Cayman possible border reopening without quarantine by April or May!

[scubadada]

Same as Mexico, Turks and Caicos, Belgium, Italy, Norway and countless other countries that I would not worry about traveling to...

I have been enrolled in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) Program since before the pandemic Smart Traveler Enrollment Program I get routine advisories for Mexico, Cayman Islands, Bonaire, Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ecuador. The information was particularly useful before my trip to Malpelo in July. When you actually book a trip, you can enroll that destination and get alerts while you travel. Colombia had just had demonstrations and protests that had closed down most of the land transportation before my visit. The trip before ours was cancelled. It was reassuring getting updates during my travel to Cali, Buenaventura, and back to Cali.

It is easy to call these recommendations overly conservative, many of them seem to be. However, it is powerful having up to date and accurate information.

 

[scubadada]

What I want to know is how that 'high level' in the Cayman Islands compares to the level here in the United States. If we're worse, as tkaelin suggests, maybe they ought to issue a new advisory for U.S. travelers...

Go when you can; it's safer than staying here.

Of course, I imagine when the U.S. President and CDC Director caught wind of that, heads would roll...

Of course, it depends on where you live in the US and what you do with regard to exposure to others. The risk of infection in those others, is a major consideration.

 

[tridacna]

Going to be interesting to see how the CI evaluates and authenticates vaccination certifications from the USA. I just returned rom T&C. A scanned copy of the easily copied paper CDC card was sufficient. I think that the US checking those certs upon re-entry may be more thorough and lead to less "cheating". Interesting times.

 

[Joneill]

I'm not convinced they'll actually open this year at all, given the latest trends there and how crazily conservative they've been. I've moved on and booked to other places for 2022. GCM is off my list for the foreseeable future - maybe 2023?
Active cases now 320, majority showing symptomatic signs

 

[kensuf]

STEP Notifications <00000002837efc59-dmarc-request@calist.state.gov> Unsubscribe​	3:35 PM (32 minutes ago)
to ACS_CAYMAN_ISLANDS

Reconsider to the Cayman Islands due to COVID-19-related restrictions.

Read the Department of State's COVID-19 page before you plan any international travel.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for the Cayman Islands due to COVID-19 indicating a high level of COVID-19 in the country. Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA authorized vaccine. Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC's specific recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers. There are restrictions in place affecting U.S. citizen entry into the Caymans. Visit the Embassy's COVID-19 page for more information on COVID-19 in the Cayman Islands.

Read the country information page.

Shoot, I'm from Florida. They've got nothing on the community transmission my town has.

 

[Jcp2]

Shoot, I'm from Florida. They've got nothing on the community transmission my town has.

They’ve also got nothing in the way of hospital capacity for very ill people.

 

[BrackaFish]

What I want to know is how that 'high level' in the Cayman Islands compares to the level here in the United States. If we're worse, as tkaelin suggests, maybe they ought to issue a new advisory for U.S. travelers...

Go when you can; it's safer than staying here.

Of course, I imagine when the U.S. President and CDC Director caught wind of that, heads would roll...

LOL. As someone from FL that wants to go back to the Brac next year I say Let’s not go looking for Trouble. A crisis in Grand Cayman is just a bad day at the hospital where my wife works. Having said that, I will admit that things are a great deal better than a few weeks ago.

 

[mi000ke]

Article in today's Cayman Compass said the island was rated "high" because they had between100 and 500 new cases in the past 28 days.

Rising COVID numbers put Cayman on CDC high-risk list

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has placed the Cayman Islands on its list of high-risk destinations as local numbers of COVID-19 continue to rise here.

www.caymancompass.com

I was on island from Jan 2020 to May 2021, and they had some of the best control over covid in the world. The got it under control quickly and we were essentially covid-free in the community for a year. But all good things must come to an end. The question a lot of folks are asking is where the renegade case came from, as anyone entering the country legally had to be tested and quarantined and tested again. Being a small island, they are pretty good at contact tracing. Most of the covid activity seems to involve the schools. We're heading back in January, and I have no worries about it being any more risky that being in the US.

 

[Doctorfish]

It really isn't riskier than the US until you get sick. The hospital capacity is limited so if there is a significant outbreak and the beds and ICUs fill, you could be SOL.

 

[mi000ke]

It really isn't riskier than the US until you get sick. The hospital capacity is limited so if there is a significant outbreak and the beds and ICUs fill, you could be SOL.

That's also been true in the US. In fact the situation in the US regarding capacity has been much worse than in the Cayman islands. Currently there are only 4 people hospitalized in Cayman. For whatever reason, almost no one having covid in the Caymans over the past couple of years has required hospitalization. And the health dept believes it has more than enough capacity to handle any increases. And with almost 80% having received one vax dose and 11% (I believe) having been boosted (including my wife and I) I'm still not worried. If you're vaxed (and you cannot come otherwise) you should be OK. But everyone needs to make their own decision.