(CMR) Premier of the Cayman Islands Alden McLaughlin said he was hopeful that the country's borders could be reopened by late April to early May based on the number of people getting vaccinated.
“Things are going well; I am still hopeful that by the end of April, early May, Cayman will be one of the few countries in the world that can reopen safely without having to quarantine people,” McLaughlin said during a press conference on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, McLaughlin said the quarantine period for persons entering the country could be reduced when at least 90 percent of people over 60 were vaccinated.
Approximately 87 percent of persons 70 years and older have been vaccinated, 81 percent of persons over 60 years old have been vaccinated. That is approximately 24 percent of the population.
McLaughlin said there would be a new educational campaign to encourage more persons in the vulnerable groups to get their vaccines.
The premier said he believed that the country could reach the target to reduce the quarantining period within a few weeks.
He said he was also excited at the prospect of the country getting 70 percent of the overall population vaccinated, which would mean that the country could end the quarantine period altogether.
“I am very optimistic; we have exceeded our expectations in terms of the number of persons in the vulnerable groups that we have had vaccinated in the time since we have rolled out the vaccination program, so I am very optimistic, very excited,” McLaughlin said.
The premier was also optimistic that once vaccination becomes available to more people, then the number of persons vaccinated on the islands will increase significantly.
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