Over 3,000 people now tested

| 06/05/2020 | 197 Comments
Cayman News Service
CMO Dr John Lee at Wednesday’s press briefing

(CNS): Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee revealed 298 negative results from the latest batch of test samples for COVID-19 on Wednesday, with no positives, as Cayman reaches 3,050 tests. The CMO confirmed that the results he is giving each day are those of different people and not just the actual test numbers because sometimes patients are tested more than once. Cayman is now in the top 15 countries on the world listing for numbers tested for the virus per capita.

As he delivered his update at the daily COVID-19 briefing, the CMO said that 96% of the samples taken in Little Cayman for the coronavirus had now been tested and all were negative. 66% of samples taken on Cayman Brac have also all proved to be negative and more tests from people there are expected to be completed soon.

Dr Lee offered his thanks to all of those people contacted by the Public Health Department in order to be tested as part of the screening and ramped up testing programme who came forward. He encouraged all of those in the current screening groups, such as front-line workers, who are called to take up the testing offer. He said there had been a little resistance because not everyone wants to be tested.

He explained how important it was to the wider community, as the authorities are now in the process of looking for the virus. He said, “It is vitally important for people to come forward,” not just for the individuals involved but also to protect their friends and relatives who could be vulnerable.

“If anybody is found to be positive, we can isolate them and protect the whole community. That is the whole purpose of the screening. Not only is it to try and discover if the disease is there so we can make active decisions but, more importantly, to identify people and then to protect the community until the infection passes,” he added.

Although government is not yet seeking volunteers for the screening, the groups of people being identified for testing as a result of their current public facing roles or their proposed return to work in the phase re-opening are growing.

The ramped up testing is critical to government’s planned phased easing of curfew restrictions. It will help the authorities understand the prevalence of the virus here and will inform that gradual re-opening process. But it is also key in Premier Alden McLaughlin’s often stated goal of actual elimination.

If enough people are tested, then those who are positive can be isolated and their contacts traced, dramatically reducing the chance of the virus spreading undetected and eventually completely halting it altogether. Then, providing the government keeps the borders closed, Cayman could exist, as the premier has said, in its own bubble of relative internal freedom as it waits on the rest of the world to catch up.

According to the latest figures. 78 people have tested positive in Cayman since the first patient on 13 March, who is also the only person to die of the disease. Right now, 30 people have formally recovered; there are 47 active cases, 37 are asymptomatic while eight are symptomatic. There are no longer any patients admitted at the hospital suffering from any ill effects of the virus but two positive patients at Health City are being treated for other health conditions.


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Category: Health, Medical Health

Comments (197)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Can I make a suggestion that would help speed up testing and get a good sampling done?

    Have CTMH or HSA set up tents at all of the grocery stores and ask people to get tested. They are already there and standing in line with their ID’s on them. You could even reward them by allowing them to skip line to go right into the store.

    We would get hundreds maybe even a thousand screenings done in a day. I will get mine done on the first day and will encourage everyone I know to go and get tested. Within a week we would have a massive amount of tests done and because everyone is from varying backgrounds it should provide a good idea of where the virus is or isn’t..

    Wonder if Dr. Lee or the Premier would consider taking up my idea?

    Care to ask tomorrow Wendy??

  2. Anonymous says:

    Nobody has faith in our government. They are just placeholders. They do not work. Not one of them has run a successful business without “help”.
    It is easy for them to pontificate. Please, just leave us alone. We can do this without you.

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  3. Anonymous says:

    Less and less tests each day, start going door to door or even better open testing booth at supermarkets, everyone has there ID anyway

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    • Anonymous says:

      Less than 100 today… explain to me why they can’t test more than this..Every day there is another excuse.Today it was that people would come to the testing areas…GO to the grocery stores during shift change and have the store set up a staging area maybe a board room or even a tented area outside..set up a drive thru like they do in the state so that front line workers can drive thru on their way home and get tested…These people are not thinking outside the box, 3000 tests done across 3 islands in 6 weeks, that is just unbelievable…We need to do 300-500 a day to show any type of progress..

      If they keep this up we will testing until the end of the year…

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      • Anonymous says:

        Alden, said today 4-6 more weeks…With the little testing that is going on now, we will be at this for more like 4-6 months…

        Now the excuse is that the people are not coming to be tested…Fine them or throw their ass in jail.

  4. Anonymous says:

    I read – not really that impressive nor intelligent from what I saw. The author only quoted from a group of what appears to be ideological left wing Nannie-state apparatchiks who were cherry picking their ethical issues. Seriously – for example, if someone doesn’t want their job back because of underlying health issues, in Canada, there is already a social safety net for them – its call social services or welfare. What is really messaged in the narrative is to contiue with the ridiculous scare mongering and doom crying for “new policies” because otherwise there will be “anarchy”.

    And finally there is this doozy: “I do not really want individuals to be making those risk calculations, because even understanding that if you’re 70 and you’re healthy, your risk is actually quite different than someone who is 60 and has underlying diabetes and heart disease,” said Sandro Galea, dean of the Boston University School of Public Health. “I think that’s the role of government to come up with the guidance that essentially arrives at a consensus acceptable risk within society.”

    There are likely few Canadians looking for less freedom or to be hindered by the state to decide for themselves what sort of risks they will be prepared to face. How do you think they got so old if they cannot manage their risks? Its condescending in tone. These sorts of ideas have no place in a free society.

    It reminds me of the famous quote by Ronald Reagan about the 9 most terrifying words in the english language:

    “I’m from the government and Im here to help.”

    Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country. Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Yep, I my thoughts exactly. Especially what you called a doozy. I couldn’t finish the artcle beyond that yet plenty of people eat that up. Sad.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Spoken like a true elitist. How are things in your gated community?

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      • Anonymous says:

        They are probably a lot better than in your *&*thole. People work hard, they get to enjoy good things.
        I wish I lived in a gated community.
        I am just hoping that our politicians can get to enjoy the gated community in Northward.

  5. Anonymous says:

    The point is, your logic if faulty. You said: “Italy was hit badly. 4% of its population tested positive. If we are similar that represents 2,400 cases. We have 78 cases and no one rushing in to get tested. Which means we have 2,322 asymptomatic cases (impossible), or the virus is simply not widespread here.” That statement is incorrect because it assumes that Cayman locked down to prevent further transmission at the same point of the virus outbreak as Italy. You don’t have any way of knowing that and all indications are that Cayman actually implemented the lockdown way before the virus was as prevalent here.
    In addition, saying that the virus is less prevalent here is a stupid statement. Of course it’s less prevalent here, which we can all see by the hard numbers of cases and not by your weird extrapolation calculations. Cayman didn’t act on false numbers. It implemented actions to prevent similar transmission of the virus here than in other places, like Italy. But even if it hadn’t, there could have been fewer cases here for a number of other reasons like heat, humidity, fresh air, etc. – all of which could play a part in transmission rate.
    But I should have known you wouldn’t be able to understand that.
    As for your statement “restrictions should coincide with vacancy of hospital beds” – that’s an entirely different point, but if Cayman had experienced similar transmission and hospitalisation rates as Italy, more than 500 people would have required hospitalization for an average of 8 days – that’s more than enough to have overwhelmed our local hospitals over the past 8 weeks. That is the justification for the lockdown and why it continues.
    And your deep dive into the semantics of “new normal” based on a temporal plane is seriously lame – new normal is a well understood idiom and doesn’t need your pedantic deconstruction.
    As for your statement “restrictions should coincide with vacancy of hospital beds” – that’s an entirely different point, but if Cayman had experienced similar transmission and hospitalisation rates as Italy, more than 500 people would have required hospitalization for an average of 8 days – that’s more than enough to have overwhelmed our local hospitals over the past 8 weeks. That is the justification for the lockdown and why it continues.
    And your deep dive into the semantics of “new normal” based on a temporal plane is seriously lame – new normal is a well understood idiom and doesn’t need your pedantic deconstruction.

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    • Anonymous says:

      “4% of its population tested positive.”
      I think you mean 4% of those tested, not 4% of the population.

      Each country has used different techniques to manage the pandemic. Indeed it was rumoured at the time that N.Italy pretty much abandoned it’s old and vulnerable in favour of the younger healthier population, hence the higher death rate.

  6. Anonymous says:

    police not social distancing…like i say ..i observed 3 of them in uniform walking 1 ft apart in front glass house..no masks or gloves..talking like nobody’s business….why?

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Total cases and attributed deaths are both under-reported. If we assume that test-derived reported cases were accurate, with just under 4mln cases, we know that 270k (17%) of those 1.5mln resolved, did so via their own death. Many more “survived” but are not necessarily back to normal, or unchanged from the experience. Chronic pneumonia, perforated lungs, scar tissue, strokes, organ failures…a long list of by products in the “not so great” column.

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    • Anonymous says:

      You are both right and wrong. Increased testing is showing that a lot more folks have it but are not sick with it. And It’s no longer new news that attributed deaths are way over reported just to make the virus look more lethal than it is to make hospitals, politicians, and the money and the power they make and need more important than they really are. If you want truth ask someone who will not gain anything by pushing the truth one way or the other. What’s your need? Look to Caymans own total cases now that testing is underway. With just a small fraction of the over all population tested. what do you see with an opened mind? If a man(one person) is rushed to the hospital after two heart attacks then dies. Did he die of covid because his body tested positive? It depends on what will help you out personally. My need is for people to just see the unchanged truth and make up their own minds about what they see because I am already tired of living in a world ruled by those who feed off of fear. This world I live in has not gotten better for it.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Read about one country with no confirmed cases at all: American Samoa.

      https://www.yahoo.com/news/place-u-no-covid-19-122450844.html

      They do not have our resources and the connections with external governments that we are able to leverage, yet seem to be grateful.

      Interestingly, they still have some restrictions, despite living in what is truly a bubble.

    • Anonymous says:

      10:29
      Perforated lungs and scar tissues are from improper use of ventilators. Strokes are from delays in treating blood clots in bronchi that could have been prevented with over the counter painkiller Aleve, organs failure is from delays in administering oxygen during hypoxia resulted from clogged bronchi. So it all points to qualification of ER and UCI personnel.

      CNS: I hope a doctor will weigh in on this as you don’t give any sources. But before you minimize the danger of COVID-19, please watch this: https://www.gwhospital.com/resources/podcasts/covid19-vr-technology

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      • Anonymous says:

        “Ventilator Complications: Lung Damage
        Medical staff members carefully measure the amount, type, speed, and force of the air the ventilator pushes into and pulls out of your lungs. Too much oxygen in the mix for too long can be bad for your lungs. If the force or amount of air is too much, or if your lungs are too weak, it can damage your lung tissue. Your doctor might call this ventilator-associated lung injury
        (VALI).
        “Among the conditions VALI can lead to are:
        Pneumothorax: A hole or holes in your lungs that release air into the opening between your lungs and the wall of your chest. This can cause pain and loss of oxygen. It might also cause your lungs to collapse, which is an emergency.
        Pulmonary edema: The buildup of liquid in your lungs. Your lungs may collect more liquid if you already have pneumonia.
        Hypoxemia: Too little oxygen in your blood. Damage to your lungs can cause this. Medical staff will notice it if your blood oxygen levels start to drop and you are short of breath.”
        https://www.webmd.com/lung/ventilator-complications#1

    • Anonymous says:

      Did you get that from “The Sun”?

  8. Anonymous says:

    The blue paper ones are single use and not all that great. The reusable Cayman Filtration ones are locally produced, affordable, and pretty comfortable cotton. Or you can make your own with an old bandana or tshirt in a couple minutes. If you have a sewing machine and some old hair elastics, lots of possibilities. Google.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Cut mine from an old t-shirt and used a coffee filter in between the 2 layers. Took 3 min. Google it.

  9. Anonymous says:

    So these masks Seymour continues to spout on about and is pushing to become mandatory…How effective are they? What kind of quality control was applied to the production of same? If it’s someone’s curtains turned into a mask, is it really in any way useful?

    Also, given that Seymour sanctioned the delivery of said masks via MLAs, I wonder how many non registered voters will receive same? (yet Seymour claims it was not a political move)

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    • Anonymous says:

      If the skeptics can’t keep 6ft away from the wake of an asymtomatic infected, the mask might not matter much. Then the doubters get to experience COVID-19 firsthand.

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    • Anonymous says:

      People, don’t waste your time chasing down these CIG touted masks–they are really useless. They are one-time use, disposable masks. Each person will need a new one every time they go out. If anyone knows of local seamstresses making reusable cloth masks, please post the information so we can find it. Bandanas and t-shirts are not effective.

      CNS: I have now included the graphic with info on getting masks from the Food Bank. I ordered some yesterday and they were delivered the same day. Not sure if they could keep that up if they get a bunch of orders.

    • Anonymous says:

      9.50am Well straight from the horse’s mouth today…. the MLAs know their constituencies, their voters better to distribute masks LOL Premier tried but no covering that with a government mask! MOH should stick to his script – First to put in his order for fish from Brac, which he found amusing. Having a job, high salary, medical, pension and fish in supermarkets on GC not good enough? Waiting on the Brac fish and mask delivery – separate packaging please!

    • Anonymous says:

      It’s protecting others from you, not great at protecting you, but it does stop me from touching my face too.
      It’s a sign of caring for others when someone wears a mask imo.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Shall I wear a sticker on my shirt saying “I’ve washed my hands” today too, to show that I’m caring?

        My point wasn’t about having a problem wearing a mask, my point was about the effectiveness of said homemade masks, bandanas, etc. If they are so useful then why was there such an outcry for specific quality standard masks around the world?
        People are walking around with a mask covering their mouth, but not their nose. Unless the face mask is fit for it’s purpose and used correctly, it’s useless. Merely gives a false sense of security and sends a just a signal to people that we are “caring for others”.

        I say all this because up until now, every medical professional has mentioned they are ineffective unless XYZ standard and used appropriately.

        And to finalise: distributing masks through a political network is by default a political move. I know of one house that has not received a mask delivery in a building block of four, yet each of the three other households have received their ‘delivery’ from the their MLA. It’s an appauling distribution method, completely unfair and completely political.
        In fact, as a work permit holder, I’m pretty sure the MLA from my voting district doesn’t even know who I am, let alone where I live.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Alden, if you read this, could you please just think for a second – the virus is not rampaging thru our society, and that is because of you and your cabinets measures. Well done. But time is of the essence before a second virus, more contagious, ravages us all and that is bankruptcy and economic catastrophe. We know that tourism is a problem for us for a long time to come, but nothing else should be. its time to stop the lockdowns. Open the beaches. Limit social gatherings to 10 persons or something, fine. Make masks obligatory in public places of work, etc, fine. Stop the unjustified sunday full lockdown, its nonsense. If the virus was all over the community and as serious as feared, our hospitals would be full regardless of social distancing – the supermarkets would have seen to that.
    So enough now. The people are restless.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The second virus has already started to ravish the islands, while hospital beds remain empty. Keeping boarders closed for tourists is one thing, but keeping it closed for Caymanians, Residents and Work Permit Holders is akin to holding hostages.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Somebody please help this drama queen – she’s being held hostage!

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        • Anonymous says:

          Not if I can afford to fly out on one of the charters or private jets.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Sorry. Should have used the Premier’s word – “bondage: “We’ve released Little Cayman from bondage and we’ve eased up Cayman Brac in a great way,” the premier said after announcing the changes at the daily briefing on Thursday.

      • Anonymous says:

        @10:45 am: “second wave started to ravish the islands”? What? Are you in touch with reality?

        And have you not noticed that the Governor has been organizing flights with other governments (whose borders are also closed) for work permit holders wishing to leave?

        And where would Caymanians be going? No country that I know of will accept visitors at this time.

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      • Anonymous says:

        You do have a chose to leave if you wish.

      • Anonymous says:

        The virus of self-induced fear. Just because you have contracted it, doesn’t mean we want it.
        Take a breath, bro’.

      • Anonymous says:

        If you and your buddies had stayed your asses home like we were supposed to do and like Little and Cyman Brac did we would be out of this mess now…but can’t please unna..got to have it both ways, don’t you?

    • Anonymous says:

      Nobody is holding you here, there are flights everyday to various parts of the world. Hop on one and have all the freedom and covid action you can have..

  11. Anonymous says:

    Ignoring the legal requirement for 6ft distancing, and defying the CMO’s lockdown recommendations, increases the household particle swap encounters and lengthens the lockdown journey for everyone. Let’s try not to actively seek out the COVID-19 that is circulating out there. Dummies.

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  12. Anonymous says:

    Did anyone see the hospitalization study out of New York Gov Cuomo spoke about yesterday?

    “This is a surprise. Overwhelmingly the people were at home. While there’s been a lot of speculation about this, a lot of people again had opinions – a lot of people have been arguing where they come from and where we should be focusing, but if you notice 18% of the people came from nursing homes. Less than 1% came from jail or prison. 2% came from the homeless population. 2% from other congregate facilities. But 66% of the people were at home, which is shocking to all of us.” -Gov Cuomo

    https://abc7ny.com/coronavirus-new-york-ny-cases-in-news/6156845/

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    • Anonymous says:

      I laughed when I read that article. When I was 16 in driving school we were warned to be extra careful when driving near home because 50% of accidents occur within five miles of home and 75% within 15 miles. No shit Sherlock, home is the starting and ending point, at least once, each day. New Yorkers were told to stay home. If I die today it’s 100% at home and 0% at the beach.

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      • Anonymous says:

        It didn’t say they died at home. The report said they were infected at home.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Many did die at home though because they were reluctant to go to hospital with no health insurance or they could not afford the co-pays.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Perhaps they caught it while grocery shopping, or buying beer!

          • Anonymous says:

            Or because they were told not to go to the hospital. The emergency room is free if you can’t pay. It’s called medicaid.

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            • Anonymous says:

              Not free at private hospitals in America.

              • Anonymous says:

                Not free anywhere, but haven’t we been told money doesn’t matter in this situation? They cannot be refused service at the emergency room. It’s against the law in the U.S. at any hospital.
                Are you saying covid 19 isn’t an emergency?

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            • Anonymous says:

              And Medicaid has been seriously cut in many states.

            • Anonymous says:

              You have been out of America too long. Many states such as Ohio, have cut Medicaid because Trump stopped the federal transfer of funds to states.

              • Anonymous says:

                All part of Trump’s continuing efforts to wipe out Obamacare, also known as The Affordable Care Act, and screw lower income people in America.

        • Anonymous says:

          Have any of us truly spent 100% of our last four weeks at home? Particularly, the teenagers sneaking out a night to be teenagers.

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          • Anonymous says:

            yes, because I’m respectful of others and I can see you are not.
            Do you ever ask yourself why you are the way you are? It has alot to do with it.

          • Anonymous says:

            My wife and I were once 4 minutes late returning from my walk because I developed a cramp. That is the only either of us has broken curfew. I respect the law. I respect others. I believe in a civil society. You obviously don’t and neither will your teenagers when they become adults. You are exactly the kind of selfish, narcissist the Premier spoke about a couple of weeks ago. You are part of the problem.

          • Anonymous says:

            I have yes. I go out once a fortnight to shop and do everything then stay home the rest of the time. I do miss being able to walk on the beach, but other than that I don’t mind the measures.

      • Anonymous says:

        @10:47 am: excellent article. Everyone—government, employers, employers, others—should read this. Great realistic balanced exploration of issues.

        I particularly liked the suggestion at the end about phased return to the workplace, with 50 percent initially. Best article I have read for a while.

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    • Anonymous says:

      8:52 am: somebody in the home had to take it home. Nothing shocking about that. My nearly 80 year old brother was infected because his daughter who lives with him works in a nursing home and brought the virus home.

    • Anonymous says:

      Damn – coronavirus must be coming out of the woodwork!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Many were at home because they are poorer people and have no health insurance.
      Hospitals stays are damn expensive in America if one cannot afford health insurance.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Yet still no plan

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  14. Elvis says:

    Open up testing to all ASAP get the testing numbers up now please?

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    • Anonymous says:

      For those of you advocating the “herd immunity” approach, this is what the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School pf Medicine had to say:

      “Why is getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 to “get it over with” not a good idea?

      With some other diseases, such as chickenpox before the varicella vaccine was developed, people sometimes exposed themselves intentionally as a way of achieving immunity. For less severe diseases, this approach might be reasonable. But the situation for SARS-CoV-2 is very different: COVID-19 carries a much higher risk of severe disease and even death.

      The death rate for COVID-19 is unknown, but current data suggest it is 10 times higher than for the flu. It’s higher still among vulnerable groups like the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. Even if the same number of people ultimately get infected with SARS-CoV-2, it’s best to space those infections over time to avoid overwhelming our doctors and hospitals. Quicker is not always better, as we have seen in previous epidemics with high mortality rates, such as the 1918 Flu pandemic.”

      The article says that in the US herd immunity would take “hundreds of millions” of people to be come infected.

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      • Anonymous says:

        the key word there is ‘CURRENT’ as in ‘current data’….the death rate is nowhere near 10x the flu…the virus is rampant globally, just untested, people going about daily business with it and not knowing…its simply not as bad as was made out to be….future data will show that…

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        • Anonymous says:

          “Future data will show that”
          And yet here you are, right now, spouting nonsense as if you know what you’re talking about. I guess you must be practicing the dark arts if you can see into the future.

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          • Anonymous says:

            actually no, you just have to read about all the presumptives currently untested, its clear as day its all unreported, the only near certainty is the death count and even that is being over reported as persons who die of a heart attack with covid are being pronounced dead BY covid…mega difference…meanwhile, millions have the disease, are perfectly fine, and will never be tested

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        • Anonymous says:

          In America they are well on the way to one quarter of a million deaths. By this time next month a John Hopkins Medical believes there will be 3,000 deaths a day.

          Simply not as bad as was made out to be? Don’t think so.

      • Anonymous says:

        Couldn’t agree more.

        There are some unfortunate who have been afflicted with the virus three or more times and are still wrestling with resurgent waves months on with no apparent IgG immunity protection. Is that not an important variable for inclusion in the herd immunity brochure?

        An old college gf of mine in Ottawa, healthy, middle aged mom, had it in early March. It was “a mild case” until it suddenly was not. She struggled to draw a breathe, fouled her bed, maxed her dosage on Extra Strength Tylenol – wanted more buy didn’t want trade for liver failure – and somewhere along the line suffered a mini-stroke that now sags half her face. Statistically, she was counted as a “recovered” in late April, but bless her, she’s forever changed. Hands up all those willing to go through that to achieve their “herd immunity” sticker.

        Equating this with a flu has been the biggest mistake made by policy makers elsewhere. Glad we have an unusually sensible approach in action here on this topic. I hope we can continue to starve out new hosts, and open up locally in weeks ahead, without having to live the full horror being experienced by many elsewhere.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Wow. Truly saddened to hear what your friend has been through. I wish her the very best and hope she doesnt get again.

      • Anonymous says:

        Oh, what do the doctors and scientists know? I saw on the Internet and Fox News all I need to know about this “Scamdemic.” We just all need to have one big COVID-19 party and get herd immunity. Only 1% will die and OK, maybe 1%will have strokes and a slack face after that. Between the two, that only amounts to around 80 million dead and 80 million slack-facers in the world. But it would be worth it because the rest of us could then go back to the beach and our good life and everything can go back to normal.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Simmer down. By the per capita measure of “Tests/1M pop” the Cayman Islands are already #16 on the planet and ascending. Processing nearly 300 tests per day is a colossal achievement for a little territory. Be happy that’s so.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Can’t do that as too much work so easier to just keep everyone locked up

  15. Anonymous says:

    I still don’t understand why they can’t test more than 300 a day. We have two centers open now with several testing machines. Why is it that CTMH are only producing about 25 a day? I’m happy though that the HSA has finally ramped up their testing but lets get at least the frontline folks tested..

    I understand t..hat the next set to be tested will be the construction workers. This will take a significant amount of time and they should really think about setting up another drive through on a large lot like at Camana Bay where hundreds can be screened in any one day..

    We have 100,000 test kits..Let’s start using them so that we can get back to some sort of normalcy

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    • Anonymous says:

      I’m afraid you simply don’t understand the complexity of the testing process – not your fault, but rest assured, they will test as many as they can.

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    • Anonymous says:

      We are only just beginning with earnest and have already processed the equivalent of the combined per capita testing of Canada and USA. 300/day is an incredible pace for a little island with physical test components spread over 20 miles and for the attentive care required to ensure quality control. We are extremely fortunate.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Bravo 9:37 am. Thank you. There is no place on earth I would rather be right now and specifically not in the US or the UK. We obviously have no idea how lucky we are for the leadership we have and the resources with which we have been blessed.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Wendy — any chance you can ask CMO how many tests are waiting to be run through the machines? eg. how many swabs do we have awaiting testing? That will give us a better idea of where the bottleneck is– are the machines the problem, or do we just not have enough people getting swabbed? (in which case, opening up voluntary testing might make more sense)

  16. Anonymous says:

    The reality is that this strategy is far worse than the disease. Forget the hundreds if not thousands of lives that were destroyed by the economic consequences of this, but now I read that 35 heart patients have died in Ontario Canada already because surgeries are delayed due to Covid measures, while ICUs are basically empty. I’m also a victim, stuck without my timely adequate cancer treatments. For all I know, this curfew will cost me my life. Dr Lee talks about keeping Cayman safe. I think it’s myopic and misguided. I might be wrong, but I believe that the day will soon come when the hard data exposes this flagrant lack of measure, balance and intelligent pragmatism for the tragedy and power trip that it is.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I need to travel to Florida for treatments but this lock up till November is scary.

      15
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      • Anonymous says:

        That is an understatement! Many Caymanians travel for health, eduction, and family. Parents and grandparents are dying (as they naturally do) and only the rich are allowed to fly. If not on private jets, groups are chartering planes. Our government is so blind, it hasn’t occurred to them to lease Cayman Airways planes.

        11
      • Anonymous says:

        @ 10:05 am, have you communicated with the Governor’s Office on your travel needs as a cancer patient? There are flights to Miami and if you qualify you could possibly get on one of those flights, if you are not afraid of contracting covid-19 there, that is. But then that is another matter.

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        • Never Safe says:

          Cancer has a much higher death rate than covid, by any measure. 10:05 has something real to be worried about.

    • Anonymous says:

      Sorry, broke is not worse than dead.

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      • Anonymous says:

        So says someone sitting at home in airconditioning typing on a computer.

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        • Anonymous says:

          I take it you’re using psychic powers to post then? If you really think dead is better than broke, you have options. We can hold a séance afterwards and you can let us know if you were right.

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    • Anonymous says:

      That’s horrible you have to go thru that. Some measure must be available to allow others like you to be able to access your treatments?
      Can Wendy ask?

  17. Anonymous says:

    If every sick person will infect on average 3 other people -from the CDC- , and since this is SO INCREDIBLY contagious that we have to lockdown the entire place and stop everyone from working….AND we STILL finding corona positive people that have been walking around for TWO MONTHS, according to your own raz logic, they MUST have infected MANY MANY other people during that time? THEN WHY ISN’T THE ENTIRE PLACE INFECTED BY NOW? Where have all these corona positive people walking around for months been living?? in a canoe offshore?? because of they have not been living in a canoe offshore unable to come in contact with other people, it means your lock down isn’t doing SHIT! other than seriously messing up people lives!

    If anyone can just about drop dead from this virus since it’s so lethal…. WHERE are all these really sick people??

    Because what there ARE…. is MANY VERY HURTING people from your bullshit lock downs!!!!

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    • Anonymous says:

      I’m sorry your hurting, but will coming out of out lockdown really help you?
      Not sure what type of industry you’re in, but the worldwide pandemic if going to affect us all negatively regardless of our lockdown freedom.

    • Anonymous says:

      Sorry you have no one in your life that you care about dying. I’m sure your financial hurt is overwhelming you at this moment. I guess that’s why your financial status is more important to you.
      What’s important to me is the health of my family.

  18. Anonymous says:

    Because this is a marathon and not a sprint, we had better adopt a strategy that can be sustained. Living in a bubble is not sustainable.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Unless you make 10 to 18K CI (Likely more) per month like the guys making the policies…They can live in a bubble forever as far as their concerned. “Your economic circumstances will not be considered in this time of THEM saving Cayman Islands”

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    • Anonymous says:

      Good editorial on ieye news today. Old people here are going crazy.
      Staying home but can’t have visits from children/grandchildren. Staying home as cannot exercise – always loved a swim on the beach.
      Staying home as I do not have a face masks (I’m in Alden’s district). I’m a senior. No one has checked on me. No one has distributed masks to me but we were told MLA’s were distributing them. My family are working from home. Monday to Friday. They are in the wrong part of the alphabet to visit on Saturday (& not close enough to sneak a visit). We are all locked up on Sunday.
      I pay outrageous fees to get my groceries delivered. No discounts for seniors (no helping hand having CUC pay for them). No priority slots reserved for us by Fosters or Hurleys (couldnt work out if Kirk Market delivers).
      You want us to shelter in place but the cure is looking worse than the disease. I do not see anyone, other than on my phone. No end in sight. This is not living.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Being dead is sustainable.

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    • Anonymous says:

      It is if you have a steady income, retirement & health benefits rolling in unaffected by any of the actions of the esteemed leaders

  19. Anonymous says:

    So irritated. I work Tuesday to Saturday. My ‘letter’ days are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. So my only day off, Monday, I cannot shop! I am flipping out of everything. What am I supposed to do? I can only shop at places that do not check identification. This is wrong. Our Government needs to address this. If you want me to save your mother you need to have my back as well.

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    • Anonymous says:

      That’s the same for everyone in A-L, who work Monday to Friday. Saturday off but can’t go to the store. Pain in the ass, but hopefully not for too much longer

      13
      • Anonymous says:

        As someone who can and has gone to the supermarkets on Saturdays, let me tell you one thing: you really don’t want to shop on Saturdays. It was bad before lockdown. It’s exponentially worse now.

    • Anonymous says:

      I have been in isolation for 6 weeks living alone. I am coping shopping for groceries online. Hard not knowing what I will get. Hate getting their ‘best comparable’, hate not getting key ingredients for planned menus, hate paying delivery fees, but I am safe & I can eat. You are working. I am living on $1,000 pm pension. Can’t shop specials. Can’t get Wednesday discount at Hurleys or Kirks coupons. Suck it up friend.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Remember how you used to get into Sharkeys when you were 16? Same applies today for the supermarkets. I have a laminator if you need help.

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    • Anonymous says:

      The supermarkets are open long hours. You can’t make any of them before or after work, or during a lunch break?

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    • Anonymous says:

      I think you can use your essential worker letter and shop? I think!

    • Anonymous says:

      Tell your employer about your situation and if the employer refuses to allow you some time to shop for groceries, let us know who the employer is.

      10
    • Anonymous says:

      Alden said to email curfewtime and you’d get a special exemption in this case, especially if you’re essential.

    • Anonymous says:

      I think you should your essential worker letter and go the markets early.
      I’m sure that’s what they said, look into it. And Chill.

  20. Anonymous says:

    If we can continue to test 300 people per day, between now and next Thursday, excluding Sunday, that is another 1800 people. I think if you have 4800 people tested, you can proceed to open the beaches (mornings only to prevent large gatherings) without alcohol, and allow IT, and finance businesses to open up with a few people per office.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Just the “without alcohol” provision on the beach would do the trick of avoiding what happened last time.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Because Prohibition worked so well…

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        • Anonymous says:

          Now that’s a foolish comment. No one is saying they can’t drink; they just can’t drink at the beach. Alcohol consumption is banned from many public parks and beaches in various places in the US and Canada.

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      • Anonymous says:

        6am to Noon is plenty of beach time for the responsible ones. The party crowds come out around 2pm, and that is what caused Mr Police Commissioner so much sadness. His officers almost, nearly, just about had to give someone a ticket. And get their boots all sandy. Can you imagine?

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      • Anonymous says:

        Voluntary compliance failed because a minority of the public, who are asinine rule-breakers by DNA, can’t be trusted to comply with even the easiest of instructions. The sunset booze would just be put into a “workout bottle” and round and round we go.

    • Anonymous says:

      Ok, if you say so. SMH
      IT, FINANCE all working from home anyways.

  21. Anonymous says:

    I am an essential worker. Today on my way to work this morning I stopped at two petrol stations to buy some beverages. First was Rubis by Country Side. No one at the door, no sanitizer, no social distancing, no anything. They were out of my soda, so I left. On to the next station, BarCam. Same story. No sanitizer, no social distancing, no protocol at all.

    So why can they be open and I cannot go into a regular retailer like the Home Centre to buy a new frying pan? This is just silly.

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    • Anonymous says:

      It’s idiotic. Just like people have to wear fake useless masks now so we can all feel better about the situation. Whehter those masks work or not, is irrelevant.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I stopped at gas station this morning to buy coffee. No one at the door, no sanitizers, no distancing, few people, some in masks, some not. No one was freaking out. Cashiers behind plexiglass shields. I am in Florida. All was civil, as usual.
      Relax, you’re not going to get the virus in Cayman.

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    • Anonymous says:

      You’re silly, where have you been? And why can’t you understand? It’s not just about you FFS, think about the workers

  22. Anonymous says:

    What is the final goal here? What is the benchmark to reopen the boarders? World eradication? They will have herd immunity and we will be waiting gun for a vaccine.
    The economy and people are suffering under this government needlessly. Alden talks about measuring risk and death from Covid yet has not it seems considered the wider risk to the country in the long term.
    He is presiding over the destruction of the economy.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Fool!

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    • Anonymous says:

      7:03 pm: opening our borders? The US and UK, our main tourist markets, have terrible numbers:

      1. Who do you think will be travelling to a perceived third world country in the middle of a pandemic?

      2. Even if people are cuing up, do we want them here to spread the disease among us? Our own crisis was triggered by a tourist admitted to our shores.

      3. Do YOU want to travel in the middle of a pandemic?

      4. Are you unaware that research is going on into medical interventions? The possibility of a breakthrough is the end goal of all the countries that are bending their curves downward.

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      • Anonymous says:

        750am – the thumbs down speak for themselves. The tide is turning against the zero Covid and people are beginning to accept Covid is going to be around for awhile and we have to start our lives again. Fearmongers of a disease that has a less the 1% mortality rate are starting to be exposed.

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  23. Anonymous says:

    Italy was hit badly. 4% of its population tested positive. If we are similar that represents 2,400 cases. We have 78 cases and no one rushing in to get tested. Which means we have 2,322 asymptomatic cases (impossible), or the virus is simply not widespread here. If we want things to get back to normal, the best approach is start feeding a particular ego.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Seriously faulty logic, dude. You can’t drake any conclusions about Cayman’s situation- good or bad – based on what happened in Italy. There are just too many variable differences. And sorry to say “normal” isn’t going to be the normal of old, but a new normal. You should start accepting that.

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      • Anonymous says:

        I knew the post would be too difficult for some to understand. You do realize that the new normal will be the norm going forward? The definition of normal isn’t the past in a constantly changing world. The point is Cayman acted on false numbers. Based on actual numbers, Cayman’s measures are far too drastic. The airport is open to Caymanians who can afford to charter planes. So for some, not much has changed. Restrictions should coincide with vacancy of hospital beds.

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      • Anonymous says:

        How long do you think the current normal can last?

      • Anonymous says:

        Yup my new normal is saving every single cent I can

    • Anonymous says:

      Worldwide, all measures taken to date were to protect hospitals from being overwhelmed. The measures were never about individuals. The virus hasn’t gone. There is no cure. Yet other nations are opening up. Why? They feel their hospitals can now cope given there is a better handle on how many will actually need hospitalization.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Importantly: they have to now operate that way because they failed to contain it. We still have a choice on that, and I’m 100% taking reasonable precautions to snuff this out. Other islands have.

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        • Anonymous says:

          They operate that way because life goes on, people need to eat and the virus is here to stay until there is a vaccine. It cannot be snuffed out or eradicated, no more than the air we breath.

          4
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    • Anonymous says:

      I agree this lockdown is completely insane considering the low numbers that tested positive. But people need to stop comparing us to anyone else in the world, USA, Italy, etc all are completely different because they have so many more people and the population density isn’t like ours. NYC, they live on top of each other. Italy, the extended families are living together in small houses…. Sweden is solid because they are already good at keeping personal space and when told to keep further away, they listened.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Actually 8:24 am: Sweden is not all that “solid”. Their president said that they did not anticipate the number of deaths (and rising), far in excess of neighboring Denmark and Norway. He also said that he wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for other countries because their policy was built on trust, not greatly in abundance in most countries—If you go by these posts, not universally true for Cayman either.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Move to Sweden if it’s so great.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Oh shut up. If you can’t try to research what other places are doing, I hope you move because there are plenty of forward thinkers on this island now bobo.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Brainwashed thinkers, more like it. Just because you belong to the Fox News cult doesn’t make you progressive.

  24. Anonymous says:

    So how many of the tested have been in the presence of the untested?

    29
    • Shane says:

      Good question.

      • Shane says:

        See my Mother, Ms. Lucille Archibald as been living an working in Grand Cayman for more than thirty years now, gave up her Jamaican nationality, are these people saying she well have to return to Jamaica for good?

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        • Anonymous says:

          Sounds like you are misinformed. Government has not and cannot require Caymanians or permanent residents to leave.

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    • Liberty says:

      You have hit the nail on the head! All this testing is an enormous waste of time and money, the latter of which we have less and less each passing day.

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  25. Anonymous says:

    If it’s a numbers game OPEN UP THE testing.

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  26. Anonymous says:

    If that is The Plan..how are you going to test everyone if many refuse? So we must stay locked up indefinitely?
    And..,.Cayman living in a bubble until the rest of The world catches up,” God help this country. That will take years.

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  27. Anonymous says:

    So those who should get tested won’t call in and those who want to get tested cant. Meanwhile the burns to the ground.

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  28. Anonymous says:

    Can any of the leaders tell us where are the masks? I for one do not want to be breaking the law and punished by the law.

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    • Anonymous says:

      In Jon-Jon’s car!

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    • Anonymous says:

      @6.11pm Answer was: they were given to MLAs for distribution. LOL It cannot be mandated if not enough masks. Sure all government and civil servants have received one even if working from home!

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      • Anonymous says:

        How irresponsible can frontline workers be in not taking advantage of testing?

        If they won’t be tested, then their supervisors or employers should be contacted and asked to have them replaced.

        Time for Dr Lee to stop being so namby pamby .

        12
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      • Anonymous says:

        I haven’t seen hide nor hair of my useless MLA. Before the last election, you would think she was my BFF – dropping by my yard, sending me WhatsApp messages. Now? Crickets. I guess she’s busy learning how to be Deputy Speaker.

        13
      • Anonymous says:

        It can not be mandated that they get off there lazy a@# and deliver the masks? We are in Red Bay and our representative is the Premier – so where are our masks Mr. Premier?

        CNS: I also live in Red Bay. I ordered masks from the Food Bank (see the ads). $10 each and delivered the same day. Well worth it.

        4
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        • Anonymous says:

          @10:03 am: in case you haven’t noticed the Premier has been working day and night for you and me.

          There are people on the community making masks. I wear one that was handmade.

          Stop complaining. You have no idea how lucky we are.

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        • Anonymous says:

          I see your point 10:03. MOH did say he had arranged via other Ministers for distribution of masks in their constituencies. Haven’t seen or heard anything since here in BT. Has anyone else?

    • Anonymous says:

      Umm – although they are protesting it as a requirement it’s not actually the law. Until such time as the governor issues a regulation under s34 of the Public health law it’s a request. And an unreasonable one if they don’t provide the means to get the masks to comply with it. But a bit like the fact that there is no legal basis for the detailed differentiation between who is allowed out to do what and at what time’s has no legal basis – check out the police law cited by the Commissioner: his authority is limited to confining people at home and for a period not exceeding 48 hrs, not 2 weeks long soft and hard curfews with a wide variety of exemptions – they would rather people just assume that everything they say has the full authority of the law.

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      • Anonymous says:

        So where are the lawyers working for the public good? Where are the legal challenges? It’s all talk…

        4
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      • Anonymous says:

        7:59:
        1. For a mask: get a square piece of cloth, fold it to the required size, then fold the two ends inwards to form a sizable flap. Position an elastic band in the flaps and fit the elastic band around your ears. Voila, you have a mask.

        It is called self-help, the very attitude that built Cayman to its present enviable status on the world stage.

        2. On the “request”: the proper thing when you get advice from the relevant authorities is to follow it. Do you have to have a law for everything for your own good?

        3
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        • Anonymous says:

          @8;09: you can also cut up an old t’shirt that many of us have hanging around. And use a shoe string to affix.

          Or order one from the Food Bank.

          Heavens! Only in Cayman.

          2
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      • Anonymous says:

        The penalty for not keeping 6’ distancing and/or wearing a mask isn’t necessarily the prospect of a police fine (although one would have hoped that would be disincentive enough)…the random jackpot penalty is that your household contracts Covid-19 and infects 3 or more other households injuring and potentially killing yourself, loved ones, and other people.

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      • Anonymous says:

        You get COVID!! You get COVID!! You get COVID!! Dunce logic.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Its not the law yet.

      3
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    • Anonymous says:

      Can you not help yourself? Cut an old t-shirt, bandana, sheet, anything and sew it up? As simple as a mask is you sitting down waiting on a handout?!

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      • Anonymous says:

        If it’s that simple to create a mask that is that useful and actually functional, then why isn’t the entire world just cutting up sheets, bandanas, etc and handing them out around the world?
        Simply wrapping something that half covers your face but is not correctly covering and sealing your mouth and nose is pointless.

        5
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        • Anonymous says:

          Its not pointless – it makes Dwayne feel like he has achieved something. And then once the crisis is past he can claim to have saved us all.

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        • Anonymous says:

          They have, where the hell have you been???????

      • Anonymous says:

        Thank you!

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