Topic: COVID-19
COVID cases among CUC staff lead to head office closure
CUC has closed its doors to in-person customer service at its North Sound headquarters as the ever increasing cases of Omicron and COVID-19 impact its staff.
Cayman’s COVID cases top 10,000 since start of pandemic
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 10,186 positive COVID-19 cases reported in the Cayman Islands, Public Health has stated.
Vaccination clinic reopens, booster shots move to alphabet days
Cayman's Health Services Authority has moved to alphabet days for the administering of COVID-19 booster shots, as the HSA's vaccination clinic resumes operations following the Christmas holiday break.
‘No regrets’ for Cayman couples aboard ship flagged by CDC for COVID-19 cases
Cayman couples Joy and Sam Basdeo and in-laws Andre and Maria Jackson say they are not worried about their trip, nor the journey ahead, even though their cruise ship is among 88 now under investigation by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for onboard COVID-19 cases.
Cayman reports 137 new COVID cases; total possible Omicron numbers stand at 376
Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr. Autilia Newton reported 137 new cases of COVID-19, nine in travellers and 128 from the community on Friday, 31 December.
When all you want for Christmas is a negative PCR test…
Cayman Compass news editor Caroline James was one of 3,500 people who spent Christmas this year in quarantine. Here, she shares a glimpse into how she refused to let COVID-19 derail the holiday.
Cayman reports a 12th COVID death
There has been a 12th death from COVID-19 Public Health officials noted on Thursday. No further details were provided regarding this person's age or vaccination status.
Cayman considering CDC’s revised guidelines, and others, on isolation policies
Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr. Autilia Newton says the Cayman Islands is "taking into consideration" new guidelines by the US Centers on Disease Control and Prevention on reduced isolation requirements for COVID-positive individuals, as well as guidance from other entities internationally.
Omicron cases climb to 103
Public Health reported on Christmas Eve that the total number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 Omicron cases has risen to 103.
HSA adds more staff to ease vaccination queues
In response to complaints about long waiting times for vaccinations and testing at its new clinic site, the Health Services Authority says it has put on more staff to deal with registration.
East End MP among Cayman’s rising number of suspected Omicron cases
Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr. Autilia Newton reported 18 newly-suspected Omicron cases on Thursday, bringing the total suspected cases of the variant to 72.
Two further COVID-related deaths, as suspected Omicron cases reach 54
Two more deaths from COVID-19 were reported on Tuesday, in the latest update from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, bringing Cayman's total number of deaths connected to the virus to 11.
UK regulator approves Pfizer vaccines for 5-11 year olds
British regulators on Wednesday approved the use of a COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years old, paving the way for kids in that age group in Cayman to be vaccinated.
COVID reported on Brac for first time this month
Health officials have announced 26 new cases of COVID-19 in the Cayman Islands, including one on Cayman Brac – the first case to be reported there since 30 Nov.
Work-from-home plea amid Omicron fears
Government announced new restrictions on night-life and urged people to work from home where possible as the island’s first cases of the contagious Omicron variant were revealed.
29 new positive COVID cases reported
In her Wednesday, 15 Dec. update of COVID cases, Chief Medical Officer (Interim) Dr. Autilia Newton reported 29 new positive cases, including two among travellers and 27 in the community.
No requirement for employers to pay quarantined workers
Employers are under no legal obligation to provide additional sick days or work-from-home arrangements to workers in mandatory quarantine, government officials have confirmed.
47 new COVID cases reported
Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee reported on Tuesday that there were 47 new positive cases of COVID-19, comprising 45 in the community and two travellers.
No Omicron in Cayman, as Sister Islands mark zero active cases
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Wellness confirmed on Monday that no cases of the Omicron variant have been detected on island.
Governor pays tribute to ‘Cayman icon and hero’ Dr. John Lee
Governor Martyn Roper and Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee were out running together again this weekend, to mark the end of Lee's tenure as the Islands' most senior medical advisor.
Share of positive COVID tests plummets; 80% fully vaccinated
Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee reported only 30 positive COVID-19 cases out of 1,132 PCR tests carried out from 8am Thursday to 8am Friday.
Newborn baby among COVID cases
A newborn baby was among 10 children aged under 1 who tested positive for COVID-19 in a single week, Chief Nursing Officer Dr. Hazel Brown revealed in her latest weekly report on the virus.
Early BioNTech, Pfizer data suggests boosters may protect against Omicron infection
BioNTech and Pfizer said on Wednesday a three-shot course of their COVID-19 vaccine was able to neutralise the new Omicron variant in a laboratory test, an early signal that booster shots could be key to protection against infection from the newly identified variant.
70 new COVID cases reported
According to the latest COVID-19 update, there are 70 new positive cases in Cayman – 68 within the local community and two involving travellers.
Johnson imposes COVID-19 ‘Plan B’ in England to contain Omicron
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed tougher COVID-19 restrictions in England on Wednesday, ordering people to work from home, wear masks in public places and use vaccine passes in a bid to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
61 new COVID cases reported
The Public Health Department has reported 61 new cases of COVID-19.
Two more COVID-related deaths reported
Two more people have died from COVID-19, the Ministry of Health announced Monday, as it reported 127 new positive cases in Cayman.
The issue explained: Boosters, variants and COVID immunity
The feared Omicron variant of COVID-19 is “knocking on the door” and will be difficult to keep out of the Cayman Islands, Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee acknowledged as he urged residents to get their booster shot.
85 new COVID-19 cases reported; 14 patients in hospital
Eight-five people tested positive for COVID-19 from the latest batch of 1,006 PCR tests, according to a Government Information Services statement.
Nearly 1,000 runners confirmed for weekend marathon
The 2021 Walkers Cayman Islands Marathon is set for this Sunday, 5 Dec. However, the highly anticipated annual event will feature several changes to keep in line with the current COVID-19 regulations.
7th COVID-related death reported
A seventh person with COVID-19 has died in Cayman, health officials reported Thursday.
McLaughlin urges gov’t to address work permit delays
Red Bay MP Alden McLaughlin has called on the PACT government to sort out delays in processing work permits, saying the backlog was impacting local businesses, as the islands begin to open up to tourists.
New rules require contacts of COVID-positive travellers to isolate
Household members and primary contacts of travellers who test positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Cayman are now required to isolate for at least 14 days and take a PCR test, Public Health announced as part of new rules implemented in response to the emergence of the highly contagious Omicron variant.
Sixth COVID-related death, 89 positive cases reported
Cayman recorded a sixth COVID-related death on Wednesday, as the jurisdiction's active cases and the number of hospitalisations have started to drop off.
161 positive community cases reported
161 positive results - all coming from the community - were reported in Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee's Tuesday update.
Visitor writes off Cayman after issues with travel certificate
I am so done with the Cayman Islands. You finally processed my travel certificate approximately 10 hours before I was due to travel.
Due to...
Cayman marks fifth COVID-related death, as 336 new positive cases confirmed
An unvaccinated 71 year old with "multiple comorbidities" has become Cayman's fifth COCID-related death.
Court action dropped as government agrees to honour test order
A Cayman Islands medical supplies company confirmed Monday it plans to drop its lawsuit against government, saying officials have now agreed to honour an order for 500,000 lateral flow test kits.
COVID vaccine boosters available to over-30s
People aged 30 and over can now get their COVID-19 booster shots, and the doses will be available to all adults of 18 and over from Tuesday, 7 Dec., the Public Health Department has announced.
Pop-up COVID testing centres open at hotels
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.
Government 2022/23 budget projects return to operating surpluses
Government is planning a return to operating surpluses without any new fees or taxes in its 2022/2023 budget based on better than expected revenues.
Travel authorisation delays causing headaches
With Travel Cayman dealing with 600-800 new travel applications a day, travellers are complaining of stress and frustration as they await last-minute approvals.
COVID-19 suppresses Cayman’s Black Friday crowds
Government imposed COVID-19 control regulations have forced business owners to rethink the logistics behind their Black Friday sales. These rethought plans, coupled with a global supply chain shortage resulted in significant reductions in crowd sizes at warehouse and department stores across Grand Cayman.
Cayman bans travel from 9 African countries and Belgium over new COVID variant
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.
25 in hospital as 139 new COVID cases reported
The latest COVID-19 statistics show that, of 991 PCR tests taken on Thursday, there were a total of 139 new positive cases recorded, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee.
Gov’t has made poor decisions concerning COVID
Government has been wrong about almost every event since the COVID shutdown; why would they be right now?
Tourists have little confidence in government and...
27 hospitalised as 138 community positives reported
There are now 27 people in hospital, as of 8am Thursday, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee's latest update, which is one fewer than at the same time on Wednesday.
New COVID-19 variant triggers global alarm as WHO urges caution
Global authorities reacted with alarm on Friday to a new coronavirus variant detected in South Africa, with the EU and Britain among those tightening border controls as researchers sought to find out if the mutation was vaccine-resistant.
Calls to axe exit test amid lengthy quarantine nightmares
Public health chiefs are facing calls to drop the “exit test” for people in isolation amid concerns that some Cayman residents are being confined to their homes for up to six weeks.
Analysis: Waiting for the COVID-19 tide to turn
There are some signs that the current wave of COVID-19 cases in Cayman may be levelling out, but it will take more time for case numbers to fall significantly.
The Resh Hour: Reopen Cayman
Reopen Cayman members Shomari Scott, James Bovell and Michael Tibbetts (via Zoom) to discuss Cayman’s reopening, the current COVID-19 situation, next steps for the island and their projections for the return of tourism.
175 new local COVID cases reported
The latest update on COVID numbers in Cayman shows 176 new cases, bringing the total number of active cases in the islands to 4,140.
Cayman’s active COVID cases level out
The Public Health department reported 192 positive results from 1,382 COVID tests on Tuesday.
Passenger charged for travelling to Cayman with COVID-19 to return to court
A 28-year-old woman who is accused of travelling to Cayman, despite having tested positive for COVID-19, is due to return to court on Monday 6 Dec.
Pines resident among new hospital COVID admissions
A resident of the Pines Retirement Home is among six new COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital, Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee stated in his latest update on Tuesday.
Cayman’s COVID wave not turning yet, as active cases climb to 4,047
The number of active COVID-19 cases in the Cayman Islands continued to increase to 4,047 over the weekend.
23 hospitalisations as 559 positive cases reported over weekend
559 positive cases of COVID-19 were recorded at 8am on Monday morning, comprising six travellers and 553 from the community, Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee reported on Monday evening.
George Town mum wins $100K vaccination drive grand prize
George Town mother-of-two Dawn Bodden is $100,000 richer, as she walked away with the grand prize on Monday in government's vaccination campaign, in partnership with local company DMS.
Pines Retirement Home closed to public after COVID cases detected
The Pines Retirement Home has closed its doors to visitors until further notice after "a number" of COVID-19 cases were discovered among the elderly residents there, Lynda Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer at the Home confirmed Saturday afternoon.
21 hospitalised, as 170 community COVID cases recorded
There were 170 positive results from the community out of 1,518 PCR tests conducted between 8am Thursday and 8am Friday, Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee reported on Friday.
Lee: Hospitalisations ‘steady’ as 206 more COVID cases recorded
While the spike in community COVID-19 cases continues to be a concern, Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee said hospitalisations due to the virus have been "relatively steady" over the last 10 days to two weeks.
Disappointed with government’s COVID response
In any democracy it is the right of people to question leadership. While I am not Caymanian, I am a frequent visitor and have...
How will lateral flow testing work for verified vaccinated travellers?
When Phase 4 of government's reopening plan comes into force on Saturday, 20 Nov., verified vaccinated travellers will no longer be required to quarantine. Instead, they will be required to undergo a lateral flow test on days 2, 5 and 10 of their stay.
Six flights and 700 passengers expected on 20 Nov. for border reopening
As Cayman prepares to drop quarantine for verified vaccinated travellers on Saturday, effectively reopening the borders to international visitors, Customs and Border Control officials say they're ready to welcome travellers back to the Islands.
Cayman celebrates the life of ‘local fishing legend’
Mark Everett Stanley, Sr. will go down as Cayman’s first ‘COVID victim’ of 2021. But to his friends and family, he was much more than that.
Confirmed COVID-19 total cases surpass 5,000
Cayman's COVID-19 tally has crossed the 5,000 mark, as a further 239 cases were recorded Wednesday, 236 of which were community positives plus three...
More than 200 COVID cases a day in second week of November
Last week the Cayman Islands has seen an average of 202 positive COVID cases a day and a weekly total of 1,413.
21 in hospital as active COVID cases reach 3,340
Although Cayman's active COVID-19 cases have now reached 3,340, only 21 of those individuals have required hospitalisation, the latest update from the Health Ministry has confirmed.
COVID contingency: Cayman’s field hospital ready ‘by Christmas time’
Cayman will recommission a field hospital, set up in May last year, to prepare for a potential increase in patients requiring care, Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee has confirmed.
CMO confirms second COVID death over long weekend
Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee has confirmed the passing of a second COVID patient over the long weekend.
Condolences offered for COVID-19 patient who died in hospital
Governor Martyn Roper, Premier Wayne Panton and Opposition Leader, Roy McTaggart, have all offered condolences to the family of 73 year-old man who tested positive for COVID-19 but died due to an undisclosed, underlying illness.
UCCI suspends classroom learning after positive COVID-19 case
The University College of the Cayman Islands has transitioned to online learning after one student tested positive for COVID-19.
