With some 700 people seeking COVID testing Monday at health facilities across the islands, there were a few teething problems as the first day of testing got under way, following the reopening of Cayman’s borders this weekend.
The first passengers to arrive on island under Phase 4 of Cayman’s reopening plan flew in on Saturday. Under the current COVID-19 regulations, all arrivals are required to get a lateral flow test at an approved health facility on days two, five and 10 after arriving. This meant that Monday, 22 Nov., was the first day of testing for the hundreds who arrived on the six international flights that landed on Saturday.
Upon arrival, Customs and Border Control give passengers a small booklet that will be stamped after each of the three tests, along with a printed list of approved testing facilities.
However, according to a Facebook post, at least one passenger said he did not receive a booklet when he arrived at Owen Roberts International Airport Saturday. That passenger eventually received a booklet on Monday.
The printed list of facilities includes a QR code which, when accessed, gives the most up-to-date list of testing centres.
However, that QR code-accessed list on Monday morning included facilities that were not ready to do testing. For example, the Health Services Authority’s West Bay Nurses Clinic was included on the list, but did not have lateral flow tests available and had not been notified that it had been included. People attending the clinic looking for tests were referred to the HSA COVID Testing Centre at the Cayman Islands Hospital in George Town instead.
Later on Monday, that list was amended, and HSA district health clinics were removed.
A nurse at another testing facility – a private one – on Monday morning said her clinic was “overwhelmed” by demand from people seeking tests and was turning away walk-ins and not taking any more appointments for Monday.
Information about which clinics were dealing with testing on a timely basis and which were accepting walk-ins was exchanged over social media throughout the day as tourists and residents scrambled to comply with the rules for mandatory testing.
Failure to comply with the new lateral flow testing regime carries a potential $10,000 fine.
Some facilities are advising people to make an appointment rather than visiting as walk-in customers, but several testing sites were accepting walk-ins. The general consensus garnered from the day’s experience was to call in advance to check the options available.
Among the people tested on Monday was Governor Martyn Roper, who in a Facebook post, stated that he had returned a negative result. The governor flew in from London on Saturday.
In his post, Roper said UK National Health Service experts had congratulated Cayman on its very high vaccination rate.
He said, “Moving to phase 4 on Saturday was a significant milestone and I congratulate Government on taking an important step forward in our reopening. We have a lot of covid cases but hospitalisations are relatively low and steady. The vaccines, lateral flow tests, wearing masks, social distancing and following good hygiene will help us keep it that way.”
The results of tests done at the medical facilities will be reported to Public Health.
Under the regulations, only lateral flow tests administered by a registered practitioner at an approved facility are accepted by Public Health for incoming travellers.
The list of approved testing centres, as of Monday, 22 Nov., can be viewed here.
The Compass has reached out to government health officials for comment on the first day of testing and is awaiting a response.
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Who could have guessed that this would be bungled by the CIG?
I said this in a previous post.
https://www.caymancompass.com/2021/11/21/ticketable-covid-breaches-10k-fines-for-testing-non-compliance-take-effect/
Just wait till day 5. You’re going to have day 5 and new day 2 people trying to get a LFT. And this is with only 700 people! Day 5 could see as many as 2,000 people trying to get a LFT. This could be a real mess as more people arrive per day.
CAYMAN, What a mess!
The link to the testing facilities in this article doesn’t even work…
Why on earth are the Government insisting on face-to-face tests? In the UK it’s common for such tests to be taken via Zoom with a medical professional guiding you through the process which takes 4-5 minutes; then you upload a photo of your passport and completed test and the written result is sent back to you within 30 minutes. No-one has to leave their abode and travel anywhere, possibly infecting others on the way. And it cuts out so many layers of bureaucracy by using private firms. The Gov would seem to be placing just about every possible roadblock in the way of returning tourists. Compare the approach taken by Turks & Caicos – chalk and cheese.
I have to have 3-4 tests after I arrive? Even though I have a negative test to get on the airplane to come to Cayman. Doesn’t seem to align with other safe Caribbean vacation choices. Feel so bad for your tourism industry.
The latest update said that the government would cover the expense of the tests for for the first several weeks, YET the list of testing centers says that they will be “at the visitors expense.”
So, which is it?
This whole mess should have been worked out WEEKS ago.
outrageous…will tourists be fined for tests that are not available?Will testing be available on Sundays and holidays? Better get it together. Better yet, dispense with the testing. With community spread, the least of the problem is vaccinated tourists spreading disease.