Public Health urges COVID positives to take PCR test

| 07/07/2022 | 56 Comments

(CNS): While both the mask mandate and the requirement for a negative test for travellers have been dropped, Public Health officials are urging members of the public who have symptoms of COVID-19 or get a positive lateral flow test to get a PCR test. Without the confirmation tests, officials cannot keep track of the community transmission or effectively monitor new variants. Cases of COVID-19 have remained at a similar level over the past month but the number of PCR tests has declined.

“To understand the impact of the recent changes to COVID-19 regulations, including face masks no longer being mandatory and the removal of a pre-arrival COVID-19 test, it is important that individuals who experience symptoms or have a positive LFT result conduct a confirmation PCR,” officials said in this week’s Public Health Spotlight report. “Without this, we are unable to understand transmission in the community and effectively monitor new variants.”

There were 72 new confirmed cases of the virus on Wednesday, while the seven-day average stood at 51 with an estimated 807 active cases. As of Tuesday, there were seven people in the hospital.

According to the report covering the week between 26 June and 2 July, the number of cases declined by 14% compared to the week before. The number of people who passed through the hospital needing treatment for COVID-19 that week also increased from 12 to 14, though no one died as a result of the virus.

Globally, the number of COVID-19 reported cases increased last week by 18% and in the UK infections are rising to record highs as people appear to consider the pandemic a thing of the past and have stopped taking precautions. Over the last week of June, transmission levels increased in Britain by over 30% and experts are warning of a new wave after the summer, driven by the even more transmissible variants of Omicron known as BA.4 and BA.5.

See the latest Public Health Spotlight in the CNS Library.


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Category: Health, Medical Health

Comments (56)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    What about allowing a simple telephone call to a data collector to report two consecutive negative lateral flow tests following infection?

  2. Anonymous says:

    I note with a prolonged SMH, what government said in support of their urging people to self-test and report:
    “To understand the impact of the recent changes to COVID-19 regulations, including face masks no longer being mandatory and the removal of a pre-arrival COVID-19 test, it is important that individuals who experience symptoms or have a positive LFT result conduct a confirmation PCR. Without this, we are unable to understand transmission in the community and effectively monitor new variants.”
    Nowhere does it say that they urge people to self-test, report and PCR in order to prevent the spread of Covid.
    In light of government’s policy, the only metrics that are relevant are morbidity and mortality. Morbidity can be measured by hospitalisations and the number ill from Covid at a given time. Mortality can be measured by the number of bodies with a “died of Covid” tag on the toes. No need to over-complicate things. No need for our assistance. If we have Covid and get sick enough, government will know it.
    The crucial numbers are quite easy to deal with: If current and projected hospitalisation rates threaten to exceed our health system’s capacity, it is time to act quickly because a wave–including bodies in bags–will follow. Analysing samples will tell you what variants are in the wild. Now, the trick is, knowing that people are not self testing or reporting positive LFT’s, government must now adjust their projections for those numbers.
    What is mid-boggling is that the PPCC wants us to LFT and report/PRC so they can “…understand the impact of the recent changes to COVID-19 regulations…” One would have thought that the PPCC would have done a careful analysis and forecast of the impacts prior to relaxing Covid restrictions. Only the brain-dead (and the PPCC) would not transparently acknowledge that lifting restrictions will result in greater transmission and an increase in total illnesses due to Covid. Included in the net impact from Covid is a statistic that, thus far, the Panton-PACTless Clown Car (PPCC) is refusing to track or even admit the existence of: Long Covid. Just keep an eye on Covid, Wayne and Sabrina: watch the numbers go up. Let us know when you decide then on “What do?”.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Why?

  4. Anonymous says:

    How many will die from malnourishment that is coming? Is CIG is even aware of what is coming?

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    • Anonymous says:

      8:07:
      They may be well aware of what is to come. However, since we know they are totally keeping us in the dark about Long Covid, they are decidedly NOT transparent as promised and they are capable of trying to keep us in the dark about anything no matter how threatening it is. They are not to be trusted!

  5. Unhappy Caymanian says:

    Not interested in a word Public Health utters on any subject.

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  6. Hard Hard Pass says:

    Why would anyone want to take a PCR for a sniffle and risk the hassle of a quarantine?

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    • Anonymous says:

      2:17pm, to maybe prevent someone getting covid and possibly getting real sick you inconsiderate asshole

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      • Anonymous says:

        The US has normalized such a high death toll from Covid that it’s now defining the equivalent of a 9/11 attack every ten days as low.

        No surprise that many here have the same brain worms that this is “living with it”

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        • Anonymous says:

          According to the CDC 3.458 million people died in the US in 2021. 3 thousand died in 9/11. So your metric of a 9/11 every 10 days would be 36.5 thousand a year, or 3 % of the entire death toll. So yeah, I would call that pretty low. Of course, suspect your 9/11 every 10 days metric is complete pants and it’s way higher than that, but at least get your calculator out before making grandiose statements.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Think about it 5:58:
        Covid is here to stay.
        Covid is in the wild here.
        The borders are open.
        Mask-lessness is now officially condoned.
        Social distancing is a thing of the past.
        Covid testing is now officially on the honour system.
        Many people in these economically difficult times are living hand to mouth and cannot afford to lose work.
        If a person goes out into the big bad, germ-laden world, they make their choice, they take their chances, and they must accept all consequences–morbid or lethal or otherwise–of their choices.
        I do not hear of anyone castigating those who refuse to risk isolation offering to cover these poor peoples’ lost time. The prime quiz on the practicality of poverty and PCR testing is this: Given a choice between feeding their family and preventing strangers from getting sick with Covid, which would you have them choose?

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        • Anonymous says:

          Think about it.

          Ontario woman enduring effects of long COVID begins process for medically assisted death.

          https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-woman-facing-financial-loss-of-long-covid-begins-process-for-medically-assisted-death-1.5976944

          • Anonymous says:

            Well done 8:41!
            Good to welcome another one into the small handful of people here that want to warn others of the very real and ever present dangers of Long Covid!
            Many times some of the moronic ones here have lambasted us for giving warnings about Long Covid. Many times we have been ridiculed for speaking out against the government’s breathlessly irresponsible attitude in failing to acknowledge or even mention Long Covid.
            Long Covid may be here to stay long after acute Covid infections are gone. We know that people infected in the very first waves of Covid are still manifesting symptoms of Long Covid. The symptoms can be few or many and can either last continually or recur on an intermittent basis after the acute phase of the infection is long past. The symptoms can be milder than the original infection or they can be far more serious and in some cases–including one here in the Cayman Islands–deadly. Researchers do not know how long the symptoms can last or if they will ever go away. It is sad to read about the Toronto woman who is so severely impacted by Long Covid that she is seeking to end her life. Sadder still is that the severity of symptoms that she is experiencing may be shared by someone here.
            Every clinician in the islands that cares enough to be open about it have told me that they all know of cases of Long Covid here. In many cases they have friends and even family who are suffering from Long Covid. A couple of them are experiencing Long Covid themselves.
            Long Covid is real, it is here, and it is affecting an increasing number of people as time goes on. Yet the Panton-PACTless Clown Car keep their heads (and ours) in the sand, refusing to give any attention or statistics on Long Covid. It is shameful and negligent of them, but that is how the Clown Car rolls. One day, when the cases are too great a number to ignore, they will have to come clean. When that day comes, we the people will call Panton and his minions into account for their treachery in purposely and negligently endangering our health, safety and well being by keeping us in the dark about Long Covid. In the mean time, I trust that you will join us in keeping the issue of Long Covid in front of the people here on CNS and the general public.

  7. Pastor Alfredo says:

    Monitor the number of people in hospital because they’ve got covid (not admitted and subsequently found to be “with” covid).

    This currently stands at 7. From memory they have capacity to deal with 50 covid patients at a time so they’re not even close to capacity and never have been.

    Nothing else matters. It doesn’t matter how many people have it, what the positive rate is, what the variant is, how many people got permission from travel time this week, how many days you do or don’t have to isolate, how many people don’t bother declaring that they have it or take a “confirmatory PCR”, how much magic spray they do or don’t put on your hands at the grocery store, how many people are in a crowd.

    As has been the case for over two years, it’s a simple metric. Is the health service about to be overwhelmed? Yes? Give some consideration to some restrictions. No? No need to do anything whatsoever.

    Pastor Alfredo

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Are you ever going to be “fully vaccinated?”

    https://www.naturalnews.com/2022-07-07-you-will-never-be-fully-vaccinated.html

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  9. Anonymous says:

    Ha! Absolutely not giving them any ammo to lock us down again. Don’t report, but do keep your germs home like you would with any sickness.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    With the updated rules, why not get tested now? If you have it, 6 or 7 day isolation is fine and actually makes sense. Plus, no exit test!

    If you can’t work with that, you’re a moron.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Not everyone gets more than 10 days paid sick days every year. I was off work for 12 days with Covid in Feb- so had to take 2 of my 15 vacation days. I’m not willing to give up more vacation days for testing positive by taking a PCR test.
      I work in financial services. I’m not highly paid & live month to month on my pay check.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Well you’re not very good at your job or you work for a shite company then

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        • Anonymous says:

          I’m really good at my job. Unfortunately not everyone can afford to go to university. Not everyone starts at the top. I’m in my early 20’s & hoping to work my way up over time whilst taking classes at UCCI.

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        • Anonymous says:

          @2:58:
          Many excellent workers work for companies that do not give any extensions on sick leave for Covid isolation once you have used up your allotted leave. Sounds more like a shite Clown Car government that does not mandate such compensation.

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    • Anonymous says:

      As long as I get paid a reasonable daily rate for lost work I might consider reporting a self-test positive and do the PCR. If not, NO WAY will I PCR test and risk isolation if I LFT positive. If I feel fine it will be business as usual. Considering the fact that in my situation, I will NOT get paid for work lost…

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      • Anonymous says:

        Thank you. There are a lot of us working outside of the civil service who work hard. These small companies only give us the vacation & sick days required by the law, as written & not updated by our government to mandate pay for Covid + absences. If I feel well I will not test & I will go about my business, just as I would with a cold or cough.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Ontario woman enduring effects of long COVID begins process for medically assisted death.

      https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-woman-facing-financial-loss-of-long-covid-begins-process-for-medically-assisted-death-1.5976944

  11. Anonymous says:

    Corona news is getting so boring that the CIG has to go out and drum up some cases – just to keep the anxiety level up.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    With a general population that still does not understand or care how this works in Season 3, and a much higher reported infection rate per capita (and even higher unreported), Cayman is likely already tapering-out of the dominant BA.5 wave, and itching for BA.6 when it’s available!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Which is no surprise to anyone who knows how things are done here. The real upside down- Stranger Tings

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    • Anonymous says:

      Why use an umbrella? Shouldn’t you be learning to live with rain?
      Why use a condom? Shouldn’t you be learning to live with STDs and unexpected pregnancies?
      Why use a motor cycle helmet? Shouldn’t you be learning to live with brain damage?
      Why use sunscreen? Shouldn’t you be learning to live with sunburn and skin cancer?
      Why use masks, testing and vaccines during a global pandemic?

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  13. Anonymous says:

    Since government deemed it safe to lift the travel testing and says it is 100% ok for people to go around in close contact and share breath aerosols and droplets among each other, they obviously do not consider Covid to be any threat.
    Effective 30 June:
    –Pre arrival COVID-19 testing is no longer required to enter the Cayman Islands.
    –Mandatory mask wearing requirements in the Cayman Islands have been removed.
    These travelers are welcome to travel to the Cayman Islands:
    –All fully vaccinated visitors/travellers
    (The latest widespread variants are evading vaccines.)
    –Children age 11 and younger will take the vaccination status of their parents
    –Unvaccinated visitors (age 12 and over) who have close ties to the Cayman Islands. (What the hell?)
    –Unvaccinated Caymanian, Residents and Work Permit Holders. (Seriously?)

    In light of government’s cavalier “Alfred E, Neuman/What, me worry?” attitude, why should the people worry about it anymore? Why bother LFT testing? Why risk isolation by reporting a positive LFT if one suspects infection with a disease that government deems is no longer a threat?
    Why should we bother to help Government monitor new variants? Requiring pre-travel tests for, or swabbing, all incoming travelers would quite effectively do all the monitoring that is needed, they do not need us to do their jobs for them.
    Of course any clown in government and with half a brain and any of we the people should be aware that any Covid variants can now fly or cruise in totally unimpeded.
    The Panton-PACTless Clown Car has rolled out the red carpet for Covid. Let them worry about.

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    • Hide if you want to says:

      Cower in your cave. Covid is here to stay. The vaccines mean the variants are just a sniffle for almost all.

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      • Anon says:

        just a sniffle when unvaxed as well.

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        • Anonymous says:

          6.35 million dead. Ok. Whatever.

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          • Anonymous says:

            And it is still unknown what the effects of repeated Covid infections have on the human body, but yet, we are cannon fodder for dumbasses, selfish assholes and profit mongers.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Which is less than 8 one hundredths of one percent of the world population. Not exactly an extinction level event.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Different virus now, with way different fatality rate, and with a high proportion of vaccinated. Cannot compare the early and Delta strains and the unvaccinated populations that faced them with todays scenario. Just look at the fatality rates now.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Far from cowering in my cave, I do not LFT if I get a case of “sniffles”, I shall assume a cold or hay fever and if I feel up to it, I happily go about my business. I am fully vaxed and otherwise healthy. Let government worry about it.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    The commemts here against reporting is why mandates were in place. We love to break rules here. Health, safety, litter. We dont care.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I shall refuse to report a positive LFT test; however,
      I shall break no rules.
      In order not to become a scofflaw, I have given away all my remaining LFT test kits.
      No positive LFT test = no reporting needed.
      I love to follow the rules.
      Thank you CIG for New Rules.

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  15. Anonymous says:

    Hard pass.

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  16. Anonymous says:

    Prepare for famine, grow what you eat.
    Mix with the animals, to strengthen immune system.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Grow what you smoke.
      #freetheweed
      #noweednovote
      #jujuliedtous

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      • Anonymous says:

        It needs to be legalize, we will need it. It will be our medicine.

        • watcher says:

          The well-to-do are already using it medicinally via various legal oils. We should support this, because health insurance should be required to pay for it.

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  17. Anonymous says:

    When (if maybe) public health stops treating covid positive individuals as criminals then they might have better reporting. The only people reporting in this autocratic system are those who are forced to get a dr.s note to take leave from work and those otherwise forced to report. Change the rules, trust your citizens and you will have better compliance.

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  18. Anonymous says:

    HSA must be mad

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  19. Anonymous says:

    Hell to the no.

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  20. Anonymous says:

    Maybe, just maybe, Public Health should have known and reported the virus was spreading again before dropping most precautions prior to Caymas.

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  21. Um... says:

    To give them an excuse to reinstate masks etc.? I don’t think so!

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  22. Anonymous says:

    It is time ; covid leaves now.

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