Pets get relief but no-go on repairs
(CNS): It will be another two weeks at least before maintenance and repair services will be allowed to resume, according to the government’s phased plan to re-open the Cayman Islands from the lock-down imposed to curtail the coronavirus pandemic. Premier Alden McLaughlin is expected to reveal details of phase one at today’s COVID-19 briefing, which includes pet care drop-off and collection, and possibly, the release fishing boats, mobile car-wash businesses and retail delivery.
The plan, which has been seen by CNS but is said to be still evolving and may change reveals that the sales and maintenance relating to air-conditioning and appliances will be not be re-opened until phase two. However, the much demanded pool maintenance service as well as landscapers will be allowed to resume their businesses.
The plan indicates that the phases are based on risk assessment, based on potential person to person transmission, and not necessarily on what is most in demand or the most popular services. Auto and boat services and repairs are currently at the top of the list for many people but they will not be allowed to re-open until the middle of this month. However, essential workers are still able to get exemptions for their vehicles.
Phase one of the re-opening is described in the plan as lifting restrictions on businesses that are categorised as “open air and small operators”, but includes the addition of delivery services for all retailers that are able to offer it.
The concept of the phased re-opening comes largely from World Health Organization guidelines on a step by step approach that will enable governments to monitor and measure the impact of the changes on the spread or containment of the virus before moving on to the next phase. The risk of a surge in infections remains until COVID-19 is eliminated for the community.
Testing is expected to increase substantially over the next two weeks during this first re-opening before the country moves to phase two and an increased level of risk. The re-opening phases will be accompanied by awareness campaigns and the continued requirement for social distancing, hygiene measures and access to sanitizer.
In phase two the compulsory wearing of masks or face coverings in all public places will be introduced.
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Category: Business, Health, Medical Health
Today, showed me just how absurd not allowing hardwares stores to open has become. So I went online and made inquiries to all 3 major hardware stores websites and 1 FB page.
ALT has limited inventory stock uploaded that you can add to your cart, both Kirks and Uncle Bills you email your request as they don’t have inventory listed.
I got an email from Kirks saying they have the 4 items I requested in stock but there is a $20 delivery fee and you have to spend a minimum of $100. I only need bike tires, bike tubes and a/c filters. Because I can’t drive to exercise I would at least like to ride my bicycle and I need to replace a/c filters to ensure healthy air is breathed in.
I then got a call from Uncle Bills (very polite lady) said they have the items but she would need to email me a quote. I haven’t heard from ALT as yet.
I’m sure more consideration could have been given to let the hardware stores open just as the grocery stores (by name) with limited amount of people inside at one time.
Most liquor stores on island are quite small and they are open 6 days a week, with 6 customers at a time. Some people have posted that hardware stores are not essential but neither are liquor stores. Lets have some fairness.
Wholly coincidentally, Alden owns a pool, a dog and a car.
So all the locals in the watersports/fishing industry have to endure another 2 weeks without any income at all and no way to feed themselves? They could at least be allowed to fish once a week to catch fish for themselves and/or their families to eat. Have everyone sign in and out with Port Security to keep a track of things or allow A – K to fish on one day and L-Z another day. If the Marine Units are already patrolling, I don’t know what the issue would be for them to check IDs and social distancing. There’s hardly any fish in the supermarkets and those who are now unemployed cannot afford Corned Beef let alone fish. Really, its time the Govt. opened its eyes to the suffering of its own people. If you have children to feed, no money and no way to feed them, what do you think is going to happen? Most local fishermen understand and abide by the fishing rules. Put stricter rules in place regarding # of fish to. be taken if necessary but these people are used to being out on the salt water most days. Being banned from the ocean is having a very negative effect on them mentally and physically, add to that the stress and worry of unemployment and hunger. Stop the torture please.
They have clippers.
I wonder if I go “Woof!” they will give me a much needed haircut
Is playing tennis ok now?
Been happening from day 1
Where? Clubs & strata courts closed. Or are you one if the mega rich with your own court? Hope you are donating $’s to the needy.
Sunrise. Every day.
Caribbean Paradise every day
Good
I’m at a condo on 7 mile corridor. My boyfriend & I were ticketed by the police for playing tennis.
Really??? That’s stupid
Houston, we are in trouble, dogs and cars are getting groomed but humans are still locked away..
Alden, you were doing well, Wah happen man? Geesh, this is a plan????
So tired of the whining and whinging – have you bunch actually sat down and listened to yourselves? How spoilt & entitled are you all? Your life has changed forever, it’s not going back to what it once was. Put on your grown up trousers and behave like an adult. Adapt. Grow. Volunteer. Join some of the committees that are trying to do something instead of whining. Offer your obvious expertise to assist in the phaseback. But for #@$% stop whining!
Stop bitching at us
Fidel himself could not have said it better.
Murphy?
they open now?
Some of these things blatantly make no sense. Is it Eric that is advising Alden? Second phase equals mobile car washing and pet grooming.. I don’t need my car cleaned as I have only had the opportunity to use it for a couple of days a week for the last five weeks and I haven’t been able to get my hair done since this started but my dog can get his hair done..??
I’m sorry but if these are priorities, these advisors to Alden have their heads in the sand or money is starting to talk again…
Who came up with this plan? Even Slocum could have made better decisions. This appears to me to be politics as usual and whoever has lobbied the government the most gets their businesses open first…Money, power and greed and favors at work..
The published Bermuda phased reopening plan looks more sensible and is much better presented,
CIG Five Phases – Please explain what each Phase covers. People / businesses need to know if they are in Phase 4 or Phase 2. It could mean the difference between letting all your staff go now because you don’t know when you will be able to operate your business.
With advanced notice I can hang on and be ready to go when my Phase is activated.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE publish the full list of services / activities allocated to each Phase now so we all know where we stand!
Is the pet grooming a pick up and drop off by the groomer, or a drop off and pick up by the pet owner?
Option A. Same as other ‘mobile’ services.
Knowledge is power!
….except with CIG, when incompetence gets you promoted as in, the the MO Religion……sorry, “Health”.
Why? So everyone with an opinion can start arguing about who/what is included in a phase that may change as we move forward?
But then they would have to have a plan. They are totally winging it and desperately failing.
Absolutely necessary information.
won’t happen because cig does not know if or how they get to the other phases. remeber there is no plan…..except hoping for a miraclous eradiction
Saying that “maintenance and repairs relating to air-conditioning and appliances” is not essential in the Caribbean is like saying heating is not essential in Alaska. HAVE THEY GONE BONKERS?
Yet, CARWASH is essential!!!!!!!!
Why nobody with brain and power intervenes?
From the “Guidance on the Essentlal Crltlcal Infrastructure Workforce” Florida:
“Functioning critical infrastructure is imperative during the response to the COVID-19 emergency for both public health and safety as well as community well-being. Certain critical infrastructure industries have a special responsibility in these times to continue operations”
• Workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, builders, contractors, HVAC Technicians, landscapers, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the SAFET, sanitation, and essential operation of residences, businesses and buildings such as hospitals, senior living facilities, any temporary construction required to support COVID-19 response.
• Workers distributing, servicing, repairing, installing residential and commercial HVAC systems, boilers, furnaces and other heating, cooling, refrigeration, and ventilation equipment.
https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/orders/2020/EO_20-91-compressed.pdf
…vested interest, or what?
Emergency A/C repairs have been happening for days.
I don’t get the car washing thing either..The people that usually do this are minimum age expats and no disrespect to them but lets balance this thing out a little bit with common sense..
How the hell does car washing become an essential at this time? I can understand the pools as the mosquitos are breeding in them now and that is going to be another issue but car washing..SMH
Who cares about the car washing!!! It’s minimal contact, let the guys make some money. I don’t need my car washed but I’m not gonna bitch about it because it doesn’t matter.
What is it with people on here saying you don’t need this because they don’t need it? Just stop and think for a second, minimal contact equals it should have been happening this entire time in the first place. Exhibit A our pools. We now have to tackle mosquito borne illness which means more spraying God knows what on us…. all thanks to Alden’s grudge.
You do realize this isn’t about common sense or safety anymore..You have to be in the circle or have enough money to spread around..
They spent all day yesterday and today and this is the best they could come up with…I am so shocked..
I agree 4.24 – My house is like a Furnace since the A/C went out but I still have to work from Home in this sweltering heat in order to keep the Office running smoothly.
I did an emergency call to Otis & they came out a few days ago.
Redding?
Well, he can’t sit on the dock of the bay anymore so he has to keep busy somehow.
He was busy, sitting on the dock of the bay
Nah. He died 50+ years ago & rumour has it he wasn’t too cool
Clearly you weren’t paying attention too all the info out there about allowing ac to be fixed. SMH at this point everyone on this island should be an expert on everything that is allowed or isn’t allowed. And if not, know where to find the info. Have everyone been so reliant on others that they know not how to care for themselves anymore?
A member of the PPM Executive owns a drive through carwash
CNS: Which even if true is irrelevant since only mobile car washes are allowed at this point.
What if a family’s refrigerator or air conditioning is broken? People can groom their pets at home….what a strategic plan.
Broken A/C can still repair anytime. I have been on the road almost daily fixing air conditioning but not to service.
Suck it up. Fido needs a haircut
Emergency repairs have been happening for days.
Put the dog in the fridge. Job done.
No room in the fridge; stocked with 400 pounds of meat and 24 dozen eggs.
Most ac companies on island are given an exemption to do breakdown calls Just no servicing of ac’s are being done right now (saying this as a ac technician on island so I know what I’m saying)
Ours was fixed and serviced. No hassle.
Hmm can the “wirus” tell the difference between and emergency repair and a service ?
why is the competent authoirty the Ministry for International Trade?? All reviews of business operations should be done by Public health and Environmental health authorities as they are the ONLY competent authorities to determine health and wellness practices at these various business premises! The priority should be human safety and not business as there is no business without this.
I wish he would just tell everyone how many people that are positive per week we have to get to to open up again. If Cayman is going to be closed for the next two years we all need to know soon to find jobs,schools, stores open etc. so we can get back to having a life. Please be incredibly honest and open about if your going to try and hide from the virus until you everyone else die of old age, no money, and no life..
yep…its the obvious question not asked at every press confernce.
How many more flights to Miami. What demand looking like?
No plan Alden back at it again.
And sniveling whiners are back at it again, too.
They had to cancel yesterdays briefing as the discussions around this over ran, yet this is what they came up with? That sums up the productivity of this government.
I am amazed too! Very underwhelming, we can get our cars that we drive every other day cleaned and oh yeah we can our dogs groomed and finally they have come to their senses regarding the pools as these have all become breeding grounds for mosquitos. In Prospect, the mosquitos remind me of years ago when you catch them by the handfuls and had to set out a smoke pan..Guess they started getting to Alden too!
looks like we are on the slow road to nowhere…and economic oblivion.
Only God can stop him now.
The pain of the firstborn.
You remind me of the robot in the movie “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” How’s your Allan Rickman impression?
How did you get pot to smoke??
Clearly out there somewhere. My neighbour opens windows & doors & we smell it every evening. Must get it on their grocery run?
“The plan is risk assessed based on person to person transmission”. So could the Premier explain on this basis why pool maintenance was not exempted in the first place as there is zero contact between the maintenance man and homeowner. What he has done is close hundreds of pools and deny children the use of them for weeks and allow the pools to become putrid green attractions for mosquitoes and frogspawn.
This is a classic example of totally unnecessary overreach of power which destroys the public’s good will to support the covid restrictions.
Oh man up for gods sake. The poor kiddies can look after themselves.
That’s why so many young children grow up to be criminals on this island. Care enough for them to be happy my god.
The thumbs down from all those great parents on island zzzz
How many pools does your pool cleaner go to each day? If he/she contracted the virus from one house, was asymptomatic for weeks touching the bars, of the ladders, your gates /locks getting in and out of your property – do you clean after they have been? Saving lives was the idea and they have done a good job.
Quit whining, it’s going to get cleaned princess
Pool guys can get back to their princesses now 😊
Quit being jealous
?
The employees working together, travelling in a truck together? Their families when they go home or their room mates? The staff back at base being exposed when the field workers return? These shops will need to be supplied ..,,,the supply chain employees being exposed……their co-workers, their families…..
Think about it ……
We have, have you?
He’s opened it up now so stop your complaining
we were told 2 weeks ago that if results were good…we would be getting back to normal….its all just a lie.
government need to layout a clear plan for full phased re-opening and on what basis….or are they too afraid to be honest with the people?
There’s no more normal, open your eyes, stop your denial, it’ll be easier on you if you do. Covid is not the government’s fault.
Even if he said everything is back open, it won’t be any way near what it was.
The quicker you accept that the better all of us will be. So tired if the whining.
just another 2 weeks…etc…..how long have we heard that nonsense?
How many lives have been saved by us staying at home? What is more important to you?
None. Prove me wrong.
I understand that some of the fishermen go out to meet up with fishermen from neighboring islands to buy fish instead of catching it themselves. I hope the Premier is aware of that. neighbouring countries having more cases than we are and this is a sure way of importing more cases. Looks like I might have to learn to fish.
You think it just fish they picking up? Lol
Them flat snapper still in high demand by the Cayman elite, they’re getting major withdrawal syndrome so this is an essential service.
You referring to those white line snapper? Or maybe the green tail ones?
Square grouper
Triangle Old Maid
Square grouper
Yeah ‘fish’ lol. You for real?
How are there still people that think pets can’t get or spread COVID? Are we not petting our own dogs anymore? Check the headlines…
Zero global transmissions from dog to human. If you’re not petting your dogs because of that you shouldn’t have dogs. You’re probably one of those that have them chained up outside anyway.
No dog needs to be groomed during a pandemic
If it stinks bath it, its what a good dog owner does
You have obviously never owned a Shih Tzu!
Maybe our leaders allowed this so they could “pet groomers” to provide the personal services they miss with barbershops and salons closed.
The Who, Great band. The WHO, Terrible at managing or predicting viruses. They’ve been wrong about most everything, let’s keep listening to them…
You better, you better, you bet….
Not only is that my least favourite Who song, it’s one of my least favourite rock songs full stop. The Who jumped the shark with that one for me, even if it was semi-successful. I cringe every time I hear it!
Won’t get fooled again
What about external Pest Control?
Thanks for the question Wendy.
Please don’t follow WHO. They are useless.
WH0?
I really like – we won’t get fooled again
Who should we follow then in your mind – Trump? Jon-Jon? I’ll take my chances with the experts…..not cartoon characters, thank you very much.
So far common sense has been right about most everything while the experts including the WHO, Fauci and others have been way off on many things. Hell, they can’t even explain why many low or no lockdown countries have been better off than strict lockdown countries. They all should be red faced by now but no, they’re waaaaay too smart for that.
what does pet care drop off and collection mean?
You can drop your favourite animal off for grooming, but you can’t get a grooming yourself.
Can I not just bring my dog to the groomer?
No, you can’t drop off your dog, groomer has to come and pick it up
It means that someone very special owns a facility.
The company can pickup your pet from your home. Groome it. Then deliver your pet back to your home.
YOU do not go into a shop and mingle with the other pet people.
Simple.
If it’s so simple, why can you go into Animal House and mingle with other pet people for weeks now then?
Wearing of masks? How stupid. Good thing I got plenty old tighty-whities I’m not using.
Selfish if you don’t wear one
Alden barking up the wrong tree again. On the plus side, my dog is a roofing specialist, don’t pause for reflection, call now!
1.01pm My dog is a woof woof specialist.
Re-opening was always going to be problematic.
The University of Wisconsin Center for Infectious Disease published a very good overview of the potential for a second and subsequent waves yesterday. For anyone who would like to inform themselves of the bigger picture the paper is here:
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/sites/default/files/public/downloads/cidrap-covid19-viewpoint-part1_0.pdf
A number of ac/appliance etc maintenance and repair companies have been exempted for weeks now. It doesnt seem to be assessed on the type of business – broad terms but somehow who owns the business…? PMSG exempt to maintain and repair Bosch and Miele but Appliance Doctors for everyone else, nope. Doesnt everybody need fridges, cooktops, ovens and washing machines or only the ones who can afford the top brands??
Dollars run things…politricks in the works again..you have to pay the piper or you will be left behind…
ya seeet?
So they waited until Phase 2 when more people are out and about to ramp up testing…
There ill be another spike! Watch my words…
200,000 test kits and 1500 tests completed in 5 weeks…ugh!
We are going to be locked up forever. Double ugh!
So what if there are? You seriously expect us to be locked up until there’s a vaccine?18 months 2 years for the fastest vaccine ever? Good luck with that.
We will be ‘let loose locally’ but our borders will be closed for a year at least.