Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cayman Islands

Ombudsman urges public to keep COVID-19 patient details private The Office of the Ombudsman is aware of concerns that individuals are seeking to identify, and even publicly expose, people who are infected with COVID-19. Aside from the moral, ethical and societal implications surrounding the stigma associated with naming and shaming another human being, there are legal implications if sensitive personal data is made public. Read more.

The Ministry of Health recognises the potential benefits of homemade masks when acting as a physical barrier to stop some droplet spread of the novel coronavirus when in public spaces. However, the Chief Medical Officer also advised to use caution when considering the use of homemade masks to protect against the transmission of COVID-19 as the level of protection cannot be guaranteed. Read more.

All Easter camping and hanging out socially on beaches and elsewhere are officially cancelled. People should celebrate Easter as a religious festival staying at homes and in a socially distant way. Read more.

A British Airways flight coming from the U.K. via Bermuda is scheduled to leave Grand Cayman on the afternoon of Tuesday, 7 April. Persons seeking to leave the Cayman Islands should call 244-3333 or email emergencytravel@gov.ky. The cost per ticket is £500. Existing BA ticketing cannot be transferred to this charter flight but may be given as vouchers. Read more.

All persons arriving into the Cayman Islands will be isolated in a Government-provided facility. Read more.

Important must read information for Caymanians and Cayman Islands residents returning to the Cayman Islands. Read more.

Emergency supplementary funding, recently approved by Cabinet, will provide temporary food assistance to non-Caymanians who qualify and are unable to leave the Cayman Islands or who find themselves out of work due to the impact of COVID-19.

Work permit holders who need urgent support may apply for a food voucher.

For matters relating to support from the Needs Assessment Unit (NAU), contact NAUInfo@gov.ky or 946-0024. Anyone seeking to access services from the NAU as first-time client should first complete this pre-assessment form.

For free confidential legal advice on matters pertaining to domestic violence, immigration, maintenance, and matrimonial property please phone Legal Brefrienders on Tuesdays including 31 March, 7 April, 14 April, 21 April and 28 April from 5:30-6:30pm on 945 8869. For future information call the Family Resource Centre 949 0006.

Micro and Small Businesses can learn more about relief measures funded by the Cayman Islands Government on our Business Guidance page.

For more hotlines and support click here.

Stay home as much as possible and only leave for essential trips in accordance with restrictions on movement by curfew and by last name. Local supplies are not running short. Only essential trips by one member of the household should be considered and children should stay home. Read more.

If you entered the Cayman Islands on or after Monday, 16 March, you are required to self-isolate along with all other members of your household for 14 full days.

Any person who displays symptoms of COVID-19 (coughing, fever, shortness of breath) or who has had contact with someone suspected to have COVID-19 should also self-isolate for 14 days along with their household.

Read more on self-isolation here.

During times of crisis you may find that your moods and feelings are affected. It's okay not to be okay. Read more.

Caring professionals are here for you. Call 1-800-534-6463 (MIND) Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm to talk to our Mental Health Hotline.

Find out how to get other assistance you may need here.

Avoid all but essential travel until there is a measurable change in the global situation.

Local airports and sea ports are currently closed to all international passengers. There is also heightened concern with inter-island travel due to the high percentage of elderly persons residing in the Sister Islands. Read more.

Referred to as "Shelter in Place", the daytime "soft" curfew Monday to Saturday allows reasonable movement of persons between 5am and 7pm for essential activities such as access to supermarkets, pharmacies and banks.

Adults with the last name beginning in A through K will be allowed to enter supermarkets and banks on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Adults with the last name beginning in L through Z will be allowed to enter supermarkets on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and banks on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. These provisions are in place across all three Islands. Individuals with hyphenated or multiple surnames should use the first letter of the first surname.

Persons are also allowed to exercise outdoors - including walking a pet, swimming at the beach or line fishing from the shore or a dock - for up to 90 minutes between 6am and 6pm either alone or with one other person who is a member of the same residence. The 90-minute period includes any necessary driving/travel time and all marine conservation laws and regulations apply. No other water activities are permitted.

The "hard" curfew remains in effect from 7pm in the evening until 5am in the morning each day and for 24 hours on Sundays. Persons are required to remain in their homes and premises during these hours unless the Commissioner of Police has exempted them from doing so in writing. Read more.

No more than 2 persons who are not members of the same household are allowed to gather in public for any reason. Private parties which include any person from outside of the immediate household are banned and private strata pools, strata gyms and playgrounds are to be closed.

Health care facilities, supermarkets, convenience stores and mini-marts, pharmacies, retail banks, building societies, credit unions and gas stations are exempt from the ban on public gatherings. However, the owner or operator must restrict the number of customers in order to maintain social distancing. No matter the size, convenience stores and mini-marts are limited to no more than 6 customers at any time.

Weddings are not to include 10 or more people other than the bride, groom, official witnesses and the marriage officer. Funerals are only allowed to be attended by up to 10 members of the immediate family, 6 pallbearers, at least 1 officiant, and essential mortuary staff.

While workplaces are not considered public places, only essential operations are open and even essential staff must work remotely at home if they are able.

Only essential establishments, institutions, businesses, organisations and offices are allowed to be open and hours are restricted. Non-exempt operations must also comply with the ban on gatherings of more than 2 people (not including staff).

There are no exceptions to the requirement to maintain a distance of at least six feet (two metres) between individuals who are not members of the same household while in a public place. Essential establishments, institutions, businesses, organisations and offices that remain open must also provide for social distancing.

Supermarkets, convenience stores, mini-marts, pharmacies and gas or refilling stations are only allowed to operate between the hours of 6am and 6pm. Retail banks, building societies and credit unions are only allowed to operate between the hours of 9am and 1pm. Health care facilities are not restricted in their hours of operation.

Construction sites and works are banned apart from urgent home plumbing, electrical or roof repairs.

It is not permitted to visit a person who is in quarantine or isolation, a detainee in a prison or place of detention, a patient in a health care facility, or a residential home care facility.

Restaurants are only to provide drive-through services, take out, delivery or curb side collection of food. Food may only be collected from restaurants until 6pm. Delivery services are only allowed to operate until 9pm. Read more.

Public transportation services are currently suspended and bus depots are closed.

Taxis are limited to no more than 2 passengers to ensure each passenger is able to distance himself or herself as far as possible from the other passenger and the driver. Read more.

Airports are closed to international passengers, all cruise ships and private yachts are banned, and travel to the Sister Islands is restricted to residents and essential personnel. Read more.

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BLOOD DONATIONS ARE URGENTLY REQUIRED

Contact the blood bank at the Health Services Authority Monday to Saturday, call 244-2674 or email info@bloodbank.ky. For more info visit www.bloodbank.ky Read more.

New Regulations from 28 March

NEW REGULATIONS BRING FURTHER RESTRICTIONS

The Public Health (Prevention, Control and Suppression of COVID-19) Regulations, 2020 are in effect from 5:01 am on Saturday, 28 March. Read more.

Support for Those in Need

AVAILABLE SUPPORT

Work permit holders food voucher. Click here to apply. Those seeking to access services from the Needs Assessment Unit complete this pre-assessment form.

A Message To Our Most Vulnerable

WATCH HON. DWAYNE SEYMOUR'S MESSAGE

Hon. Dwyane Seymour has a message for our most vulnerable people in the Cayman Islands Watch now.

Latest News & Information

LATEST NEWS & INFORMATION

Get the latest news and updates from the Cayman Islands Government on COVID-19, including major press releases and announcements. Read more.

Six Feet To Save Lives 29 March Supermarket

SOCIAL DISTANCING IS CAYMANKIND

Stay at least 6 feet away from any other person, no matter where you are. Social distancing is legally required in all public places. Read more.

Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Answers to your questions about COVID-19, including the most common symptoms, how to protect yourself, and Government's response. Read More.

Government Policies In Action

READ OUR POLICIES

A number of important policies are in place to prevent, control and suppress COVID-19 in the Cayman Islands. Read more.

Catch it wash it trash it coronavirus

GET THE FACTS

Public health information about how COVID-19 is spread and how to avoid catching or spreading the virus. Read more.

Soft curfew hard curfew

CURFEW TRANSITIONS

The Cayman Islands transitioned to a new "soft" daytime curfew, with a "hard" curfew remaining in place from 7pm to 5am . Read more.

30 March Centre for Business Development

TRAINING AND COACHING FOR BUSINESSES

While the Centre for Business Development was established to support small businesses in general, the particular focus now is on businesses severely impacted by COVID-19. Read more.

Website Slider COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool

WORRIED YOU MIGHT HAVE COVID-19?

With this tool developed by E-Government for the Ministry of Health, quickly learn if you need to self-isolate, call the flu hotline, or if you require extra medical care. Read more.

WHAT IS COVID-19?

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus, which was first identified in Wuhan City, China in 2019. The COVID-19 virus (which is called SARS-CoV-2) is a member of the coronavirus family (a group of viruses) that has never been encountered before.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

The virus most commonly causes:

coughing
fever
tiredness
breathing difficulties

These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually but commonly occur within 1-10 days after a person has been exposed.

Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don't feel unwell. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing.

HOW DO I GET MORE INFORMATION?

This official Cayman Islands Government website includes a lot of helpful information that is constantly being updated, including a detailed explanation of the Daytime "Soft" Curfew and Nighttime "Hard" Curfew that are in place, answers to Frequently Asked Questions and details of Policies in Action. We also have a list of Hotlines for critical services.

If you have medical questions, many resources are available on this website and www.hsa.ky/coronavirus. If you can't find what you're looking for or have a question about your specific situation, contact your General Practitioner or the 24-hour Flu Hotline on 1-800-534-8600 or 925-6327 (Flow) or 947-3077 (Digicel) or email flu@hsa.ky. If you have a medical emergency dial 911.

If you have a non-medical question and can't find the answer on this website, contact the National Emergency Operations Centre hotline on 1-800-534-6555 or email NEOC@gov.ky.

REGIONAL TRACKER

Get updates from the Pan American Health Organization here.

WHO SITUATION REPORTS

Get global updates from the World Health Organization here.

COVID-19 LATEST LIVE UPDATE

COVID-19 FAQS

What is COVID-19?

The information and studies we are receiving on COVID-19 grow by the day, and so does the understanding. The advice from our Chief Medical Officer is that shared by national public health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control in the USA, Public Health England and the World Health Organization. Read more.

What is Government doing to address COVID-19?

Here on our official website, you can find the most up to date news and information about Government's response to COVID-19. This includes Policies in Action to protect our community and save lives.

What should I do if I think I have COVID-19?

Unless you require emergency medical care, stay home. Call your General Practitioner or the 24-hour Flu Hotline on 1-800-534-8600 or 947-3077 for advice if you are not managing. Depending on your symptoms and travel history you will most likely be advised to self-isolate at home. A member of the Health Services Authority will visit you at your home. Read more.

What should businesses do?

The Cayman Islands Government issued advice on how businesses and commerce can prepare ahead of a potential community case. We are also keeping this website updated to reflect the latest policies, advice and Government relief measures for businesses. Read more.

View all of our frequently asked questions on COVID-19 here.

PREVENTION TIPS

The best way to protect yourself and others from the spread of COVID-19 is to practice these three tips:

Catch it. Catch a cough or sneeze in a tissue. If you have nothing to use, use your elbow and not your hands.
Bin it. Bin the tissues after use. Viruses can live for hours in tissues.
Kill it. By avoiding close contact with those suffering from acute respiratory illness, avoiding travel if you have flu-like symptoms (or a cough or a fever) we can help kill the virus.

CAYMAN PREPARED

Hazard Management Cayman Islands has overall responsibility for the national Comprehensive Disaster Management programme, including preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery.

HMCI is responsible for the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), which is activated to direct and coordinate the response to national threats. Read more.

PRESS ROOM

► Minister Hew's Update: Micro and Small Business Support, Centre for Business Development, Relief Measures for Businesses. Read more

► Minister Seymour's Update: Respiratory Care Unit Well Underway, Frontline Health Care Staff Precautions, Advice on Face Masks. Read more

► Monday, 6 April Government Update: Government Announces Funds For Micro and Small Businesses, 43 Students Tested Negative, Hotline Reporting for Domestic Abuse. Read more

► British Airways Flight Arrives Carrying Urgent Pharmaceuticals, Personal Protective Equipment, Test Kits, 58 Caymanian Students. Read more

► Sunday, 5 April Government Update: 4 more Positive Results, Reckless Rogue Motorist Dealt With, Clarification that Exercise Should be Between 6am-6pm, Persons May Enter the Water Only for the Purposes of Exercise and Swimming. Read more

► Health Services Authority Maternity Allows for One Accompanying Person During Labour. Read more

► Saturday, 4 April Government Update: 27 Negative Results from the Government Isolation Facility of 19 Other Results 6 Positive (1 Positive in Cayman Brac, 5 Positive in Grand Cayman); Reminder Hard Curfew in Place from 7pm on Saturday, 4 April to 5am on Monday, 6 April. Read more

► Friday, 3 April Government Update: 1 New COVID-19 Case, Man Receives 4 months in Prison for Curfew Breach, Curfew Changes Approved. Read more.

► Read all news