Government issues travel restrictions to manage Coronavirus

The Ministry of Health, Public Health officials and the management of the Health Services Authority confirm that at this time there are no cases of the Coronavirus COVID-19 in the Cayman Islands.

But, in order to protect Caymanians and its resident from the Coronavirus, Government is advising residents to restrict travel to certain countries.

They are also advising visitors who have been in China in the preceding fourteen days will be denied entry – a restriction in line with many of Cayman’s regional neighbours.

Returning residents who have travelled to mainland China will be quarantined under the direction of the Medical Officer of Health.

At this time this is likely to be in the traveller’s home.

This was stated by Cabinet on Friday under the Public Health Law [2000 Revision].

The Ministry of Health and the Public Health Department also issue travel advice that the public should avoid all but essential travel to mainland China until there is a measurable change in the global situation and the ban lifted.

Additionally, people travelling to countries with significant in-country transmission of COVID-19 should consider the need for the journey and whether it might be postponed or re-organized.

Persons who have returned from this or any other area where there is a risk of COVID-19, within the last 14 days, should advise Public Health immediately if they have a cough, or fever or shortness of breath.

“As always, our first priority is to keep Caymanians and residents safe and mitigate any public health threat expeditiously,” said Health Minister Dwayne Seymour.

The ban he said will take immediate effect and the intention of this announcement is to give clear notice to travellers, businesses and organisations that may be affected.

He said rest assured that border control measures to screen passengers on all flights and vessels from mainland China and for people who have been in, or transited through, mainland China in the past 14 days will be on-going.

“I want to continue to remind the public to be vigilant and to assure the people of the Cayman Islands that we are prepared for this threat to global health,” Seymour said.

Public health officials are reminding arriving passengers, if they have symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, to seek medical attention and share their travel history with their healthcare provider, even if arriving from countries where fewer cases have occurred.

Common symptoms of the COVID-19

Infection include shortness of breath and cough, along with flu-like symptoms and fever.

Residents are being reminded to “be in the know” about COVID-19 when traveling abroad and to practice general infection control measures such as frequent hand cleansing with soap and water or an alcohol based hand sanitizer; covering nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing; avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections, and avoiding unprotected contact with farm or wild animals when travelling.

Public Health officials and the management of the Health Services Authority continues to assure the public of their capability to manage any imported cases of the Coronavirus and continue to activate national contingency plans as needed.

Cabinet has also approved funding for the H.S.A. for the preparation and implementation of a Coronavirus treatment unit.

At this time, the Ministry of Health recommends only essential travel between Cayman and the following countries because the World Health Organization reports that they have had five or more cases where exposure to Coronavirus has occurred within that country: