Curfew exceptions ‘not intended to be fair’
(CNS): As frustrations run high among members of the public over what they see as the unfairness of some COVID-19 curfew exemptions over others, Premier Alden McLaughlin said that the system “is not intended to be fair” but is meant to reduce the risk of community transmission of the virus. He said all decisions are based on a risk assessment and how people can access necessary services while minimising all human interactions.
“The more people that are out there… the greater the chances the virus is going to spread,” he said at Monday’s daily COVD-19 press briefing.
Following the news on Monday that there are another five positive results for coronavirus, four of which were local transmissions, the premier, while still relatively optimistic, made it clear that none of the restriction will be relaxed any time soon. Cayman now has 66 positive cases and it is evident that the virus is being spread locally, even if we have not yet reached the point of sustained transmission.
McLaughlin said that this was still happening despite all of the messaging about social distancing and he did not know how long it would continue. But he warned that relaxing social distancing protocols too soon, as some countries had done, could see Cayman face an even worse situation. He said nothing would be relaxed here until government has a much better understanding of where the virus is in the community.
However, until Cayman begins wide-scale testing, isolating and tracing to understand where the virus is, there will be no let up on the current lockdown measures.
Accepting that there is mounting frustration from the public, McLaughlin said that government was receiving increasingly rude correspondence complaining about the infringement on civil liberties. He said that a number of selfish and narcissistic people were writing to government suggesting it did not matter if a few people who were likely to die anyway came down with the virus, which he said was “appalling”.
McLaughlin confirmed that government was sticking to its position that economic and selfish interests would not come before people’s lives. Every life was valuable and important, he said, noting that even those advocating for “survival of the fittest” needed to understand that dead people don’t make good customers.
Until people feel comfortable that the virus is under control, they will not feel confident to return to their normal lives or go out in the community in any event, he pointed out.
Although the premier repeats his message on a daily basis about the need for people to hold on for just a few more seeks, many members of the community remain transfixed on getting their pools cleaned when, for example, their neighbour was seen getting a coffee delivered.
CNS receives hundreds of messages every day from people wanting to do specific things and wanting us to ask why government will not allow one thing when it allows another. But all exemptions for the soft and hard curfews are made by a team of civil servants.
They can be reached at curfewtime@gov.ky and each day they continue to deal with hundreds of requests, many of which are individualized wants and needs, while others are genuine emergencies, and each one is considered on its own merit weighed against the wider public health risk.
See Monday’s full press briefing below on CIGTV:
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Category: Health, Medical Health
This carrot dangling routine is getting old now. If, if, if ….. we do this, then we will get XXXX. We have followed the rules for a month now (well the majority have) so whats the REALISTIC plan going forward and that doesnt take 45 days to become a reality?
This man has no plan- other than to send us all to an economic grave.
Hopefully the imaginary magical supra-being in the sky has spellcheck on her phone to decipher this.
Alden has now assumed the position of: DECIDER IN CHIEF of who will and who will not be utterly destroyed by the man-made devastating shit-tsunami directly created by him, and supported by his super-intellectual unaffected gang of 100 elitists living in a bubble.
He is now the sole decider whether you are worthy or not to keep your f*ing job, house, savings, pensions, health insurance, investments, employees or whatever you value at this point as ALL OF IT is going to hell in a handbasket down the Alden toilet FAST!
This very-well-and-will-continue-to-be-paid-no-matter-what Cesar, has become a self-virtuous egotistical economic wreaking ball and not even God can stop him. He wants his statue over this, all else be damned! It’s his vision above all else, including your entire livelihoods. (Except theirs and their sycophants of course)
Chamber & business community, are you going to wait until the country is utterly decimated to act and start pushing back in a VERY significant way? Can’t you see what is going on? Do you see the UK Military coming in? Are they protecting themselves against a civil up-rise?
Can’t you see these people have absolutely no @#$%@%% idea what they are doing? Can’t you see they’re filtering questions and who can ask questions at press briefings? Why are statistics of people who are have lost their jobs, income and homes not mentioned at all at the press briefings? Why are we only hearing about the cherry-picked information of how bad it is everywhere in the world else except here? Why are they omitting (or lying about) any of the progress where lock downs have been considerably relaxed?
Something at the press briefings that is extremely alarming: The fact that these people are indecisively babbling about testing their own front line workers should be a very serious sounding bell of just how incompetent and clueless these people are. The reality of this situation is clear…. IF the front line workers have the covid….. They have the covid and SPREADING the covid WHETHER TO TEST THEM OR NOT as we speak! All the test does is expose the reality of the situation! They are in essence revealing, through their lack of being able to answer questions: “We don’t want to know the reality… because we don’t know what to do if that’s the case…..” Do you see how dangerous, clueless, plan-less and inept these babbling self-important idiots are?
So if you had to sacrifice the person closest to you, such as a spouse, child, mother, father, so you could change the response to what you want, what would you say at their funeral? What would you say to everyone else that lost their people?
This is a nonsense reply to the original poster. The virus is with us in Cayman and more importantly it is not going to be eliminated from the world in the next decade. Why then are we continuing to live a fantasy that we can cheat or beat nature? The argument about lives vs. money are ridiculous and show how people aren’t thinking this through. The mortality rate of this virus is pretty low. A recent German study shows about 0.4% of those infected die and many people have no idea they are infected because they are asymptomatic. You cannot outrun nature. You can plan to protect the vulnerable and enhance your hospital system to cope with flare ups but that is about it. Anything else is just delaying the inevitable.
can i choose mother in law?
Agree 💯 %
1000000000% agree!
I am Praying for our Government to continue to keep seeking and depending on God our Creator for Wisdom and to be mineful to always applied to the Knowledge achived or recived concerning this Namely “CARONAVIRUS” and with ALL other situvations that will arise.
PLEASE Leaders of our Country ALWAYS Remember: “The fool says in their Heart: there is no God.”… So please do not expect that such will see the good in you ALL care taking actions in trying to save the lives of thankful, and God fearing Citizens -and to prevent their Lost Souls from from being ushered into the Lost Domain earlyer than they should…for these who aim to discurrage you ALL in achaving progress that are well pleasing to God Almighty: I also seek God’s extended mercy upon their Souls, and may their eyes be diverted from gain and Self and open to the reality of true Life.
Last but not least; I would like to leave a thought with you ALL: “TRUE LOVE IS A DEVINE ACTION, NOT JUST A GOLDEN WORD.”
Ughhhhhhh.
The transmission of the virus in the community is spreading right through the liquor stores…just look at Reflections in Savannah throughout the day…lacking no crowd control and people actually gathering and talking…
But we can’t have a hardware store open two days a week to assist plumbing and appliance repairs. Not everyone can afford to call the emergency plumber out. Especially when you know how to fix the problem and would probably cost a few dollars to purchase a part.
But, let’s keep letting the 6 people at a time buy alcohol. And no doubt, several of them are the same ones asking for government assistance.
This governments myopic obsession with achieving an unrealistic standard is difficult to understand. Please, either come up with a cash stimulus package, or offer a reasonable pathway to reaping the economy.
Will Alden and company revise their draconian policies if overwhelming scientific evidence proves their position to be altered? We already know the virus has mutated significantly into a less deadly variant. We already know the actual mortality rate is hugely less than initially projected. We already know the rate of infection is exponentially higher than originally believed. (That is a good thing, just FYI for non statisticians). We also know that the cost of continuous shutdown of the economy is far more destructive than this virus.
Do we really KNOW these things to be true? We need widespread, accurate antibody testing to prove the higher infection rate. Obviously, a larger number of positives who are recovered will lower the mortality rate. At the moment, the worldwide numbers indicate a 6% mortality rate for confirmed cases. So lets push for antibody tests so we can get a clear picture and start to get back to work.
Fair point but as more and more countries conduct more tests and antibody tests it is becoming apparent that there is no way we are looking at a mortality rate of above 1%. I agree that until we test for ourselves we won’t know for certain but we shouldn’t be blind to what is going on in the world and give so much weight to the confirmed cases vs.deaths. Doing so gives people a false sense of what we are really dealing here. Frankly it helps the government in getting people to comply with the lockdown measures but we are rapidly approaching the point where we need more reality and less scaremongering.
Testing, especially antibody testing, is still in its infancy. Instead of pushing to reopen, we should be pushing for a plan to reopen safely. The frustrating part about the govt response here and in the States is that leadership is rarely communicating and executing a detailed exit strategy.
I think most people will make sacrifices if we know how it contributes to the plan.
I love a good conspiracy theory as much as anyone, but how exactly does this govt benefit from keeping us in this situation?
Whether or not testing is viable or practically going to help us with anything, the authorities have made it clear that they think the only way out of this is to have a robust system which allows them to test and attempt to isolate positives. Anything else is secondary to them. They don’t care about anything else, be it changes in the data, or what amyone else is doing. So thats the plan, like it or not. Once we start ramping up testing, then MAYBE you can go back to work. There is no reopening “safely” in the sense that the virus is going to be there for some time. There is reopening with social distancing measures in place to try to salvage our economy. There is no other possible plan. People have to understand that there is some risk in life if they want to interact with the world and earn a living.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Sir John Acton
The anti-port people have fallen in love with Alden and lockdowns.
Would take someone with a shallow mind who is everything Aldin said to even make a comment like that.
Not this ant-port person. Do not what logic your argument is based. Would love to know the theory.
This is a clear case where the “cure” is far more devastating than the virus.
Just remember if you are praying for help and relief in this government sponsored never-ending shit show…….. to ask God to get permission from Alden before he intervenes in their grand divine plan. And of course, be careful not to bruise his delicate Ego (with a capital E) should he have to consider something outside of his superior intellect and virtuousness.
In the mean time, f*ck you and everyone and their small insignificant problems, They are dealing with grander and greater visions.
Don’t be selfish and always consider they are putting their fat unaffected salaries to good use, not your silly, petty and annoying grievances.
All livelihoods are expendable (except theirs) on their divine mission.
Alden has got into his own head. Coming around to be one of two, a pawn for the UK or a dip stick for Cayman. Either way he is out next election
His plan is obviously that if he goes down, we all go down.
Looks so!
Maybe the cure is worse than the disease, but we are fortunate to be in a position to say that. Do I give much credence to the model shared yesterday that suggested 4,000 people on island could have died if there was no intervention? Not really. But would it have been 40? 400? 1000? Having assumed these painful, costly, and overbearing interventions, we aren’t in a position to be counting the lives of friends, neighbors, and loved ones lost. Instead we are counting financial losses of seemingly endless days in isolation. So which shitty option is preferable? Because you can’t choose “neither”.
CNS: The model projected 910 deaths if nothing was done, not 4,000. Here is our report with a link to the press briefing video.
Sorry even 910 deaths is laughably ridiculous! There is a reason we don’t have 910 deaths or anywhere NEAR that, and sorry to tell you it’s NOT because of these moron’s shutdown. We have been completely opened while 10’s if not 100’s of thousands of people since covid was spreading until MARCH! Based on the infections rate (nearly 3 infected per covid infected), and considering the supposed hysterical death rate of this virus, we should have many dead by now!!! Just look at the #$%$#%%$ facts! The numbers don’t make sense or add up!
Even your 910 “had we done nothing” is hysterical lunacy! And there is a REASON the facts are 180 degrees polar opposite from that utter fearmongering bullshit!
The model was a gross exaggeration either way.
The numbers are a joke. Fear mongers
Where’s the report that shows what would happen if we had logical measures put in place..? Oh, there isn’t one. And by the way, these models have turned out to be total horseshit. They just keep changing the model to match the trend.
Ever heard of “The Cutter incident”. You might want to look that one up.
Also,
The animal trials for human coronavirus vaccines have been a real problem for 15 years. In fact, not one CV vaccine has ever been developed successfully. Many people are unaware of this.
Why? Clinicians would understand if I say secondary HLH risk.
in the spirit of fairness…i will ask the following again regarding the civil service.
how many are working from home?
how many are not working?
how many have been laid off?
how many have had salary reductions?
Does anyone know if Alden has selected the final design and the artist who will create his 40 foot bronze sculpture which will be put in Heroes Square?
Dear CNS,
In Governor Cuomo’s press conference today he said the below:
According to Cuomo, about 30 large private manufacturers make equipment to test for the virus. Those manufacturers sell their machines to smaller local labs, some 300 of which are located in New York. For a local lab to perform a test, it needs to use equipment and reagents produced by one of the larger manufacturers. (Different manufacturers’ tests require different sets of reagents, which are chemicals used for analysis.)
I am curious to know if our equipment is from the U.S. and if the test kits from South Korea work with the equipment we have in Cayman assuming we will eventually get the reagent required to work with our machines.
Thank you.
I am a life long republican, and I flipping love Andrew Cuomo. He is intelligent, willing to take advice, supports his staff, changes his opinion if the science dictates, and really seems to have the best interests of the people he represents as his core value. Maybe our premier should tune in.
I agree! I think his point was on the absurdity of the multiple, incompatible systems. I feel like the federal govt should take emergency measures to unify manufactures and testing companies so they’re all creating (and profiting from) a single, universal system. The lack of a universal system is going to be a huge issue moving forward. So much easier to manage the distribution of resources that way
This government and the gang of 100 living in a bubble and tone deaf elitists on the “advisory board”………..Are creating the biggest train wreck in the history of the Cayman Islands
Agreed. This is just bad. Freedom no more.
Chest of tools
So when are you guys going to give permit holders a chance to send money back home to their families that is in need of financial help?
If you are smart, you will find a way to do it via online banking or a third party payment method (e.g., PayPal). Of course, it means you have to trust whoever you provide your login details to. You have options, just stop whining like a little wimp and think through the possible solutions.
Have you try using pay pal or western union apps? Every time you say Cayman your phone they want to send you the interpol right to your phone.
Unless your friends and family you have no representation here. Think your getting tested? Flight home? A job or money to eat and pay rent? Help? If you are not Caymanian you are on your own. Good luck. God bless.
Never, they only want to keep the dollars here. It has nothing to do with need, or safety. They are afraid they might need to do the right thing and actually help people financially.
The longer the government can stop you from sending money home the longer they don’t have to worry about you running out of money! So then they won’t have to worry about how you can survive with no income! Did you think of that angle?
Did you think of their children, whom could be starving if they rely on their parents money to be sent home? Or their elderly parents starving! How rude of you to not consider that angle.
The rhetoric on the news stories the past few days has been in steep decline.
Where is Who?
His wisdom and clear communication would help move the comments out of the proverbial ditch and let the truth be spoken in a clear concise format.
I have noticed this as well. There has been level headed, reasoned debate for the last couple of weeks, but the last few days have been disappointing. The usual pointless Caymanians vs. expats, anti-government, anti-civil service trolls are rearing their ugly heads and wasting everyone’s time with the same old tired “arguments”. Oh well, the civility was nice while it lasted.
People advocating logical arguments have given up. No amount of logic can get through the hysteria.
However, what cannot go on forever will stop (Herbert Stein). The ultimate purpose of the economy and jobs is to provide food for people to eat. Once people are starving, they will not care one whit about Covid-19 or the police.
Hence the military. I give it two weeks. Ya know, after they get out of quarantine.
#caymankind