Official COVID-19 case numbers still missing

| 01/11/2021 | 189 Comments
Cayman News Service
Vaccine Clinic at the Lions Centre

(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:

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.


Share your vote!


How do you feel after reading this?
  • Fascinated
  • Happy
  • Sad
  • Angry
  • Bored
  • Afraid

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Tags: , ,

Category: Health, Medical Health

Comments (189)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    Wur aw doomed! Dooooooomed ah tell ye!

  2. Anonymous says:

    Please add one to that as I left my case at the airport

  3. Anonymous says:

    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….

    • Anonymous says:

      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.

    • Anonymous says:

      Inmates aren’t generally very smart. I am sure they had all kinds of insane reasons not to get vaccinated.

    • Anonymous says:

      Mandatory vaccination for everyone in nursing home and prisons. Too close living quarters and most vulnerable for quickest spread.

  4. ELVIS says:

    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

  5. Anonymous says:

    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.

    • Anonymous says:

      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.

    • Anonymous says:

      Who cares about case numbers, just act like everyone has it and you’ll be fine

    • Anonymous says:

      1205 active cases, 8 in hospital. If you don’t have covid- better wear a mask, social distance, don’t gather in crowds.

  6. Anonymous says:

    It is a pandemic of the unvaccinated.

  7. Anonymous says:

    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.

    • Anonymous says:

      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.

  8. Anonymous says:

    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!

    • Anonymous says:

      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.

  9. Anonymous says:

    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.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Narrator: They we’re not ready to reopen.

    • Anonymous says:

      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.

      • Anonymous says:

        Except our hospitals will be overwhelmed even before a tourist get drunk and drives on the wrong side of the road.

      • Anonymous says:

        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

    • Anonymous says:

      because if cdc gets wind we will be level 4

  11. Anonymous says:

    Five days of silence. Why….

    • Anonymous says:

      Because it doesn’t matter, it’s actually better for mental health, it’s irrelevant at this point anyway…..

      • Anonymous says:

        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.

      • Anonymous says:

        You’ve decide to just let it rip through the community I see. Quitter🤣

  12. Anonymous says:

    cringeworthy backslapping when something is done to the minimum standard expected, but absolute silence when their actions can attract the slightest criticism.

  13. Anonymous says:

    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.

    • Anon says:

      Why would anyone click dislike to this?

      • Anonymous says:

        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.

  14. Anonymous says:

    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.

    • Anonymous says:

      Why do you need government case numbers to do this? Who cares how many cases – only stat that matters is hospitalisations.

      • Anonymous says:

        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.

        • Anonymous says:

          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.

      • Anoymous says:

        Yes. Hospitalizations w some explanation.

Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.