Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (3 June 2020) The Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA), which owns and operates the Owen Roberts International Airport (ORIA) and the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport (CKIA), has received confirmation from the Public Health Department that one team member from the Owen Roberts International Airport has tested positive for COVID-19.

The COVID-19 positive team member is in isolation for the recommended period as set out by the Public Health Authority. Contact tracing is being carried out and any CIAA team members who have worked closely with the COVID-19 positive team member in the past seven days have been guided according to contact tracing guidelines set forth by the Cayman Islands Government. The team member is asymptomatic and was tested as part of the Cayman Islands Airports Authority’s company-wide testing.

Close to 300 personnel were tested, including team members of the Cayman Islands Airports Authority and some other partner companies that provide services at the Airport, as well as much of the construction personnel working on the Airfield Upgrade Project. All of these other workers have tested negative.

The health and safety of our passengers, colleagues and partners are of utmost priority for us. Upon receiving confirmation of the one positive case, our teams immediately carried out additional safety measures throughout the terminal. We employed a professional cleaning service to conduct deep cleaning of the areas where the positive team member may have travelled or made any type of contact and intensified our normal airport cleaning regime for all areas.

Additionally, we have implemented new procedures and safety measures at ORIA, including:

·        Social distancing 6 foot distance markers placed on the floors where passengers queue 

·        Distanced seating in the departure lounge

·        Only passengers are allowed to enter the terminal – family and friends must say goodbye outside the terminal

·        Disinfectant provided for passengers to disinfect their hands and luggage upon entering the terminal, and portable hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed throughout terminal building

·        Mandatory that masks are worn prior to entering the airport terminal and while inside any CIAA buildings

·        Increased cleaning and sanitization schedules throughout the terminal with advanced cleaning after each repatriation flight

·        Cleaning of each bin after it’s used at the security checkpoint

·        Temperature checks conducted on all passengers arriving on repatriation flights

·        Development of a Local Operating Procedure for COVID-19 Pandemic Response procedures

Owen Roberts International Airport and Charles Kirkconnell International Airport remain closed for international passenger flights until 31 August 2020 at 11:59 p.m. During this extended restriction period, domestic, cargo, courier and emergency medical flights will continue to operate, in addition to any air bridges or repatriation flights that the Cayman Islands Government approves.