***Update, 6.15pm Wednesday***
Eight more students tested positive for COVID-19, with one being from Red Bay Primary School and the others from John Gray and Clifton Hunter High Schools. The test results were announced as part of government’s Wednesday morning COVID update.
Additionally, a Year 2 student from Joanna Clarke Primary School in Savannah has tested positive, according to a post on the school’s Facebook page.
That would be the 9th school in Grand Cayman to be impacted by COVID, plus at least two preschools.
***Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 10pm Tuesday to reflect the new case at Red Bay Primary School.***
The COVID-19 virus has now spread to 8 schools in Grand Cayman.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Education sent out a message indicating that a Year 2 student at Red Bay Primary School had tested positive for COVID.
Earlier in the day, a student at First Baptist Christian School, as well as more staff and students from Clifton Hunter High School, were among the positive test results announced by the Ministry of Health & Wellness.
In addition to Red Bay, First Baptist and Clifton Hunter, students have now tested positive at Cayman Academy, George Town Primary School, John Gray High School, Prospect Primary School and Triple C School — as well as at least two preschools.
In the case of a student testing positive for COVID, government guidelines call for the student’s classroom (or year) group to be isolated and tested. If any other students test positive, then that class stays in quarantine and switches to remote learning for at least 2 weeks until being cleared by Public Health officials.
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Here is the Ministry’s press release:
As of 9a.m. on Tuesday, 5 October, there have been 1,232 PCR tests since the last report on Monday, 4 October. Of these, there are five new positive tests in travellers and 10 in members of the community, mostly staff and students from Clifton Hunter High School and additionally from First Baptist Christian School.
There have been 107,891 COVID-19 vaccinations given in total in the Cayman Islands. Of these, 55,376 (78% of 71,106) have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, representing 89% of those over 12 years of age; and 52,405 (74%) have completed the two-dose course, representing 84% of those over the age of 12.
To date, 110 (0%) have had a third or booster dose.
Public Health announced today an immediate reduction in the isolation period for primary contacts of a positive COVID-19 case to 10 days, provided that everyone in the same household has been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to the contact with a vaccine that is on the Chief Medical Officer’s approved list.
Chief Medical Offer Dr. John Lee said, “Please follow the guidance from Public Health about your release from isolation. If unvaccinated people, including children, are part of your household then you will need to continue to observe 14 days of isolation until being released following Public Health instruction. As we move forward with our reopening plans, this isolation period will be under constant review.”
Dr. Lee emphasised, “This does not affect households where there is a positive case. These households must follow the guidance from Public Health staff.”