(Caymancompass.com) – The first case of the coronavirus has been confirmed in the Cayman Islands, Premier Alden McLaughlin said at a press conference Thursday afternoon.
The patient is a visitor who was transferred from a cruise ship for a critical cardiac issue, the premier said.
He added that the patient is doing well and is still in isolation in hospital, adding, “We are confident that all the appropriate measures have been and continue to be taken and the patient poses no risk to the broader community.”
Health Minister Dwayne Seymour said the patient had been placed immediately in isolation upon entering Cayman.
The patient was among six who had been tested for coronavirus. Four tested negative and the result of a sixth test is still pending.
Seymour warned against spreading of rumours and fake news, following a series of inaccurate social media postings and messages.
A public health meeting on coronavirus, scheduled for Thursday evening in Bodden Town has been cancelled, Seymour said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) leaders on Wednesday declared the outbreak to be “the first pandemic caused by coronavirus”. There have been 125,048 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across at least 117 countries, according to the World Health Organization. There have been 4,613 deaths associated with the virus, according to WHO.
Neighbouring Jamaica confirmed two cases in the last 48 hours and announced on Thursday that the country is closing schools for 14 days.
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Do we have any test kits? How are we handling this? People can’t go to the hospital they would infect the whole place. Do we have persons checking temperature? What are we doing except rebuilding Holberton which should have been done years ago.
Did Cayman’s elected officials consider the risk of COVID 19 that they were subjecting their own people too, by accepting a sick tourist from an cruise ship. It is common knowledge that Italy has an outbreak of COVID 19 that has peaked to encompass its entire country. Cayman must be put first in every decision made by those they elected. At this time Cayman is vulnerable and the economy is a short term problem that must be 2nd to the health and well being of Caymanians. COVID 19 is serious enough to consider temporarily stopping cruise ships, particularly Italian ships, from coming to Cayman. “God did not give us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love and sound mind” Pray for Cayman and it’s people. Trust God and He will bring us through this trying time.