Official COVID-19 case numbers still missing
(CNS): The number of positive coronavirus cases recorded in the Cayman Islands since 8am on Thursday morning was not expected to be released Monday evening because Public Health is still working on how it intends to report active cases. However, according to social media and other sources, there were cases in dozens of places throughout the weekend and Monday.
These included government offices such as the busy DVDL building on Crewe Road, the planning department and government schools, with nine cases alone at Red Bay Primary and several at Savannah Primary, as well as a number at early learning centres. More offices, restaurants, bars and supermarkets in George Town are also losing staff to isolation.
CNS understands that the former health minister, Dwayne Seymour, has also tested positive for the virus but is said to be doing okay.
Despite the evidence that cases were soaring again Monday, there were no figures about the positive cases recorded since Thursday. The number of active cases, how many people are symptomatic and how many people are currently in hospital are also unknown.
Government has still not responded to numerous questions surrounding the protocols for isolation now that rapid test kits are being used widely in the community. There are also mounting concerns that people are not reporting when they are sick and are not adhering to isolation policies.
In another message to the country on Monday about the current situation, which he recorded before he headed to Glasgow, Premier Wayne Panton asked people to keep calm and not to let the pandemic pull them down. He said the surge in cases was to be expected as the virus was here now.
“We individually and collectively have to do all that we can to stop the transmission of the virus,” he said. “While having positive cases in our families, our communities and work places can be alarming, we have to appreciate the fact that we have not had any really critical illnesses from COVID.”
He said the HSA was quite capable of taking care of those that have been hospitalized.
Panton said that people are not helpless in the face of COVID-19 and urged everyone to consider the protocols to protect themselves from the virus, such as proper hygiene practices and social distancing, as well as rethinking where they are going and what they are doing to keep safe.
He said the country was not heading for a lockdown, regardless of the increasing numbers. He also urged everyone who is not yet vaccinated to get their first shot as soon as possible, and for those over 50 who had their second shot at least six months ago to get their booster shots.
See the message from Panton below:
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Category: Health, Medical Health
Wur aw doomed! Dooooooomed ah tell ye!
Please add one to that as I left my case at the airport
Does anyone know how many cases are at the Northward prison because I heard there are 10 or more right now?! It is concerning as the prison is already overpopulated with not too many opting to vaccinate….
I think it’s about time to vaccinate all inmates and prison guards before it becomes an epidemic in there. This should not be a choice.
Inmates aren’t generally very smart. I am sure they had all kinds of insane reasons not to get vaccinated.
Mandatory vaccination for everyone in nursing home and prisons. Too close living quarters and most vulnerable for quickest spread.
the lack of live daily press briefings is not reassuring to me to be honest.
the people want to see and hear their leadership or the leadership of the moment. silence is not good at all trust me.
however bad it is we need to know
The Mushrooms of the Caribbean
The fungus amongst us
I’m not surprised they have no clue how many cases they have, and it really doesn’t matter. As expected, people aren’t dropping dead all over the place, let’s just move on, enjoy life and slow down on the roads.
And indicate, and use the inside (left) lane on the highway, and learn to use a roundabout when you get vaccinated a year late and learn how to use the left lane and indicate.
Who cares about case numbers, just act like everyone has it and you’ll be fine
1205 active cases, 8 in hospital. If you don’t have covid- better wear a mask, social distance, don’t gather in crowds.
It is a pandemic of the unvaccinated.
I am surprised that so many people are surprised that the Government has been surprised that making a switch in how they do things (how they report active cases) has surprised them by not working out right the first time. Do not assume a conspiracy when human error can explain it just as well.
I am also surprised that having been surprised like this neither the Deputy-Premier nor the Minister of Health have been able to explain what is going on. If they have to wait for the Premier to demand/read/explain the error then the country will get surprised regularly, since we need Ministers (& Deputy Premier) who can handle their topics without the premier holding their hand. We had that in the last Government. At least that Health Minister was there to try to answer questions. Or pass them over for an answer.
I’m surprised that you used the word “surprised” so many times and this wasn’t some kind of humour but an actual attempt at communicating an idea.
Oh NO! Not another video #shocked!
“He said the surge in cases was to be expected as the virus was here now.”…. Mr. Premier Sir we expected this when the boarders opened up NOT when we’re technically still locked down!
Why is this Gov’t so afraid to address the people? The time taken to make his/their videos which we all know be more than one take he/they could just address the people of these Islands directly but NO they just want to be Video Vixens!
What? Whent he borders open everyone coming will be vaccinated with a negative PCR from nov 20. The breakout ehre was inevitable and was always going to be caused by unvaccinated locals not following the rules.
10:35 , So we are the only place in the world where the majority of people who get sick are vaccinated.
Give me a break Bobo.
Narrator: They we’re not ready to reopen.
Yes we are! It’s quite simple, you take precautions and if you have symptoms or test positive you isolate and notify your close contacts. When we open everyone coming will be vaccinated and have a negative OPCR. Opening on November 20 will have zero impact on the current case load.
The key is that we do not let unvaccinated Caymanians travle off island.
Except our hospitals will be overwhelmed even before a tourist get drunk and drives on the wrong side of the road.
why say a tourist? majority of your dunk drivers causing fatalities are your very own caymanians. the same ones who community spread covid
And can’t indicate or drive properly. Most tourists drive better than caymanians
Who told you that ???
Dumbass a lot of our cases are in vaccinated travelers!! We can all get it and spread it! Makes no damn difference at this point, ffs
Wrong. Home government publish the stats, they are 99 per cent not vaccinated travelers
because if cdc gets wind we will be level 4
We will be Level 4 next week.
Five days of silence. Why….
Because it doesn’t matter, it’s actually better for mental health, it’s irrelevant at this point anyway…..
Of course it matters. There’s a reason every civilised country publishes case numbers. It allows people to make a relatively informed decision about how likely it is for them to encounter a person with covid when they attend public events and as they go about their day-to-day business.
Many tourists or businesspeople will also make decisions about whether to travel somewhere based on the current state of transmission.
To say that the number of cases don’t matter misses the point. It allows people to make reasonable predictions about the likelihood of restrictions on public movement, e.g. whether restaurants will be open or whether there will be a curfew or even a lockdown. And, ultimately, based on experiences in other countries, how likely the hospital will be overcrowded in the (however unlikely) event that one will need care.
You’ve decide to just let it rip through the community I see. Quitter🤣
cringeworthy backslapping when something is done to the minimum standard expected, but absolute silence when their actions can attract the slightest criticism.
Astonishing that some people are not double jabbed by now. Utter madness. And people complain about us opening the border on November 20 about a year after every other developed nation, when we’ve had 18 months since the pandemic began and vaccinations available since February. Some people in cayman really do live in a crazy silly bubble but I guess they say ignorance is bliss.
Why would anyone click dislike to this?
Because Cayman’s crazy silly bubble worked for Cayman and was the right solution. Because vaccination is great but not fail safe. Because we are about to watch 100 of our people (vaccinated and unvaccinated) die. Because this is for the tourism industry, not for the Caymanian people.
The government’s decision not to provide the public with information is inexcusable.
Fortunately even with the absence of information there are things we can do to make ourselves safer. I don’t just mean being vaccinated, wearing a mask, social distancing and hand hygiene.
My family have decided that we are not going to go to high risk situations and that includes restaurants, bars, gyms, the cinema, bowling or other family’s birthday parties.
It is simply too risky with Covid out of control and the government failing to do anything to protect the public. None of us can afford to get sick or end up with long Covid. We are going to stay home to stay safe. We will read to our children and play with them to keep them entertained.
Why do you need government case numbers to do this? Who cares how many cases – only stat that matters is hospitalisations.
Just because you prefer to live with your head in the sand does not mean others want to do the same. Knowing the numbers regardless of hospitalizations, allows people to make informed decisions about where they go, who they go with, how they interact etc. It allows us to see what is working from what isn’t, and whether or not government so call “plan” is actually effective, which it ain’t.
How about if I told you every single person in cayman has Covid? My head isn’t in the sand, I just act like they all have it. That’s why we should open up and live with it. Because people like you shouldn’t stop people like me living responsibly.
Yes. Hospitalizations w some explanation.