Curfew Time to become Travel Time

| 24/06/2020 | 67 Comments
Cayman News Service
Cayman Airways staff arrive wearing face-masks (Photo by Paul Tibbetts)

(CNS): With the increased coming and going of Cayman residents, the government is preparing to transition the now disbanded competent authority ‘Curfew Time’, which granted exceptions to shelter-in-place orders into ‘Travel Time’. Premier Alden McLaughlin said the team under Eric Bush, one of his chief officers, will be taking over the coordination of flights in and out of the islands, the return of workers and the quarantine measures.

McLaughlin said that, given the success of those who worked on the Curfew Time project, the team will be taking over the task of coordinating the return of workers and residents, manage the government’s isolation facilities and help expats return home.

Speaking at the COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday, the premier said that the new authority would be taking over the work at the beginning of July, as the various other agencies involved in this to date return to their normal work.

He explained that, over the next few months with the borders still closed, there would still need to be a significant amount of coordination between government departments and the governor’s office to manage those who want to leave and those who want to return.

“In order to create a streamlined experience for individuals who need to travel to and from these islands, we have authorised the creation of a new entity which will coordinate these efforts,” the premier said. “Travel Time will manage and organise travel, and liaise with the public.”

Cayman had done very well managing to keep COVID-19 from running out of control over the last few months, he said, and the aim was to continue managing that risk as people come into the country.

“The new Travel Time operation will enable government to better facilitate travel to and from our shores while continuing to successfully manage the COVID-19 pandemic, without jeopardizing our hard-earned success,” McLaughlin added.

He also said that the aim was to retain all the existing numbers, including the hotline that everyone is already familiar with.

Hotline: 244-3333

Email address: emergencytravel@gov.ky

People can also register for flights here


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Category: Government Administration, Politics

Comments (67)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Eric Bush couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery.

    Curfew Time was a disaster and this new brainwave will be as well.

  2. Anonymous says:

    ATT Cayman Government – Turks and Caicos is requiring a negative PCR test for any tourist within 72 hours of arrival as of the 22nd then no Isolation needed

    WHY can we not look at this option for residence AND home owners to come back and start it ASAP in August? This would then allow us to see how the system works before doing the same system for tourists.

    ALSO why not allow residence and home owners traveling from caricom / Caribbean with low number be allowed in like other Islands?

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    • Anonymous says:

      It is not worth risking a single life for a short term visitor. Quarantine or nothing. Only strict quarantine has proved to be effective (ask New Zealand if you do not believe me).

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      • Anonymous says:

        Not a short term visit!!!!
        It’s a resident coming home!!!

        And not worth the risk? People need to live and work!

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        • Anonymous says:

          The emphasis being on “live”, literally.

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          • Anonymous says:

            With a survival rate of 99.5% we will be all good!

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            • Anonymous says:

              No. 199 of us out of 200 will be all good. Which 300 people shall we sacrifice?

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              • Anonymous says:

                Well by your comment we should stop alcohol sales as drink driving is risky as is drinking.
                Smoking is OUT as passive smoking kills 600K a year.
                Don’t go out for a walk as there is a 1% chance that you will be hit by a car some time in your life.
                Mosquito related deaths are over 1M a year so don’t live here!

                Im not god so I don’t get to choose which 300 but either way unfortunately people die.

                If it scares you that much stay home.

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              • Anonymous says:

                I’ll email you a list.

      • Anonymous says:

        New Zealand Government fail to do the test.
        If the had tested then it would never had happened.

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      • Anonymous says:

        You say ” Only strict quarantine has proved to be effective ”
        We do not lock out people up here when they are confirmed to have it, they isolate at home with their families.
        Why when there is less than a 1% chance that a returning resident has the virus that comes in ( And would be even less than 1% if they tested 72 hour before ) do we lock them up in a crappy hotel room for 14 days?

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        • Anonymous says:

          Why did they stop people leaving their houses after dark? Because they can. Or rather, they cannot if they followed the limits of the law, but following the law is not convenient – ask the ministers wife.

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        • Anonymous says:

          Yes because the strain floating about in Cayman has proven not to be lethal. Other strains that are potentially brought here on planes we know nothing of. Our greatest risk comes from those who are returning to Cayman from overseas.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Right and the other 116 countries with a strain weaker than ours!
            We are number 117 in death rate.
            Don’t believe everything the PM says!

      • Just me. says:

        You mean it is not worth your life for anyone to have a life. If you only think of yourself then you are not part of society and have no say in it.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Boycott the System for change all you Lame weak bodied punks who believe your job titles mean something in the streets.

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  4. Anonymous says:

    Is the government really be straight with the people? Is this travel time team needed exclusively? At the start of all this the Government and Governor said they were establishing air bridges. A few sporadic flights to evacuate don’t count. U.K. news reports nothing of the sort.

    https://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/britons-will-be-able-to-fly-to-france-italy-and-spain-as-soon-as-next-week-a4479436.html

    In short: “Boris Johnson is reportedly set to give the green light to foreign holidays, with so-called ‘air bridges…
    Greece, Turkey, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Gibraltar and Bermuda are also among destinations expected to be included in the plans said to being unveiled on Monday.“

    No Cayman on the list and no need to add name to any list to travel to Bermuda or contact a special travel time team. People are quite capable of booking themselves.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Airbridge. One hell of a bridge. Only opens once a month or so, only 300 people can get on and most of them get off it before they get to the end of the bridge.

  5. Angelica says:

    Gone and gave Eric Bush the post of a travel agent. *slaps forehead* All that pay he getting just to be given that. Kmt

    And why let the expats out if they can come right back? That made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Using up tests that those who never ran or can’t run could’ve used.

    I know it would’nt be long before Alden started with his shit again.

    Tearsss

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    • Anonymous says:

      Really!
      “why let the expats out if they can come right back?” Slap your self in the head!
      Some of us expats that live here have companies around the world and need to travel thats why we leave and come back!

      Why did you have to make this about Expats VS Caymanians?

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  6. Anonymous says:

    Does this department include requests from a citizwn who wants to see her children, grandchildren, aged deaf, blind mother, sister, brother and home in Canada and then return to the Island which I also call home. It is unclear as to whether I can do this before the threatened opening of the borders in December.

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    • Anonymous says:

      You can do it but will have to quarantine when you come back – which is fair enough in the circumstances.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Except – you may be able to find a flight out, but unless CIG sorts out the chronic shortfall in quarantine accommodation you’ll never get a seat on a flight back unless you go to the UK first. And assuming there are nay seats left on the”airbridge” flight after the UK government has allocated most of them to citizens getting off at an intermediate stop over in Bahamas or Bermuda, or haven’t been allocated to a priority such as airport construction workers or a military advisory team.

    • Anonymous says:

      If you charter a plane you can leave when you want. It’s is coming back thats the problem with no space in an appropriate and clean isolation facility available.
      Best they stick to the plan and open the boarded in September. Maybe not to USA but to others!

      Even the Bahamas allows people from english speaking CARICOM Countries to come home without the need to Isolate as most the Islands have minimal cases Wake Up CIG its not just the USA that some of us travel between.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Those CARICOM countries have ‘minimal cases’ because they are doing ‘minimal testing’. We are all laughing at Trump but many governments are operating with a similar approach

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    • Anonymous says:

      That’s called a vacation…

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      • Anonymous says:

        And that matters because?

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        • Anonymous says:

          Because we should not be using limited resources for people wanting to vacation while Caymanians stuck overseas for months want to come home and cannot, because of the lack of resources.

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          • Anonymous says:

            LOL!

            ALL the planes from Miami come back EMPTY.

            WHY IS THAT!

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            • Anonymous says:

              Because our quarantine facilities are full (hence the reference to lack of resources).

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              • Anonymous says:

                And with all he empty hotels we have had for 100 days we could not use them?
                We could have easily had a better plan to get people home early on.

                The come back empty because we use Cayman Airways and the flight Crew don’t want the risk I presume.

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                • Anonymous says:

                  It is to protect the Cayman Airways staff. They would have to quarantine for 14 days if they come back with passengers.

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                  • Anonymous says:

                    And that was the answer I was looking for.
                    So why do we not use a US based charter company so they can bring people in and then take people out.

                    Leave the Cayman Airways planes sitting on the ground.

                  • Anonymous says:

                    Why would they have to isolate?
                    Does the buss driver that drives the returning residence from the BA flight to the Hotel?

    • Anonymous says:

      You can, but you will have to quarantine in a government facility on your return, at your expense. Plus whatever isolation/quarantine requirements Canada imposes on you on arrival there.

      So ultimately, much depends on just how MUCH you want to see your family.

      (The fact that your mother is aged, deaf and blind is not relevant).

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      • Anonymous says:

        Well, it’s not your Mother who is in failing health or family you haven’t seen for a year. I am going to a place that has had low numbers and no positives for weeks. I will have to still quarantine but in my own home and I don’t plan on returning home for a number of months depending on what happens here.

        • Anonymous says:

          Fair enough, but my mother is here, and probably safe from Covid right up until someone else brings it into Cayman and community transmission sets off again, or she chooses to go overseas. She would have to quarantine if she came back. What is the problem with that?

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Didn’t these people have full time jobs before the virus? Hasn’t Alden said the crisis is past and everyone can return to work? Whose doing their day job whilst they are now regulating travel? The international mail team at the post office who have nothing else to do?

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    • Cayman345 says:

      6.46…borders are closed.
      Have you thought that their day job you talk about could have to do with border control. Its called versatility

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  8. Anonymous says:

    My experience with curfew time was not the rosy vision that Aldart had. Asked for an exemption for an urgent plumbing problem. Granted – after a week! After 3 chasers. And was completely useless, since they listed the address of the plumber firm on the exemption notice rather than the address where the leak was. And back dated it to the application date not the issue date, so it expired before the contractor could use it. And when I asked them to send an email correcting the date and address issue, was told I had to apply from scratch.

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  9. Anonymous says:

    This is nothing but Alden and high school round number two. He listens to no one. Cares only about what he thinks is right. For those of us who can remember, after the school fiasco he was at an annual business conference and no one would even sit close to, much next to the man. He has the uncanny ability to not only isolate Cayman, but isolate himself from others and reality. All Cayman can hope for now is that we can elect someone in May how has the ability to repair all the damage Alden has done and will do till then. He is without a doubt the wrong man for these times. He doesn’t care one bit about expats. He doesn’t understand business. His only skill is that he isn’t Mac.

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    • Tom says:

      This is such an unfair comment about our premier. You seem to have lost your reasoning power.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Unfair??? The public is currently paying for this 100 million open classroom idea which is failing. I’m sorry but the Premier does not get a pass for his serious lack of judgment to the detriment of residences and students. Stop drinking the PPM koolaide, wrong is wrong

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Move it around, call it what you want BUT the government seems to not be able to find enough isolation facilities at a reasonable cost for anyone other than UK flights to come home!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Ah yes the mother land, the tit from which we suckle. It’s best to treat them good with fair and reasonable prices for mandatory isolation.

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  11. Anonymous says:

    Another entity is born today. Bring momma some flowers.

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    • Anonymous says:

      👼🤱🏽🌹
      Waiting for the next one

      • Anonymous says:

        Look out for Alden’s new ambassadorial role after he gets voted out or does not run in 2021 that he is negotiating with the Governor’s office

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        • Anonymous says:

          Don’t you guys actually read articles?

          He already said he isn’t going to run.

          March 10,2020

          “…. Alden McLaughlin has apologised for the landfill fires …..”

          “That’d [ the Dump] be somebody else’s problem, not mine. Well, I shouldn’t say that wouldn’t be my problem. I would hope to be alive and be here, but it wouldn’t be my responsibility,” he added.
          https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=miInsP2TJao&time_continue=71&feature=emb_logo

          • Anonymous says:

            Yep, read that. Also spent some time listening to the Alden; son of the soil puff piece playing on CIG TV before one of the press conferences. In which he said he wanted to run again, but couldn’t be Premier, but would accept Agriculture as a ministry if no one else was interested.

            Not having the dump as his responsibility is not the same as getting back into that money trough as an MLA, my friend.

  12. Anonymous says:

    E Bush incompetence makes AlDart look smart. SMH

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  13. Anonymous says:

    I think it’s a good idea – it would be chaos without some coordination. Just didn’t want to let all the comments be from the usual nay-sayers!

    Just for goodness sake have some online platform for managing/prioritising requests and approvals rather than emails.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    Got to keep the Lodge brothers busy.

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  15. Neverwannabeacivilservant says:

    Led by Air Miles Eric Bush, most appropriate.

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  16. Anonymous says:

    While you can understand why the government didn’t have its act together in the initial phases of the crisis on returning residents and people needing to get off island, we are now almost 100 days into the restrictions. Why are we only now creating a dedicated government group? Does this not show a lack of depth within the government management teams?
    More concerning is that once again we are seeing the government create solutions which are pertinent to them and their thinking / experiences rather than what the community needs. Putting aside the issue of quarantining people when they come back and whether this should be at people’s own homes, there is a spectacular lack of flexibility or understanding of the needs of individuals and the private sector. A lot of local businesses have off island business and they need some way to do this. Yes, you can suspend this for a few months but we are way past that time. Failing to take these legitimate needs into account just means the government are setting more businesses up to fail. We live in an interconnected and international world. You cannot just turn that off!

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  17. Anonymous says:

    Omg what next. Bathroom time? Eating time? 🤔 I’m over all this communist ruling

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