Protocols could restrict medical travel to Caymans

The Cayman Islands will be reopening borders for international tourism starting on 1 September. Medical tourists are allowed in, but the strict protocols may deter them unless treatment is urgent. Flights are restricted and all tourists must register with the Governments’ new entity, TravelTime.

The Cayman Islands government created TravelTime to coordinate and operate repatriation flights. Anyone wishing to travel to, from and within the Cayman Islands, by air or sea, must now apply to TravelTime.

All travellers must present a negative coronavirus test completed within 72 hours before entering the country. They will be required to self-quarantine for five days and present a second negative test before being permitted to freely roam.

All must wear a health monitoring device for continuous screening while in the Cayman Islands.

There are no specific country restrictions, but other internal protocols of the phased reopening are being fine-tuned and the tourism ministry will issue details soon.

Health City Caymans Islands is again open for domestic and international surgery, diagnostics and outpatient treatment with new health and safety procedures in place.

The Cayman Islands government has also announced that it is working with US biotech company, BioIntelliSense, to provide a new option for health monitoring. BioButton, the company’s FDA-approved technology device, can track trends that might indicate a respiratory infection such as the coronavirus.

The device monitors heart rate at rest, respiratory rate and skin temperature and can also help with contact tracing efforts. Its health sensors connect to the BioMobile smartphone app via Bluetooth to monitor the user’s whereabouts, but proximity and duration to other BioButton devices can track users and report them to contact tracing operations.

If tourists refuse to wear a BioButton for 14 days, then compulsory quarantine is increased from five to 14 days.