Archive for May, 2020
Cayman economy inching open
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government has drawn up the next set of curfew orders to replace those that expire this weekend, offering a glimmer of hope that almost all of the lockdown measures put in place to control the spread of COVID-19 could be gone before the end of June. All retail stores and the […]
One positive among 673 COVID-19 tests
(CNS): Public health has now tested around 16% of the local population for COVID-19 and so far just 141 people have proved to be positive. Only one sample from a batch of 673 test results revealed by Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee on Friday was positive, as test numbers reached 11,139. This latest positive […]
First green turtle nest spotted early
(CNS): Department of Environment researchers have documented the first wild green turtle nest of the 2020 nesting season. The nest was spotted on Grand Cayman on 26 May, which is unusually early, as over the past 21 years of sea turtle monitoring only two other green turtle nests were found this early in the year. […]
Rocket debris found floating off Cayman Brac
(CNS): Two local fishermen came across some unusual debris last week while fishing off the southwest corner of Cayman Brac. The Department of Environment believes that the piece of metal that Larry and Tyrone Scott found is debris from a rocket launch in French Guyana at the end of last year, which delivered a number […]
No new positive COVID-19 cases
(CNS): Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee reported that there were no positive samples in the batch of test results for COVID-19 released on Thursday, and that all 292 tests were negative. He further noted that no new patients had presented for clinical management since the last such case on 27 April. Cayman has now […]
Gov’t revenue plummets to record low
(CNS): Following a very successful start to the year and a bigger than expected surplus in the first quarter, everything changed in just one month for government revenues. Finance Minister Roy McTaggart reported on Wednesday that after spending $68 million but collecting only $23 million, a drop of $26 million on what was budgeted, government […]
No audit planned over curfew decisions
(CNS): No official audit of the decisions made by the team that has managed curfew exemptions over the COVID-19 lockdown period is planned by the current government. Premier Alden McLaughlin said Wednesday that it was not his call to look into the fairness of the decisions, and if there were complaints, they would be handled […]
Cops attacked with pepper spray
(CNS) UPDATED: Police have now revealed that the George Town man they are looking for who threatened officers with a machete and attacked them with pepper spray on Wednesday is Simon Julio Newball (43). Police are now asking the public to help police track him down.
Governor urges ‘realism’ on airlift flights
(CNS): Governor Martyn Roper stressed Wednesday that the flights going in and out of the Cayman Islands at present are evacuation airlifts to help people who are stranded with no work or money get home, given the widespread border closures across the world due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Raising concerns that people were seeking to […]
COVID tests surpass 10k with just 3 new positives
(CNS): There were just three new positive cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, as Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee revealed that more than 10,000 people in the Cayman Islands have now been tested for the virus. Two of the latest positive results were samples from the front-line workers screening programme and the third was from a […]
Local economy could contract by over 12%
(CNS): The Cayman Islands’ economy could contract by as much as 12.2% this year, according to Finance and Economic Development Minister Roy McTaggart. The gloomy forecast for the country’s short-term economic fortunes was not unexpected, but with the reality of a 19% unemployment rate, government will now need to create public sector jobs and fund […]
