London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 11, 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
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
×