Returning students offered ‘isolation’ hotel
(CNS): With hundreds of students expected home this week from overseas schools and colleges, there are increasing concerns in the community about their ability to isolate as soon as they get back and what government can do to reduce the risk of them spreading COVID-19 if they are carrying it. But Premier Alden McLaughlin has said that government is offering students the option to stay in a hotel for the 14-day isolation period to avoid their entire families having to also lock down and make the situation easier.
If a student returns to their home, the whole family must isolate with them for the 14 days, which could present significant problems for the community. In cases where family members are working in essential services to the Cayman Islands or where elderly or compromised members of the family are at risk, it may not be possible for students to isolate in their own homes with their families.
Speaking at Wednesday’s press briefing, McLaughlin said that because of this potential serious challenge, government had decided to offer hotel accommodation to the students.
He said three hotels have been offered to government at cost only, and it will be using at least two of them. McLaughlin said one will be used as a facility to isolate students who take advantage of the offer for the two-week period. However, this offer is only for young adults. Minors returning from boarding school will have to go home, he said.
The premier explained that in some cases it may not be feasible for the student to stay at the hotel, for example where the student is a minor, or they might want to go home. But if there are essential workers in the home, such as police officers or medical professionals, the government is offering as an alternative option free accommodation at the second hotel for the essential workers, who will be able to continue to go to work while the student isolates at home with the rest of the household.
If they have contact numbers for the students to inform them of the isolation requirements, they will be called. He said government only has contacts for students on government scholarships but there are hundreds of others whose education is being privately funded, making it a challenge to contact all of them.
However, students can also call 1-800-534-6555 for information about the hotel facilities.
The hotel accommodation for students is not mandatory. While isolation is a requirement for all returning residents, forcing them to isolate in government facilities is not. This is a voluntary options to ease the burden on families, and the premier said he hoped they would take advantage of either the essential workers’ accommodation or the students’ isolation hotel.
Every returning resident this week will be required to isolate for two weeks to ensure they are not sick but McLaughlin admitted that this will still be a difficult thing to enforce.
On arrival, despite questions over its effectiveness, everyone’s temperature will be taken. More importantly, all individuals will be told about the isolation requirement and information leaflets handed out. Those students who choose the hotel will then be transported to the facility at no charge.
However, those who do not will be given the full details of how they must self-isolate within their family environment and then how the rest of the household must also isolate for the two weeks.
Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee stressed the critical importance of the strict protocols around self-isolation, which must be maintained to make the policy work. He warned students who choose to go to the hotel isolation facility not to mix with each other during the 14 days.
The students must remain alone in their individual rooms. However, the premier indicted that they will be taken care of by support staff.
Meanwhile, Cayman still has no new information on its potential infection rates in the community, if any. With only 69 samples taken for testing so far, no new results were ready at the time of Wednesday’s press briefing. Dr Lee said that there are now 44 samples outstanding. Of the 69 people who have been tested, 25 samples have been returned and all were negative except for the sample from the patient who subsequently died at Health City Cayman Islands.
For more details see Wednesday’s press briefing below (video will start at section on returning students, but there is further discussion at 49:59).
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Education, Health, Local News, Medical Health
Which buildings are being used for student isolation?
Send the kids to the Alexander Hotel on the Brac.
Yea, right. So they can infect our elderly population who have to rely on our limited resources. Moron.
“He warned students who choose to go to the hotel isolation facility not to mix with each other during the 14 days.
The students must remain alone in their individual rooms. However, the premier indicted that they will be taken care of by support staff.”
I know he was serious when he said this but I wonder if he thought after and realized this is advice EVERYONE knows will not be adhered to. Imagine waking up in the morning, opening the window and seeing the sand and the beach and you can’t go out in it much less leave the room. Please. Spring Break Cayman is about to start.
I hope each room has a balcony where they can suntan and fresh air. Otherwise they get out of the hermitage weak and susceptible to the virus. Besides, social isolation would kill faster than any virus.
If these returning students was responsible and caring people, they would returned home 2 weeks ago, so it would been less chance to bring home the Coronavirus. My grand son came home 2 weeks ago for that reason
This should have been mandatory quarantine for 2 weeks in the hotel, not voluntary..
We have just released 470 people from the epicenter of the virus in the UK.
I was with the Premier up until this..
California has just placed a “stay at home order” on the state. New York is exploding with new case and are under a “shelter in place order” and right next to us Broward County in Florida has the largest amount of cases.
We allowed one case in that cause “luckily’ only two more people to catch it. Mark my words we are going to live to regret this one..
To all the students arriving, please for God’s sake take this seriously and go to the hotel and stay there. You will be provided with meals and will be taken care of…Families please encourage your children to do this, I beg of you..
Free internet and an Italian VPN. Hope they stocked up on toilet paper and single socks from the lost and found before welcoming their first guests.
CNS commentators fill me with immense joy every day (sarcasm) .. You all would be the same ones commenting that CIG is wicked for not allowing students studying abroad to return home to their loving families in the face of Covid-19 outbreak in EU and UK ..make up your minds !!!
No I wouldn’t. I would be saying that was a hard but common sense decision, putting the interests of family wanting to see their children and have them close in a crisis, but old enough to go to university and fend for themselves, over the risk to health of everyone else on the island, including their own families.
They bought their tickets to the UK and US.
They knew what were they were getting into.
I say let them be infected and keep them out.
Is it true, some of them may have been seen coughing in the supermarket and liquor stores.
This is the moment where it all went wrong.
You are closing your borders, but let in a group of 500, unchecked, into the country from places seriously infested.
No confirmed cases, but that will now change.
4.57 am Well just isolate those students at a hotel not the whole lot.
Mr. Premier, excellent job to you and your team sir. This is not only affecting the Cayman Islands but the whole world. Your leadership on this issue so far is welcomed by many in our various communities. Thank you.
Absolute bollocks! The man is not qualified for any of these tasks. The whole Government are basically voted in by narcissism and absolutely no experience or a well rounded education!
You write like an idiot.
Probably an idiot
But more than likely, a fool with very small XXXXX😜
Hands?
Of course.
Hand size is a signal
😜
Like dumpster trumpster
This government is painting a rosey picture of themselves having endless supplies and medical equipment that are needed when the reality and dire situation of shortage is everywhere for the rest of the world. It would appear we have learn little or nothing from our Hurricane Ivan experience when it comes to promises . I listen very carefully to the press conference when familiar tunes of Cayman being able to support itself are being played yet again. This time around Cayman our saving grace the USA is unfortunately not in the same position to help and is run by unpredictable circumstances and forces. We need to have alternative sources and plans in place so we don’t get caught out and be unable to manage any crisis that arises. Becareful cayman these press conferences are defying the reality of what is happening outside Cayman Nothing wrong with preaching hope and calm to promote confidence in local government along with positive feelings but it’s needs to be steep in a little reality and we should never rely on one source of information and have a common sense approach to news and information Especially those govt minister who keep preaching about fake news and threatening others with law enforcement action .Truth is a funny thing it cannot be hidden but people will try to hide it from others.
You can please some people sometime but you can’t please all the people all the time.
Go suck an egg!!
good comment.
Ask Premier what developments took place, what did he learne after attending agriculture and food show in Jamaica last year.
https://www.caymancompass.com/2019/08/07/cayman-officials-visit-agriculture-and-food-show-in-jamaica/
Nice photo in this article. I recommend you see who was there. Well, here they are: staff and representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of International Trade, Ministry of Commerce, Department of Agriculture and the Cayman Islands Agricultural Society+O’Connor-Connolly .
“Jamaica has one of the most diversified and strongest agriculture sectors in the Caribbean, particularly with respect to livestock,” Premier McLaughlin said in a press release. “This visit gives us an opportunity to observe firsthand and learn from Jamaica’s technical expertise in agriculture.”
I think this is a bad idea. That hotel will become a standing cruise ship, has anyone thought of that? One more thing, will the government put a guard in every door to make sure they do not go out? Otherwise, you’ll have a bunch of babies being born coming December and January. Raging hormones, testosterone, they’ll be bored by the 2nd day.
Who will sterilize these hotel rooms in 3 weeks (?) when tourists return? Will they be safe after they’ve been used as quarantine shelters?
Excellent job Premier
He won’t be re-elected. Stop trying.
The biggest threat for Cayman is not the virus, or returning students, but food supply interruption. Florida supermarkets are out of eggs, fish and meat.
Demand-driven consumer hoarding is the cause not food supply shortages.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/coronavirus/fl-ne-grocery-stores-restaurants-coronavirus-food-supply-20200316-v6xf775iqnh5xh6izm36jozhye-story.html%3foutputType=amp
Cayman situation is different
11.49pm We have feral chickens, fresh localfish and iguanas.
Start eating iguanas for cash
Good attempt by CIG to solve the potential problem, but they’re creating another one. Bunch of university aged people in a hotel? Pregnant much? Do they make condoms in full body size? Kind of like a hazmat condom?
Now that I think of it, send in a production company to film the whole thing and it’ll be a hit on tv. Isolation Island!
10:29 what can you do to help ?
Spring Break !!!
Do you really believe this is going to work ? Very few people are going to self isolate or stay home If this was the case let them turn in their car keys into one central location controlled by govt until two weeks is up. World Class foolishness! If their overseas location is stable and accommodation is not comprised why take the risk of flying or infecting others or transferring the virus to another location. Moving 470 possible infected persons for some touchy feely movement doesn’t make good sense we are dealing with a pandemic that can kill people.
9:26. Please calm down. You sound like a nervous wreck. This is an excellent soloution.
I guess your plan would be send them home to their families so they can infect the entire household ( 600 to 800 people) including the elderly.
Sorry but this sounds like such a bad idea.
Please rethink.
Think Diamond Princess
Don’t do it!
Criticism from anonymity is not helpful.
If you have a constructive better idea, say so or…
Or I will criticize you anonymously…
After their isolation period is over, please test them before letting them mix in the society. May be some of them who didn’t have it when they arrived, picked it up if they mingled during isolation with another one who already had it but showed no symptoms,
Simply World Class. Thank you CIG!!
It is not like he is offering his own house, his own money, sharing his own food. He should donate his monthly compensation to United Way or an equivalent, if you have one.
Perhaps spend a day delivering meals on wheels in his own vehicle.
6:34 what about you ?
I have faith in our young people to do the right thing at the hotel. This is an amazing gesture by the Government and we should also support the innovative approach to keep us safe.
World class rubbish! Why put us at more risk? Why spread this for some warp sense govt wonderfulness When else where students are being told to stay put and should be supported by their governments a travel ban is a travel ban. Again why take the risk when self isolation is going to be voluntary for some and not mandatory for others.
8.33pm This expression “world class” seems to be used all the time here, by Caymanians of course. Problem is most that use it have not been beyond West Bay.
Isolating a group of at risk people in one place, even isolated in separate rooms, but with common room service and shared Ac systems sounds a bit like the Japanese attempt to quarantine on board a cruise ship. Not sure I would plump for that option. Putting the essential workers in a hotel sounds a far better idea.
The students aren’t at-risk people. The infection remarkably leaves young people unaffected or largely asymptomatic, although they can transmit. Ideally, if any have acquired the infection, it can run its course while in isolation, without infecting adults.
Outdated and therefore now fake news. Check what’s really happening out there based on what they know now.
There are intubated five year olds…everyone can get it. Jesus Christ, read a better news source of what is happening around the planet!
Fox News snatched another brain, I see. Young people do get this and many have severe complications. Follow real news sources, please. Your ignorance could get people killed.
At risk is not their risk of a bad personal outcome – its their risk of already having contracted the virus. And then coming into Cayman and infecting everyone they come in contact with, and everyone those people come in contact with.
Excellent job Premier !
Bots.
Short memories anyone? Just because he repeats what his chief medical officer tells him, we should not forget his silence on what happened just over a month ago.
“He warned students who choose to go to the hotel isolation facility not to mix with each other during the 14 days.”
I’m sure they will be complying with that…
Hand out the rubbers!
and the rulers…
Baby explosion in 9 months time
Let’s hope not. Already enough children poorly cared for. I saw the CIG should be going door to door with condoms instead of the paper that was on my
Doorstep about Covid. Or give both.
2:54 what do you people have to offer!
Gosh, so much to think about and sort out. Some of us appreciate the effort being made
Returning students should be sent immediately home and instructed not to leave. Their families should be isolated for 14 days. If any family members are indispensable command and control staff, they should be isolated to the hotel in advance of student arrivals, and only if they have to. We shouldn’t put partying kids into a resort where they trash a hotel and stoke a contagion. Super dumb. Put healthy adults in there that can make their own beds.
Totally agree
7:22pm
Sounds like the story of the man, his wife and the donkey that were on their way to market.
😂😂😂😂😂
Have you considered the possibility that some of these students’ families may have elderly extended families, siblings with special needs, etc living under the same roof?
Sounds like you would prefer to uproot 3,000 persons as opposed to 400, who are already used to living away from home.
As they say in BT, “boi you can hear some shit”
Well said 4:57 AM!