Health
TCI: Parrot Cay, maybe first Worldwide with 100 percent residents vaccinated
#TurksandCaicos, March 25, 2021 – There is likely nowhere else on planet earth that can boast of having all of its residents vaccinated for Covid-19 but a 1,000 acre private island in the Turks and Caicos – COMO Parrot Cay – can.
It is a small cay soaked in legendary intrigue and modern day luxuries and very likely the first destination where every resident is guarded against the debilitating and deadly coronavirus by inoculation.
“One hundred percent of the residents of Parrot Cay are fully vaccinated; with both shots. It’s an amazing feeling, it’s an amazing thing and it’s great for our guests and a great story for Turks (and Caicos) and we are working hard to make sure that that rest of our team from North and Provo come along for the ride as well,” said Tapahari Tibble, General Manager of COMO Parrot Cay.
To simply say that this sliver of paradise in the Turks and Caicos Islands is world renowned for its exquisite amenities would be an understatement, but to say that it has gained an edge due to its Covid vaccine progress is absolutely true.
“Currently we are at about 80 percent occupancy which is amazing. The people that are travelling are very respectful of other guests, respectful of staff and just really just happy to be out and many of them have had vaccinations as well,” Tibble confirmed that travellers are coming now almost exclusively from the United States. “Over this COVID period the market got a bit younger than it was historically because it was the younger generation, that were prepared to travel regardless. Now we are seeing the ages go up a bit more and we are seeing the intergenerational families come back because the vaccination program has really kicked off properly in the United States as well. I think there is a potential for by Q4 it could be a record for the country.”
With around 300 staff at Parrot Cay, having the 204 of the team who are resident on the resort island already vaccinated reflects a 68 percent vaccination rate. Guests find this alluring and relieving.
“For guests, the feeling of them coming to a safe destination with people around them testing and vaccinated, they’re happy to be out and travelling and really, they see this as a safe destination and that’s not just Parrot Cay, that’s Turks and Caicos as a whole.”
Guests come into the Turks and Caicos already PCR-tested for the coronavirus using the TCI Assured travel portal established jointly by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Tourism in time for a July 22, 2020 reopening of the British overseas territory.
“I think the support by the Government and the Governor and the UK have been unbelievable. I come from New Zealand which has been heralded as a place that has done very, very well and I would actually almost say that a destination like this, that didn’t close the way New Zealand closed is actually doing better. The people in power have protected jobs and businesses and that is going a long way to pushing this destination forward in the entire region,” shared Mr. Tibble who is a second term Vice-President of the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association.
Protocols on the resort private island which is a 30-minute boat ride from Providenciales and features rooms, suites and entire villas are in line with the rest of the country; face masks are donned, distance is kept and sanitization stations and cleaning protocols ramped up. Parrot Cay is one of 15 government approved sites around the Turks and Caicos for lateral flow or rapid antigen testing for the virus.
“Out of the antigen testing that we’ve done since 26 January we have one person positive. We have our procedures, quarantine rooms set aside so we had a young lady test positive from the US. She did her two weeks quarantine and flew out quickly. So one out of the numbers that we have had is quite phenomenal and we are seeing that across the resorts, it’s not just us,” informed the General Manager.
Grace Bay Medical runs the testing center for COMO Parrot Cay; around 1,000 tests have been performed since regulations required it in January for travellers into the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.
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.
