London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

200,000 COVID test kits on order from South Korea

200,000 COVID test kits on order from South Korea

The Cayman Islands has ordered 200,000 coronavirus test kits from a supplier in South Korea and will be able to begin mass testing soon.
Premier Alden McLaughlin made the announcement Thursday, saying the kits would assist with the next phase of the strategy in fighting COVID-19.

Once those arrive on island, he said Cayman will be able to begin a policy of mass testing, isolation and contact tracing of positive cases. He said the curfews and social distancing measures already in place were phase one of a multi-pronged approach.

Testing on any scale has not been possible, until now, because of a shortage of supplies.

The premier said 1,700 test kits were already scheduled to arrive on the British Airways flight from the UK Tuesday. The South Korea order was placed Thursday and efforts are still under way to get those tests to the islands.

McLaughlin said, “Once the British Airways plane arrives we can get aggressively into the testing part of the programme, particularly with respect to frontline staff – police, people who work at the supermarkets, those who have regular interface with others.”

Once the additional supplies arrive from South Korea, he said, the island would have the capacity to test the entire population if necessary.

“That will give us more than enough supplies, should it come to that, to test every single person in the Cayman Islands and then some.”

He said countries that had been successful in fighting the virus had imposed strong curfew measures and followed up with rigorous testing plans.

Governor Martyn Roper, who has been involved in securing the supply line with South Korea, welcomed the announcement and said he hoped Cayman would soon be able to follow the World Health Organization prescription of ‘testing, testing, testing’.

He said, “It is very exciting that we have placed that order with South Korea for 200,000 tests and that will allow us to test people on the frontline, test our emergency services and eventually to test everyone on the island.

“Suppression and testing is the way out of this, but we need all of you to cooperate with us on the advice we are giving you if we are going to be able to achieve that.”

Both the premier and governor urged people to follow the curfew and shelter-in-place measures and to maintain social distancing as the primary ways to fight the virus.

Roper said the tests would not arrive on the British Airways flight next week.

“Moving anything around the world is incredibly challenging,” he said. “Everybody is trying to get their hands on these kits. There was not enough time to get them on the BA flight so our next challenge is how to get them here.

“We have good options and we are confident we can do this.”

The South Korean kits will be the same polymerase chain reaction tests that are currently being used by the Health Services Authority to determine if patients are positive for the virus.

CTMH Doctors Hospital is also expected to have its virus-testing lab up and running shortly.

Though the Cayman Islands will, if all the orders are completed, have many more tests than people, there are often patients that need to be tested more than once, for example to ensure they are free of the virus before they are released from quarantine.

Equally, anyone who tests negative could later develop symptoms and need to be tested again.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×