Health
Breakthrough cases from abroad lead local spike, still Vaxxed Residents get a pass on testing before coming Home
By Deandrea Hamilton
Editor
#TurksandCaicos, December 31, 2021 – Most of the active Covid-19 cases recorded in December in the Turks and Caicos are tourists, who are also fully vaccinated; this means they are breakthrough infections. Still the Turks and Caicos Islands Government in its new raft of entry requirements has stopped short of ensuring everyone who enters or re-enters the territory is negative for the coronavirus, by exempting residents and citizens who are fully vaccinated from a process, it maintains keeps the nation safe.
“Remember though, the visitors are testing far more than we are, since for many a negative test or proof of recovery is a requirement for travel. It could be, that we are finding more in this group, only because we are looking more in this group. The truth is, it is difficult for us to know exactly what is happening within our residential population because we are not testing. So far, only 90 tests have been conducted in December through the community outreach programme.
Testing as many people as possible is another strategy we can use in the fight against Covid-19,” said the Dr. Shandey Malcolm, National Epidemiologist during a national health update on Thursday December 30.
Though government states testing is a strategy, the need for it excludes the returning resident who is vaccinated; begging the question why is this demographic omitted from the essential screening.
The Premier, when he addressed the nation in the health update explained that vaccinated residents, because they have taken the vaccine, get preferential treatment which allows them to return home positive for COVID or not.
Jamell Robinson, TCI’s Health Minister said government is still weighing the benefit and risk of not testing all returning residents.
“We’re monitoring, watch the numbers, watch the hospitalisations, see how things are going, seeing how our resources are being deployed… we’ve decided at this point, December 30th that that’s not the route we are going at this point. But if we deem it is absolutely necessary to make that call, we will. But again, we are still doing some more research, and getting some more data to back up how much more we’re going to benefit from going that route.”
What is clear is the dwindled efficacy of vaccines caused by both the Delta and Omicron strains of the Coronavirus has increasingly materialized breakthrough infections, which has resulted in countries around the world requiring full vaccination or quality testing and upon entry or re-entry.
As it stands now, guests who test positive for Covid-19 must remain in Turks and Caicos until they can prove full recovery from the coronavirus.
According to Dr. Malcolm, 63 per cent of the 184 cases recorded up to December 30th in the Turks and Caicos were among vaccinated guests to the country. The positives for Covid-19 were picked up when the visitors were taking Rapid Antigen Tests, a mandatory requirement for re-entry to their homeland.
However, Turks and Caicos is headed into a fourth month where vaccinated residents of the islands do not have to test prior to returning home, even though the likelihood of exposure is high.
On December 24th, 41 new Covid-19 cases were detected in Turks and Caicos, highest figure in 10-months. At this time, the National Public Health Laboratory is functioning at a significantly slower pace due to equipment failure, said a Ministry of Health notice.
Record setting numbers are also charted in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom; popular haunts for Turks and Caicos Islanders. The new rule, announced by Minister Robinson tightens measures for Tourists and Non-Vaccinated residents only. It requires a negative test result for everyone travelling who is two years old and over. The regulation takes effect January 14, 2022.
This altered travel entry requirement increases the cost and stress of travel for those who fall into the category, because more tests will be required per group. The PCR test is also more expensive and has a longer processing period. The change also comes at a time when there is increased pressure on testing centers in source tourism markets, with the “tsunami” of infections due to the Omicron variant of the disease.
The rule has no impact on the vaccinated citizen or resident however, who despite having had to test in order to exit the TCI into hotspot cities and countries which are overrun with the Omicron and Delta variants, can come home infected or not, because no one would know, especially if they are asymptomatic.
“You will notice subliminally that those persons who have not been vaccinated, Turks and Caicos Islanders who go abroad will be required a test before they come back home. If you are vaccinated and ‘boosterised’ you will not be prepared to take that test. For those persons who are not vaccinated, you are still required to be quarantined for fourteen days,” said the Premier who pointed to the rewards for being vaccinated and the penalties or stiffer regulations which kick in, once you’re not.
“People who have followed the protocol and who have been vaccinated, who’ve responded to the appeal to be vaccinated we don’t want to put additional burden on them, inconvenience them, and cause them money in the likelihood they may be positive then it’s a tremendous level of expense for them to have to be quarantined or remain in a foreign country.”
This scenario is sympathetic only to the vaccinated resident and desserts the unvaccinated resident and citizen, because they have opted not to be vaccinated for the coronavirus.
The rule also makes Turks and Caicos Islands, one of the only places in the world where a negative for COVID is not required from everyone entering the borders and so far, the TCI Government is okay with this blazing disparity of rules, which is a significant danger to public health.
A change in the inequitable rule is not off the table. But the Government is taking a gamble with public health and admittedly feels a need to reward those who have taken the vaccine and penalize or alienate those who have not.
Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
Turks and Caicos, September 6, 2025 – COVID-19 fears in the Turks and Caicos Islands that once had residents on edge are now giving way to a sense of relief. The Ministry of Health and Human Services reports a dramatic reversal: from dozens of new cases in July to zero cases and zero hospitalizations today.
Between August 17 and 23, 2025, officials confirmed no new cases, no hospitalizations, and no new deaths. Just two recoveries were recorded, bringing the national recovery tally to 6,866. The total confirmed cases since 2020 stand at 6,922, with deaths unchanged at 41. Health officials say August has been relatively quiet overall, with 19 new cases and recoveries recorded for the month — a fraction of what the islands faced just weeks earlier.
The contrast could not be sharper. The most concerning bulletin came in mid-July, when the Ministry reported 54 new cases in a single
week. Ten were fresh positives, while the other 44 came from a backlog of April samples. At that time, two new hospitalizations were recorded, and the islands mourned one additional COVID-related death, bringing the total to 41. It was a sobering reminder that the virus was still circulating, pushing recoveries to 6,845 and raising the cumulative case count to 6,910. The July spike stirred fear among residents and renewed calls for vigilance, as community spread and delayed lab results painted a worrying picture.
Fast forward to late August, and the numbers tell a very different story. Not only are new cases negligible, but the hospitals are reporting no COVID-19 patients at all. Officials say testing continues across a wide range of categories, and the Ministry urges the public to stay cautious: wash hands, wear masks in crowded spaces, protect the vulnerable, and get vaccinated. But the tone now is one of optimism.
Since the pandemic began in 2020, Turks and Caicos has recorded nearly 7,000 cases in total, with 6,866 recoveries and 41 deaths. The islands’ small population means every case has felt significant, and surges like July’s were especially unsettling. But today’s figures suggest the country has reached a new stage: COVID-19 is no longer the disruptive force it was. The Ministry credits continued public vigilance and the accessibility of free testing and vaccines at government clinics. While the numbers are cause for celebration, health leaders are careful not to declare the fight over. The Ministry’s latest bulletin reminds residents to maintain hygienic practices, follow self-isolation guidelines if infected, and ensure vaccinations are up to date.
The pandemic may not be entirely behind the Turks and Caicos, but compared to the frightening figures of July, the near-zero landscape of August offers a powerful sign of hope.
The Ministry released the bulletin on September 2, confirming that for the week of August 17–23, no new cases, hospitalizations, or deaths were recorded — a sharp contrast to the surge just weeks earlier.
Health
Turks and Caicos Islands Health Delegation Completes Strategic Visits to Florida and Cayman Islands to Advance Health Sector Reform and Strengthen Treatment Abroad Programme
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 22 August 2025 — A high-level delegation from the Ministry of Health and Human Services (MOHHS) has successfully concluded strategic working visits to Florida and the Cayman Islands from August 5–13, 2025. The mission aimed to strengthen the Treatment Abroad Programme, explore innovative health system models, and advance the Turks and Caicos Islands’ health sector reform agenda through strategic regional partnerships.
Delegation Members:
- Hon. Kyle Knowles – Minister of Health and Human Services
MoHHS Team with Health City Executive Management Team
- Mrs. Desiree Lewis – Permanent Secretary, Health and Human Services
- Mr. Lynrod Brooks – Director, Health Policy and Planning
- Ms. Florinda Talbot – Contract Performance Manager
- Mrs. Romaine Missick-Smith – CEO, Health Regulations Authority
- Ms. Jasmine Malcolm – Executive Administrator, MOHHS
Minister of Health and Human Services, Hon. Kyle Knowles, highlighted the significance of these engagements:
“These visits were not ceremonial; they were strategic, focused, and impactful. In Florida, we reinforced partnerships with leading healthcare providers to ensure TCI patients referred overseas receive the highest standards of clinical care and patient support. In the Cayman Islands, our mission was two-fold: to study the operations of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority as a model to guide the establishment of our own Health Services Authority, and to strengthen ties with Cayman-based treatment partners, where many of our patients are referred under the Treatment Abroad Programme. Both visits underscored that small island states share many health challenges, and that collaboration, innovation, and adapting best practices to our local context are essential to achieving better health outcomes for our people.”
Florida – Strengthening the Treatment Abroad Programme
MoHHS Team with Cayman Minsterial officials
During the period August 5–9, the delegation visited Broward Medical Center, University of Miami Health System, Cleveland Clinic, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, and the International Reinsurance Managers Network. They also toured REVA Air Ambulance Services to review medical evacuation operations and patient transfer management. Discussions centered on patient care pathways, specialized services in ophthalmology, cardiology, oncology, and pediatrics, family-centered care models, advanced telemedicine for pre- and post-treatment consultations, and reinsurance strategies for high-cost overseas cases. Key outcomes include agreements to expand telehealth consultations, develop a standardized referral package to reduce delays, explore reinsurance arrangements to safeguard public health budgets, and establish specialized pediatric transfer protocols.
Cayman Islands – Health Sector Reform and Treatment Abroad Partnerships
From August 10–13, the delegation engaged with senior executives at Health City Cayman Islands, including Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil (Clinical Director), Shomari Scott (Chief Business Development Officer), Rebecca Brooks (Head of Marketing and Sales), and Ingrid Harris (Sales and Marketing). The team toured two hospital facilities and held in-depth discussions with Lizzette Yearwood, Chief Executive Officer along with leadership staff of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority
The focus was two-fold:
- Health Sector Reform – Examining governance, financial management, and operational structures of the Cayman Islands HSA model
MoHHS Team with CEO and senior official Cayman HSA
to inform TCI’s development of its own Health Services Authority.
- Treatment Abroad Strengthening – Reviewing current referral arrangements with Cayman healthcare partners to enhance patient care coordination and improve treatment pathways for TCI patients referred to Cayman.
The delegation also met with Honourable Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, Minister for Health, Environment, Sustainability, and Honourable G. Wayne Panton, Parliamentary Secretary for Health. The team concluded with a meeting with Acting Premier Hon. Gary B. Rutty and Cabinet members, reaffirming the shared commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes through regional collaboration.
Next Steps
The Ministry will incorporate lessons learned from these visits into ongoing health reform planning, ensuring that the proposed Health Services Authority is tailored to TCI’s needs while reflecting regional best practices. Efforts will continue to ensure that the Treatment Abroad Programme delivers efficient, sustainable, and patient-centered care.
