CAYMAN ISLANDS (GIS) – Part of the government’s strategy to stop the spread of the coronavirus is to identify and isolate cases early to avoid the chance for community transmission.

This approach requires the public to be clear on what symptoms to look out for and what action they should take including when to be tested by the Health Services Authority (HAS).

To further support this effort, the Ministry of Health announced the launch of an online self-assessment tool open to the public today, Monday, 30 March 2020.

“The government is fully committed to stopping the spread of coronavirus across the Cayman Islands. A great deal of this is by giving the public the tools they need to make the right decisions and take control of their health,” said the Minister for Health, Hon. Dwayne Seymour.

The tool provides a quick alternative to the ‘flu hotlines operated by HAS for those wishing to check if their symptoms match those of coronavirus.

“The majority of coronavirus cases have mild symptoms which may not spear the person on to get properly tested and may lead them to continue to interact with the community. We are hoping the online tool will encourage these people who may not feel the need to speak to someone at HAS in the first instance, the chance to quickly have their symptoms checked,” commented Medical Health Officer, Dr Samuel Williams-Rodriguez.

The self-assessment begins by asking the individual for their symptoms, followed by a series of questions to determine whether they should seek further medical assessment, all in less than five minutes.

The online tool can be accessed on www.gov.ky/coronavirus. A button which will take you to the self-assessment is located under the latest figures button. No personal information is collected and the tool is completely confidential.

The online tool won’t replace the HAS hotlines. Individuals who are displaying coronavirus symptoms will still be asked to called the ‘flu hotline on 1-800-534-8600 or 947-3077 or 925-6327 in order for the correct testing procedures to be arranged.