Pop-up COVID testing centres are being established in hotels across Grand Cayman to make it easier for tourists to be screened for the virus.
All visitors to the islands are required to take a monitored lateral flow test on day 2, day 5 and day 10 of their stay.
The regulations had sparked concerns that potential tourists would be put off by the hassle of taking three days out of their vacation to go and get tested.
Now government has partnered with Doctors Hospital to bring the tests to the tourists.
The hospital has established a mobile testing unit and is setting up kiosks on a revolving schedule at major hotels including the Westin, the Marriott, Kimpton Seafire, the Holiday Inn and the Wyndham.
Medics were on site at the Westin’s Galleon ballroom on Friday, conducting tests for the hotel’s guests.
Dr. Yaron Rado, of Doctors Hospital, said the hospital issued the hotels with a weekly schedule that could be provided to guests on arrival.
“Tourists want to go out diving, they want to go on the beach or out on a boat. They don’t want to go and drive around and find somewhere and wait half an hour to get tested.
“It is important that the testing day doesn’t mess up their vacation day, so what we are doing is making it as easy as possible.”
Rado said the hospital had put significant resources into the program and hoped it would make a difference.
The Cayman Islands Tourism Association had previously highlighted the strict testing requirements as one of the key barriers to any significant return of tourism.
Government put the measures in place as it lifted quarantine mandates for vaccinated visitors on 20 November.
The past ten days has seen a slow trickle of tourists begin to return to the island. But hoteliers believe more lenient testing regulations, the ability for children to travel and an increase in airlift are needed before visitors return in significant numbers.
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