COVID-19 Update for Friday, 9 October 2020 - SIX NEW Positives
Out
of 255 test results Friday, six were positives; of whom three are
travellers in hotel isolation, two at their exit screening, at the
end of their isolation and now a child from Red Bay Primary School.
That
child has tested weakly positive.
Grand
Cayman (GIS) –At
the COVID-19 press conference today, Friday, 9 October 2020, Cayman
Islands’ leaders reassured the Cayman Islands public that the
current response to COVID-19 will continue until test results of some
230 persons considered contacts of the child now positive are
received.
Any
changes to the current suppression level will depend entirely on the
results.
Leaders
underscored that positive results received from the testing currently
underway will trigger another press conference tomorrow (Saturday, 10
October) to announce the way forward and whether there will be any
changes to the suppression level.
Contact
tracing by the Public Health staff is continuing and testing has
included those at the child’s school, as well as family members,
contacts and staff at the Needs Assessment Unit (NAU) where a
relative of the child works.
Prayer
was led by Pastor Steven DaSilva.
Chief
Medical Officer, Dr. John Lee reported:
Out
of 255 test results today, six are positive. Three are travellers in
hotel isolation; two were positive at exit screening at the end of
their 14-day isolation and one is a Year Two student from Red Bay
Primary School who has tested weakly positive.
There
are 220 positives now, of whom two are symptomatic including the
child, six are asymptomatic, one (not the child) is admitted at the
Health Services Authority (HSA) and in stable condition and 211 have
recovered.
The
child displayed symptoms related to a respiratory illness and so was
classified as a case of positive COVID-19 out of an abundance of
caution, despite one subsequent confirmatory test being negative.
The case is treated as warranting further investigation.
To
begin the initial investigation, Public Health staff visited the
school immediately after the child tested positive and took 200
swabs from a variety of students in Year 2, the child’s class,
schoolmates, parents and school staff. Additionally, some 30 swabs
were taken from NAU staff, who are colleagues of the child’s
relative.
The
child’s father, mother and sibling have all been tested and found
negative, even though the sibling has some symptoms as well.
These
are early days into the investigation and people should relax since
the authorities have taken all the appropriate measures including
the swift Public Health response and all contacts are in isolation
at home. Any possible spread has been locked down.
All
have now to sit tight and wait and see what the results show from
the testing which are expected later tonight or early tomorrow
morning. More results will be run as required.
Weakly
testing positive could indicate that the person is at the beginning
or the end of the disease.
If
one person tests positive in a household at the end of 14 days’
isolation, the entire household will remain in further isolation
till a negative test result is received.
Close
contact remains contact six feet or less and for more than 15
minutes. Kissing or hugs even for a few seconds are considered close
contact.
Premier
Hon. Alden McLaughlin
said:
It
is hoped people are reassured by government’s swift response so
far. If the child’s case turns out to be a false positive, the
actions taken including testing and isolation are justified as
government is erring on the side of caution.
Government
has been guided all along by the science and not by public pressure
or negative comments. This has previously helped achieve success in
CI’s COVID-19 response.
Whether
the school opens on Monday will depend on the tests underway.
No
positives from the 230 tests will provide reassurance that there is
no evidence of onward transmission from the virus. Even five or 10
positives out of that number could signify a major issue.
In
an update on Travel Cayman, inbound travel to the Cayman Islands for
October is at capacity and no new applications can be accepted.
The
NAU is routinely closed on Fridays and the planned closure next week
was in response to an already scheduled fumigation and cleaning
organised by NAU premises landlord at Aqua Mall. It has nothing to
do with the child’s relative working there, which is a
coincidence.
For
more from the Premier, see
sidebar below.
His
Excellency the Governor, Mr. Martyn Roper
said:
The
child’s positive test which is understandably a matter of concern
for the community, has tested weakly positive and subsequently
negative yet has been treated as positive out of an abundance of
caution.
Cayman
Islands’ response and action to COVID-19 continues to be
sure-footed, proactive and decisive.
All
should be careful of what they spread on social media. They should
check the facts before circulating and if in doubt, they should not
circulate.
For
more, see
sidebar below.
Health
Minister Hon. Dwayne Seymour said:
While
the child’s infection is a matter of concern, all should be
reassured that CI has the most robust testing, tracing and tracking
systems in place, which is why the nation has fared so well thus
far.
Continue
to use best practices for maintaining personal hygiene include
frequent hand washing, social distancing and wearing a mask when one
feels necessary but especially visiting other people’s homes and
around the elderly and the vulnerable.
Front
line workers are encouraged to continue regular testing.
For
more from Minster Seymour, see
sidebar below.
Sidebar:
Premier Updates on Travel Cayman, NAU Closure
Building
on lessons learned from our COVID experience, we are working across
government agencies to facilitate travel to the Cayman Islands, this
is a cross ministerial project. Departments are working in
collaboration across MITIAMA, Ministry of Health, Ministry of
Tourism, Ministry of Employment and Border Control and Ministry of
Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure and the Office of the Deputy
Governor.
October
inbound travel is at capacity and unfortunately, we cannot accept
new applications, applications received to date are in the system
and will be processed and travelers will be contacted regarding the
status of their applications.
Currently
applications are prioritised weekly based on the coming weeks
travellers and flight clearances. We are busy finalising next week’s
details and will get back to those travellers first.
People
who have already applied do not need to reapply and the applications
from Travel Time have been transferred to Travel Cayman.
A
new portal is being developed which will speed up the application
and approval system and will be launched in the coming weeks
All
travellers who have applied through Travel Time and Travel Cayman
for travel in October will be contacted regarding their application.
Once
approved to travel quarantine arrangements will be finalized with
the traveller.
Travellers
who are planning travel in November and beyond that have not already
applied to Travel Time or Travel Cayman are asked not to make an
application at this time in order to allow us to prioritise the
October travellers.
We
are working hard to process applications and get information to the
public and travellers in a timely manner, we appreciate your
patience
For
the most up to date information on travel requirements to the Cayman
Islands visit: www.exploregov.ky/travel.
NAU
Closure
● Aqua
Mall building, where the Needs Assessment Unit’s Grand Cayman
offices is located, will undergo fumigation from Sunday, 11 October
for four days.
●The
NAU assures its clients that staff will be working remotely during
the maintenance closure.
● NAU
and the other mall tenants were notified about these arrangements
yesterday morning. Fumigation had been pending but had been delayed
due to the recent weather conditions.
● Standard
fumigation will continue until late Wednesday, and will mean covering
the entire mall with a tent. Following fumigation, the NAU will have
its premises deep cleaned on Thursday. Its offices will as usual be
closed next Friday.
● The
NAU is closed to the general public on Fridays. It is therefore
normal for staff to be working remotely today or conducting
applications process in office.
●The
NAU apologises for any inconvenience that the closure may cause.
Sidebar:
Governor Advises All to be Confident in Government’s Response
This
has been quite an eventful week already.
The
situation at Red Bay Primary School is clearly a matter of concern,
but government is acting out of an abundance of caution so we should
all remain calm and keep this in perspective.
As
Dr Lee explained today, the close family of the child have all tested
negative and there is a question mark around the quality of the test
which is reassuring, but we need to wait for further results to
be absolutely sure.
I
know government will continue to act in the way it has acted from the
very beginning - sure footed, proactive, decisive and putting the
health of everyone on these islands uppermost in their
considerations.
It
really isn’t a surprise that we get cases of this sort popping up,
we have said that consistently all along. This is a very complicated
virus and no country in the world has been able to go for very long
periods without new cases occurring.
We
can be confident in the government’s response, and I have seen it
again today with the impressive response by Public Health. We have
the abilities, the capacity and the skills to respond to these
situations and to clamp down, isolate and deal with them.
Finally,
I urge everyone to be careful on social media. We still see rumours
and inaccurate information going around and when people are concerned
it just heightens the worry, so please check information before
you share and if you are in any doubt please don’t
circulate it.
Sidebar:
Minister Seymour Underscores Cayman’s Robust Testing Regime
We
are with you again today for another press briefing to keep you
updated, especially with the growing concerns today around the young
student who tested positive. We are praying for a speedy recovery for
the child.
I
know there has been a lot of concern. However, I want to reassure the
public that we have the most robust testing, tracing and tracking
systems in place. This is why we have fared so well, thus far.
I
want to thank the Ministry of Education and Public Health for coming
together to work efficiently, calmly and effectively to manage this
situation.
The
best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed
about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads.
With
that I wanted to take a moment to reiterate that you, too, can do
your part to keep the community safe. Let’s remember the best
practices for maintaining personal hygiene. We all have a
responsibility to uphold the COVID-19 Coronavirus prevention and
protection measures currently recommended by local and international
health authorities
Wash
your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds,
or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
A
helpful tip is to carry a pocket-sized hand sanitiser and use
frequently when out and about.
Avoid
touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unclean hands.
Consider
wearing a maskwhile
visiting other people’s homes, especially the elderly and
vulnerable.As
Dr Lee has said before, he will still wear his mask in public places
and social distancing – consider if you would feel safer doing the
same.
Maintain
six feetaway
from other groups as much as practical.
Stick
to your social groups(the
friends you usually see at home or at school). Avoid moving between
groups of friends. Social bubbles have been found to help prevent
spread of the disease in other countries.
Do
not go to work, school or visit others if you are unwell or believe
you have been in contact with someone who is unwell.
These
recommendations are meant to supplement and not replace requirements
under the
Prevention, Control and Suppression of COVID-19 (Partial Lifting of
Restrictions) (No.4) Regulations, 2020.
You can always find the latest information and safety guidance at:
www.gov.ky/coronavirus.
On
that note, I would like to encourage front-line workers to continue
regular testing as I said last week we should consider getting tested
a civic duty that helps each and every one of us protect our
community and those we love dearest.
We
have a positive today but we wouldn’t have known that without
testing. That action helps us get control of the situation quickly
and contain the spread.
Let’s
keep working together and all doing our part to be safe.
God
Bless.
For the official
Cayman Islands Government web portal, www.gov.ky:
Web
title: COVID-19 Update
Web
blurb:
The need to wait for further test results from a young child testing
positive to determine way forward is emphasised to determine the way
forward.
Published October 10, 2020
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