New rules for travel

By Lindsey Turnbull

At last week’s press briefing, Tourism and Transport Minister, Kenneth Bryan, spoke about the official reinstatement of tourism into the Cayman Islands, which means incoming travellers to the Cayman Islands (visitors and returning residents alike) must follow new rules as per Phase 4 in the islands’ Covid-19 measures.

The most important change impacting people wishing to travel to Cayman is the requirement for fully vaccinated travellers who are exempt from quarantine - whether they are tourists, visitors, or returning residents – to take rapid antigen lateral flow tests on days 2, 5 and 10 following their arrival on-island, with the arrival day counting as day zero.

When people arrive in Cayman, they will be issued with a Rapid Antigen Testing Card by Customs Border Control (CBC). People then have to go to an approved healthcare provider to have the test administered by a healthcare professional. Even though such tests are available on-island, it is important to note that, for travellers arriving into Cayman, self-administered tests are not an option.

Once each rapid antigen lateral flow test has been administered, the testing card must be certified by the approved healthcare provider administering the test. To comply with legal requirements, the lateral flow testing of travellers must be certified by a registered healthcare provider in the Cayman Islands.

Each lateral flow test costs the traveller CI$25, equating to CI$75 per person travelling into the Cayman Islands. At the press briefing, Minister Bryan said that the cost associated with these arrival tests reflected the extra work needed to be undertaken to ensure the traveller complied with regulations.

“The providers have to do a lot of administrative work on the back end which is a costly exercise outside of paying for the tests themselves,” he advised. “When a person gets tested, the tester will be responsible for emailing that individual and letting them know what the results are, whether they are positive or negative and also they will be obligated to report back to Public Health if there is a positive, so there is back-end work going on more than just the testing itself.”

Minister Bryan said he hoped the price would go down once rapid antigen lateral flows became more widely available on island.

Testing locations are available island-wide at approved hotels, clinics and private doctors’ offices.

In addition to the reporting of a Covid-positive person to Public Health by the registered healthcare provider, other rules include the requirement for the traveller to self-isolate within their accommodation, and the tourist visitor and tourism accommodation provider must follow the protocols established and approved by Public Health for dealing with a positive tourist visitor.

Hotels and other hospitality providers may require guests, for example, to present their test card demonstrating that they are in compliance with testing requirements before allowing entry to high traffic areas such as restaurants and pools. It is also strongly recommended that all tourism businesses implement a twice weekly lateral flow testing programme.

Key Contact Information

In accordance with general Public Health guidance, any person with symptoms suggestive of Covid-19 disease should contact their local healthcare provider or the Flu Hotline to seek advice on the best next steps. The Flu Hotline can be reached on 1-800-534-8600 or 925-6327 (Flow) or 947-3077 (Digicel), or email flu@hsa.ky

APPROVED HEALTHCARE PROVIDER LOCATIONS

GRAND CAYMAN

George Town

• CIHSA - Chemotherapy Unit

42 Pine Drive, George Town

Phone: 949-8600

• Cayman Orthopedic Group

#1 Smith Road Plaza, George Town

Phone: 945-8380

• Dr. Marzouca Medical Clinic

29 Pasadora Place, George Town

Phone: 949-6631

• ENT in Cayman

Pasadora Place, Unit # 37

94 Smith Road, George Town

Phone: 745-3253

• The Family Practice

Smith Road Plaza, George Town

Phone: 945-6077

• Dr. Dirk Belfonte

247 Smith Road, George Town

Phone: 326-5741

• International Medical Group

30 Pasadora Place, Smith Road

Phone: 945-2881

• The Surgery

Suite#2 Smith Road Plaza, George Town

Phone: 925-3337

• Cayman Health Laboratory

Grand Harbor Center

Phone: 946-4715

• Cayman Islands Urgent Care Ltd. T/A Doctors Express

Corporate Plaza Units 1-4, 81 Godfrey Nixon Way

Phone: 745-6000

• Phoenix Health Services

21 Eclipse Drive, Eastern Avenue

Phone: 943-8150

West Bay Road

• TotalHealth Ltd.

Grand Pavilion, Ground Floor, North West Wing

Phone: 333-2222

• Royale Medical and Wellness Center Ltd.

HSBC House, 36 Baytown Plaza

Phone: 769-6230

West Bay

• Oasis Medical Group (Cayman) Ltd.

101 Centennial Towers, West Bay

Phone: 943-6066

• CIHSA - West Bay Nurses Health Centre

Reverend Blackman Road, West Bay

Phone: 949-8600

Bodden Town

• CIHSA - Jessie Ritch Memorial Health Centre

Shamrock Road, Bodden Town

Phone: 949-8600

• Global Medical Center

Countryside Shopping Village

Phone: 943-4500

East End

• CIHSA-Lilith Mclaughlin Memorial Health Centre

Seaview Road, East End

Phone: 949-8600

CAYMAN BRAC

• Faith Hospital

215, Dennis Foster Rd, Stake Bay

Phone: 948-2243

• Flu Clinic

Aston Rutty Center, Aston Reid Drive

Phone: 948-2557

LITTLE CAYMAN

• CIHSA - Little Cayman Health Centre

Spot Bay Road

Phone: 949-8600