The Cayman Islands is restricting incoming travel from nine countries in southern Africa and Belgium in Europe, after cases of a new variant of COVID-19, named Omicron, were found there.
Cayman joins several countries worldwide that are implementing travel bans for these countries after the World Health Organisation recognised the variant that emerged in South Africa earlier this week as a variant of concern.
The new B.1.1.529 variant, a highly mutated form of the virus, is considered to be far more transmissible than the Delta variant.
The Omicron variant, named after the 15th letter in the Greek alphabet, has a spike protein that is dramatically different to the one in the original coronavirus that vaccines are based on, the UK Health Security Agency said, raising fears about how current vaccines will fare.
Countries from which travel to Cayman is restricted include: Belgium, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In a statement issued Friday night, the Cayman Islands government stated that anyone who has travelled to, from or through these countries within the 21 days preceding their arrival in Cayman must undergo PCR testing within 24 hours of arrival, and must also complete a quarantine period of not less than 14 days.
Travellers from these countries already in the Cayman Islands from these countries will also be required to complete a 14 day quarantine, the statement said.
The regulations issued Friday also detail provisions for people who have been in contact with such individuals, including any other occupants of a private residence where they may be quarantining.
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