• Out
  of 346 test results today, one was positive, a traveller who is
  asymptomatic.
  
  
• All
  207 swabs taken from people related to the Red Bay Primary School
  and NAU have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. This does not include
  the original swab taken from the child who returned a positive
  result previously.
  
  
• Subsequent
  tests for SARS-CoV-2 for the child were negative, but coupled with
  someone displaying symptoms, the original positive result stands.
  
  
• The
  total number in isolation are 411.
  
  

Grand
Cayman (GIS) – At
the COVID-19 press conference today, Saturday, 10 October 2020,
Cayman Islands’ leaders announced that all 207 swabs were negative
that were completed after a child, a Year 2 student of Red Bay
Primary School, was found to be positive for COVID-19 disease.

With
these reassuring results, there will be no change to existing
protocols in the Cayman Islands’ continuing response to the threat
of COVID-19.

As
for ongoing PCR tests, there
are 346 test results for today, of which one was positive in a
returning traveller (asymptomatic). 

The
patient admitted to the HSA is now requiring the support of a
ventilator. 

The
leaders expressed gratitude to the staff, parents, children of Red
Bay Primary School as well as frontline staff engaged in active
response.

Prayer
was led by Education Minister Hon. Juliana O’Connor Connolly.

Chief
Medical Officer, Dr. John Lee reported:

• Out
  of 346 test results today, one is positive, who is a traveller and
  is asymptomatic.
  
• The
  patient admitted at the Health Services Authority (HSA) is now
  requiring the support of a ventilator.
  
• There
  were four calls to the ‘flu hotline Friday, all of which were ‘flu
  related.
  
• A
  total of 411 are in quarantine, with 191 in government provided
  isolation and 220 isolating at home.
  
• A
  total of 207 swabs were taken at the Red Bay Primary School and at
  the NAU and all have tested negative. Lab staff worked after 4 am
  Saturday to complete the tests.
  
• HSA
  was also involved in testing of returning travellers at ORIA on
  Friday as well.
  
  
• The
  child tested weakly positive and negative in subsequent tests. Since
  the child displayed respiratory symptoms, the child is being deemed
  a positive COVID-19. The child’s father, mother and sibling tested
  negative, yet the father and sibling have displayed mild respiratory
  symptoms which could be from the common cold.
  
• Since
  there is an increase in common cold symptoms with the approach of
  winter, all are advised to self-isolate and contact the ‘flu
  hotline which operates 24/7 if seeing symptoms such as cold, coughs,
  runny noses, headache, body ache and fever.
  
  
• The
  positive test result in the child is not being viewed as false
  positive due to the consistent robustness and quality of all the lab
  results in the Cayman Islands.
  
• All
  Year 2 students, their teachers and close contacts including
  household members will isolate for a total of 14 days from last
  contact with this positive case and be retested after that.
  
• The
  drive-by tests today at the HSA have been restarted to provide
  additional testing capacity and were extended on Saturday due to
  increased demand. On Monday they will operate from 7 to 9.30 am.
  
• The
  risk for COVID in Cayman Islands is not zero, albeit the risk is
  low. Therefore, people should continue to be vigilant and frontline
  staff such as healthcare workers, care homes, airport and prison
  staff will continue to be tested.
  

Premier
Hon. Alden McLaughlin
said:

• The
  news of all swabbed at Red Bay Primary and NAU testing negative is
  excellent news. The response since learning of the positive test
  since 10 am on Friday has been massive, swift and comprehensive
  which has demonstrated the system put in place works admirably. This
  is an incredible and laudable performance.
  
• While
  the Cayman Islands has indeed a robust system in place, the inherent
  risks from people coming into the Islands cannot and will not be
  treated lightly.
  
• The
  constant comment from the community is that the Island cannot revert
  to lockdowns. For this, all are urged to continue cooperating with
  protocols and adhere to social distancing, hand washing and mask
  wearing if they are dealing with elderly and vulnerable persons, or
  if they themselves feel sick.
  
• Thanks
  go to God and to the community for their awareness and cooperation.
  
  

His
Excellency the Governor, Mr. Martyn Roper
said:

• Today’s
  news is really reassuring. “It was a great test of our system on a
  wide scale and the system has performed extremely well. We’ve been
  in crisis mode since March because of COVID, and as a result, our
  crisis management systems have been tested and have become really
  good. We saw that this week with Storm Delta and with the way we
  responded.”
  
  
• There
  are three international lessons around the best response: 1) a
  robust system for testing, tracing and isolating with results within
  24 hours; 2) contact tracing over 80% (we’re well above that)
  and 3) strong adherence to the rules around the 14-day
  isolation period. We are doing all of these and other additional
  measures, all which can give us confidence.
  
  
• A
  huge thank you to everyone who is working so hard to bring this
  about and particularly Public Health who have performed
  fantastically over the last few days. Thank you also to everyone in
  the community for their co-operation.
  

Education
Minister Hon. Juliana O’Connor Connolly
said:

• There
  are 54 students in Year 2 in Red Bay Primary School and six
  associated teachers, who all, as has been announced, tested
  negative.
  
• All
  procedures are being followed and they will all be out of school for
  their isolation which happily coincides with their mid-term break
  starting Thursday. So they will work from home from Monday and
  students are being provided laptops to continue their work
  seamlessly.
  
• Thanks
  go to all involved for their sterling response but particularly to
  the Education staff for their magnificent and efficient response.
  
• However,
  all have to maintain an element of responsibility and a bit of
  sacrifice on the part of those who have to isolate for the required
  period. All also need to follow protocols where necessary and be
  responsible for their health such as taking necessary medication, if
  prescribed, including vitamins. Persons should also follow
  handwashing, distancing and mask wearing guidelines whenever
  necessary. Response within the school system continues to be a
  tripartite relationship among students, parents and the school
  authorities, including teachers.
  
• Government’s
  response is robust, which is led by the Premier, who has taken this
  pandemic very seriously.
  

Health
Minister Hon. Dwayne Seymour said:

• Given
  the circumstances with the child, it is clear all have to continue
  to be vigilant and not let their guard down. “It really does take
  the entire community working together to continue to have such
  successful outcomes.”
  
• “Even
  when a vaccine becomes available and is found to work, 1) we need to
  get it and 2) you need to be willing to take it.”
  
• The
  drive through testing at HSA today has a healthy turnout, and went
  smoothly. This testing will continue Monday morning from 7 am to
  9.30 am. All need to bring a photo ID including for children to
  access the testing.
  
• For
  more from Minster Seymour, see
  sidebar below.
  

Sidebar:
Minister Seymour Urges Not to Let Guard Down

We
are with you again today for another press briefing to keep you
updated but as you have heard with such good news; God’s grace has
been shown to us once again. We
do have a positive today in a traveller and we continue to pray for
those that are positive and especially for the one COVID-19 patient
in the hospital.

I
want to once again publicly thank the Ministry of Education and
Public Health for coming together to work efficiently, calmly and
effectively to manage this situation. I would also like to thank the
parents who were so willing to be tested and have their children
tested and to isolate accordingly. It really does take the entire
community working together to continue to have such successful
outcomes.

I
cannot reiterate this enough. Please continue to be vigilant, to
practise good hygiene processes by washing your hands and wearing
your masks where necessary. We still live in a COVID-19 world despite
our good position here in Cayman. Please do not let our guard down
and if you are feeling ill please take every precaution necessary and
get tested.

Also,
today, we were very pleased to see such a healthy turn-out from
members of the community to be tested at the drive-through testing
facility at HSA this morning. The Public Health team has confirmed
that the testing operations this morning all went smoothly.

On
that note, I would like to advise the public that the drive-through
testing facility will be open again on Monday morning from 7 am to
9.30 am. Please remember to bring along your ID including photo
identification for any children being tested and to also wear your
masks. No pre-registration is necessary.

Finally,
I wish to end by thanking the Lab personnel at our Public Health
department for their tremendous efforts since yesterday and
overnight, indeed working into the wee hours of this morning, to get
all of the necessary testing done. I thank you and our country thanks
you for your swift action and hard work. May God continue to bless
you in your labours.

Let’s
keep working together and all doing our part to keep Cayman safe.

God
Bless.