Travel Regulations to be Amended

News

Travel Regulations to be Amended

Following the confirmation of 24 community transmission cases of COVID-19 on Grand Cayman, anyone travelling to the Sister Islands from Grand Cayman who has not been fully vaccinated within the previous 14 days must provide a negative PCR test certificate from an approved laboratory, no more than 48 hours prior to departure.

Inter-island travel from Grand Cayman to the Sister Islands will be remain the same for verifiably vaccinated individuals.

Premier Hon. Wayne Panton announced at a press conference on Friday, 17 September at the Government Administration Building the inter-island travel restrictions, which will go into effect once the revised travel and boating regulations are published early next week.

The increased COVID-19 suppression measures follow the Government's decision to pause the transition from Phase Three to Phase Four of the Cayman Islands' border reopening plan earlier this week in the face of renewed community transmission of the virus and increased public concern.

The Islands were scheduled to move to Phase Four, featuring more relaxed border control measures allowing greater numbers of visitors into the country, on 14 October 2021. This schedule changed following confirmation of community spread in two separate clusters of coronavirus infection, one of which affected a local primary school.

The Premier explained, 'This pause gives us an opportunity to strengthen some of our controls so that we reduce the likelihood of a surge of COVID-19 cases that puts lives and all commerce at risk. Once we go through this process, Government will have a better sense of the way forward and our citizens may have increased confidence in our local ability to re-join the wider world.'

Premier Panton also emphasised that before the Cayman Islands relaxes controls, Government is seeking to ensure the Islands' 'actual resilience is as robust in tackling the current outbreaks as we have believed them to be'.

He said Government is purposely taking this pause on reopening to ensure 'the children are protected, limit the spread of the virus and address fears while examining the way forward'.

Replying to queries, the Premier said while the pause will not be lifted on 14 October, it would be difficult to pin it down to a specific date at this time.

However, he said the situation has been somewhat reassuring with nearly all positive community transmission cases remaining asymptomatic.

The Premier underscored the need for residents to remain calm and be assured that Government is taking the safety of all, but especially that of children and parents, very seriously.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee noted that over 7,000 PCR tests were conducted since last week, with the overwhelming majority testing negative. He said these results highlight the fact that wide-spread vaccinations work in suppressing the disease.

In attendance at the press conference were H.E. Governor Martyn Roper, Premier Panton, Minister of Health Hon. Sabrina Turner and Dr. Lee.

Rev. Godfrey Meghoo of the United Church led prayers at the start.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee said:

• Following a joint Health and Education Ministries decision, George Town Primary School (GTPS) will remain closed until 14 days after the date of the outbreak and all those related to the incidences should remain at home in isolation for the two weeks.
• Over 7,000 PCR tests or some 10% of the CI population have been conducted since last Wednesday. These included cases of concern but also included routine screening covering incoming travellers at the airport, Customs and Border Control agents and supermarket workers, concerned families and a number of institutions across the Islands. All of these have been negative, other than those reported above. This is 'exceedingly reassuring news' for the Cayman Islands. It is equally reassuring that there is only one person admitted in hospital.
• The person admitted to hospital out of the 24 community transmission cases is improving, is no longer is running a temperature and has had not required respiratory support throughout admission.
• So, the vaccination is working. There was cause for concern some 10 days ago when the community transmissions emerged but the situation is far more reassuring currently.
• There have been 774 positive cases in the Cayman Islands so far since the disease manifested, with 12 in Cayman Brac and one in Little Cayman. Of the total, there are currently 25 symptomatic people, 27 asymptomatic and 720 recovered.
• Currently, 709 persons are isolating at home.
• Flu calls to the Flu Hotline were 134, with 67 related to respiratory symptoms. There are a number of respiratory type illnesses currently travelling around in the community.
• Of the four community transmission cases from last week, three remain symptomatic and also three of the four remain isolated in their homes.
• Of the George Town Primary School incidences, 17 of the children who have tested positive are from Years 2-6 affecting nine of the 14 classes in the school. Additionally, three adults related who are positive, bringing the GTPS total to 20. Two of the adults and five of the children are currently symptomatic. They are all managing well at home.
• The COVID-19 Clinic at the Health Services Authority is open for testing from 7.30 am to 12 noon, Mondays-Fridays. Those seeking testing are advised to book online at https://www.hsa.ky/appointment/ and take with them a Government issued photo ID and their own mask.

Premier Panton said changes in travelling and boating regulations will come into effect early next week.

These include:

• People who have tested negative or who are verifiably vaccinated will be allowed to travel from Grand Cayman to Cayman Brac or Little Cayman.
• Anyone who, at least 14 days prior to the date of travel, has not completed an approved vaccine course and wishes to travel to the Sister Islands from Grand Cayman must provide a PCR test no more than 48 hours prior to departure and provide to a customs or border control officer, on arrival, a medical certificate that shows the negative test and that specifies the name and address of the approved laboratory where the test was performed.
• Anyone who arrives in the Sister Islands from Grand Cayman who shows respiratory symptoms or symptoms of the virus will be quarantined until the person is no longer a risk to the public.
• Anyone who has to be quarantined in the Sister Islands after having travelled from Grand Cayman is liable for any costs associated with the quarantine facility unless they are a returning student; provide evidence that the travel was government-related, sporting-event related as part of a national team; for medical purposes; educational purposes; and any person who has responsibility for taking a child or an adult away from the Islands for medical purposes.
• Also, the numbers allowed to ride on boats have been reduced from 500 down to 50 person or to 50% of the legal capacity of vessel, whichever is lesser.

The Governor said:

• The next delivery of 11,000 vaccine doses will arrive from the UK on 27 September. This will be on the first commercial BA flight following the end of the repatriation flights.
• The arriving vaccines can be used for first and second shots as well as for the first phase of boosters for qualifying people who came forward at the beginning of our rollout. HSA will be handling that in their usual effective way. More booster vaccines will be delivered on flights after 27 September as needed.
• All over 50s will be offered a booster, and the small number of immunocompromised people have already been advised to have three, rather than two shots.
• The UK has abolished the green and amber lists and now have only a red list. Cayman is not on the red list. Decisions about what travellers needs to do on entry to the UK from Cayman now depend upon their vaccine status. The UK recognises vaccine certificates from Cayman; so those fully vaccinated here will continue to benefit from no quarantine.
• From 4 October, travellers will no longer need to take a pre-departure test. Until the end of October, they will still need to do a Day Two PCR test but thereafter will only need to take a cheaper lateral flow test. If unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, from 4 October they will have to do 10 days in quarantine on arrival and take PCR tests on days two and eight. They will also still need a pre-departure PCR test.

Minister Turner said:

• She welcomed that many business establishments have implemented Public Health safety measures of mask wearing, hand sanitising and social distancing.
• She urged everyone to make decisions that affect the greater good and adhere to social distancing, wearing masks when in enclosed areas like supermarkets, churches and other crowded places.
• Government emphasises that safely managing COVID-19 is by vaccination, not lockdown, Minister Turner said.
• Vaccines remain highly effective in preventing severe disease. Serious illness results among the unvaccinated.
• In the most recent community spread, the decision for isolations was made for the safety of the people out of an abundance of caution, she added.

The entire proceedings of the press conference can be viewed on the Government YouTube Channel using the link https://youtu.be/X24s17KdNLk .

Premier Hon. Wayne Panton's Speaking Points

Good afternoon,

As I told you Tuesday, Government has put a pause on Phase 3 of our Safely Reopening the Cayman Islands Plan. Doing so will give us an opportunity to assess the developments over the past two weeks including the emergence of COVID-19 in our community.

We are purposefully taking this pause to ensure our children are protected, limit the spread of the virus and address your fears as we examine the way forward.

And this pause effects all three Cayman Islands.

I am aware of the concern on Cayman Brac that three people from Grand Cayman traveled to the Brac, including a child from the George Town Primary School where an outbreak of COVID-19 was revealed on Monday. All family members, including the student, tested negative for the virus at Faith Hospital and are now at their home on the Sister Islands in isolation for 14 days.

As I said, our protective measures are for all three Islands. As such, Cabinet met this afternoon and agreed to amend travel and boating regulations to allow for people who have tested negative or who are verifiably vaccinated to travel from Grand Cayman to Cayman Brac or Little Cayman.

Anyone who, at least 14 days prior to the date of travel, has not completed an approved vaccine course and wishes to travel to the Sister Islands from Grand Cayman must provide a PCR test no more than 48 hours prior to departure and provide to a customs or border control officer, on arrival, a medical certificate that shows the negative test and that specifies the name and address of the approved laboratory where the test was performed.

Anyone who arrives in the Sister Islands from Grand Cayman who shows respiratory symptoms or symptoms of the virus will be quarantined until the person is no longer a risk to the public.

Anyone who has to be quarantined in the Sister Islands after having travelled from Grand Cayman is liable for any costs associated with the quarantine facility unless they are a returning student; provide evidence that the travel was government-related, sporting-event related as part of a national team; for medical purposes; educational purposes; and any person who has responsibility for taking a child or an adult away from the Islands for medical purposes.

Hopefully these new regulations will provide some comfort to our friends and families on the Sister Islands.

Here on Grand Cayman, I understand that there is a feeling of uncertainty over what the way forward looks like and what the risk is to you and your loved ones as we experience community spread and further impacts on your livelihoods. We have been in the enviable position of living a normal lifestyle with no COVID in our communities as we have watched what has been going on in the rest of the world.

We are grateful for the many examples, some more successful than others, that we have observed from around the globe about how respective countries live safely with COVID whilst avoiding it overwhelming their healthcare systems and claiming lives.

But no tutorial is more applicable than our own lessons.

Before we relax our controls, we are assessing that our actual resilience is as robust in tackling the current outbreaks as we have believed them to be.

Our vaccines, our public health experiences, our strategic planning, our workforce continuity of operations, our school bubbles and our community responsibility are all being put to the test and hopefully validated at this time.

This pause gives us an opportunity to strengthen some of our controls so that we reduce the likelihood of a surge of COVID cases that puts lives and all commerce at risk.

Once we go through this process, Government will have a better sense of the way forward and our citizens may have increased confidence in our local ability to rejoin the wider world.

We have all known that COVID-19 would reach our shores and enter our community. We all knew; both those who believe we need to open the border and learn to live with COVID-19 and those who believe otherwise.

And with the virus already here, I want to bring you a message of hope.

I want to assure everyone that the PACT Government has absolutely no intention of going into a lockdown.

I believe we can get through this if we all do what we are supposed to do: wear masks while indoors, keep your hand sanitizer handy and use it and above all, remain calm. Again, if you are able and haven't yet done so, get vaccinated.

This is one more challenge that we will overcome together as my Government pursues its commitment to improve the quality of life for this and future generations of Caymanians. Our vision is of a Cayman Islands that is held up as one of the most sustainable countries in the world, a trio of Islands where ALL of its citizens can thrive; a peaceful and prosperous place known for its resourcefulness, its diligence, its excellence, and its innovativeness.

This pandemic requires us to balance the economy and the society, and we are as far as possible putting our people first in these circumstances.

My colleagues and I who form the Government are in unanimous agreement about the values that will guide our decision-making - the four values that make up the PACT acronym: People-driven, Accountable, Competent and Transparent.

There is no playbook for COVID-19.

We need to stick together as a community and adapt as circumstances change.

Community creates Country.

Government, its advisors, which includes Public Health, have been preparing for this day and we are ready to face head-on any challenges.

Thank you and may God continue to bless these beloved Cayman Islands.

His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Martyn Roper's Remarks

Good afternoon everyone. Dr Lee's update is very reassuring and gives hope that we are effectively containing these outbreaks. I send my very best wishes to everyone on Island who has Covid and hope they make a speedy recovery.

The Government's announcement that following a small number of community cases of COVID, it was pausing the 14 October reopening date, and strengthening measures to contain Covid, has created divisions within our community. Many were palpably relieved - primarily out of concern for our unvaccinated children under the age of 12. Others were distressed and angry - long awaited family reunions would have to be cancelled, the logistics of children returning to Cayman for Christmas from educational institutes around the world was suddenly complicated and representatives of the tourism industry predicted business failures and an unrecoverable future.

The reaction of parents with young children was understandable. Unlike parents in other countries you have not had to deal with the realities of COVID in schools and nurseries. And hearing experts tell you that children generally do not suffer from severe COVID was no reassurance. Hopefully now that you have seen what an outbreak might look like, you can better understand the reality and really appreciate how vaccines work to protect the unvaccinated. All the children affected are doing well. If school staff are vaccinated they are much less likely to spread the virus to your children - the same is true for parents - and it is especially important for those whose work could bring them into contact with people carrying the virus. Until a vaccine is developed for children, and that is still quite some way away, this remains the best way to stop your children being infected with COVID.

I want to thank everyone who has been, and remains, at the forefront of dealing with this outbreak. All of the staff tirelessly working to perform and analyse PCR tests, those carrying out contact tracing, and those activating their response plans designed to keep us safe. I want to pay particular thanks to Steve Barrett, the Prison Director, and his team, who took very swift action when a staff member tested positive. I also want to pay tribute to excellent collaboration between prison staff and prisoners on common sense measures to protect everyone at the prison.

The low vaccination rates in the prison, both among inmates and staff do give me cause for concern and I would like to implore everyone who still hasn't had the jab, perhaps in the belief that COVID would never reach these islands, to now do so. It is the best way to reduce the likelihood of serious illness.

In recent days almost 10% of our population has had a PCR test - and very few have tested positive. That is a remarkable achievement by Public Health and very reassuring. I believe it does show that the high vaccination rate stopped the virus in its tracks, as we expected it would.

Seeing for ourselves that those in our community do not get seriously ill or worse because of the high vaccine take up will give reassurance and allow Government to reassess next steps in the weeks to come.

On vaccines - the next delivery of 11000 doses will arrive from the UK on 27 September. This will be on the first commercial BA flight following the end of the repatriation flights. Many thanks to Minister Bryan and his team for negotiating this resumption of normal service which will ensure our students, business people and others can continue to fly to and from the UK.

The arriving vaccines can be used for first and second shots as well as for the first phase of boosters for qualifying people who came forward at the beginning of our rollout. HSA will be handling that in their usual effective way. More booster vaccines will be delivered on flights after 27 September as we need them. All over 50s will be offered a booster, and the small number of immunocompromised people have already been advised to have three, rather than two shots.

Some of you will have seen that the UK today announced some changes to the way in which they will be dealing with incoming travellers. The UK has abolished the green and amber lists and now have only a red list. Cayman is of course not on the red list. Decisions about what you need to do on entry to the UK from Cayman now depend upon your vaccine status. The UK recognises vaccine certificates from Cayman so those fully vaccinated here will continue to benefit from no quarantine.

From 4 October you will no longer need to take a pre-departure test. Until the end of October you will still need to do a day 2 PCR but thereafter you will only need to take a cheaper lateral flow test. If you are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, from 4 October you will have to do 10 days in quarantine on arrival and take PCR tests on days 2 and 8. You will also still need a pre departure PCR test.

To conclude, I am hopeful that getting even more people vaccinated, rolling out boosters, demonstrating that we can contain local outbreaks, will help heal the divides and enable the entire community to feel reassured and ready to move forward in a spirit of unity with a safe and cautious reopening plan. As I've said before seeking to wait out the pandemic is a forlorn hope. We have to learn to live with it. I am confident that Cayman will achieve that and prosper mightily.

Health and Wellness Minister, Hon. Sabrina Turner's Remarks

Good Afternoon Everyone,

As we come to the end of another week, we have much to be thankful for, given the recent news of COVID in the community.

We must give thanks for the fact that despite the fear, fatigue, uncertainty and anger some have felt - be it for or against what was announced - one thing we ought to take away is that we all still have LIFE.

Let me again thank the business community, the churches and each and every individual for being proactive.

I have observed many business establishments that have implemented Public Health safety measures of mask wearing, hand sanitizing and social distancing.

This proactive behavior speaks loud and is a clear demonstration of who we are when it comes to our community and personal responsibility. It also shows a willingness of everyone to work hand-in-hand with your elected Government as we all do our part to live with and manage the control and spread of this virus.

I want to spend a few minutes today urging each of you to make decisions that affect the greater good.

As Martin Luther King Jr famously said, 'Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'

The way we answer that is by doing our part by adhering to social distancing, wearing of masks when you are in enclosed areas like supermarkets, churches and crowded areas.

The political posture of this Government, when it comes to safely managing COVID, is vaccination; not lock down. In the most recent community spread the decision for isolations was made for the safety of our people out of an abundance of caution.

At this particular time, we feel the need and this is guided by the public experts and our CMO to be hard and fast action in controlling the spread and keeping our most vulnerable, our children and those who are most at risk, safe while still respecting those who cannot be vaccinated, don't believe in the vaccine or are unsure.

Pandemic fatigue at this point is real and the thought of job loss and an overall uncertainty of the quality of life. But let's take it one step at a time, bit by bit, day by day as we grow to live with the reality that COVID will not go away. COVID will not be eradicated any time soon, but in the meantime the way we can live with COVID safely is simple.

• Wash your hands frequently
• Wear a mask in public spaces - especially when visiting with the elderly and the vulnerable
• Social distance from others who are not a part of your household. This is so important when visiting with high risk loved, no matter how much you want to hug them. We understand how hard that can be but it could make the difference between life and death
• Make sure everyone in your household has hand sanitisers
• Teach your children to sneeze or cough into their elbow. This small action can help stop the spread of germs that make so many sick, not just from COVID but other communicable diseases.

I know that many in the community are worried and feeling high levels of stress right now as community spread is amongst us, but I want to reassure the public once again that Public Health remains diligent. At the last press briefing, I spoke about the growth and plans of the Public Health team and am comforted that they are positioning themselves to react to any possible emergency scenario.

I am aware that some people are also growing concerned over new data that was released by the Centers for Disease Control that shows that vaccinated people infected with the Delta variant can still carry detectable viral loads similar to those in people who are unvaccinated. Worries about the vaccine and transmission are a hot topic so I join the conversation with a few points:

So far, we have seen that in most cases if a person is vaccinated the high levels of the Delta variant will rapidly diminish.

While it may sound discouraging that vaccinated people can still catch the disease - or even pass it on - it's important to keep three things in mind:

• Vaccines remain highly effective in preventing severe disease.
• Breakthrough infections among vaccinated individuals remain uncommon. A breakthrough infection is when someone is fully vaccinated and becomes infected with COVID-19.
• The majority of new COVID-19 infections around the world that result in serious illness are among unvaccinated people.

I understand there will be some of us who may be unable to get vaccinated for medical or other reasons. In this case it's very important that you follow the prevention measures closely issued by Public Health officials and business establishments that have the right to require any person who enters their place of business to wear a mask or facial covering. Social distancing applies indoors as well as outside to protect yourselves and your loved ones - without the vaccine these measures are a line of defense.

Protecting our community makes each of us everyday heroes.

Stay safe and Thank you!

(GIS)

Category: Government, Politics & Public Administration

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.