Tag: Public Health Department

Respiratory illnesses spike amid new COVID strain

Respiratory illnesses spike amid new COVID strain

| 27/12/2023 | 14 Comments

(CNS): The Ministry of Health and Wellness expects that respiratory illnesses will continue to increase over the course of the holiday season and in January due to travel, the influx of arrivals, and an increase in the number and size of gatherings. The World Health Organization has also classified the JN.1 strain of COVID-19 as […]

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Dengue cases mount due to regional outbreak

Dengue cases mount due to regional outbreak

| 09/11/2023 | 5 Comments

(CNS): Local public health officials have confirmed that as of 7 November there have been 18 laboratory confirmed cases of Dengue in the Cayman Islands. Of those, nine were imported cases with the patients having a recent travel history, but the other nine were infected locally. Since the start of the year 97 cases have […]

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Public health conducts major vaccine drive

Public health conducts major vaccine drive

| 24/04/2023 | 27 Comments

(CNS): The Public Health Department is marking the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) 21st annual Vaccination Week with a national vaccination drive. This year’s theme is “Get up-to-date #EachVaccineCounts”. Parents with children who need vaccinations, including missed or outstanding doses, are urged to attend the events over the next two weekends or make an appointment with their […]

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COVID still claiming local lives 3 years after lockdown

COVID still claiming local lives 3 years after lockdown

| 17/03/2023 | 25 Comments

(CNS): There were three COVID-related deaths last month among hospital patients, all of whom had underlying comorbidities. Three years after the government locked down the country and closed the borders, 17 people who were admitted to hospital last month, including those admitted for unrelated reasons, were positive for the virus, officials said in the latest […]

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Imported dengue case on Brac but no local spread

Imported dengue case on Brac but no local spread

| 07/11/2022 | 3 Comments

(CNS): The Public Health Department has confirmed one case of dengue fever on Cayman Brac in an individual who had travelled from a country where the virus is common but said there had been no local transmission of the mosquito-borne virus. Although there was one previous case in August, PHD said there had been no […]

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Plans in motion to split Public Health from HSA

Plans in motion to split Public Health from HSA

| 31/08/2022 | 34 Comments

(CNS): The Ministry of Health and Wellness is developing a business case to examine the process of separating the Public Health Department from the Health Services Authority to help promote a healthier community. Health Minister Sabrina Turner said at a press briefing on Wednesday that public health extends far beyond managing communicable diseases like the […]

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Cayman sees first case of dengue in three years

Cayman sees first case of dengue in three years

| 26/08/2022 | 34 Comments

(CNS): The Public Health Department has confirmed a case of dengue fever in the Cayman Islands this week, the first for three years. Officials have not said if the individual suffering from the mosquito-borne viral disease had a travel history to a place where it is prevalent but did confirm there had been no local […]

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Local sample under investigation for monkeypox

Local sample under investigation for monkeypox

| 01/06/2022 | 28 Comments

(CNS): The Public Health Department has said that it is investigating a potential monkeypox case in a young patient with a rash and fever that has been diagnosed as chickenpox. A sample from the patient has been sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), “out of an abundance of caution”, to check for the […]

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CMO hints at need to reduce COVID restrictions

CMO hints at need to reduce COVID restrictions

| 20/05/2022 | 91 Comments

(CNS): Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr Autilia Newton, who last week was urging people to help curb the spread of COVID-19, now says that the risk of increasing infections needs to be balanced with the benefits of a more normal lifestyle. Despite the still high transmission levels, she said consideration needs to be given to […]

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CMO worried about low booster numbers

CMO worried about low booster numbers

| 26/01/2022 | 201 Comments

(CNS): Dr Autilia Newton, the interim chief medical officer, has raised concerns that too few people in the Cayman Islands have received a booster shot against COVID-19. In a virtual meeting with the media, she said people need to get a third shot to protect themselves from the very high rate of the SARS-CoV-2 virus […]

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6,000 in isolation as Omicron and Delta spread

6,000 in isolation as Omicron and Delta spread

| 25/01/2022 | 182 Comments

(CNS): More than 6,000 people, almost 10% of the local population, are currently in isolation after testing positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus over the last week. Public Health officials have said the sheer number of people impacted by the virus is making it extremely difficult for them to meet all of the expectations relating to […]

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