Government Launches Quarantine at Residence Pilot Programme

With the safety of the Cayman Islands community remaining a top priority, Government has combined several distinct layers of protection to safeguard residents and minimise the risks from COVID-19.

George Town, Cayman Islands (29 September, 2020) Two weeks after the Cayman Islands Government began field testing its multi-layered strategy to protect the islands from COVID-19, all reports indicate that the testing phase is proceeding as anticipated and no breaches have been reported. Evaluations will continue on the technology, processes and procedures in readiness for 1st October, when an increased number of flights are expected and more returning travelers, including home owners, will be quarantining at approved locations.

29
travellers who arrived in the Islands on 17 September are helping to
test the monitoring technology while quarantining at home for 14
days. All of the participants will be tested again on day 15 and will
require a negative PCR test result signed off by the Medical Officer
of Health for their quarantine period to cease.

Meanwhile,
various working groups within the public sector are continuing to
work collaboratively to further test, refine and enhance the
government’s border opening processes.

With
the safety of the Cayman Islands community remaining a top priority,
government has combined several distinct layers of protection to
safeguard residents and minimise the risks from COVID-19. These
include an element of personal responsibility, supported by repeated
PCR testing, monitoring through geofencing technology, random checks
and strong penalties for non-compliance.

Hon
Moses Kirkconnell, Minister for Tourism explained that “As a result
of stringent policy decisions, Cayman has experienced minimal cases
of Covid-19 through community spread in comparison to many other
regions of the world. Although we are in a relatively safe bubble,
the economic impact of remaining closed to the rest of the world is
increasingly translating into business closures and job losses,
leaving Caymanian families facing significant hardship. Government is
doing as much as we can to provide relief programmes and financial
support to those most affected, but this will not be sustainable over
the long term.

In
the meantime, we are continuing to monitor and learn from the
experiences of jurisdictions that have already opened and we are
putting robust health and safety mechanisms in place so that when it
becomes safe to do so, tourists can gradually be welcomed back to our
shores, enabling people to return to work.”

Travel
Process from October - What You Should Know

Travel
Time Approval

Until
further notice, all persons wishing to travel to the Cayman Islands
must register their inbound travel request with Travel Time, and
complete the online form at www.exploregov.ky/traveltime in order to
receive pre-travel approval. Travellers who have not completed this
process will not be permitted to board a repatriation flight.
Questions or concerns pertaining to inbound travel should be directed
to Travel Time by emailing traveltime@gov.ky or by calling 649-6913
between the hours of 8:30am and 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.

PCR
Test on Arrival

From
1st October onwards all inbound travellers (aged 5 years and over)
will be tested at the airport for COVID-19, prior to undergoing
mandatory quarantine for 14 days with a further PCR test on day 15. A
negative PCR test result signed off by the Medical Officer of Health
is required in order for the quarantine period to cease.

Quarantine
at Residence Pilot Programme

Effective
1st October government will launch its Quarantine at Residence pilot
programme which will allow travellers to quarantine at home provided
they meet established criteria, agree to wear monitoring technology
and their homes have been pre-approved by Public Health. If the
traveller resides with other people, all members of the household
will be subject to the same quarantine requirements.

Travellers
will be required to state whether they wish to quarantine at home (or
quarantine in a government or privately run facility) on their Travel
Time application. Permission to quarantine at home is not guaranteed
and is subject to approval by the Medical Officer of Health.
Travellers who are approved to quarantine at home will be notified by
Travel Time when they receive their travel approval.

Persons
who are not approved to quarantine at their residence will be
required to quarantine either at a government or privately run
facility. In both cases, the quarantine period is 14 days followed
by a PCR test on day 15. A negative result signed off by the Medical
Officer of Health is required for the quarantine period to cease.

Monitoring
Device with Geofencing Technology

Each
individual approved to quarantine at their residence (aged 5 years
and over) will be provided with an iMSafe wristband. The device
communicates via bluetooth to a custom mobile app on a smart phone
and creates a virtual perimeter around the quarantine location. If
the wearer goes beyond the perimeter of their quarantine location, an
alert will be sent to the monitoring team. Alerts will also be sent
if the wristband stopped communicating with the phone, or the phone
with the servers, or if it is tampered with or damaged.

While
a household is in quarantine, food, medication and essential supplies
should be ordered from suppliers who accept contactless payment and
offer delivery service. Delivery personnel, relatives and friends are
not allowed to enter the home or have physical contact with the
occupants while they are in quarantine.

Any
member of the household who does not comply with the quarantine at
residence conditions issued by the Medical Officer of Health, could
be in breach of the Prevention, Control and Suppression of Covid-19
(Partial Lifting of Restrictions) (No.4) (Amendment) Regulations. If
the breach amounts to a criminal offence they may be warned for
prosecution and could be required to complete the remainder of their
isolation period in a Government run isolation facility. The revised
Regulations note that persons found to have committed an offence will
face a fine of $1,000 and imprisonment for six months.

Cost
of Quarantine at Residence Programme

During
the month of October, persons who are approved to quarantine at their
residence will not be charged a fee for the monitoring wristband or
for the PCR tests which they undergo.

Health
Insurance

Travellers
are strongly encouraged to have insurance which includes COVID-19
coverage before travelling to the Cayman Islands. From 1st October,
2020 all inbound travelers will be required to attest to a statement
which confirms that they possess health insurance which includes
COVID-19 coverage, or that they understand the financial risks they
are taking and that they have independent means to cover their
medical costs.

Categories
of Visitor Expanded

For
the month of October and until further notice, the groups of persons
eligible to visit Cayman will be extended beyond the current
categories of approved travellers (i.e. Caymanians, permanent
residents, work permit holders and their families), to also include:

• Persons
  who own residential property within the Cayman Islands,
  
• Other
  approved visitors such as students with a valid visa to study in the
  Cayman Islands, and persons with close family ties to residents or
  work permit holders; such as spouses, fiancés, parents,
  grandparents and siblings.
  
  

Repatriation
Flights to the Cayman Islands

Until
borders are fully opened, only private charters and repatriation
flights operated by Cayman Airways and British Airways are allowed to
enter Cayman. Although approval to leave the Island is not required,
Government continues to caution residents that travel should be
limited to essential or medical needs only.

Cayman
Airways is currently providing repatriation service to Miami, USA;
Kingston, Jamaica and Le Ceiba, Honduras, while British Airways
continue to operate a fortnightly service between Grand Cayman and
London, Heathrow.

For
the latest news and information regarding travel to and from the
Cayman Islands please visit
https://www.exploregov.ky/travel