CMO urges people to help curb COVID spread

| 17/05/2022 | 122 Comments
Cayman News Service
Interim CMO Dr Autilia Newton

(CNS): Fourteen people are currently in hospital “for COVID-19 related causes”, six of whom are vaccinated, according to Public Health, and another 1,738 people have formally tested positive for the virus. Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr Autilia Newton has said that she doesn’t want to cause alarm but people need to be more aware of protocols to curb the spread.

While the number of serious cases remains relatively low, with so many people in lockdown, the virus continues to have a detrimental impact on both private and public sector services.

“Living with COVID-19 requires us to acknowledge the threat the virus poses to us and to respect that the infection control measures in place, especially indoor mask wearing, are in the best interest of the entire community,” the CMO said.

She encouraged people to get boosted to protect themselves from the recent resurgence in community spread and increasing infections to ensure that people suffer only mild symptoms. However, at the moment, regardless of how brief someone’s symptomatic experience with the virus is, they must still wait for at least seven days before exit testing and have a negative test before going back to school or work, which is taking a toll on the community.

Public Health officials also reminded everyone that it is mandatory to report a positive lateral flow test (LFT) for both clinical and epidemiological purposes as concerns remain that number of actual cases of the virus is probably far higher than the official figure.

Another 399 people officially reported positive tests over the holiday week, health officials revealed Tuesday, including 17 new cases in the Sister Islands, where there are currently 91 active cases. The seven-day rolling average case number across the islands is now 114.

Anyone over the age of eighteen who has received both primary doses of the COVID-19 vaccine more than three months ago and those who have received their third dose over six months ago are eligible for COVID-19 vaccine boosters.

CIG COVID-19 information and resources

Other help and hotlines

Report positive lateral flow test results

See current vaccine and testing schedule

An Isolation Support Line is available to help by delivering groceries or other essential supplies for people required to isolate suddenly, and who do not have other resources and support.

For Isolation Support call 946-3530 or 1-800-534-3530 or email isolationsupport@gov.ky

Operational hours 9am-4pm, Monday to Friday, and 9am-1pm on Saturday.

For mental health support, the Mental Health Helpline can be reached on
1-800-534-6463(MIND) from Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm

If you have flu symptoms contact the 24-hour Flu Hotline at 1-800-534-8600 or 947-3077
or email flu@hsa.ky

If you are having difficulty breathing, call 911


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 (122)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    If you recently recovered from COVID-19, you may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 (i.e., your positive COVID-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before the flight’s departure from a foreign country and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel).

    https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html

    Citation provided

  2. Anonymous says:

    The CMO is still living in 2020, let alone 2021 or heaven forbid 2022. We seem to have our own version of Chris Whitty on our hands unfortunately.

    How long is this interim appointment going to last (although no guarantee of someone more enlightened of course), and when will the Government see sense?

    22
    4
  3. Anonymous says:

    If protecting against Covid is so important, can we please improve the ventilation at all schools and government buildings? Inexpensive air purifiers may help. They do not impede learning or make conversations difficult.

    Masks alone, especially cloth masks, need not be our sole focus. If people still want protection, isn’t it time to look at all options and think of our strategy going forward for the next few years?

    10
    2
  4. Anonymous says:

    I have two kids sick at home. One with a positive LFT and the other negative. The positive was taken for a PCR test which confirmed negative, but has anyone ever read the HSA disclaimer? In short, it says it maybe wrong. So really what is the point of all this? Two kids at home sick who wear masks everyday. The school has a number of kids off sick with covid symptoms at present, but if you carnival, cruisehip or are a minister you don’t have to wear a mask. Don’t tell me how to curb spread please!

    34
    1
  5. Anonymous says:

    “However, at the moment, regardless of how brief someone’s symptomatic experience with the virus is, they must still wait for at least seven days before exit testing and have a negative test before going back to school or work, which is taking a toll on the community.”

    unless you are the Governor – positive on a Friday, exit tested and out of isolation on Monday. One rule for us, another for them.

    21
    1
  6. Anonymous says:

    I’m amazed at how many qualified and anonymous Virologists and Covid experts we have in Cayman. The CMO with all her degrees and experience is no one, compared to our local blogging experts..Who should we trust?? hmmm..

    9
    16
    • Anonymous says:

      If degrees and experience are any indication of trustworthiness, Dr. Anthony Fauci far outranks our CMO, so I suppose we can trust what he says. Dr. Fauci, who is the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the lead U.S. government advisor on Covid policy pushed for local governments in the USA to institute mask mandates when Covid case numbers there were on the rise. So there, armchair experts, the words from a very well-qualified professional.

      2
      11
  7. Anonymous says:

    At what point will children be unmasked? What exactly are we waiting for? What is the plan?

    We absolutely cannot continue to ignore the discrepancy between children wearing masks all day in school while most adults in Cayman do not.

    36
    4
    • Anonymous says:

      Shut the hell up. The kids aren’t even wearing mask as they should in school. The only time mask wearing is really enforced is at snack and lunch when kids have to enter the food collection area. Stop being a whiny adult.

      6
      25
    • Anonymous says:

      @3:46pm Did you just read what the CMO has said about covid?

      1
      8
    • Anonymous says:

      Problem is all the parent who want to complain are fearful of making a challenge for wider consequences if they stand up to the government (me included ) – second to that where are the human rights lawyers ?

      9
      3
    • Anonymous says:

      “Living with COVID-19 requires us to acknowledge the threat the virus poses to us and to respect that the infection control measures in place, especially indoor mask wearing, are in the best interest of the entire community,” the CMO said.

      And the logic of that, since Covid isn’t going to go away, is that the answer to your question is never – the current rules will last as long as Covid does. Or until we get a new CMO, or a government with some courage.

      8
      2
    • Anonymous says:

      Thank you. Also, teachers need to be unmasked as well. Stop this bloody farce.

      20
      4
  8. Tribble says:

    The 8 unvaccinated can be discounted for data influencing policy decisions for a start.

    5
    9
  9. Anonymous says:

    can someone explain why you would have restrictions on travel between two juristictions which both have similar levels of covid infection?

    34
    3
  10. Anonymous says:

    What treatments do we have in stock at the hospitals??

    26
  11. Anonymous says:

    Why isn’t Molnupiravir being prescribed for people who test positive? It is an approved drug and could end all this nonsense.

    20
    4
  12. If not now, when? says:

    This vacuous soundbite nonsense does not carry with it any strategic reasons for limiting infections now that the disease is endemic and highly infectious. Worryingly the only logic in this statement was an argument to maintain restrictions forever, “Living with COVID-19 requires us to acknowledge the threat the virus poses to us and to respect that the infection control measures in place, especially indoor mask wearing, are in the best interest of the entire community,”???

    Living with covid means accepting it is here to stay and getting on with life, not forcing never ending social distancing rules, quarantining and testing restrictions and mask mandates. I am not one of these Fox News anti-mask mob either, I followed the rules when they had a point and a proper policy underpinning, but this is just unjustifiable now.

    40
    12
    • Anonymous says:

      💯!

      15
      3
    • Anonymous says:

      In hind sight, it’s been unjustifibable for nearly a year.

      15
      6
    • Anonymous says:

      Only took 2 years for people to realize that the lockdowns didnt do a damn thing to stop the virus and all the science was BS.

      18
      13
      • Anonymous says:

        After the vaccines and more was learnt about the virus, yes I agree. But not in the beginning. It was idiotic to allow booze delivery but not a lone pool maintenance person. It was certainly stupid to not allow home improvement stores to be open as well.

        3
        6
      • Unhappy Caymanian says:

        The science wasn’t BS (that is not to ignore that there are grades of scientific publication) The science has evolved.

        The political interpretations and the general ignorance of scientific interpretation is the BS.

        I’m not interested in arm chair opinion.

        I know just how difficult scientific research is having done some in my time.

        How many commentators actually have qualifications in epidemiology, statistics , infectious disease, virology etc.? And there is more in this layer cake than this short illustrative list.

        If the science is BS how would you have approached an infectious agent new to human kind?

        Can you critically appraise a scientific paper from a learned journal using recognised tools?

        If the science is BS what is your opinion on organisations such as The Cochrane Collaboration?

        I doubt you have any answer.

        8
        8
        • Anonymous says:

          A new study out of Johns Hopkins University is claiming that worldwide pandemic lockdowns only prevented 0.2 per cent of COVID-19 deaths and were “not an effective way of reducing mortality rates during a pandemic.”

          https://nationalpost.com/news/world/johns-hopkins-university-study-covid-19-lockdowns

          “Pfizer’s Covid Vaccine Protection Against Omicron Fades Just Weeks After Second And Third Doses, Study Finds”

          https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/05/13/pfizers-covid-vaccine-protection-against-omicron-fades-just-weeks-after-second-and-third-doses-study-finds/

          Even the director of the Oxford Vaccine group said that “herd immunity is an impossibility” because the virus still infects vaccinated individuals

          https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/1425086490002997248?s=20

          The Director even goes on to say that there will likely be a variant which evades the vaccines all together…

          Once again begs the question:

          if the vaccines don’t work and herd immunity is an impossibility because vaccinated individuals can still be infected… and as a result there will likely be other variants which evade the Vax all together…

          What is the point? And why all the mandates?

          I’ll tell you.

          $$$$$$$

          #ourimmunestystemactuallyworks

          #wakeup

          12
          3
          • Unhappy Caymanian says:

            Whilst this may demonstrate an ability to find published news articles these references are not scientific papers in learned journals.

            These are reports of science based on journalism not scientific analysis.

            Your comments do not demonstrate any critical appraisal e.g using C.A.S.P or other techniques to appraise the validity of a scientific paper either by yourself or those journalists who wrote the articles in the published news media.

            There is no indication as to reference to the hierarchy of evidence such as a systematic review or meta analysis etc.

            You have not stated any search criteria etc. and your search techniques e.g. Boolean search.

            There is plenty of poor science that is published.

            There is plenty of good science that is published.

            The skill is understanding what is actually in front of you.

            That is quite a skill.

            Your opinion which you have every right to hold and which I respect is based on journalism not a learned insitution standard interpretation of published science at any level of University study.

            There is a difference and it’s not based on intellectual ability.

            Journalism is not a standard that any University student at any level can use if they want to graduate.

            In mitigation your sources are reputable but have you actually checked the source reference data?

            When you do you’ll find that most journalists only read the abstract.

            If you have ever studied science at a learned institution you’ll understand the implication.

            1
            5
        • Anonymous says:

          Yes, I can appraise a scientific paper from a “learned” journal using recognized tools. My favorite tool is to side with interpretations coming from equipped scientists that aren’t constantly wrong about what is a shit paper and a valid paper.

          I’m guessing you’re more impressed with the shit paper side.

          7
          3
    • Anonymous says:

      It’s possible to both get on with life and be responsible – applying what we’ve learned along this journey. The wisdom of last condition is lost on those too eager to pretend COVID is over.

      13
      4
      • Unhappy Caymanian says:

        Who is “pretending Covid is over”?

        Or are you confusing this with people just living with Covid as we live with diabetes and sickle cell for example?

  13. Anonymous says:

    So cases are on the rise immediately following the Caribbean’s worst imitation carnival where a few thousand overly obese sweaty people got drunk and walked around the streets with next to nothing on.

    Just curious CMO, what was your thought process for dropping the mask mandate for that event and increasing the number of people allowed to attend?

    79
    8
    • Anonymous says:

      #culture

      18
      6
    • Anonymous says:

      Oh who cares! I work in a 250-person office and no one is, or has, wears a mask. I work out in a packed gym at night where no one wears a mask. I go to Fidels almost every week in a packed pub and no one wears a mask.

      Get over it already. If you want to wear a damn mask and dont want to be around other people any more, then up to you.

      38
      15
      • Anonymous says:

        Going maskless everywhere you feel like it isn’t lawfully up to you, just yet.

        12
        8
      • Anonymous says:

        You completely missed the point of the post. It has nothing to do with people being pro or anti mask. It’s about the hypocrisy of the CMO’s comments. But you as an “office professional” are too thick to recognize it.

        8
        5
    • Anonymous says:

      Lots more government sanctioned super spreaders scheduled for the coming weekends as well. Caymas events this weekend and the DG’s own super spreader next Sunday.

      Party on Wayne!

      32
      2
  14. Anonymous says:

    The whole idea of an interim employee is to fill an essential knowledge gap until a permanent hire is found, and recruited. That search should be concurrent to the interim placement and commence immediately upon the resignation/notice period of a predecessor. Whereas, Dr John Lee gave ample notice, and Dr. Autilia Newton was on the job for many months before causually announcing in mid Feb 2022 that she would be initiating the search for her own successor. How is that coming along? Is there not an inherent conflict in putting her in charge of seeking her own replacement? There are many questions about Cayman’s Health Ministry, and misfiring public health policy, the task can’t be easy, but it really shouldn’t take this long either.

    33
    1
    • Anonymous says:

      Interim appointments are never very good at initiating searches for a successor because of the inherent conflict 10:06 refers to. Has OfReg, for example, started the search for a successor?

      16
      1
    • Anonymous says:

      We need to be liberated already! Nobody is wearing masks anymore. We need to live with this. If you are fearful, protect yourself but leave the rest of us alone.

      22
      9
      • Anonymous says:

        The indoor mask measure is a courtesy extended to others, to catch your own water droplets, and also an acknowledgement that you understand you could be an asymptomatic transmitter of the virus. These aren’t quite obsolete scientific concepts in the era of COVID.

        14
        9
      • Anonymous says:

        @2:11pm Move to Florida here DeSantis and Trump rule. No masks, no vaccines and yes no covid as they don’t report cases anymore..

        Every time I set foot in that state now I try to get out of there as fast as I can. If there ever was/is a $hit hole Florida has become one..

        9
        6
  15. Anonymous says:

    Just travelled to 9 countries – no1 gives a shit about this virus anymore. Can travel covid positive on planes and public transport now in most places. So what is the deal here?

    Seems to me that the government ministers have their hands in the testing centers and are making way too much money / lining their own pockets with this draconian nonsense.

    All under the guise of a public health “crisis”, when in reality there is no crisis – the rest of the world has moved on and so should we.

    Vote them all out next election – time for this covid farce to stop.

    63
    19
    • Anonymous says:

      and vote in who?….i’m no pact fan but at least they moved us out of total lockdown….
      imagine if ppm were still in power?…you would not be able to travel!

      11
      14
      • Anonymous says:

        We are still in lockdown – see exhibit A – fosters… people walking around with the same mask they’ve had for 2 years.

        Its akin to wearing a bullet proof vest made out of cardboard. But again, look… all the ministers and their buddies own the testing centers / mask vendors.

        This has sweet F all to do with public health and is all about the $$$$.

        wake up.

        11
        7
    • Anonymous says:

      Please explain, the covid travel advisory to the US still requires a negative test.

      13
      3
    • Anonymous says:

      @9:59Am.. I just travelled to the USA and Canada. There are still covid protocols in place and I followed them.Just today on every American news network they reported that covid cases and hospitalization are soaring again..

      I am not the type to go to another man’s country and break his rules particularly if they are to my benefit.

      If over 1700 people here still have covid and 14 are in hospital, folks covid is still here..We are lucky that becausese of the high uptake of the vaccine most of these cases remain mild and our death rate has slowed..none of these means that it won’t surge again..

      8
      3
  16. Anonymous says:

    Perhaps the CMO can speak directly to employers who expect staff back the minute they feel better and fire those who don’t come back because they’re obeying the law and still waiting for their official test results.

    22
    10
  17. Anonymous says:

    Isn’t the CMO from the UK? Why is she not advising we scrap all measures like in the UK? Everyone is just living life there. Free to travel without testing, having to register, produce numerous documents, etc and are not being “welcomed” at the airport by people in hazmat suits acting like everyone deplaning has ebola.

    We are not stupid. We see what’s going on everywhere else in the world. Hilarious to make people mask up on the plane to Cayman after not having to wear a mask on connecting flights, in US/Canada/UK airports, etc.

    46
    10
    • Anonymous says:

      And yet still, the sheep follow.

      It’s simple – stop complying and tell them to f off.

      7
      7
    • Anonymous says:

      If we are to model dealing with Covid from the the UK example, then we must allocate funding to pro-actively address the issue of people suffering from post-acute Covid illness or Long Covid. From over a year ago, the UK has allocated many millions into funding research and development of car eprotocols as well as establishing over 80 clinics all across the UK to deal exclusively with Long Covid patients. But then again, the UK long ago acknowledged the problem. Our sorry lot of so-called leaders refuse to even mention the words much less be pro-active in addressing the issue. If they have functioning brain cells they must know that the Cayman Islands has numerous people suffering from post-Covid sequela.

      1
      2
  18. Anonymous says:

    1) All government decisions are based on self-interest and money, not actual health risks. Travel Cayman should be disbanded, but that would result in more unemployed Caymanians. Pre-flight testing should be scrapped, but that would result in a loss of revenue for all these businesses owned by friends and families of politicians.

    2) Continued masking of kids in school is doing NOTHING to stop the spread of COVID. Look at Cayman Prep that is having massive numbers of cases right now. I’m unmasked working in my office, in close proximity to dozens of people, while kids are masked up in class. Way less COVID in my office vs school.

    3) No one in their right mind would ever report a positive LFT. We have go to be the last country on the planet requiring an exit PCR test. What?!?!?!

    4) No one is scared of getting COVID because of the health consequences. Everyone is scared of the disruption to life and travel because of the oppressive, overreaching measure by the Cayman government.

    Stop the madness now!!!! Why are we still being treated like its March 2020.

    53
    9
  19. Anonymous says:

    Yes, we must curb the spread but it is ok to flood the town with cruise ship people who most likely tested negative days ago and visited other places before coming here, allow carnivals and huge gatherings, but keep the kids masked and air arrival test restrictions. Ministers are exempt from wearing masks in health facilities it seems. None of this makes any sense whatsoever. I would wager that most people have lost confidence in the government because we all know the $ is before health.

    64
    3
    • Anonymous says:

      Oh give it up. 95% of the people want to move on from all of this and drop restrictions. Wear a highly protective N95 mask and limit interactions if you are scared, but move on.

      No one is really worried about this anymore.

      31
      9
      • Anonymous says:

        You don’t read very well do you? The post is about curbing the spread not what you think of covid. I don’t give a crap about covid, but I do care about the nonsense government spreads.

        11
        1
      • Anonymous says:

        Oh dear…

        1
        1
    • Anonymous says:

      Our new government – FARCICAL

      Foolish
      Asinine
      Ridiculous
      Clownish
      Idiotic
      Crap
      Ass
      Losers

      24
      6
      • Anonymous says:

        @10:05am How long did it take you to make up those words? Some people have too much time on their hands..

        1
        2
    • Anonymous says:

      Meanwhile, confused airline visitor guests are passing mandatory mask wearing signage to enter indoor business premises without a mask anywhere on their person, and the sanitization security at the door welcome them in. Somehow we can look the other way on that, but draconian for everyone else? Pick a lane Cayman.

      20
      1
      • Anonymous says:

        @10:54am if you see that happening rather than coming on here and complaining, report it to the Police.

        2
        1
  20. Anonymous says:

    The CMO says: “Living with COVID-19 requires us to acknowledge the threat the virus poses to us and to respect that the infection control measures in place, especially indoor mask wearing, are in the best interest of the entire community”.
    To the CMO I say this should be Part Two of your statement:
    “Living with COVID-19 requires us as your government to acknowledge the reality of, and impact, that Long Covid poses to us and to respect that the UK and WHO have long since been active in addressing Long Covid; unlike us who are irresponsible and are not acting in the best interest of the entire community”.
    How much longer is the PPLCC going to ignore the issue?
    Referring to hospitalised Covid cases, I note an interestingly nuanced change of wording in the CMO’s statement. She remarks that people are currently in hospital “for COVID-19 related causes”. This word play certainly gives rise to the question: How many of these are suspected Long Covid patients? A large body of research indicates that Long Covid can and does sometimes result in hospitalisation and even permanent damage.

    The following is summarised from a Bloomberg European Edition article entitled “Deaths Months After Covid Point to Pandemic’s Grim Aftermath”. The article refers to one study among a vast body of research that tells of the seriousness of Long Covid:
    According to the findings of researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Oxford, Long Covid can be very serious indeed. One of their studies presents evidence that indicates Covid-19’s deadly effects can manifest long after some patients leave the hospital. Their study sheds light on Covid’s grave aftermath:
    Hospitalized patients who survived at least a week after being discharged were more than twice as likely to die or be admitted again within months, the scientists found. The Covid survivors also had an almost five times greater risk of dying in the following 10 months than a sample taken from the general population.
    ……
    To recap: the The CMO says: “Living with COVID-19 requires us to acknowledge the threat the virus poses to us…”, yet she and the Panton-PACTless Clown Car refuse to acknowledge the threat that Long Covid poses to us. The PPLCC, with the CMO firmly strapping in, rolls on its merry careless way ignoring Long Covid as if it does not exist at all.

    10
    25
    • Brat says:

      Not this chap again. Bleedin’ broken record, this one. Pops up on every covid thread blurting on about long covid without any focus or point.

      Yes, some people may get long covid. What is your point about it?

      11
      3
      • Anonymous says:

        @12:11:
        An another thing!…
        Published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine
        Article from Original Research:
        “COVID-19 Post-acute Sequelae Among Adults: 12 Month Mortality Risk”
        Authors:
        Arch G. Mainous III PhD
        Benjamin J. Rooks MS
        Velyn Wu MD
        Frank A. Orlando MD
        (Health care researchers affiliated with the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.)

        The prime takeaway from this report is this: For people younger than 65 who were hospitalized with COVID-19, the risk of death in the 12 months after the infection was 233% higher than it was for people who were never diagnosed with Covid.
        Yet the PPLCC riders utter not a word about Long Covid and denizens from Planet Obtuseus in the Comatosia star system continue to miss the point. More to come…

        3
        7
        • Wendell says:

          One outlier study with very small covid positive sample base. Nothing else done since comes close to this data set.

  21. Anonymous says:

    Stop wasting money on PCR tests, give out LFT for free because if I have a limited income I don’t have extra money to spend on test kits for an entire household. Everyone should be able to test at home, regardless of income

    41
    2
    • Anonymous says:

      Since early 2021, Chamber of Commerce, CITA, and/or other stakeholders could very easily have ordered wholesale LFT quantities and distributed them, but they didn’t and still don’t recognize the business sense in the investment in low transmission risk public confidence. Strange, because Cayman, of all places, should recall what that looked like before late August last year. Stranger still that there is still no app to read and blockchain the QR test identifier to a specific date/time and individual as a high-confidence admission pass.

      11
      2
      • Anonymous says:

        Typical CIG response, always looking for someone else to take on their responsibilities for them. #worldclassmyass

        10
        2
    • Cheese Face says:

      Agreed, 5 or 6 bucks a pop adds up when you have a family to keep testing. Add in the ridiculous prices of literally everything else on this island and people can’t afford them.

      If you want us to test CIG – PAY FOR IT. You pay criminals to sit in fancy chairs with stupid wigs on, so you can pay for my F****** tests.

      14
  22. Anonymous says:

    Report what to whom? Hell no. I will be responsible and isolate till I test negative, like the rest of the civilized world is allowed to do.

    54
    4
  23. Anonymous says:

    1,738 cases now and counting makes Travel Cayman and C.I.Gs draconian restriction policies from 2020 to try and stop 1 case spreading look just plain dumb.
    End Travel Cayman entry requirements at all levels for all travelers.

    51
    8
  24. Anonymous says:

    They need to do stop checks at various business establishments. I went to a Colombian shoe store to buy shoes, and not one single employee or the owner had on a mask. The ladies were up in people faces, and many of us felt uncomfortable. A CBC Officer and his wife left after observing for about a minute, they walked in, looked around at staff and then each other, and walked right back out. This is happening in many establishments, and on Public Transport (especially with Majestic Tours busses full unmasked cruise passengers and even the tour driver doesn’t have on a mask).

    Where is the enforcement arm for Covid reg breaches?

    20
    46
    • Anonymous says:

      What are the penalties when the Health Minister doesn’t wear a mask in a Health Care Facility or the Premier on a plane (as they are required by their own laws to do)?

      43
      4
  25. Unhappy Caymanian says:

    Yes we all need to follow advice about keeping ourselves and others safe not just about covid but other communicable diseases as well.

    Report any problems?

    To be quarantined?

    To deal with Govt./Public health stupidity?

    To forgo a days/weeks wages?

    Time for both the acting CMO and Director of public health to understand that Covid s endemic. If you’re not sure what this means look up the epidemiological definition.

    Influenza, the common cold etc. cause death in populations as well but we don’t over react to these viruses because they are endemic.

    Grow up Cayman try to graduate to the next level, it’s called normality. It’s called living with infectious disease. it is how life has evolved on this planet

    I would be more concerned about how Caymanians are going to afford food now and in the coming months…

    People unable to eat because they can’t afford it and the effect on their health, now that’s a public health concern!

    Put some perspective into the public health message.

    Sadly you can’t or you won’t.

    It’s infantile CMO and Public Health. You should be ashamed of your constant fear mongering.

    48
    8
    • Anonymous says:

      @2:32:
      You have proffered an opinion based on an incorrect analysis of the distinction between an epidemic in a given geographic area and the same condition being endemic to that area as applied to the Covid situation in the Cayman Islands.
      If there is a sustained rise in cases beyond the expected steady baseline for a given geographic area, it is deemed to be an epidemic. Thus far, since we obviously have had no well-maintained steady-state baseline reference number of cases per unit population, the definition of endemic does not yet apply to Covid 19 in the Cayman Islands. If and when a condition reaches a stasis with the number of new cases per unit population maintaining baseline levels, it is still possible for that endemic condition to become epidemic in that area if the cases begin to spike above the expected baseline. Since you proffer that the definition of endemic applies to Covid in these islands, please share the steady baseline Covid case data that supports your assertion. I can find no such baseline data in any of Government’s reports and press releases. Nor can I find any statistics that would indicate a steady baseline of cases was ever the status here. On the contrary, we can see that the Covid case numbers have fluctuated widely over relatively short time periods. In any case, going along with your unsubstantiated “endemic” hypothesis, and assuming that we had a well-maintained steady baseline of cases at some point, the reports of a continued spike in case numbers indicates that your hypothetical endemic condition is again epidemic in the Cayman Islands.

      1
      2
  26. Anonymous says:

    Perhaps she can start with the Minister of Health and the Premier, neither of whom seems to have adopted the rules in mSking or distancing. BTW Wayne, being on a pane or being in Miami doesn’t magic mean you are no longer in a confined space or Less than 6 feet from the person next to you. Nor does being in a medical faculty “ after hours”, even if sai people are. Wearing full POE because they actually have read the rules.

    37
    4
  27. Anonymous says:

    They can’t tell people to be careful and then okay all of these carnivals. We know the only reason that they dropped restrictions was to have the two carnivals.

    This government is such a disappointment.

    43
    4
  28. Jotnar says:

    Maybe, just maybe, the CMO needs to balance the modest increases in hospitalization against the major impact in the economy in isolating anyone who test positive for a minimum of 7 days before a PCR test and an indefinite period thereafter until that test just some magic number where HSA will release you. When other countries allow people out after 5 days because the science shows you are unlikely to be infectious at that point. Particularly when then the Governor apparently has the magic ability to not only get tested less than 7 days after being tested positive, but also released on day 4. Not only not supported by the science, but a two speed system depending on who you know. Credibility zero. This woman could tell me the sun vines up in the East and I wouldn’t believe her.

    33
    4
    • Anonymous says:

      The rest of the world adopted what appears to be a risk-based approach using the most politically palatable minimum infection and transmission periods on the spectrum of averages. It’s actually shorter than the scientific mean, doesn’t require clinical verification and also doesn’t require the 1 week masking post-“recovery” supported by the science, per NYT reporting. Whereas, Cayman is insisting on verified clinical release thresholds which reside at the far other extreme on the spectrum of diligence. This level of pedantic insistence is laughable when viewed in context of the many control and mitigation measures which are waived for some, or have never been enforced ever. We need to pick a lane.

      10
  29. Anonymous says:

    To be fair the 26 dead have jack to do with tourism. Look at when the fatalities occurred – most during lockdown. As for the rest, yep, agree. Why when tourism generates a miserly amount in public revenue and considerable infrastructure burden are we continuing with initiatives like increasing cruise ship numbers. Far better to spend the money in courses to reorient Caymanian workers into other lines of work. The hotels can look after themselves.

    18
    4
  30. Anonymous says:

    After 2 years of total failure and being wrong about most everything, you would think these officials could take a break from their supreme hubris.

    38
    9
  31. Anonymous says:

    The longer we keep ourselves locked down, the longer we delay herd immunity. As the world learns more about this virus, we should too! Instead, we continue to hide.

    31
    15
    • Anonymous says:

      Thanks to stupefied popularity of the herd immunity thesis, the virus is mutating through “vaccinated” populations with more evasive adaptations. LFTs/vaccine will become obsolete without updates. We don’t yet know how many times the same individuals will need to be reinfected before they mentally register that there is no lasting herd immunity possible. At that point of awakening, societies will need to either continue to disregard the GDP erosion, or deal with problem, using whatever pathways are still available. Like the climate careening to 1.5’C tipping point by 2024, most people are too comfortable and stubborn to want to apply any personal constraints on their activities. This is the always losing “tragedy of the commons” approach.

      5
      7
  32. Anonymous says:

    Absolutely delusional to believe we can do any more to stop the spread of Omicron.

    It is here to stay no matter what we do.

    Thankfully our high vaccination rate and excellent health care system will us ride out this wave and any future waves that might occur.

    Time to lift all restrictions for entry to the island and remove masking in school’s which do nothing but slow down are children’s emotional and social development.

    105
    27
    • Anonymous says:

      COVID seems to like Cayman.
      Appears hospitalisation prevention measures don’t work in Cayman either. Talking about early, day1-2, treatments.

      9
      2
  33. Anonymous says:

    Must report what now? Oh hell no.

    73
    19
  34. Anonymous says:

    Lateral flow and self release. Anything more is ludicrous.

    93
    12
  35. Anonymous says:

    How can you speak about curbing but yet allow the carnival virus fest. It’s time to just let people be. Focus on the baby formula crisis.

    101
    11
    • Anonymous says:

      Exactly, you have the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Culture sponsoring Braccanal.
      You have multiple people affialiated with Government employment who are part of the Committee.
      So Government needs to set the example….start there first.

      29
  36. Anonymous says:

    Not reporting. Time to move on.

    91
    17
  37. Anonymous says:

    Gotta love the cost of tourism. 26 dead and counting, still 3,000 unemployed Caymanians, and only 1 million in Government Revenue each month. What’s the math on that?

    37
    24
    • Anonymous says:

      Your math is poor, your data is even worse. Don’t spread false un-information. We can easily get garbage from sources not on CNS.

      9
      2
      • Anonymous says:

        28 are dead. 2 pre lockdown. 26 of the dead were lost during a time when a policy decision was made to live with Covid, rather than stamping it out when it reappeared. That policy determination was driven by the let’s reopen Cayman tourism lobby. We were told it was safe to reopen. It wasn’t.

        So at least some Covid deaths are indeed attributable to a commercial desire to have tourism despite the risks. Others are probably attributable to visitors not following Covid protocols, including riding around unmasked in busses.

        We have tourism. It has brought the government $3 million in revenue in the first quarter. That equates to $1 million a month.

        At last report some 3,000 displaced tourism workers were still receiving a stipend.

        What part of that math is false?

        5
        6
    • Anonymous says:

      Hush. And get off my beach! It’s closed!

      7
      2
    • Anonymous says:

      How many died from cancer and CVD?

      12
    • Anonymous says:

      Quick bobo maths.

      2
      1
    • Anonymous says:

      Just to put this into perspective. Out of the approx 1000 people who have died in Cayman since the beginning of this pandemic, 26 of those “tested positive” for covid.

      16
      1
      • Anonymous says:

        @7:51am Can you provide a source for this data please?

        1
        2
        • Anonymous says:

          Hi 12:31

          The average death rate for Cayman in 2020 was 6.13 per 1000 people. (average for UK and most western countries is about 9 just fyi). 6.13 x 70 (population size) = 429 people die per year (approx) in Cayman x 2.3 years since the start of the pandemic = 986 people (approx)

          https://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=cj&v=26

          As an aside, both the USA and the UK have both come out and said the average incidental death rate of Covid is about 40% of total deaths, so the number of 26 people that have died “with covid” would therefore mean the number of people who have died due to covid since the start of the pandemic in Cayman is likely closer to 16.

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.