38 new community COVID cases recorded

Cayman recorded 38 new cases of community transmission of COVID on Monday, the majority of which are school children, Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee said in his latest update.

These cases are in addition to 14 new COVID-19 cases in travellers, which took Monday’s total to 52, one of the highest recorded tallies of new cases to date.

Lee, in his report, said the majority of the community positives were in school children from Prospect Primary School, Triple C School, Cayman Academy, John Gray High School, Clifton Hunter High School and two other pre-schools.

“Some teachers have been involved and there have also been positives in other adults not associated with these schools,” he said.

Lee, in his video message issued along with the written report, said he was not really able to continue to give precise locations for all of these positive cases “as they’re becoming quite widespread”.

“I think the far more important message for me to give to you today is please take care of yourself. If you’re not vaccinated or if you’re vulnerable or elderly please make sure you take particular attention and please protect the community around you, wear masks when indoors, distance, [practise] hand hygiene…” Lee said.

In his report, Lee said affected parents, teachers, and students have been notified by Public Health, and the individual schools have been communicating directly with parents, staff and students on their COVID-19 protocols.

Of the 52 new positive cases, 36 people were unvaccinated and 16 vaccinated.

This brings the current total active cases to 113 and the overall number of confirmed cases to 905 since the pandemic began last year.

One person remains hospitalised, out of the 50 people who are showing signs of the virus. The remaining 63 positive patients are asymptomatic. The total number of people in isolation was not released.

Isolation necessary to slow spread

Lee urged those isolating to follow Public Health’s guidance as this is “vital to reduce and slow the spread of infection through our community”.

“By isolating you can stop the spread of potential COVID-19 disease. We know time and time again that people at the end of an isolation period can test positive which why it’s so important to stay isolated for the entire period and not to breach, to please help protect the community,” he said.

He explained that health officials are attempting, by these isolations, to slow the spread of COVID-19 throughout the community, “so that our hospitals are never overwhelmed”.

He said there are many good treatments that are coming along in the next six months or so, as well as different types of inoculations “and vaccinations obviously affecting younger and younger age groups”.

He said more than 90% of people over 18 years old have had at least one dose of the vaccine so “we are well protected”.

However, he said this still leaves a small percentage of people that are vulnerable and “additionally, we know that the vaccine does not work 100%, particularly in those who may be immunocompromised or elderly, so we ask you please to help assist us and comply with public health guidance and any advice to isolate”.

Lee said 107,853 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered since the start of the vaccination programme.

A total of 55,366 people have received first doses, representing 78% of the estimated population of 71,106, and 52,381 have completed the two-dose course, representing 74% of the population.

To date, 106 people have received a third, or booster, dose.