(CNS): Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly is the latest member of government to be forced into solitary confinement after testing positive for COVID-19. The minister, who was one of the last MPs to be fully vaccinated, is said to be showing only mild symptoms of what is likely the Omicron variant, which is now the dominant strain in Caymans.

About 5% of the population is currently positive, as the highly infectious variant is rampant in the community. In a statement from his office, Prime Minister Wayne Panton said that so far O’Connor-Connolly has been doing well and the government team wished him a speedy recovery.

“We know from all the research around the world that COVID-19 is not a fair fight for those who are unvaccinated,” Panton said. “We have seen that the rate of hospitalizations and deaths is largely due to unvaccinated people. Fortunately, Minister O’Connor-Connolly is fully vaccinated.

Urging unvaccinated people to get vaccinated as soon as possible and fully vaccinated people to receive their boosters, Panton said the government was trying to slow the spread, despite the high levels of infection.

“Our government’s goal is to protect our community, protect our healthcare system and slow the rate of transmission to ensure our schools and our economy can continue,” he said. “To do that, we need to continue testing, report positive cases, isolate if positive, and get vaccinated.”

Panton urged people to take all necessary safety precautions. But even with a high vaccination rate, reduced limits on social gatherings, forced early closures of bars and nightclubs and mandatory mask requirements, the virus appears to have peaked and is forcing hundreds of families into lockdown. .

The government is now reducing the information it releases to the public about the virus, but according to data released last week, there are at least ten people currently in hospital who test positive for COVID-19.