News

Chief Nursing Officer Dr. Hazel Brown has issued a weekly video update from the Public Health Department on trends observed in COVID-19 data over the prior week.

The weekly trends data is being reported by “epidemiological week” which runs from Sunday to the following Saturday and is commonly referred to as an epi week or a CDC week. It is a standardised method of counting weeks to allow for the comparison of data.

Dr. Brown said that for the week of 31 October to 6 November there was an average of 178 new COVID-19 cases per day and a weekly total of 1251 new cases. Of these, one percent were travellers.

Overall, 54 percent of the cases were female, and 46 percent male. The ages of positive cases ranged from three months to 90 years, with an average age of 30 years.

Dr. Brown said, “There were three babies under the age of one year, 405 cases were between one year and 18 years, and 16 were over the age of 70. Most of the cases are in the workforce”

Of the week’s new positives, Dr. Brown said, 70 percent were unvaccinated.

She continued, “During the same period, there were 14 admissions with COVID-19, 12 of whom were admitted for COVID related illness; six persons were discharged. Eighty-seven percent of those who have been hospitalised to date were unvaccinated.”

Dr. Brown urged residents to continue with personal prevention measures. She said, “As the community transmission continues, Public Health is encouraging compliance with the government regulations and continuing vigilance to protect yourself and your loved ones. If you are isolated or quarantined, you may still prevent ongoing transmission if you adhere to the recommendations. Wear your masks, use hand sanitizer, and practice physical distance.”

Dr. Brown’s full video may be viewed at https://youtu.be/6q7BwAFYX7s

COVID-19 Resources

For further COVID-19 information and resources, visit www.gov.ky/coronavirus; for specific information on the national lateral flow test policy visit https://www.exploregov.ky/lft-policy; and to report positive lateral flow test results go to www.exploregov.ky/report-covid19-result

There is also a support line available for people in isolation, which can be reached by calling 946-3530. The Isolation Support Line offers assistance with purchasing and delivering groceries and essential toiletries to people in isolation. The Isolation Support Line is also available toll free by calling 1-800-534-3530, and by email to isolationsupport@gov.ky

The Isolation Support Line’s operational hours are from 9a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday, and from 9a.m. to 1p.m. on Saturday. Calls on Saturday and Sunday will be forwarded to the Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI) Duty Officer.

For mental health support, the Mental Health Helpline can be reached on 1-800-534-6463 (MIND) from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

If you are positive for COVID-19, seek help if you develop symptoms or if existing symptoms worsen by calling the flu hotline on 1-800-534-8600 or 947-3077. For emergencies (e.g., difficulty breathing) call 911.