Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

US authorities seize Cayman medical supplies

US authorities seize Cayman medical supplies

Medical supplies purchased by the Health Services Authority have been confiscated by the United States government, Premier Alden McLaughlin confirmed.
The supplies were already loaded on a container and aboard a ship ready to depart when the vessel was stopped and items removed by US authorities, he said.

“Yesterday [Tuesday], the US authorities removed from a ship that was coming to Cayman a container which contained four ventilators, 50,000 masks and various other bits and pieces,” McLaughlin said during Wednesday’s COVID-19 briefing.

“That has been a huge disappointment to us. All of those were things that were procured and purchased in the US,” he said.

According to international reports, five other countries, including Canada, Germany and Barbados, have also had their medical supplies blocked due to an executive order issued by US president Donald Trump.

McLaughlin said everything will be done to get the supplies that have been seized returned as soon as possible.

“We are working through various diplomatic channels on it. There seems to be a policy now to prevent the shipment out of the US of certain key pieces of equipment. Personal protective equipment and ventilators are in quite short supply in a number of the US states that have been harder hit,” McLaughlin said.

The premier said Cayman is trying to get another 30 ventilators on island “which, in terms of per capita, would put us in the stratosphere compared to any other country in the world”.

He said Cayman will have to talk about what “workarounds” could put in place.

McLaughlin added that a significant amount of PPE is on its way to Cayman from China.

“We are a bit nervous about even that going through the US. There are a whole lot of moving parts and a lot of work to ensure that, should the worst occur, we will be super prepared here to deal with very sick people in numbers and we will be able to ensure that our front-line staff have the best quality and quantity of PPE to be able to deal with patients,” he said.

The US has denied reports alleging that it had seized supplies.

The United Nations has established a COVID-19 supply-chain taskforce to address issues surrounding medical supplies.

World Health Organization Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking at Wednesday’s WHO briefing, welcomed the creation of the taskforce.

“We’re working hard to ensure supplies of essential medical equipment for front-line health workers,” he said.

So far, WHO has shipped more than 2 million items of personal protective equipment to 133 countries and it is preparing to ship another 2 million items in the coming weeks.

“We have sent more than 1 million diagnostic tests to 126 countries in all regions and we are sourcing more but we know much more is needed. This is not enough so we’re working with the International Chamber of Commerce, the World Economic Forum and others in the private sector to ramp up the production and distribution of essential medical supplies today,” he said.

The Cayman Compass reached out to HSA CEO Lizzette Yearwood on Wednesday morning for comment about the seizures. No response was received by press time.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×