FURTHER INITIATIVES TO DEAL WITH COVID-19

CALL TO SCREEN

With over 22,000 persons screened Cayman is recognised as a world leader in testing for COVID-19.

Recent government reports suggest that the territory is ranked third in the world for screening factored to per 100,000 population with the possibility of placing second globally for its efforts.

However, with the gradual reopening of the economy and people getting back into the workforce, the government says the number of persons requesting screening has declined.

As a result, the Public Health Department is currently offering COVID-19 screening to persons employed in administrative and office roles, as well as those working in childcare and teaching.

To ensure they have an opportunity to be tested, individuals who work in smaller organisations or as self-employed traders, can now self-register online for COVID-19 screening.

Anyone can register for screening by going to the website www.exploregov.ky. Click on the button on the left-hand side “REGISTER FOR SCREENING”. A Screening application form will come up and it takes a few minutes to complete.

CALL FOR ISOLATION ACCOMMODATION

Meanwhile, as steps continue to repatriate Caymanians from overseas, and the need to quarantine upon returning, the government is seeking additional accommodation facilities.

One of the challenges it now faces is the availability of rooms especially now that consideration is being given to reopening up the borders and as inward tourism (staycation) is seen as a potential primary recovery sector.

“Many of you will be aware that Government’s ability to bring home Caymanians, Permanent Residents, and others who have been making their homes in the Cayman Islands relies on the availability of local room stock in Government approved quarantine facilities,” Hon. Premier Alden McLaughlin said on Friday.

He said: “While we are extremely grateful to those organisations that have helped us to provide the mandatory isolation service for the last three months, we know that many are working to free up room stock ahead of what is expected to be a high demand for ‘staycations’ this summer.”

To help address this issue, the government has issued a Request For Information (RFI) for Providing Isolation Room Stock that will close on 9 July.

Facilities will be leased/rented for an initial period of two months with possible extensions based on the volume of need.

The Premier reported that some Caymanian students are only just getting an opportunity to come home having finished their classes.

Meanwhile, others need to head off within the next few weeks, some for the first time. After getting their children settled overseas, parents will require isolation when they return home.

Premier McLaughlin stated that “as we get ready for the new school year starting at the end of the summer, there are also teachers and their families who need to arrive and get settled in before school can open. To make this work we need available room stock.”

TRAVEL TIME

At the same time, the government has set up another entity called Travel Time to coordinate the huge travel logistical demands for health, education and other purposes under its remit.

It will come into operation on July 1st.

According to the Premier, in addition to education as just one example of the logistics that Government is navigating with these emergency flights, the needs of Caymanians who have to routinely travel away from and back to these Islands for health-related reasons is another.

He said it’s for that reason “to help deal effectively with all of these issues that we have created the new entity to be known as Travel Time, the operations of which will commence on 1st July, 2020.”