Masks still needed to slow COVID-19 spread

| 05/08/2022 | 99 Comments

(CNS): Public Health officials say wearing masks in public and other preventative measures are still needed to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the Cayman Islands. With the significant decline in people reporting their home tests or choosing to take PCR tests when they have symptoms, the government is no longer able to report an accurate number of cases. While officially detected cases are falling, the coronavirus is still circulating.

In the tenth edition of the Public Health Spotlight, which covers the last week of July, health officials said that testing had fallen by another 16%. But with a test positivity rate of 50%, it’s clear there are many more cases going undetected and measures are needed to control the spread.

“Whilst the number of detected cases has decreased, a reduction in transmission is not necessarily reflected by other data indicators,” officials said. “Preventative measures including good hand hygiene, home isolation for those positive, wearing of masks in public and uptake of the vaccine continue to be advised to reduce the risk of infection.”

Eight new hospital admissions were registered last week, and while only three of the new admissions were directly related to COVID-19 morbidity, eleven patients required treatment for the virus.

As of the 4 of August, the official rolling seven-day average case number was just 34. Nine people were in hospital, at least six of whom were vaccinated.


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 (99)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    People really love being scared don’t you? Almost as if it gives some of us a sense of belonging, part of the covid crew. Mask up, vax up, stay away from everything and everyone.

    Why? Because you were told to. Utter madness.

    5
    2
  2. Billy says:

    This is August 2022 not August 2020. Someone should tell Public Health.

    10
    5
  3. Unhappy Caymanian says:

    Who cares what public Health have to say on any subject?

    Tiresome hubris.

    16
    9
  4. Anonymous says:

    You want to wear a mask? Fine with me. I want to move on. Get your groove on. Just

    26
    15
    • Anonymous says:

      Science sbows mask wearing prevents droplets from dispersing indoors with recirculating air conditioning systems that do not have filtration mechanisms for Covid-SARS 2.

      Knowing this, why would you not want to wear a mask indoors?

      17
      24
  5. Enough says:

    3 admitted to hospital with covid last week. 3. What a joke. Time to end every restriction and get on with life.

    35
    22
    • Anonymous says:

      What restrictions are left???

      20
      1
    • Anonymous says:

      Yeah, ignore the fact that travelers from countries such as America, where Covid and now Monkeypox are spreading daily are coming and going daily and interacting with us.

      21
      26
      • Nonono says:

        Stay at home and cower. The rest of us who can rationally assess risk have lives to get on with.

        28
        16
        • Anonymous says:

          It’s almost like everyone should wear a mask in public indoor settings — even if they aren’t personally at high risk — to prevent chains of transmission from reaching vulnerable people, and govt should just require it to increase participation and avoid ridiculous social dynamics

          11
          23
          • Anonymous says:

            So when will it be safe to come out? There is always some respiratory illness floating around. Sounds like you want masks forever.

            1
            1
    • Anonymous says:

      It’s a very sad irony that a scientifically unsophisticated 14th Century Europe could create more sensible public health measures for bubonic plague than our own supposedly more ‘advanced’ society where the ‘right’ to reject public health measures is seen as a higher priority.

      25
      6
      • Anonymous says:

        A silly comment.

        4
        11
      • Anonymous says:

        Issac Azimov’s quote on the cult of ignorance applies equally here.

        “There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”

        4
        2
      • Anonymous says:

        Like what measures? The funn masks with pointy noses attached to hold the garlic you were supposed to breathe?

        1
        1
  6. Why says:

    The last dashboard I saw on July had 6 admitted to hospital that week, but 5 were admitted for something else and there was only 1 hospital admission for covid in the whole week.

    This is now beyond a farce. In England you don’t even have to quarantine if you test positive. No-one is taking about covid there now and the idea of restrictions is not even discussed.

    29
    11
    • Anonymous says:

      Cool. Monkeypox infections last 4-10 weeks, its in Jamaica, and is spread through both human to human touch and via respiratory droplets.

      The effects of Monkeypox are gruesome, but, yeah, let’s ignore that and get back to living life.

      16
      23
    • Anonymous says:

      Let’s have some news on schools in England, shall we?

      “Kids are missing almost twice as much school this last year (after removing mitigations in schools) than they did pre pandemic. This is not good.”

      https://youtu.be/89cF8DuqI88

      9
      5
      • Anonymous says:

        You link to a video from “Indie SAGE”, a group of left-wing anti-government agitators, who will oppose any Conservative policies. I am in England. Covid is not discussed by 99.9% of people. It’s done. No restrictions, and people will not accept any. The BA.5 wave is now declining rapidly. BTW, infections were higher in Scotland, who kept masks, than in England, which removed the mandates.

        14
        8
    • Anonymous says:

      What about Japan?

      In Japan as of Aug. 3, the current number of home-bound COVID-19 patients is 1.45 million – 1 in 86 citizens.

      The total number including hospitalized & hotel-bound patients is about 1.83 million – 1 in 68 citizens.

      Those are steadily increasing.

      11
      7
      • Nah Nah Bro says:

        You are trying to give the impression that those having to quarantine are hospitalised, which is not the case.

        5
        5
        • Anonymous says:

          The Japanese quarantine at home because their society believes in the greater good for all.

          Here? Never.

          6
          4
  7. Anonymous says:

    Monkeypox is in Jamaica, so tis only a matter of time before its here. This article explains how its transmitted, and how it can be transmitted via respiratory droplets, in addition to close contact things such as dancing, kissing, and even shaking hands.

    With the cult of crybabies who wont wear masks and adapt their lives for a short time for the public good, we are in for a wild time with dual public health emergencies-Covid and Monkeypox.

    https://people.com/health/health-expert-explains-how-monkeypox-spreads-as-u-s-cases-surpass-6500/

    18
    17
    • Anonymous says:

      98% of monkeypox cases associated with gay or bi-sexual males with many partners. Why are you pushing the fear agenda?

      10
      8
      • Anonymous says:

        Can you read? Or, do you enjoy being ignorant?

        8
        6
        • Anonymous says:

          I can read the latest UKHSA Monkey Pox Technical Briefing document (5th Aug), continuing to show over 95% of cases surveyed responding as gay, bi, or otherwise men having sex with men. Plus 9 out of 22 cases who identified as women in the survey, were transgender. Now tell me how ignorant I am. Or is the UK Health Security Agency inventing data?

          8
          5
        • Anonymous says:

          It’s not a worry for most of us.

          6
          4
  8. Truth says:

    These rules are to protect the ignorant of which there are many. The ignorant do not follow any laws or rules made by the ignorant but it is important to keep the cycle going.

    26
    12
    • Anonymous says:

      Truth.

      17
    • Why says:

      Why?

      1
      13
      • Anonymous says:

        It must be the first attempt in human history to adopt the mass infection policy in the middle of pandemic.

        And it will be the last attempt.

        10
        1
    • Anonymous says:

      Covid, Monkeypox, and Polio cases increasing globally, our borders are wide open, and we have tens of thousands who refuse to kindly wear a mask indoors or follow proven measures to protect their fellow humans.

      The Pandemic Disco will be worse than we can imagine with the current mindset that is prevalent here. Now is the time to plan and prepare.

      19
      11
      • Anonymous says:

        Polio? Have you not been vaccinated for it? BTW, the recent scare stories on polio were for the strain which generated from the live attenuated vaccine (so from someone who had recently been vaccinated), not for the wild virus.

        9
        8
    • Anonymous says:

      We need to start thinking about COVID SARS 2 less as some sort of “instant killer” disease, and more akin to the aftermath of a locust swarm on a crop of wheat. Each invasion of SARS 2 does lasting and noticeable damage to immunity. It’s that simple to understand. No need to make it hard.

      13
      4
      • Anonymous says:

        “No need to make it hard.” I’m afraid there is a need, because what you have written isn’t in any way true. Try reading how the immune system works. If “each invasion of [any virus] does lasting and noticeable damage to immunity” the human race would have died out long ago.

        3
        9
  9. Anon says:

    Although many are contracting Covid very few are seriously Ill. I for one am not complying with ridiculous regulations that benefit only the super wealthy or Government employees. If I feel sick I Flow Test. So far I have been negative. But I would not report if positive. 7 days is excessive. And I have to pay bills. I cannot get paid for doing nothing unlike politicians.

    33
    32
  10. Anonymous says:

    There is complete confusion coming from the various government entities. The only thing I want going forward are resignations for making politician decisions that are no in line with public health recommendations.

    25
    4
  11. Anonymous says:

    Masks are of no effect. Drop all requirements: vaccination, testing, quarantine, etc.

    40
    46
    • Anonymous says:

      Right on. Headed to the hospitals to tell nurses and doctors this now.

      27
      20
      • Anonymous says:

        I bet they wish this was the case.
        Talked to my Dr and they are sick and tired of it.

        11
        14
        • Anonymous says:

          Cool story. Is that what the majority of health care workers are still wearing masks, even when in public away from hospital?

          EVERYBODY is sick and tired of it. Tell me, what degree of ‘sick-and-tired’ is required to justify not doing the right thing?

          15
          12
      • Anonymous says:

        They already know that masks are useless unless they are respirator quality, as the Covid droplets easily pass through standard surgical and cloth masks. They also know that hand sanitiser is more use against those filthy individuals who don’t wash their hands after visiting the bathroom. There aren’t any reported cases of Covid being passed directly from surfaces, and social distancing proved hopeless in stopping infections as the virus doesn’t just drop to the floor, it suspends in the surrounding air making any confined space a Covid hotspot.
        It’s also a hopeless cause to insist that tourists are vaccinated as we also know that vaccines only prevent serious illness to the recipient, it absolutely does not stop transmissibility and is policy based upon blind ignorance, not scientific fact.
        Just open up and and stop acting like 17th century plague victims.
        These are facts the educated world already knows and understands, catch up Cayman.

        15
        17
        • Anonymous says:

          So, your strategy appears to be to make up things based upon your own narrative and try to pass them off as fact.

          A minor bit of research of vetted medical reports would demonstrate to you how rife with untruths you post is. .. … if you have the sand for it.

          15
          4
  12. Anonymous says:

    As someone who has always been very pro-vaccine and a supporter of public health measures to slow the spread, I have to say that this has become extremely tiresome.

    There is no doubt that the vaccine saved millions of lives and prevented many serious illnesses. But its longevity and efficacy against the newest iterations of the virus are an open question to all but the most zealous vaccine advocates. Hopefully new vaccines that are more effective at combatting the new strains are developed and people choose to take them.

    Hanging on to the idea that masks are actually doing anything to stop transmission and that convincing the last holdouts to get vaccinated will have a material effect on the rates of transmission is laughable.

    It’s time to let it go and return to normalcy. There is no point in discriminating against people who are unvaccinated – if you believe they are putting themselves at greater danger that’s fine. It’s their personal choice to do so. You can no longer make an argument that anti-vaxxers increase your chance to get infected. It’s a personal choice (perhaps a stupid one, perhaps not) much like poor diet, drinking, smoking and driving a car are calculated risks.

    There are a manageable number of cases in the hospital. The health system is not close to overwhelmed If that changes, we can change policy.

    82
    29
    • Anonymous says:

      How dare you suggest such sensible things!

      33
      19
    • Anonymous says:

      My body, my choice!

      27
      27
      • Anonymous says:

        Co-opting the rally cry for the Pro-Choice movement is not only lazy. It’s also humorless and indicative of an ignorance for a respiratory pandemic that will continue to mutate and affect the people.

        11
        13
    • Anonymous says:

      ‘no doubt’. I challenge that notion. When 90% of the population has been vaccinated in the worlds biggest clinical trial with none of the usual double blind control groups there is absolutely nothing but empirical evidence. The chances of dying of covid were small to begin with.

      Not long ago the narrative was that this was a ‘disease of the unvaccinated’ now proven to be wrong. Stop listening to the BS government narratives. The vaccine didn’t work as intended period!

      19
      15
      • Anonymous says:

        Yout challenge fails. The vaccine, whatever its flaws made a material difference. While I agree that there was always a small chance of dying and the “disease of the unvaccinated” was overblown, the empirical evidence you cite actually proves the efficacy of the vaccines against OG covid.

        10
        7
        • Anonymous says:

          For the challenge to fail you have to provide evidence. Empirical is not proof.

          3
          2
        • Anonymous says:

          Data from latest UKHSA Vaccine Surveillance Report (Week 31, Table 13b) show the ratio of vaccinated vs unvaccinated now hospitalised with Covid are almost identical to the overall ratio in the population for most age groups.

          3
          2
          • Anonymous says:

            Right, the vaccine isn’t very effective against Omicron which is what I said. Show me the evidence that the vaccine wasn’t effective against previous strains.

            1
            1
            • Anonymous says:

              Omicron is now the only variant in significant circulation globally, so that is what is relevant. The current vaccines do not have any meaningful effect on infection, transmission, or hospitalisation with Omicron. Remind me why Cayman is still banning unvaccinated visitors?

              4
              2
              • Anonymous says:

                No, it’s not relevant for the purposes of this discussion.

                The original post said that the vaccine was useful at the beginning of covid and saved millions of lives, but given that Omicron has changed things there was no longer any point in arguing for the vaccine.

                Along came someone (you?) who challenged the statement that the vaccine saved lives. I asked that person to provide evidence that it didn’t, and all I get is a statement that it doesn’t work against Omicron which is not what we’re arguing about.

                So I expect that person to retract their challenge or show some supporting evidence for their statement. Which I don’t think they’ll be able to do. But I’m open-minded about it.

  13. Anonymous says:

    they can stick their mask right up where the sun dont shine !

    37
    53
  14. Anonymous says:

    11 people being treated so let’s have 71,000+ wear masks. Not today, Bobo.

    58
    36
    • P says:

      And the vast majority of those 11 were in hospital for something else and happened to test positive for covid. There are weeks now when the dashboard only reports 1 admission for covid. It is time to rip up all the regulations.

      21
      20
    • Anonymous says:

      Covid and Monkeypox thank you for your service.

      10
      4
  15. Anonymous says:

    Staying home when you know you’re sick also helps a lot. Thanks.

    84
  16. Anonymous says:

    I flew in from Houston to Cayman on United Airlines this week. When boarding the plane and in flight, everyone was required to wear a mask. Upon landing in CI, we were told we can take off entering CI airport.

    What was the point of wearing a mask in flight?

    53
    16
    • Anonymous says:

      Nobody is required to wear masks on US liner flights anymore, but you can if you choose. Some international airports still require masks.

    • Anonymous says:

      To prevent the spread of respiratory secretions in an enclosed environment during a respiratory pandemic.

      16
      6
    • Anonymous says:

      Light up a joint or cigarette indoors in public, and watch everyone suddenly be concerned about what’s in the air again

      15
      1
  17. Anonymous says:

    No thank you.. Let’s just get on with living normal lives, please.

    55
    33
    • Anonymous says:

      Yeah. The simple act of putting on a mask and wearing it indoors is a terrible inconvenience, the same as wearing seatbelts.

      18
      10
  18. Anonymous says:

    piss off with your masks.

    We’re fine.

    54
    51
    • Anonymous says:

      Compared to kids with no history of COVID-19, the long COVID kids group was:
      – 101% more likely to have acute pulmonary embolism;
      – 99% more likely to have myocarditis or cardiomyopathy;
      – 87% more likely to have venous thromboembolic event, etc.

      https://t.co/Wsss6LE29R.

      8
      1
  19. Anonymous says:

    The removal of mandates for festival season backfired?

    #WORLDCLASS

    40
    25
    • Anonymous says:

      Masks are readily available and are proven throughout history to protect the population during respiratory pandemics.

      If masks were useless, why have nurses and surgeons worn them for decades? Could it possibly be that it protects the patients and the practioner?

      Questions the anti-reason cult ignore nor answer with reason

      Of course, nothing much makes sense here, and those motivated by a sense of freedom restrictions, greed, or downright ignorance have the loudest voices.

      37
      29
      • Out in the real world , masks or Covid is no longer a thing. The only thing that still reminds you ,are the few brainwashed simpletons still going around wearing masks. The rest of us have returned to normal. It’s time Cayman did as well.

        11
        18
        • Anonymous says:

          We’re supposed to listen to you??

          You can’t even spell your screen name correctly.

          12
          3
        • Anonymous says:

          Hunndreds of people in America are dying daily and Monkeypox is rapidly spreading and can spread via respiratory droplets.

          13
          7
  20. Anonymous says:

    Still going on the same same.. Yawn! People here claim to be sick just to be sick for attention. Utter nonsense.

    24
    44
  21. Anonymous says:

    Public health here and global have zero credibility. They can pound sand.

    34
    33

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.