Entire flight put at risk because of positive passenger

(CMR) All 84 passengers on Cayman Airways flight KX605 from Kingston have been placed into quarantine and will now be monitored closely after it was discovered that a passenger who tested positive for COVID-19 was allowed on the flight.

All travelers had PCR tests done and will be closely monitored by Public Health and Travel Cayman. Ministry of Health Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez said there are no public health concerns. He said:

“We are grateful for the vigilance of the CBC Team, who quickly highlighted and addressed this incident, and we would like to reassure the community that there is no cause for public health concern.”

As part of the multiple border entry protocols, Travel Cayman said the COVID-19 positive traveler and their companion were detained on arrival at the Owen Roberts International Airport, Grand Cayman, by border control officers following passenger checks of PCR tests.

Some of the passengers on the flight are in government quarantine while others are allowed to quarantine at home.

Meantime, Cayman Airways Limited (CAL) is investigating how a passenger who presented a positive COVID-19 test result upon arrival in Grand Cayman was able to board its flight from Kingston, Jamaica, on Thursday, September 9, 2021.

“At Cayman Airways’ Kingston station, our airline requires that our handling agency conducts two checks of negative COVID-19 test results before passengers are allowed to travel on our flights to Grand Cayman,” explained CAL President and CEO Fabian Whorms.

“With today’s apparent breach of that process, we are conducting an internal investigation and have already initiated measures to institute a third check at the gate prior to boarding. Our airline will be working with the Travel Cayman team and local Public Health authorities in order to also put additional measures in place to ensure that such a situation does not reoccur,” Whorms stated in a release on Thursday.

Whorms added that all Cayman Airways flight crew are fully vaccinated, wear full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on all international flights, and have been completely cleared by Public Health authorities in Grand Cayman of any possible exposure. 

Cayman Airways’ standard COVID-19 safety procedures include onboard social distancing, limited in-flight service, and sanitizing aircraft between flights, which have all been carried. Cayman Airways said it would provide more updates if and when additional details become available.