23/05/2020

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At Tuesday’s COVID-19 press briefing, premier said, “Given what I and everybody else is seeing in the United States, the September 1st reopening date is not looking good.”

Regarding the expected date of reopening the borders, the premier said, “It depends on how well things go not just here, but elsewhere.” He added, “I mean, if the virus continues to rage around us, how can we possibly open our borders and invite it to come after all the efforts we’ve made to keep it under control here.”

Since Cayman's first COVID-19 case in March the borders have been closed. The ban applies to international flights, cruise ships and pleasure craft.

On the 20th of May, Cayman’s coronavirus cases reached 111. The Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Lee, announced 17 positive cases that day which was the highest total released in one day. The results were obtained from 1,182 tests that were carried out over the  weekend.

Premier said  “as long as we keep the rate under 2%, we are in a very good place”. Expressing the importance of social distancing he explained  “Because that is what will almost certainly, in the current circumstances, cause the virus to take off again through the community,” he said.

“Hopefully, that will allow us, as we continue this extensive testing process, to virtually eliminate the presence of the virus in this community because we’re going to continue testing for the foreseeable future,” McLaughlin added.

Limited numbers of Caymanians and permanent residents have been allowed back into Cayman and they are quarantined in government isolation facilities for 14 days. Hazard Management Cayman Islands Director Danielle Coleman said “ we do have capacity to bring people home who want to come home”.