Minister and his parliamentary secretary confirm COVID positive status likely Omicron variant

(CMR) Several members of the PACT government have tested positive for COVID-19 and it is a suspected case of the Omicron variant it has been exclusively revealed to Cayman Marl Road. Sources informed us earlier in the day that at least two MPs had tested positive. Minister of Planning Agriculture, Housing, & Infrastructure and MP for North Side along with his Parliamentary Secretary and East End MP Issac Rankine tested positive on Monday.

Minister Ebanks tested positive first via a lateral flow test and then confirmed it via a PCR test on December 20. He promptly informed PS Rankine of his positive status which prompted him to get PCR tested later on Monday afternoon. Both were confirmed positive. Both him and Rankine travelled to Cayman Brac on Thursday for an urgent meeting with local contractors. They had not seen each other since Friday.

Given his travel itinerary, he tested Thursday morning before leaving for the Brac and then again on Friday, Saturday night and on Sunday. He realized that he came in contact with a positive government employee over the weekend. The minister noted that he's not aware of any contact tracing occurring on the Brac and that during that time he followed COVID-19 protocols included wearing his mask in public.

The Minister confirmed that his planning team members LFT twice per week on Mondays and Thursday. Thus far his Chief Officer who also traveled to the Brac with him has tested negative.

Both men received their boosters on December 13 and are largely asymptomatic. Rankine shared with CMR that he was feeling quite good actually and despite being extra caution this was the outcome and stressed the importance of being full vaccinated. He noted:

“I thought I was being quite careful. Always wearing my mask and sanitizing but it goes to show how transmittable it is. It is suspected Omicron.”

Minister Ebanks will be in isolation for fourteen days and In the interim Minister Saunders will be acting for him.

They would not be the first MPs to have tested positive for COVID-19. It was reported several months ago that several opposition members were in the same situation but they remained someone secretive about their status.

CMR will be reporting in due course on the reason for the emergency meeting in Cayman Brac with contactors. There are now over 30 suspected cases of the Omicron variant in the Cayman Islands.