Premier: Border-reopening date to be announced next week

An announcement on a border-reopening date is expected next week, Premier Wayne Panton said at a press briefing Thursday.

Earlier, Panton had said that a month’s notice would be given to the public regarding the reopening date. On Thursday, he said the government would hold a press conference next week “to provide specific information around the reopening date”.

Governor Martyn Roper, noting Cayman’s high vaccination rate, said if Cayman can’t open up, “nobody can”.

Lateral flow test pilot

At the briefing, Panton also announced that the Cayman Islands government is launching rapid lateral flow COVID-19 tests among a group of families in isolation following outbreaks of the virus at local schools.

Panton said the first order of the tests had arrived and a portion of them would be used in the pilot programme, which involves families with schoolchildren in quarantine.

He said a medical team would be setting up the small pilot scheme this weekend for families in quarantine due to exposure to positive students at schools, but who do not have confirmed positive cases in their households.

“They will be allowed to come into a testing centre where lateral flow tests will be conducted,” Panton said. “There will be a demonstration as to how to utilise those, and if they are negative, they will be free to leave quarantine.”

The families will be given a sufficient number of test kits for daily tests until the end of the intended quarantine period and they will be required to report the results to Public Health, Panton added.

“I want to emphasise, this is a pilot which will allow us to evaluate how the lateral flow tests are being utilised and reported on and, more importantly, will bring much-needed relief for some of our families of students who have been impacted,” the premier said.

Describing the availability of lateral flow tests as a “game changer”, he said their use would reduce the significant inconvenience being experienced by families in quarantine because of the local outbreaks.

At the briefing, Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee demonstrated the use of lateral flow tests, with the help of the press conference moderator Donna Bush, who was tested live on air. Her results were negative.

Panton said lateral flow tests would be available to people in quarantine for free.

The premier noted that Cayman was on the cusp of reaching its 80% vaccination rate target.

As of Thursday, 75% of the population was fully vaccinated, and 78% had received a first dose.

Lee, at the briefing, noted that the latest test results showed that there were 12 new community cases of COVID, four of which were children, with some of the adults “not connected to school outbreaks”.

He said there had now been a total of 188 positive cases in the community since early September, which he said was a 0.26% prevalence of positive rate out of the 25,203 COVID tests that been carried out.

He also announced that, from Thursday, booster shots will be available to anyone over the age of 60. For those who are unable to travel to get their vaccines, Public Health staff can visit them in their homes and administer the vaccines there.

Verifiable vaccinations

The premier also announced that, next week, the government will change the regulations relating to securely verified vaccinations. Currently, people with QR codes showing they have been vaccinated by specific organisations are allowed to quarantine for seven days. All others without securely verified vaccines currently must isolate for 10 days.

He said the government had agreed that all Caymanians and returning residents who have been vaccinated overseas can quarantine for the shorter period, regardless of whether they have had a securely verified vaccine.

He said this change would enable overseas students to more easily return to Cayman during college or school breaks over Thanksgiving or Christmas.

“This change is the first in a series of changes that we will be implementing, and we will have more to say about this in a subsequent press briefing,” Panton said.

Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan had indicated Wednesday on ‘The Resh Hour‘ that there were plans to abolish the verifiable vaccine requirement.

Help for quarantining families

The premier admitted that the government had “dropped the ball” in regard to communicating with and assisting families who suddenly found themselves in quarantine when cases of the virus were found in local schools, and he apologised to them.

She advised people to call the Health Services Authority flu hotline to request grocery assistance. To contact the hotline, call 925-6327, 947-3077 or 1-800-5348600 or email [email protected].

Turner said those manning the hotlines would pass details along to the Red Cross, whose volunteers will make the grocery deliveries. She added that Hazard Management Cayman Islands and Foster’s supermarket were also part of the initiative.

What she described as “standard grocery packs” would be delivered to those in quarantine, and other items like diapers or adult sanitation products could also be requested.

For people who need proof that they are in quarantine, for an employer or for a utility company, they can email [email protected] or also call the flu hotline to coordinate this. “We will supply them with a letter for this purpose,” Turner said.

She added that additional members had been added to the Public Health call centre to deal with calls.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez said a total of 30 additional staff were working at the call centre, and more had been added to assist with swabbing and testing.

Mandatory vaccination laws enacted

Last week, the government passed two bills mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for certain categories of non-Caymanians in Cayman. The Immigration (Transition) (Amendment) Act and Customs and Border Control (Amendment) Act came into effect Thursday.

Panton, in response to a media question, said government did not immediately have on hand the number of work-permit holders in Cayman who were vaccinated, but said that data was being collated.

Panton said the use of lateral flow tests, introduction of mandatory vaccinations and reduction of the length of quarantine for vaccinated individuals were “important steps” in preparing for the reopening of Cayman’s borders.

“It is essential we get the management of COVID-19 in the community properly functioning for our resident population first and we can wisely and safely welcome visitors back to our shores and ensure our systems are tested and fully proven in the event our guests require isolation or quarantine,” he said.