Effective today, 9 June, the Cayman Islands government is dropping one of the last remaining COVID-19 restrictions – a requirement for certain non-Caymanian residents to be vaccinated against the virus.
The Ministry of Border Control and Labour announced on Friday afternoon that the legal requirement for non-Caymanian residents and their accompanying dependents to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 has been lifted.
This means that those applying for new work permits or renewing existing ones, or those applying for permanent residency, and their dependents, are no longer required to show proof that they have been vaccinated.
Immigration and border control laws implementing the mandatory vaccinations were introduced in October 2021, as Cayman’s borders were reopening.
In a statement, the ministry said, “Effective, 9 June 2023, applicants for new work permits, work permit renewals, permanent residence, certificates for specialist caregivers and student visas, as well as persons submitting applications to add dependents or applications for Cabinet entry permits, among other applications, will no longer have to show proof of vaccination.”
Last month, the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
Cayman’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nick Gent said in Friday’s statement, “When the provision for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for work permit holders and permanent residency applicants was created, it made sense as a public health measure at the time. However, as we have all seen, much has changed in the last three years since the start of the pandemic.
“Immunisation remains a vital tool in protecting the population against severe disease, and recency of immunisation is key to maximise the benefits from vaccines. Thus, ensuring that recent arrivals on our Islands have access to COVID-19 vaccination and boosters as a public health programme is far more beneficial than relying on immunisations that have been given prior to their arrival.”
He added, “It is important that our public health measures evolve and adapt to ensure that they remain effective in light of the changing reality of the pandemic.”
In the same statement, Minister of Border Control and Labour Dwayne Seymour said Cabinet had taken the decision to lift the vaccination requirement “after careful consideration of the advice from the Medical Officer of Health”.
The statement also noted that those submitting applications to Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman or through Customs and Border Control can download the necessary forms, which have been amended to reflect the removal of the vaccine requirement, by visiting www.worc.ky or www.cbc.gov.ky.
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