Two week quarantine for Omicron-positive patients and contacts takes effect

New isolation guidelines under a Public Health order will see individuals suspected of having the Omicron variant, plus their primary contacts, being isolated or quarantined for at least 11 days.

Public Health announced the new guidelines in a statement issued on Saturday, adding that all suspected persons and their contacts are expected to follow Omicron-related guidelines, including isolation or quarantine, until genomic sequencing confirms their status.

The new guidelines were developed following the discovery of the Omicron variant in the community this week, the statement said.

There are now four confirmed cases of the variant in Cayman.

Under the new rules, Omicron-positive persons and their contacts – who received boosters of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine at least two weeks before infection – may be allowed to exit isolation or quarantine on day 11 if they receive a negative PCR test result.

Anyone suspected of having the new variant, plus their primary contacts, will be isolated or quarantined for 14 days if they had not received boosters two weeks before infection.

Speaking at her first media briefing since taking over from Dr. John Lee, Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr. Autilia Newton said that much is still being investigated about the variant.

“We have to wait a bit longer to know what is the real impact of Omicron. What is against us is the fact that it spreads so fast and inevitably you will have a number of cases ending in hospital, ” she said.

“This is why it’s very legitimate that we take some measures we don’t go in a full lockdown which won’t be justifiable at this stage, but we take as many measures and as many precautions as possible to try to slow it down while more information becomes available.”

The spread of the variant is growing globally, prompting governments to take lockdown measures to slow the transmission of the virus, which is highly contagious. Vaccines appear to be less effective against it.

On Saturday, the Netherlands announced a strict lockdown over Christmas amid concerns over the Omicron coronavirus variant, the BBC reported.

“Non-essential shops, bars, gyms hairdressers and other public venues will be closed until at least mid-January. Two guests per household will be allowed – four over the holidays,” the UK media report stated.

Omicron has been detected in more than 77 countries, and the World Health Organisation said it is likely that the variant is present in other countries as well.

Cayman’s Public Health department remind individuals that anyone who received a positive lateral test result has to be tested by PCR at the next available opportunity.

“Testing for these persons takes place daily at the South Sound Community Centre from 1-2pm. Once persons have been tested, they are to return home immediately to isolate,” the statement added.