21 in hospital as active COVID cases reach 3,340

Although Cayman’s active COVID-19 cases have now reached 3,340, only 21 of those individuals have required hospitalisation, the latest update from the Health Ministry has confirmed.

However, over the reporting period of 8am on Friday, 12 Nov. and 8am on Tuesday, 16 Nov., two COVID-19 positive patients passed away.

Those deaths, which took the death toll from the virus locally to four since the pandemic started, “are considered COVID-19 related, as COVID-19 is listed as a contributory factor for the cause of death”.

Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee, who announced Cayman’s fourth local death on government radio Tuesday, said in the ministry statement that for those patients who died over the weekend, “the people had a lot of other medical problems and were very sick and, in both cases, it was not unexpected that they passed”.

The Public Health Department, through the Health Ministry, reported 674 new community cases and 40 positives in travellers, for an average of 179 new cases per day between Friday, 12 Nov. through Monday, 15 Nov.

As of 8am on Tuesday, 16 Nov. Faith Hospital confirmed there were 60 active cases in the Sister Islands, with eight identified since last reported.

To date, there had been 105 total cases recorded in the Sister Islands, with 45 having recovered. Out of the total number of cases in the Sister Islands, 55 were fully vaccinated, six were partially vaccinated, and 44 were unvaccinated.

No vaccinated or unvaccinated statistics were shared for Grand Cayman cases, nor were the asymptomatic or symptomatic patient figures.

With those new 714 positives, Cayman’s total number COVID-19 cases, since the start of the pandemic, now stands at 4,917 as at 8am Tuesday.

A total of 3,956 people in the Cayman Islands were in isolation either in government isolation facilities or at home, as at 8am Tuesday, according to the report.

Available resources

Isolation Support Line – 946-3530, 1-800-534-3530 or email [email protected]

Operational hours 9a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 9a.m. – 1p.m. on Saturday.

For mental health support, the Mental Health Helpline can be reached on 1-800-534-6463(MIND) from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

If you have flu symptoms contact the 24-hour Flu Hotline at 1-800-534-8600, 345-947-3077 or by email to [email protected].

If you are having difficulty breathing, please call 911.

The Public Health department also confirmed that up to 8am on Tuesday, 16 November there had been 1,320 total positive lateral flow tests since the introduction of the lateral flow test programme in the Cayman Islands, which are included in the total positive numbers given above.

Reporting COVID-19 deaths

Cayman, the statement pointed out, is using the guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) when reporting a COVID-19 related death.

Those guidelines state a death due to COVID-19 is defined for surveillance purposes as “a death resulting from a clinically compatible illness, in a probable or confirmed COVID-19 case, unless there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be related to COVID disease (e.g., trauma).”

The WHO guidelines further stipulate that, “a death due to COVID-19 may not be attributed to another disease (e.g., cancer) and should be counted independently of pre-existing conditions that are suspected of triggering a severe course of COVID-19.”

However Lee noted that death certificates list all contributory factors to a person’s death.

He further explained that if COVID-19 is completely unrelated to the death, it will not be listed as a cause or contributing factor.

Meanwhile local vaccine clinics resumed operations on Tuesday, 16 Nov., following the delivery of new vaccine supplies on Friday, 12 Nov.

The clinics were closed from Thursday, 11 Nov. through Saturday, 13 Nov. due to depleted vaccine stocks.

Cayman’s vaccination figures, as of 11 Nov. stood at 57,357 or 81% of the estimated 71,106 population had one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 55,157 or 78% of the population had two doses.