News

Cayman Islands’ leaders emphasised that the planned return of arriving visitors will continue in phases, with the first phase for longer term visitors, who have either second homes or have access to homes in Cayman, commencing on 1 October 2020.

The leaders also underscored the need to maintain vigilance including wearing of masks, practising social distancing and frequent washing of hands, especially when among the vulnerable.

            Prayer was led by Pastor Martin Royer.

           

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Lee reported:

Out of 84 test results today, two were positive, both of whom have travel history.

Of a total of 207 positives so far204 have recovered.

There are 282 individuals at government- run isolation facilities and 42 in home isolation.

There were six calls to the ‘flu hotline with two related to ‘flulike symptoms.

A total of 2,516 anti-body tests have been done, comprising 3.9% of the population, of which 61 were positives, 37 whom were positive on previous PCR tests, six were contacts with previous positives, eight had travel history and 10 had no travel history.

Ten days ago, there was one positive in the community, which on further confirmatory testing as recommended by Public Health England returned negative results.  However the person and their contacts were isolated in the interests of caution and have subsequently had a negative test several days later.

The world situation of prevalence is worrying, notably the US and also regionally among some such as Jamaica and Turks and Caicos.

Based on prevalence of COVID-19 per 100,000 of population, Cayman’s position is at 166. Barbados’ is 126 and Bermuda is at 148, both of which have opened borders with strong management of incoming visitors.

 

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin said:

The phased opening which starts 1 October pertains only to air arrivals on Cayman Airways repatriation flights or the BA air-bridge flights between London and Grand Cayman. Ports remain closed to cruise ships for the remainder of 2020.

A trial programme will begin involving 20-25 households arriving on the BA flight on 17 September to help better manage the broader opening of a pilot programme scheduled for 1 October.

Those selected to participate in the 17 September programme will have to wear a location monitoring device, quarantine for a minimum of 14 days, undergo testing upon arrival and again on day 15.

For the 1 October pilot programme, Government has set a target of 800 travellers for October. The phased opening is only for Cayman Airways repatriation flights, fortnightly BA flights and approved private charter flights; not for commercial flights.

Categories of people will extend beyond Caymanians, permanent residents, work permit holders and their families to also include persons who own property in the Cayman Islands as well as persons looking to live and work from here for an extended period of time, and other approved visitors.

The tourism industry stipend provided to Caymanians is being extended for a further three months – from October to December. All those who currently receive a stipend do not have to reapply – their stipends will automatically continue. From 14 September, the registration period will be reopened for those who currently do not receive a stipend but who qualify as per the established criteria.

The two-day tourism Open House organised by the Ministry of Tourism and WORC along with a wide range of tourism partners that ended today provided Caymanians an opportunity to reskill or prepare for jobs in the future as “qualified and desirable” tourism employees.

For all details from the Premier, see sidebar.

 

His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Martyn Roper said:

Allowing the option of home isolation for 14 days with additional safeguards is a sensible evolution in COVID-19 risk mitigation.

The two positive cases today after four weeks of negatives is disappointing but underlines the need for everyone to stay alert. “And conducting over 36,000 tests is something to be very proud of and gives us confidence.”

BA flights can be booked directly. Everyone needs permission from TravelTime to travel on inbound flights. BA will run directly to Grand Cayman until the end of November.

Civil servants have returned to operate physically from the workplace, the default way of working once again.

A Civil Service Programme Board, headed by the Deputy Governor, has been established and is now working to support the Deputy Premier and the phased reopening of the borders.

The UK remains in the forefront of vaccine research and international coordination, a matter of importance for the Overseas Territories that are to be supplied vaccines, when available, by the UK.

For more from the Governor, see sidebar.

 

Minister for Commerce, Hon. Joseph Hew said:

The CI Centre for Business Development that officially opened last week is helping small business viability through advocacy, business counselling, training and increased access to finance. It includes a residential business incubator that will house up to 12 start-ups for a period of two years, free of charge to them.

To temporarily reduce the amount of fees incurred by businesses, Cabinet has waived liquor licensing fees in the Sister Islands for September 2020 and on Grand Cayman, to enable a similar arrangement, waiver of liquor licensing fees for September 2021 for licence holders who paid fees for 2020 as on 31 August.

Music and Dancing licence holders are reminded that the maximum limit allowed whether indoors or at outdoor events is 250 persons.

He encouraged all to avail of the online services of the Department of Vehicle and Drivers Licensing. This would make attendance at the currently congested West Bay branch unnecessary.

With schools and offices back, traffic congestion is higher and road expansions are underway at some key locations including between the Chrissie Tomlinson Roundabout and the Hurleys Roundabout on Shamrock Road as well as from the new connector road from the CIS Roundabout directly to the airport which will further ease the congestion at the Butterfield Roundabout.

For more from Minister Hew, see sidebar.

 

Health Minister Hon. Dwayne Seymour said:

COVID testing clinic has moved to the old physio section on the HSA campus. Appointments should be booked online.

Plans are going well for the 11th annual Healthcare Conference that helps provide continuing medical education for medical professionals. The conference is scheduled to open on 17 October as a virtual event, for which registration will open next week.

MRCU continues to diligently do battle with the existing biting population of mosquitoes across Grand Cayman. Mosquito breeding has been found in several locations on the West Bay Peninsula and aerial larviciding operations will commence to control these mosquitoes before they emerge as biting adult mosquitoes.

Thursday is World Suicide Prevention Day, to raise awareness for suicide prevention.

For more from Minister Seymour, see sidebar.

 

Sidebar: Premier Elaborates on Border Reopening Phases

 

The Cayman Islands is rated as ‘COVID- free’, a status that has been hard won through adapting our ways of living and making tremendous sacrifices for the greater good.

Protecting lives and enhancing public safety has been a government priority since the onset of the pandemic, and this has continued to be a key focus in all of the deliberations and plans being formalized to facilitate the reopening of our borders.

I would like to emphasise that the phased opening which commences on 1st October only pertains to air arrivals on Cayman Airways repatriation flights or the BA Air- bridge flights between London and Grand Cayman.  Our ports will remain closed to cruise ships for the remainder of this year.

During the month of September, there will be no change in the current arrangements for approved travel to the Cayman Islands, except to trial some aspects of the new arrangements we have planned for the 1 October Opening of the Borders, in advance, using with a small number of pre-selected participants.

September arrivals process

The arrivals process that is currently in place stipulates that all persons who wish to travel to the Cayman Islands must register their travel request with Travel Time, and complete the online application form in order to apply for pre-travel approval. Travelers who do not complete this process are not permitted to board a repatriation flight to Grand Cayman. 

On arrival in Cayman, travelers are subject to 14 days quarantine in a government managed isolation centre and a PCR test is conducted on day 15. Test results take 24-72 hours, and a negative test result is required to be allowed to leave. 

As has already been announced from 1st October, 2020, the Cayman Islands borders will begin opening in phases.  Given the ever-increasing number of Positive cases of COVID-19 in many of the countries around us, including the USA and Jamaica, we have had to adjust our initial plans, especially regarding isolation.

A new arrivals procedure which incorporates the use of an electronic monitoring device will be introduced, and travelers who select that option and meet the criteria, will be permitted to complete their mandatory quarantine in residential accommodations as an alternative to the government managed facilities. 

The electronic monitoring device selected is being used successfully in Hong Kong to help ensure that persons in isolation remain where they are supposed to be. 

We will also continue the programme and ramp up the programme of random physical checks on those quarantining at home as was being done successfully as part of the local testing, tracing and isolating process.  In other words, we are using a belt and braces approach with technology backed up by physical verification.

17 September Trial Period 

In preparation for the phased border opening, travelers from 20-25 households arriving on the BA flight on 17 September, 2020, will be identified to take part in a trial programme, the purpose of which is to gather information on various aspects of the new process, such as:

·         the time required to process arrivals under the new procedure (that will be in effect from 1 October 2020);

·         Assessing the airport’s capability to conduct COVID-19 tests, should that be included as part of the arrivals process at a later date;

·         Evaluating the electronic device technology, including its ability to meet our needs, and the user experience.

The persons selected to participate in the 17 September testing programme will be required to:

·         Wear the monitoring device

·         Quarantine in a residential or other accommodation approved by the Medical Officer of Health

·         Remain in self-isolation for a minimum of 14 days,

·         Undergo COVID-19 testing on arrival and be re-tested on day 15;

·         After which a negative test result and sign off by the Medical Officer of Health will be required in order to receive clearance for self-isolation to be discontinued.

·         Because we will not be allowing a shorter quarantine period at this time the use of a Bio-button as previously mentioned will not be needed.

Travel Guidance for Phased Border Opening

On 1 October, we will launch the first phase of the Border Opening Plans, with a Pilot Programme with new arrangements and safeguards. These changes will enable the Cayman Islands to welcome additional categories and greater volumes of airline travelers, and to do so safely.

In addition to the lessons learned from the September testing, the Pilot in October will allow the Government to trial the new arrangements and safeguards, and to use the information from the September Pilot to decide if any improvements are needed going forward. This approach will further enable the Government to consider any changes that are required as a result of local or international developments relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

At the same time, the number of travelers coming into the Cayman Islands will be controlled. The Government has set a target of 800 travelers for the month of October.

This is a soft opening.  We are not opening our borders to commercial flights.  As before, we will focus on repatriation flights and private charters, and the continuation of the fortnightly BA flights from London, which will have started in September. 

October arrivals process

From 1st October, the requirement for all inbound travelers to receive pre-travel authorization from Travel Time will remain in place. However, a number of other changes will take effect as part of the phased border opening. These are as follows:

The categories of persons eligible to visit will be extended beyond Caymanians, permanent residents and work permit holders and their families, to also include persons who own property in the Cayman Islands as well as persons looking to live and work from here for an extended period of time and other approved visitors.

The locations where persons may quarantine after 1 October will be expanded to include residential accommodations approved by the Medical Officer of Health, in addition to government-operated isolation facilities.

However, self-isolation at a residence must be combined with the use of monitoring device technology. Persons who choose not to participate in the monitoring programme will be required to quarantine in a government facility for a minimum period of 14 days, and will be tested on day 15. A negative test result will be required to leave the facility. 

All persons entering the Cayman Islands will be tested on arrival at the airport and will be taken by approved transport from the airport to begin their quarantine period either at residential accommodations or in a government facility. The test result is anticipated to take 24-72 hours. In both instances, the quarantine period will be 14 days with a PCR test on day 15.

All persons who are not ordinarily resident in the Cayman Islands will be required to have health insurance that includes COVID-19 coverage.

During the month of October, Cayman Airways and British Airways will continue to be the only two airline carriers operating repatriation flights to and from the Cayman Islands. Seat capacity remains limited and therefore non-essential travel is strongly discouraged until there is a measurable change in the global situation and normal commercial airlift resumes.

Although other airline websites are offering flights to the Cayman Islands, the reality is only Cayman Airways and British Airways have permission to operate flights to and from these Islands.  Any person who makes reservations directly with other airlines are doing so at their own risk and should be aware that airline vouchers issued by other airlines are not transferrable for British Airways or Cayman Airways repatriation flights.

There are no restrictions on outbound travel from the Cayman Islands and constraints on movement between Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands were lifted some time ago.  

Persons wishing to travel outbound on the Cayman Airways repatriation flights to Miami, Kingston or Le Ceiba can book seats directly with Cayman Airways by calling 345-949-2311. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.caymanairways.com.

The explore gov website is being updated to reflect this new information and also contains an FAQ section, which has answers to the most commonly asked questions we have received. Anyone who would like to find out more about travel or the phased border opening should visit the site at www.exploregov.ky/travel. 

 

Open House

The Ministry of Tourism has partnered with WORC and a wide range of tourism industry partners to offer a two-day tourism Open House, to give Caymanians an opportunity to re-skill or prepare for a job in the future as a qualified and desirable tourism employee.

The Open House allowed displaced tourism workers to find out about job vacancies in the industry (primarily as a result of expatriate workers having left) and provides them with opportunities to register for courses, or receive training to fill roles in the future, if they are not currently qualified to do so.

Just over 200 people registered yesterday and the event continued today for persons with surnames beginning with Q – Z. Person who could not attend yesterday were also welcome to attend today’s session.  

            The open house provided:

·         One-on-one sessions with a range of tourism stakeholders to learn about the different areas of work within the accommodations, dive and restaurant sectors of the tourism industry.

·         The opportunity to sign up for tourism courses with the University College of The Cayman Islands and the School of Hospitality studies.

·         Sign up for tourism PRIDE webinars.  

·         Allowed unemployed persons to register with WORC.

·         Networking opportunities with tourism sector employers.

Tourism partners included:

Accommodations sector:

·         Marriott Grand Cayman,

·         Wyndham Reef Resort,

·         The Westin Grand Cayman,

·         The Kimpton Seafire Resort

·         The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman.

Restaurant Sector:

·         Eats/Legendz/Yoshi

·         Market Street Ltd  

Dive Sector:

·         Go Pro Divers

·         Red Sail

·         Clearly Cayman

·         Sunset House

·         Ocean Frontiers

CIG:

·         Department of Tourism

·         UCCI

·         WORC

 

Tourism Stipend

When tourism came to an abrupt halt, workers in the industry were among the first economic casualties. Thousands of Caymanians were either furloughed or lost their jobs completely. As a result, government stepped in, as any caring government would do, to provide economic stimulus programmes for businesses and financial support for displaced workers in the tourism sector.

The Ministry of Tourism initially funded payments of CI$600 shortly after the onset of the pandemic to tourism sector workers. This was followed by a stipend of CI$1,000 per month for three months (July, Aug and Sept) paid to more than two thousand tourism workers who registered for the programme.

I am pleased to announce that the stipend programme is being extended for a further three months, from October to December. Persons who already receive these monthly payments will continue to do so until December. There is no need to reapply.

From 14 September, the registration period will be re-opened to give persons who worked in the tourism industry and who have NOT previously applied for the stipend, an opportunity to do so. To qualify for the tourism stipend persons must:

·         provide proof of being Caymanian (either through Voter’s Registration, Caymanian Status Certificate or Right to Be Caymanian Certificate)

·         Provide proof of being employed within the Tourism Industry.

To apply for the stipend at stipend.ourcayman.ky 

Further details regarding the application process will be publicized in the coming days and I repeat that persons who have previously applied, or who are already receiving the stipend, should NOT apply as this will significantly delay the verification process for all applicants.

 

Sidebar: Governor Notes 14-day Isolation Remains for September, October

·         Allowing the option of home isolation for 14 days with additional safeguards (tracking technology, increased public health surveillance, stronger penalties for breaking the rules), instead of having to stay at a government facility, is a sensible evolution in our Covid risk mitigation.

·         14-days remains the WHO best practice duration for anyone who has or may have had contact with someone who has Covid. That is the policy for September and October.

·         There is a difficult trade-off between getting some tourism going again and safeguarding the health of everyone on our Islands.  Many countries are grappling with that. I have seen at first hand the care and attention this Government and the Civil Service is devoting to getting the balance right. As ever, the overriding imperative will remain health and welfare of everyone on our Islands and managing risk carefully.  Our sensible, measured approach is working.

·         The 2 positive cases today - after 4 weeks without any cases – is disappointing but underlines the need for everyone to stay alert.

·         It is now over 9 weeks since we had any local transmission. That is great news and a terrific place to be for our Islands. But it is inevitable there will be more cases. We are far from out of the woods in dealing with a very complicated virus.

·         We can have confidence in our excellent health officials and the strong capacity we have built to deal with any situation that arises.  And conducting over 36k tests is something to be very proud of and gives us confidence. 

 

BA flights

·         A reminder that flights with BA can now be booked directly not via my office. Everyone needs permission from TravelTime to catch the inbound flights. The home isolation policy will be trialled with some of the passengers on the 17 September BA flight. BA have agreed to run fortnightly direct to Grand Cayman until the end of November.

 

Civil Servants Return to the Work Place

·         In consultation with Chief Officers and Heads of Department, the Deputy Governor has re-instituted normal working conditions for the civil service.

·         Commencing this week, the default way of working is once again within designated work places.

·         Additionally, Flexible Work Policies allow eligible staff to apply for limited use of Remote Working and Flexible Work Hours.

·         Where flexible arrangements are permitted, it is conditional upon teams maintaining high customer satisfaction.

·         I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to all the hardworking civil servants who toil each day to fulfill our common purpose, “To Make Lives Better”.

·         The public service has demonstrated agile service delivery going into the pandemic which we MUST and WILL continue throughout all stages of emerging from this crisis.

 

Civil Servants Working Collaboratively to Deliver Government Priorities

·         I am also pleased to announce the recent establishment of a Civil Service Programme Board charged with supporting the Deputy Premier and the Soft-reopening of the Borders.

·         It replicates the successful approach taken to combat the pandemic, senior leaders and technical experts are working collaboratively, across silos, to deliver the Government’s priorities under the chairmanship of the Deputy Governor.

·         Members are drawn from senior leaders within five Ministries and Portfolios, my office and the HSA.  The Programme Management Office is supplied by the Office of the Deputy Governor and dozens of technical advisors in the areas of public health, Policy, IT, Project Management, security, border control, legal services and other areas are supporting the fulfillment of the project.

·         With excellent cooperation from our private sector, who are a real asset to this jurisdiction and help to create a unique competitive advantage, work is steadily progressing to deliver solutions that Keep Cayman Safe whilst preserving and expanding its economic opportunities.

 

Vaccines

·         WHO remains cautiously optimistic that a vaccine will be developed. UK remains in forefront of research and international coordination.

·         AstraZeneca paused its trial yesterday as one patient became ill. This is not a surprise and gives us confidence in the reliability, integrity and rigour of the testing process.  The trial cannot resume until the independent regulator agrees it is safe to do so.

·         I say all this because I hear, even from some on our islands, irresponsible conspiracy theories about vaccines.

·         The WHO and international community have established a very strong track record of reliable and safe vaccines for Ebola, smallpox and polio. The UK – as the AstraZeneca trial shows – takes this very seriously.   AstraZeneca is one way for UK to get vaccines. But UK has also sourced 340 million from elsewhere. This is important because the UK is likely to be the most reliable source for us as an overseas Territory and the UK has undertaken to supply vaccines to all the Overseas Territories.

 

Sidebar: Minister Seymour: Cayman Learning Lessons from World Around

Good Afternoon Beloved Isles,

Further to the updates you’ve heard today on travel, I would like to add that to have no risk at all, we would have had to maintain a total lockdown for months, but we as a country will have to navigate through these new and strange waters to border reopening. We are learning lessons from the world around us.

We are taking all necessary precautions with regards to the reopening of the borders and will continue to put public health and safety as our key concern, as we look at the next steps before us.

We are keeping a close eye on the epidemiology in the United States and other countries, which helps to inform our decision-making regarding our borders here in the Cayman Islands.

Also, I would like to remind the public that the COVID testing clinic has now moved to the location of the old physio department on the HSA Campus and anyone can book an appointment online at www.hsa.ky/Appointment/  

If people are travelling, they should be sure to book their appointment online within the time frame of the testing requirements for the country they are travelling to.  For example, if the country they are traveling to requires a test 72 hours in advance of travel, you cannot get tested a week before departure. The timing is very specific and helps decide the length of time you may have to quarantine for.

For more information on travel advice and regulations please visit www.exploregov.ky/coronavirus

On another note, plans for this year’s 11th annual Healthcare Conference are moving along well. A comprehensive agenda is being finalized around the theme “Re-Envisioning Life With A Pandemic”.  Topics will include:

•     COVID-19: Myths, Facts and Latest Trends;

•     The effects of the pandemic on mental health;

•     How telemedicine has helped throughout the pandemic;

•     Dealing with chronic illnesses during a pandemic;

•     Cancer diagnosis and treatment during a pandemic; and

•     An engaging panel discussion with representatives from various community groups

A reminder that the Conference takes place on Saturday, 17 October as a virtual event.  The public will be able to watch the presentations live on the CIGTV and CIGTV YouTube channel and the Cayman Compass Facebook page.  Registration will open next week for those people seeking continued professional development hours who need to participate in the live sessions via video and audio conferencing. Limited sponsorship is still available and please visit healthcareconference.ky for details and contact information.

On another note, I would like to give the public an update from MRCU as I know many people have been asking. The ongoing rainfall is supporting the production of mosquitoes island-wide; which we have all had to deal with. Aerial larviciding and wide scale larviciding with truck mounted equipment took place the third and fourth weeks of August.

Biting population levels were low near the end of August but have rebounded in the past 10 days. Both planes have been flying to combat the situation, nearly continuously and all fog trucks have been actively spraying as well. Planes are expected to fly every night moving forward, weather permitting.

Surveillance of swamps is on-going and surveillance and treatment of rain water and container mosquitoes around residences is on-going.

As of today, mosquito breeding has been found in several locations on the West Bay Peninsula and aerial larviciding operations will commence to control these mosquitoes before they emerge as biting adult mosquitoes.

The community is reminded that when possible, any outdoor container holding water is a potential mosquito breeding site. Tip containers to remove water, toss unused containers in the trash, cover containers when possible or flush the water in containers on a weekly basis.

Last but certainly not least, tomorrow (Thursday, 10 September) is World Suicide Prevention Day. This day is observed annually on the 10th of September to raise awareness of how we can create a world where fewer people die from suicide. Suicide can be a difficult topic to discuss, however it should not be. I particularly want to recognise the strength and resilience of people who live with suicidal thinking, who have survived suicide attempts and families, friends and communities who have lost people they love to suicide.

In closing, I pray you all continue good respiratory hygiene, social distancing amongst the vulnerable and elderly and not to forget all the many lessons we have learned through this journey.   

God bless You. 

 

Sidebar – Minister Hew Updates on Business Centre, Liquor Licence Fee Waiver

 

I am pleased to announce that the Cayman Islands Centre for Business Development was officially opened last week. Again, I would to thank Governor Roper, Honourable Premier, Deputy Governor, Deputy Premier, my Cabinet colleagues and members of the business community for participating in the occasion.

The Centre is set up to improve small business viability across our Islands through advocacy, business counselling, training and increased access to finance.

It is located at Baytown Plaza, on West Bay Road, with offices for business advisors, training room, and a residential business incubator that will house up to twelve (12) start-ups for a period of up to two years, free of charge to them.

As you may be aware, the Centre has been coordinating Government’s support in the amount $14 million which was allocated to the micro and small grant programme, low interest loan programme as well as technical assistance and training programmes.

At the close of phase I of the micro and small grant programme in August, 1,528 applications were received.

·         The value of grants approved for payment is $3,468,000.00.

·         The total value of government’s commitment stands at $4,353,000.00. 

To date, 82 applications have been received for the low interest loan programme.

·         Nineteen have so far been approved with a total value of $695,000.00.

·         A further 33 applications are currently at the approval stage, with a total value $1,112,000.00.

As we move towards a post-COVID stage, the Centre will use the remaining micro and small business grant programme funds for a medium-term economic package that will benefit a minimum of 300 businesses. The new phase of support will cover:

·         Wages;

·         Digital Enablement;

·         Commercial Rent Assistance;

·         Business Process Innovation Grants; and

·         Customised Business Continuity Plans.

Micro businesses will be able to access packages, not exceeding $10,000.00 while small business may access packages up to $20,000.00.

There are eligibility requirements to access these support packages. I want to encourage small business owners to contact the Centre at 244-8009 or via email CICBD@gov.ky for more information.

Walk-ins at the location also welcome.

 

Waiver of Liquor Licensing Fees for Grand Cayman and Sister Islands

In an effort to temporarily reduce the amount of fees incurred by businesses during these challenging times, Cabinet has granted approval for:

·         the waiver of liquor licensing fees in the Sister Islands for September 2020;

·         the waiver of the liquor licensing fees in Grand Cayman for September 2021 for licence holders whose fees were paid as of August 31st 2020.

A full announcement concerning the waivers will be made by my Ministry in the coming days.