s vaccine for under 12s will likely only be indicated for those children deemed vulnerable and not the general population”
thank you for talking facts and common sense.
But it isn’t factual. Saying it is ‘here forever’ is pure conjecture. Other viruses have either disappeared or mutated to less harmful. People are saying it will be around forever to support their often unscientific opinion.
Ummm…Most scientists and government bodies are saying it will be here for years if not forever.
We still have HIV, HPV, Chickenpox, the common cold ect.
Cases really are not an issue. We have to open up and learn t live with COVID some time – cases if vaccinated are not a concern as you are very unlikely to get ill or die if vaccinated. The key is we have enough vaccinated so that when we open the hospitals can manage, and are not overrun by, the number of unvaccinated requiring ventilators and treatment. I think 70% vaccination which we currently have should be ok, especially if we open the field hospital. Open up.
This is not the only issue. Do we think that PACT will let the virus run its course? Unlikely.. we will end up with restrictions, lockdowns and school closures. In a worse position than we have started in. Many people fear this more than the virus itself.
If this is the case that you believe what are YOU doing to encourage others who are unvaccinated to take the jab. Cayman cannot stay closed forever and people holding out on the jab are selfish.
Children under 16 cannot be vaccinated even when 80% of the adult population are vaccinated the hospitals will not have enough beds and ventilators for the children…
Cool story, except my 12 year old is fully vaccinated.
🤦♂️ Children 12 and over CAN get the vaccine. And the hospitalisation rate among children globally is a number so small it cannot be typed without going over the character limit.
The reason for children to get vaccinated is mainly to stop the spread to those more vulnerable, not to avoid infection or serious illness.
Except children don’t get sick in the same kind of numbers as over 40 year old adults. That’s why the UK is still wrestling with the idea of vaccination for 12 year olds and has flatly ruled it out under 12 unless vulnerable for other reasons – the risks aren’t there; arguably risk from the vaccine higher than from the disease.
It’s not the kids you need to worry about, it’s the unvaccinated elderly, the obese and those with co morbidities
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/investigations-discovery/hospitalization-death-by-age.html
Rubbish , neighbors 12 year old son,15 year old daughter and 17 year old daughter all vaccinated here with both doses. Doctor letter approved.
What BS!
I agree that cases are not the issue- to a point.
It all comes back to hospitalizations and ICU capacity. As all of North America is learning, even in areas of relatively high double vaccination rates (70%+), with the efficiency of how contagious the Delta is, it is still pushing hospitalizations and ICU to their capacity. For some it is staff capacity, others its ICU, or simply beds, and for some it is all of those.
So even with a reduced case/hospitalization ratio, medical facilities are still filling up because there are still enough severe cases from the pool of mostly unvaccinated people. And yes many have other contributing factors/ailments, but the bottomline is they are ending up in hospitals. Can Cayman handle any surge beyond 10 or 20 COVID patients requiring hospitalization or ICU?
If there were no limits to beds, ICU, and trained staff to treat the high needs and very sick patients, the easy answer would be to open things up in every country and let the virus run its course.
Unfortunately, the reality is the exact opposite. The medical system is the major constraint is most all western nations, with a lack of a vaccine for those under 12 playing a contributing factor.
This is the dance, and unfortunately it looks like the waltz is going to continue on for some time yet.
For those that want to open up- I’d like to hear their answer for solving the medical system constraints- I am happy to hear suggestions- just haven’t heard any- except ‘we can’t be closed forever’.
You got me at “…of mostly unvaccinated people..” IT IS 50/50. Even that is NOT the FACT!
Stay closed, nobody really cares anymore, other than Caymanians themselves. Even if you get open, eventually, few will come.
Read this article as well, for labor shortage is going to hit Cayman hard…’A hotel without linen is not a hotel’https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58465953
Or read this and see how one province, with similar vaccination rates as Cayman, is experiencing something much different than your suggested 50/50 for hospitalizations and ICU- the unvaccinated are the overwhelming majority.
“Overall hospitalization rates are around 10 times greater for unvaccinated compared to fully vaccinated people in the 80+ age group,” the report reads. “In younger age groups, the relative impact of vaccine increases and unvaccinated people are 30 to 120 times more likely to be admitted to hospital with COVID-19 than those with vaccine protection.
“Across all age groups, COVID-19 hospitalization rates are much higher among unvaccinated compared to those who are fully vaccinated.”
This excerpt is from this article:
https://globalnews.ca/news/8167136/alberta-covid-modelling-hospitals-september/
and for an overall state of affairs try this one:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-covid-coronavirus-september-6-1.6166037
The unvaccinated are filling the hospitals and ICUs.
The strain on medical system is primarily unvaccinated persons. There’s the key. Get vaccinated and encourage all of your loved ones to get vaccinated……you might still catch it but odds are, you won’t need medical intervention.