More travellers test positive for COVID-19
(CNS): With people being tested on arrival as well as at the end of their 14-day isolation period and the arrival numbers increasing substantially, Cayman is seeing an increase in positive COVID-19 tests among travellers. On Thursday Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee reported that another two individuals had tested positive for the virus in a batch of 137 tests results. Both of these people, who will now remain in isolation, are asymptomatic. At present 745 people are in isolation, either at home or in a hotel using a wristband monitor, or in government quarantine facilities.
There are currently 22 active cases of the virus, all of them in returning travellers. Only three people are showing symptoms. One of them is still in hospital in intensive care while the other two are understood to be recovering in isolation with mild symptoms.
Cayman’s running total for positive cases now stands at 238 after 45,154 tests were carried out.
Category: Health, Medical Health
Time to start offering pre flight testing and get our tourist facilities open again.
Boots in the UK is now offering both a 12 minute Covid test and a seperate PCR covid test that takes 48 hours and is accepted for pre flight testing.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-boots/uk-pharmacy-chain-boots-offers-150-covid-tests-for-asymptomatic-people-idINKBN27B1CZ
Seperately I got an email this morning from a UK based travel firm advertising winter holidays in Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia, St Vincent, Grenada and Seychelles.
As usual Cayman is way behind the curve.
Is anybody actually monitoring those supposed to be isolating or is it one of those turn a blind eye exercises?
British Airways is sitting all it’s passengers together in the more expensive business class seats in order to make more money.
I’ve informed the Cayman government only to be told there’s nothing they can do.
Obviously Covid is going to spread between passengers say together for 10 hours
All evidence to the contrary. No plane load of infected people yet after how many plane loads? Obviously you are not smart enough to know the difference between what is happening and what you believe is happening. It will be OK. The shutdown is causing way more harm than the virus would unless you are part of the CIG tribe in which case your good till the money runs out.
Isolation compliance is very low in the UK and we should not expect it to be different here. If we do expect compliance we are kidding ourselves.
https://www.ft.com/content/d214ef31-7a5c-4bb5-894f-17c7057ab999
“What ordinary people are seeing are the mass of asymptomatic and mild cases,” said Robert Dingwall, professor of sociology at Nottingham Trent University. “It is quite understandable that they do not see transmission risks in the same light as those who only see the tip of the iceberg in deaths and ICU admissions. Given this, if compliance is difficult for other reasons, motivation is also likely to be weak.”
Above is from the article you quote.
Makes sense to me.
People modify their behavior based on what they actually see not what some gerontocracy tells them to do…
Unfortunately to many are basing their behaviour on what they are actually seeing while staring at their own navels.
Right. But you sir assume to know what everyone should be doing thinking and seeing?
Is there anybody here who has quarantined at home with family who have not travelled?
Can you please tell us what the procedure was? I can’t seem to get a clear answer and TravelCayman has taken 9 days to answer an email. Thank you!
2.44pm They have lived up to their promise, far more efficient than TravelTime – only 9 days to answer an e mail, a vast improvement.
There is no procedure for those who are staying with you apart from them requesting the name and details of those who will quarantine with you.
After you get home from the airport they send someone round to put gps tags on those staying with you.
Everyone is tested at the end for Covid
Thank you!
2:44 They had to quarantine as well.
It’s time that PCR testing before travellers get on a flight was made madatory. That way we would reduce positive asymptomatic cases on arrival to near zero. We would also significantly reduce the number of people who test negative at arrival and then later positive at the end of their quarantine as the most likely place they will have caught the virus is on the plane.
Many other jurisdictions have started preflight testing and it is doing what it needs to do – stopping people getting on a flight when they are positive.
I have to wonder why Cayman is so reluctant to do this. Is it because the powers that be like these positive tests because it re-inforces the sterotype thinking that outside the world is bad, inside Cayman the world is good?
As all of the people currently coming to Cayman are still Caymanians, residents and property owners they have a right to come home. (I know this may change soon with the Global programme but for now it is so).
Absolutely people have a right to come home but that’s it’s an absolute right if you happen to currently have a communicable disease. If we have the ability to test beforehand to stop that person travelling in the first place and potentially infecting others, why wouldn’t we do that?
I totally agree with the ability for Caymanians to come home and am one of them that has recently taken advantage of that. However sitting beside someone for 9 hours on a plane when you don’t know whether they have Covid is not a great experience!
That is what Quarantine is for. This is what separates us and contains it. After which they are the same as you. For most people life must go on so anyone who is scared of the public should self Quarantine until further notice.
Exactly. Not to mention, getting test results within a short time frame is not possible in many places and no one should be prevented from returning home for this reason. A little more empathy and a lot less hysteria would go a long way.
Pretty sure most don’t get sick from the flight, you would see a much higher rate of infection, plus you are typically seeing the odd traveller testing positive, singular, from each flight.
You wait the worst left to come
Left where?
Oh no someone people test positive for a virus that has a .03%chance of getting you sick if you have a poor immune system, while we’re at it stay inside you might get hit by lightning or eaten by a shark
0.03% because you say so I guess.
Current numbers show 15% of infected gettin severe problems and 5% critical.
There is also long term effects even in patients with mild simptoms or asynptomatics. Current figure is 15% of patients that showed any sign of the infection.
But the worst is not that you will die from the virus, is that you will die for any other reason that don’t pose a problem right now, because the healthcare system is collapsed and there are no resources available to save someone’s life.
well done cig…actively importing covid to cayman….as they did originallly
why let them the come here without negative test?
who is monitoring vistors to home quarantiners???
News headline: Covid cases climb from travellers.
Government’s response: Let’s do a Global Citizen program to get more travellers
It really boggles my mind with the posts. Are people really that ignorant or is just rampant fear. Unfortunately the island is depenedent on outside media coverage, which is frought with
Misinformation. Facts are covid is low morbidity and mortality. We need to stop attending to covid as a universal death sentence. That means we need to accept positive cases as not the apocalyspe of cayman, but rather another health concern to reasinably deal with letss stop with the ticker tape reporting of every single case and start focusing on those cases that are signigicant, ie those in hospital.
Whenever I tell people here that I’ve travelled extensively this summer, they take a physical step away from me. Never mind that I’ve tested negative for covid-19 but I don’t know if they have.
12.59pm Travelled to and from Cayman extensively or between other countries?
Travelled extensively?? sounds fishy to me. You would have been subject to 14 day quarantine coming back into Cayman every time you did so unless you did it elsewhere, stop with the fake news!
Outside of Cayman obviously. Probably in Europe.
There is another way!
Latest in from Bermuda as of today 23rd October.
– 6 active cases
– None are hospitalized
– 996 test results in latest batch
Bermuda has pre flight testing, arrival testing and then testing at day 4, day 8 and day 14 BUT no quarantine if arrival test is negative.
Bermuda’s borders are open to all tourists and there are now at least 5 flights a day from US airlines and BA.
And they all have to wear masks in public spaces and for that the yhave 10% hotel occupancy including stay cationers – not worth the risk or the cost of keeping hotels open
Thats not the true numbers last report they had more!
Well Said!
Alberta, canada is planning a similar protocol. Are these jurisdictions reckless or are they objectively analyzing how to balance minimizing disease and maximizing reasonable activity? I am sure it is the latter, Mr Alden, “Dr.” Lee, pay attention.
I couldn’t agree more. Shut off the MSM (That’s main stream media for Jon-Jon’s benefit) They equate CV-19 to death and governments use this as a tool to control people’s lives now and into the future. It’s the sequel to 1984 George Orwell would be proud.
I think it’s a bit more brave New World than 1984 but I agree nonetheless
People are really that ignorant. At least here. And of course if you don’t have the ability to understand something than its just black magic and should be feared. I count my blessing every day that I grew up in a country with a great educations system unlike what passes for education here in CIG run systems. You can not reason with them or blame them.
Stop these BA Flights! Has this governor lost his marbles. Increasing flights from UK that is not complying with the basic quarantine safety rules with this Corona Virus Why do we want people here who are clearly going to contravene quarantine rules and spread this virus through out this community. No Mr Roper we don’t need you compatriots here.
Why the hysteria? The quarantine process is working and is actually overkill for what we need.
Go and look at Bermuda and see that even though they are mass testing and pick up the occasional traveller who is positive they have no mass outbreaks. They have no quarantine after you test negative at arrival!!
And their tourism industry is open!
Please stop the hysteria.
Rubbish – Bermudians are required to go everywhere in public with masks and have other restrictions that Caymanians do not have. Anyone wanting to read what the requirements are in Bermuda can read what the government of Bermuda says here: https://www.gotobermuda.com/bta/press-release/bermuda-tourism-authority-update
What are you talking about read your own link! They are NOT locking people up for 14 to 16 days. Whats the big deal about the masks? They have freedom to come and go. There are tourists going there.
We are locked up on a rock!
Bermuda has almost no tourists – 10% hotel occupancy and that is mainly people doing staycations. Not worth the risk.
So let me get this right? You are happy to destroy our tourism industry and ruin people’s livelihoods because you don’t want to wear a mask when you are at the supermarket? Wow!! That’s truly terrifying.
I’m with you. Whats the big deal to wear a mask when we are helping rebuild our economy?
Correct! Why are we not taking the lead from Bermuda with a proven system?
It is not just BA, Cayman airways are bring hundreds of people as well.
9.11pm Mr Born Caymanian on what basis do you claim that British BA passengers will contravene quarantine rules and spread the virus here?. Please explain your xenophobic comment.
we dont need Brits–they are cheap and won’t spend money anyway –most make a loaf of bread last a month. Stop bringing people that dont help locals
Yes. We will all get but let’s just figure a solution
Cases on island increase and there’s no counter health protection measure being implemented.
We should not continue to open without some increase health protection measures first.
For example mandate masks in public places and lower the public gathering numbers.
It is too late when we are back in lockdown.
No. Test people before they get on a plane. Keep the 14 day isolation period, and let the rest of us continue to live normally.
Cases on island increase and there’s counter health protection measure being implemented.
We should not continue to open without some increase health protection measures first.
For example mandate masks in public places and lower the public gathering numbers.
It is too late when we are back in lockdown.
Winter is coming.
yes but you got wait till season 6
Do people need to be tested 72 hours before they board a flight?
N0! How dumb is that!
There are so many people in contact with the travellers, we are bound to get it in the community soon. This is scary.
You do realise not all travellers are infected? Maybe 1 in every 100, so interaction with 99% of them has no risk, then interaction with the 1%, who are typically asymptomatic, is still done with PPE for everyone. Life isn’t guaranteed for anything, but what is being done is about as safe as you can get.
So we have 19 asymptomatic positive travellers, can we get some idea of the average time it takes before they test negative. I am in hotel quarantine having tested negative on arrival. If I test positive after 14 days confined in a hotel room, I might go crazy if I am faced with further incarceration having no idea how long that will be.
Clearly would you be until you test negative. It’s my understanding that they will test you every 48 hours after.
Your situation is exactly why I am waiting until after this has passed to relocate. The uncertainty must be dreadful.
I can’t imagine doing it with my wife and young daughter…
I really wish you the best of luck.
10:44 – Relocate where? Stay ya backside where you are.
Huh?
This is just a ticking time bomb if we are all honest. Soon it will blow up in our faces.
What a mess just waiting to happen
Hundred percent agree shutting Cayman off from the rest of the world and squandering all the CIG‘s fiscal resources, pension money, and taking on debt. With no clear path to reopening.
That is a ticking time bomb. It will blow up in your faces and create a mess once the money finally runs out…
Yuh think!?