Cayman receives over 100K in goods from WHO for COVID-19 fight

(CMR) The Cayman Islands Government received over $100,000 USD in aid from the  World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Jack Ma Foundation.

The humanitarian supplies were coordinated through Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to support the continuing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The donation comes shortly after the Cayman Islands was accepted into CDEMA on 28 August. Membership is due to be formalised with the filing of the Letter of Accession in the coming weeks.

The supplies, valued at $195,050 USD, included 3,640 N95 face masks and 117,900 surgical face masks and will be added to the National Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Register.

Face masks are widely recognised as playing an important role in helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and are an essential part of PPE for healthcare and other frontline workers.

“During the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic response, essential PPE such as face masks were in high demand and difficult to acquire in large volumes. Through the collective efforts of the government and our people, the Cayman Islands has responded remarkably to the pandemic. However, the threat of COVID-19 remains and we must continue to be vigilant. The Cayman Islands Government is therefore very grateful for this show of support from CDEMA and the substantial donation from the WHO and the Jack Ma Foundation, as we move cautiously through the uncharted waters ahead of us,” said  Home Affairs Minister Tara Rivers.

Rivers further explained that CDEMA was established to coordinate disaster relief and support mechanisms in the region.

“Through our membership with CDEMA, the Cayman Islands has gained access to pooled resources and logistics capability which we can readily tap into as required to bolster our resilience following a disaster or emergency,” added Minister Rivers.

The face masks are to be used for surge capacity at the emergency field hospital as well as the government emergency shelters if either are activated.