Bio-buttons lead way on phased border opening
(CNS): Government will be depending on the use of bio-buttons or bio-stickers with GPS fencing (a location monitoring system) as it begins a six month phased reopening of the borders to air travellers in September. On Friday Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell revealed some of the ideas the ministry is considering to enable a slow and safe return of limited visitors here, even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. This phased return of tourism will use testing and technology instead of lengthy quarantine.
The plan is still in the embryonic stage and will require much more work before it can be rolled out and tourists actually return. It will begin with residents, owners of second homes and some visitors coming on repatriation flights. The goal is to change the quarantine system on 1 September from government mandated facilities to people isolating in their own homes or in hotels.
The minster said that the government was not going to take any risks, given the success Cayman has had in tackling the virus, but despite the concerns, keeping the borders closed indefinitely was not a reasonable or sustainable situation. However, he stressed that this will be a very conservative approach.
“Safety and security will remain the main drivers in decision making,” Kirkconnell said. “We prefer to err on the side of caution.”
Government is considering an application system that will allow what is expected to be a very small number of visitors or even returning residents to avoid the 14-day mandated quarantine by first taking a test 72 hours before departing the country where they are and have a negative result. Potential visitors will fill out an online application where they provide the test result.
TravelTime will then consider the application and decide, depending on the circumstances and where the applicant is coming from, whether or not to approve the visitor. Those cleared to come will arrive at Owen Roberts International Airport, where they will receive the bio-button.
Chief Medical officer Dr John Leehas been testing the device that will be used to monitor visitors, which has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. It measures temperature, pulse and breathing and issues an alarm if any of the levels spike.
This health monitoring device will also have a geo-fencing component, so the button will not only measure a visitor’s health indicators and alert public health to a potential infection, it will ensure that the visitor stays in their designated accommodation. Visitors will be required to isolate for five days in that designated accommodation before taking a COVID-19 test. If it is negative, they can leave isolation but must continue to wear their bio-sticker.
Given the work that this will require and the cost of the device, visitors will be asked to pay a flat registration fee before they come to Cayman. The minister indicated that it would be in the region of “a couple of hundred dollars” per visitor and said that revenue stream could cover the costs of the monitoring programme.
As the minister spoke about the phased reopening of tourism, it was clear that many issues must still be ironed out before this new system can be implemented, and the minister said more details would be revealed over the next few weeks.
Check back to CNS for more on how the phased reopening of tourism will work.
See the full COVID-19 briefing on CIGTV below:
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I hope Minister Moses Kirkconnell is willing to show us just how safe his plan is. Anyone going to self isolate, he should personally welcome each of them to the island. Because we know not all will self isolate ( just search the news for many cases worldwide). And everyone OK to go to restaurants etc after 5 days, the Minister should also be welcoming them to join the community. Please , show us how safe it is.
Absolutely. I suggest that everyone be flown for a free day trip to the Brac, including lunch, while they wait for their day 5 test results.
Travel time used to be curfew time – same government people mostly.
When the curfew was imposed I had to deal with curfew time. My occupation was one of the exempt occupations specified in the regulations. I submitted a request for documents required to show that my employees had permission to be on the road. Then I waited, sent more emails, phoned people, waited some more, sent more emails and waited some more – a very long time before the paperwork came back with the wrong information. Good luck with travel time turning around travel request decisions within 3 weeks let alone 3 days.
My vehicle tag expired in April. I filled in and submitted the forms, paid the money for renewal by cc, and received an automated response saying my renewal request had been received. It is not 5 months later and I have not had the paperwork back from DVLD. Good luck with getting anything from the government within 3 days of a flight. LOL
Be careful of the current leadership.
https://www.msn.com/en-xl/latinamerica/top-stories/bahamas-bans-tourists-from-us-cites-coronavirus-concerns/ar-BB16XKVA?ocid=msedgdhp
GREAT NEWS -Bahamas is turning away all US travelers just a few weeks after re-opening. Their stupid reasoning is that a lot of the people arriving had Covid-19 and they were infecting the Bahamian population – as if that is a valid reason to turn down money. We should immediately send Bio-rubbish buttons to everyone that was going to travel to the Bahamas and invite them here!!!
That is about the same reasoning as what was proposed last Friday.
They are only turning away commercial flight.
Private flights and private vessels are allowed as are home owners and residence.
The out break was in Grand Bahama and was residence not tourists for the most part.
And you know…residence coming home and rich people do not carry corona. It is just regular tourists that are the carriers of the corona.
ResideNTS
Oops sorry… spell check does it again…thanks!
I called several CDC approved testing centres in the US. The tests cost US$125-150 per person and the results take 5-7 days. Insurance only covers the test if you show symptoms. Hope things change.
Can the government clearly identify which test or testing centres they recommend, with results available in less than 72 hours?
OMG we are so screwed.
If Moses , ppm is pushing for this button at $200 , follow the money.
This is a “copy cat” dream like the new car licence plates with the chips installed. I still have my old plate. Do the Government really believe a visitor is going to wear a button or tag like a criminal on bail? I doubt it, better just leave the border closed, less hassle and keeps all of us healthy.
Its not all about you little Civil servant. Law abiding people generally follow the law. Since you don’t believe in that I doubt you trust anyone else. Just as I doubt you would go out of your way to keep anyone else healthy.
Yes, and not waste money on it that can’t be re-couped.
How the hell are people going to get tested within 72 hours of departure, get the test results, send the results to Cayman, and get an answer from CIG before the plane leaves. This is not possible unless you know “the special man.” Why even bother to set this up? The people who can pass this process can already get in.
Very easy to do that in Canada. In America very hard to do unless one pays big bucks.
“Very easy to do that in Canada. In America very hard to do unless one pays big bucks.”
A way to limit US visitors without explicitly limiting them? Pretty clever actually
also pretty easy in London- some 24 hours turnaround if you pay for it.
You still have to send it to Cayman and get an answer in 48 hours at most. When was the last time that happened for you with any government office?
The Covid test in America is the easy part. I can get A free test done and have results in 45 minutes. It is the rest of the process that no one do I think is possible within 72 hours of departure. I wouldn’t even bother to try. Too many added restrictions and fees to make it worth it for a holiday.
As the Compass wrote many years ago: “Billionaires welcome”.
Unfortunately government has to realise that their love for billionaires is not justified. They’re usually the cheapest people out there and rarely create a trickle down effect.
Not any of the billionaires I’ve met
Not true.
Yes its hard to get a PCR in 72 hours in some places but it can be done and I have had it done many times.
And your comment about people who can get it done can already get in is not true.
There is never space at the isolation facility.
So increase space in the quarantine facility to meet demand!
Three months and they still sis not do that.
7:47 it is true because they are NOT going into the quarantine facility. They are granted shorter quarantine and from their residence. Many people have encountered foreigners out and about when they arrived only a week before. Money talks.
The point is when did you ever get a next day approval, much less a response, for anything in Cayman. This just ain’t happening unless you got a test that takes you back in time..
The United States is nothing like Cayman. Things have been and still are very functional. If you live in the States you would know that. If you just listen to the news you would know a very different picture. What 2% of the population is experiencing is much different than the other 98% is. Myself, all my friends, and all my family do not know anyone with covid, anyone who is sick or has died of covid. I know thousands have died but there are 32 million people here. In the last 4 months 4 times as many people have died of heart disease, 2 times as many from cancer. Its big but not as big as things we have been living with for many years. So calm down, stop listening to the news. stop living in great fear of your life. Or not. Your choice but not mine.
100% accurate.
How unbelievably callous! you personally don’t know any of the people who have died or are suffering, so that’s OK. I’m sure you are a Republican. The party of pro-life has become a death culture – if you don’t personally know them, they don’t count. How many people in the US personally knew someone who died in 9/11? Did they not count either? People die, we know that. But we are right to be upset by unnecessary death, 140,541 and counting in the US and no end in sight.
The US population is 326,000,000.
Actually the population of the US is 326 million
It seems that minds of people in Cayman are 💯% infected with Covid19.
Coronaphrenia is a name for this new mental disorder. Prevails in countries/territories with zero or near zero actual Covid19 cases. HSA needs to hire more psychiatrists.
✅ anxious about the virus
✅ contamination obsession
✅ intensely distressing feelings
✅ thinking, talking, watching, listening, writing about the virus all the time
✅ warning others how deadly the virus is
✅ irrational desire for isolation to avoid infection
✅ irrational rejection of good news about the pandemic
✅ irrational, biased interpretation of statistics
✅ obsession with news reporting
✅ lack of empathy
✅ aggression towards others who think differently
✅ inability to listen and trust others
What a silly person you are! Like Fox News, you are misrepresenting a healthy concern about a pandemic that is killing thousands of people as some kine of hysteria. To ignore it, to not listen to health experts is stupid. We are paying attention. We are certainly not rejecting good news about the virus. What a silly thing to say! We are all hoping for good news. The lack of empathy is a symptom of all the people who don’t seem to care about those who are suffering or mourning the dead. Disgusting! Aggression is a symptom of all those ‘you can’t make me wear a mask’ Karens and Kevins. Inability to listen and trust others is a clear symptom of all those not listening to health experts.
Here’s some good news then, according to the US CDC, with the very low death rate now it is barely even an epidemic, hope that will make your day and you’ll pass this on to all your friends 🙂
Family should have the right to visit relatives on the island. Relatives visiting the islands would take extra precautions before embarking on a trip to see family. Cayman residents would be sure that any family visiting must take the tests necessary to protect their own kin. However, the proposed monitor system is completely false; the device does not prevent anything. Any person could have a fever from other illnesses or fish poisoning. Wear a mask and gloves, maintain space, let the locals do the shopping and family can enjoy the visit at the home or on the beach where there is space. I have been a part of Cayman since 1977 and my parents still live on the island. We the people of Cayman must be able see one another and trust the Lord will protect the islands.
The Lord helps those who help themselves. Please do come and visit your relatives. Please do so through quarantine. It works, and keeps everyone safe – including your parents.
The Lord isn’t in the business of protecting this or any Island
It is lamentable that being an honest and truthful person doesn’t seem to hold the same esteem that it once used to. At one point, good character was viewed as an impediment for success for >50% of the United States, and many support that impression in the Cayman Islands. That’s the problem with relying on an integrity-based system, and why the first person to land and reluctantly attach one of these, is going to permissively set about defeating the device so they can disappear off the surveillance radar. “I don’t know what happened, it just stopped working” they’ll say from their boat at Rum Point. Three guesses which security firm will get the monitoring contract…
Your approach has the prospect of killing your parents, and mine.
The people with hidden immunity against Covid-19
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200716-the-people-with-hidden-protection-from-covid-19
“But while the world has been preoccupied with antibodies, researchers have started to realise that there might be another form of immunity – one which, in some cases, has been lurking undetected in the body for years.”
I’ll take Security Monitoring Contract for 1 Million+ dollars, Anonymous. Can I guess a few letters? TSC
Did I win?
Who is TSC ?
Tsc, tsc. You really have to ask?
tsk tsk
A security company. I’m sure you can figure out what the initials stand for
Being honest and having integrity it seems, are a detriment to success in business here.
There are those here, even with a conviction for deception who continue their underhand practices to shamelessly enrich themselves. They stalk and seduce you with cocktail parties so that makes it ok.
Only trustworthy people trust. Untrustworthy people should not judge.
Bio buttons? Benjamin Button. Sounds like a guinea pig button.
Maybe they’re incredible and will work, but why are we going with the maybe after all this effort to succeed in near as total eradication?
Why are we dropping the 14 day? Why are we doing it differently than the market leaders (NZ/Canada/et)?
Who has the ear of this government and is driving this sudden course change?
the 14 day quarantine should stay, regardless of biobupane or whatever. LEt the 14 day be self isolation at homes and enforce it – but to pretty much go it alone? Now? Based on what and who’s needs?
Again – who is running this country, because it doesn’t seem like its Alden right now, he most likely doesn;t even want travel to the Sister islands for rightful concern over the old/vulnerable/etc populations that are there
Something stinks here. And it’ll be for money. Wonderful. Lockdown coming mid-Oct.
Whos running things? Who owns 3 hotels? He’ll probably fly the buttons in too in return for even more concessions.
http://www.biobutton.com/en/
Yep – this is going to make all the difference in the world in fighting Covid-19.
The covid pandemic is something the world has not seen in one hundred years. It is new to all of us. Everything that is being tried is new and untested for long periods of time. It will take time to prove what works best and what doesn’t. Trying nothing gets you nothing. We get that you personally do not need to go off island and return so this effort gets you nothing. Clearly you can only think of yourself and no one else. Please stop trying.
Well Said!
There is no pandemic. Politicians, media and the medical “profession” have been coerced into pushing this fake narrative on the world.
You obviously do not value your own life or integrity of society. That is why you and millions of other sheep just like you will happily digest any old trash that you are fed.
CNS: Just clarifying, this is a giant conspiracy in which the entire global news industry is conspiring with every government in the world, health experts all over the world and countless scientists who have studied the virus and ways to treat it and possible vaccinations, and written numerous scientific papers. On top of that, all the videos made by doctors and nurses in hot zones describing conditions and all the heartbreaking images of people who have lost loved ones are all fake. Is that right?
CNS – your website has never got so much traffic, covid 19 is a blessing for any news site. Thats why news sites keep pushing the hysteria. No one is saying that covid 19 doesnt exist, they are saying it isnt as bad as all the delusional doomsdayer people claim it to be.
CNS: When you couch a guess as a fact, it’s called a lie. In this case, your “guess” is particularly sickening. Firstly because you are accusing us of being unethical, drumming up what you call “hysteria” for our own devious reasons. And secondly because our business has taken a huge hit because of COVID and will not recover until other businesses recover, i.e. until the pandemic is over.
Try to keep in mind, I know it’s hard, that we do not get paid by the number of readers we have but by the number of ads. While we can keep working – and have been working very hard to provide what is a free service for you to read (you’re welcome) – many of our usual advertisers cannot.
In addition, this is our home. We have people that we love here and have no interest in harming the Cayman Islands society with unnecessary fear. We actually try to present the news as accurately as we can because we are part of the community, human beings and ethical journalists. We read widely and try very hard to present the facts. That means taking this pandemic seriously. There is a lot of very cynical politics, in the US particularly, that is trying to play it down and a whole lot of idiots who parrot Trump and call it a hoax.
As to readership, we certainly did have a massive spike for a while (which happens periodically, for example during elections). Saying that our site has never had so much traffic is another “guess”. However, Wendy covered press briefings almost every day (except when she was sick) and I went through 13,000 comments in April alone – a lot of work for less money.
A lot of people appreciate what we do, and we really appreciate their support, but the idea that we are pushing this because it’s good for business makes me really angry. This is what I’d actually like to say: &^%%$%^&*((&^$#@@#$%%^&!!!!!
Last point, the commenter did actually say, quote: “There is no pandemic.” This is what I was responding to.
Yes, you are 100% right.
Stop playing on fake heartstrings.
Kiss your grandparents and parents good bye.
Government just signed their death warrants.
How many have you kissed goodbye to because of heart disease and cancer. It is still killing five times more than covid and will still be the main cause of deaths long after covid is gone. And yet would you stop them from eating sugar, Smoking cigarettes, not exercising, and basically living free? No one is stopping you from hiding out. In fact most would prefer it.
Care Pay scam. GMO mosquito nonsence. Now this. What is it about completely unproven products that CIG finds so irresistible???
Four magic components: ego, high initial ticket costs, minimal due diligence, and zero costing transparency.
Kickbacks!
GMO mosquitoes are welcome again.
What is proposed has no proven scientific validity. The Bio-nonsence is a useless gimmick with no proven value in the detection of Covid-19. Like all other tech gimmicks it is designed to suck in juvenile minds who like shiny new tech.
The first 2000 people to fly in after 1 September should be required to test negative 3 days before departure as a condition for flying, and should then be tested 5 days after arrival and 10 days after arrival and only then released into the community if all tests are negative and they are clinically asymptomatic. They can also wear the Bio-nonsence if somebody at CIG needs a toy to play with or has invested in it. After those 2000 have been on island for at least 14 days then do the analysis of whether the Bio-nonsence has any value in relation to Covid-19 and whether the test 10 days after arrival finds any infectious people missed by the earlier 2 tests. CIG should not be experimenting with our lives and our health.
They should also be required to quarantine for 14 days!
The cabal that is our government will likely form an untraceable entity of which they are shareholders and print money.
I guess the port opportunity failed because people woke up.
Bloody criminals.
Your day before God will bring relief to us all.
12.53. The UDP way of doing things really left a mark on you didn’t it ?
So, I live on Little Cayman. The home of 150 people, two PCs, and 5 mps internet speed. One store two miles from my house. How exactly does this work under those conditions?
Same on all 3 islands. Tourists come from areas with high infection rates to visit. Some of them are infectious because what government is proposing is nonsense. You innocently come into contact with them. You regret the choice government made.
It does not. The only thing that works is for you to come in through two weeks quarantine in Grand Cayman.
Don’t worry. If you don’t have a private jet you are not really the target audience. And if you do they’ll find a work around. Give you a periodic call on your cell and ask you to cross your heart and swear you are in isolation or something.
My point is not about the rule, though I think it will probably be self-defeating, but rather the monitoring and enforcement. Plus the practical issues of eating while in self quarantine for five days. One person. Isolated house. Minimal infrastructure. No home delivery. You know, practical considerations…
I live part of the year on LC too. It was not that difficult. I quarantined for 14 days on GC and got tested on GC before being allowed to fly to LC. I had some food delivered to the place I was quarantining on GC and took it with me. I had someone deliver my car to the LC airport. Now I am on LC, the store is well stocked, I wear a mask when I go any place and life is good. Just follow the established rules and it will be fine – and worth it.
Not everyone is non-functional. Most of us can and do handle it well. But that is most of the people who are life enriched enough to travel. I am saying “life enriched” instead of smart to try and be politically correct here in Cayman Islands.
at this point… a hostile extra terrestrial invasion would be a welcome distraction….
Lower risk than what is proposed too!
Look, there’s not going to be a vaccine for at least a year, if ever. There may be some useful medicine available sooner but probably not for months. Your bubble is nice, but if you open the airport you are going to get some infections. You can wait a year and this will still happen. What you have going for you is that people have a lot of space here— no subways, no elevators, lots of outdoors, Wear a mask and move on.
Bio buttons. What a crock of feces.
Every time a person with these exercises, their heart rate, pulse and surface temperature will increase. The Royal Cayman bio button armed police– armed with bleach and Lysol, will respond.
So you can’t do any hanky panky either as the monitoring police might find you in a compromising position 🤣🤣
Can imagine lots of early morning or late night responses to the bedrooms, too.
Read the fine print. Anyone wanting to come has to pay”in the region of a few hundred dollars” registration fee? Furthermore anyone paying attention knows Covid testing results especially in Florida can take weeks…if you can even get tested.
This plan sounds like another boondoggle sold to government by consultants raking in $$$.
Yep, they are at least a week behind. NFL testing takes priority they say. The numbers being reported today are results of 7-10 days old tests.
From the New York Times just now:
Testing should be the governors’ first order of business.
Despite President Trump’s boast early this month that testing “is so massive and so good,” the United States’ two largest commercial testing companies, Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp, have found themselves overwhelmed and unable to return results promptly. Delays averaging a week or longer for all but top-priority hospital patients and symptomatic health care workers are disastrous for efforts to slow the spread of the virus.
Its day 4 and cant get my Covid results from HSA yet. So when these people come in and get tested on Day 5, who’s going to pay for their extra 3 or 4 days isolation while waiting for results? Or will they be relieved of isolation before results are given?
the US is not the only country in the world- flights could be to UK/Canada which are much lower risk and you can get results in that time.
No risk No reward. We need to think outside the box.
We should totally abandon the 14 day isolation and PCR testing requirement that all other countries say is the best thing to do and just welcome everyone.
There are lots of people in Florida who would love to get out of there at the moment and many of them are not infected. Why bother with this test 3 days in advance and 5 days after arrival? There is no proof that that does anything other than put off potential tourists and take money out of our pockets.
As some one that wants to open ASAP but has traveled doing the testing I can tell you there is 100% proof pre testing works!
I found out I was positive before travel!
Other countries have the virus anyway. We (we hope) do not! Spot the difference?
We have it as well!
True. But we may be rid of it very soon. If we are rid of it we should do all we can to stay rid of it.
Including cutting ourselves off indefinitely from the rest of the world? Never see family members again? Let them die elsewhere and hope some else buried them? The definition of a Caymanian is not a simple as it was five decades ago. Many of us have married persons from other countries. Not very Caymanian child has grandparents only in West Bay!
But every Caymanian should do all they can to protect grandparents that are in West Bay.
People who use the term ‘think outside of the box’ usually have no idea what it means, but hey it’s trendy. As The great AE said there are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, but I’m not sure about the universe.
9:32 you really are not the sharpest tool in the shed
Maybe everyone coming should quarantine by you then and you can charge them hotel fee.
No risk, no reward?
“Bio Buttons” – the latest gimmick Government has fallen for in their chronic susceptibility to supersalesmen.
The biggest single problem is the idea that travel time can turn around an application in the 3 days between the PCR test and the flight – assuming people are prepared to book the flight with the risk that the test will be positive. Given how long thy took to process simple curfew requests – mine for an emergency plumber took over a week, and then they got the address wrong so the exemption letter was invalid – I suspect not. Why are they involved at all? Either you pass the PCR test and agree to the conditions or you don’t? Is this just a separate arrangement for “special” people?
Alternative:
1. Welcome any visitor wanting to stay 3 months or more. (There will be many wanting to leave densely populated cities for COVID-19 free countries)
2. Test on entry and 14 day quarantine at CIG facility unless own accommodation in Cayman
3. No work permit, lengthy red tape, etc. only proof of financial means, health insurance and proof of accommodation
4. These visitors will contribute greatly to local economy: they will spend, spend and spend
5. Minimal risk of local community infection
And what about us that need to travel for work ?
Pre testing works it’s a fact.
It’s not a fact, and no one needs to travel for work. If you miss your mistress that much, fly her in.
Your a DH.
I run a company from Cayman have been traveling weekly for 3 month.
All staff that travel test before they leave there currant location.
Hears is you FACT, 3 days before my last trip I tested positive so that stoped me traveling.
As far as a mistress maybe you need one!
You travelled when you didn’t actually need to and caught Covid. Thank you for so eloquently proving the point.
Do you ever wonder whether your own self importance and even recklessness may have caused you to infect someone else, entirely unnecessarily? Are you concerned that somewhere in the world there may be someone on ventilator because of your imaginary need to travel?
And you call me names? ….
Well DH.
Essential global service is needed.
So how do you know I traveled when I did not need to?
And no I can almost guarantee I did not infect anyone else as we where self isolating between testing.
What you as a narrow minded DH cant understand that the Island also has business that are global and do not shut down, We must keep services going and that comes with risk.
How do you think you get food? Go to the shop right?
Lots needs to happen before it gets there!
So my self inportance seems to be a lot less than yours!
Please do explain why your business requires you personally to travel weekly? Lawyers, accountants, bankers, suppliers, wholesalers, teachers, and even doctors etc. seem to manage fine (in all the circumstances) with zoom.
Hell, even full court trials can take place using technology.
Why are you different?
Drug Courier?
Well you’ve managed not to travel for 3 or 4 months now right? Get with technology, there’s no need to travel especially at this time.
Wow, you”run” a company and travel internationally but cannot spell, use proper grammar and make logical sense? Not relevant to the issue being discussed, but you are very uneducated and probably cannot figure out the issue at hand.
We can’t get there without a 5 day quarantine and a bio button….lol
Are you aware that several doctors travel to Cayman quarterly to see patients? I guess not, or you’d be arguing the opposite.
Umm, they have to quarantine.
Magical Thinking right now throughout the USA. Name a place you can get tested and get the results in less than 2 weeks. Every lab is overwhelmed.
Northern Ohio – done this past Thursday at 2 PM. Test came back negative at 9:45 AM from the Cleveland Clinic.
Access Labs in Florida 24 hours
Still waiting for my new license plate. How is that working out for you?
Boarders open in name only even caymanian that want to go on vacation to see family and friends overseas cant because of the ridiculous protocol to get back in
And how would they feel if them or their children travelling to the UK for further education had to undergo the same procedure. If CIG persists with this I would be prepared to suggest to UK Government that this is reciprocated.
Nobody needs to fly away to school. Any schools that are planning to operate (if allowed locally to do so) are also being offered online via elearning until 2021+
Not all
🤣😂 suggest away 1:10pm!
We don’t need any more “boarders” in Cayman 😂
CNS, thanks for including information about the Government’s proposed partial cost “off-setting” measures for this proposed approach. Another local media outlet which has recently gone paperless failed to include that very important factor and left me, and perhaps many others, wondering.
@ Condo owner since 1987. Your assessment of the situation in general seems fair and safe, and of course, the Government’s proposed “soft re-opening” measures, as published, ultimately leaves room for any visitor to make the choice to apply or not.
However, please ignore the comments of a few idiots, ungrateful or bigots. We have ours just like you have yours where you’re from. They do not speak for the majority of Caymanians, who, whether direct or indirect beneficiaries of the revenues which tourism bring to us, are nonetheless appreciative of your presence and, clearly, long affinity for our islands. Welcome back whenever you feel all is safe to travel both from your location and to the Cayman Islands.
This is not the time to open up. In the new year will be much better.
We need to keep our borders closed until then (EXCEPT for returning citizens and permanent residents), get our unemployed people back to work, continue to encourage and promote staycation deals, continue to encourage and promote buy local deals, work out how best to open our schools in the fall, continue to assist the vulnerable population, keep pushing for people to develop personal financial skills with the support of the financial institutions, institutions working with persons to have them save their homes and livelihood and keep supporting the charities that are doing a most wonderful and needed service.
“An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.” We can keep ourselves safe and hold off on bringing on ourselves a calamity of utmost portion that we will not be able to handle, if things go hugely wrong which could no doubt, happen if we open too soon.
Why will it be better in the new year?
Then they need to go off island to shop.
No. That would be Christmas. Watch the tune change come Black Friday.
No one appreciates the magnitude of this hit. What CIG is seeing now..where the pressure is coming from is what to do next. It’s about trying to save the work permit revenue so recruits from Canada and the US are going to shoot up and recruits from EMEA plus India and Asia going way down.
The diagnosis
I’m not saying globalisation is dead but rather’ for now’ the digital nomads and outsourcing are the new way. And Government (along with several large developers) are very afraid after having built “sand castles” on shifting grounds tied to the terra under their feet.
The CIG relevance, and it strength and ability to generate revenue is tied and woven to the security it can provide more now than ever. The work permit revenue, the work permit holder and the ability to move man power and undercut Caymanians is on pause. That is not a bad thing, but in the halls of power so much has been levered on the continuance of this system (work permits) without even a thought of its fragility.
We, all of us, should be concerned and aware of this monumental change. Eager to embrace a new digital rebirth and disregarding ever increasingly irrelevant bodies of old which do not rule or control the rise of this new “digital empire”.
We need to recognise that the old way of doing business is now gone. A shift has happened the impact so deep that changes must be made now.
Cayman is in a fortunate place, we are small, swift and nimble but amongst us some have gotten lazy. The halls of power and some other businesses stuck in their ways.
The Way Out
Much noise will be made and some sectors (those first impacted) and (others later to be impacted) have and will have the strongest calls for “[profit over people” , herd immunity and other radical calls as the ship sinks. Like the movie titanic ‘some will play to music, some will do all sorts of evil in the name of self preservation’ much noise will be made.
But despite all the noise and drama, nothing can be done to stop the sinking not even from Captain Moses, his photo here fitting for his role. What matters now is simply lifeboats and who gets on those. Many of us are happy to get on to the cramp, cold life boats knowing that we can replace our possession. Some have laboured so hard they would rather attempt a salvage operation in the middle of the night at sea risking passengers in order to right a floundering, listed vessels.
I offer no opinion as to what is right, but what is clear and abundantly so is that great sacrifice and losses will need to be borne. Far greater than the scale of Ivan and may even include the very double dipping pensions that are enjoyed by both current and past elected.
That I think, is what is behind this. An idea of self preservation where there is a damned-if-you-do., damned -if-you don’t situation. A toll road and a toll road, choose one.
There will be a vaccine and likely a second wave before that and Covid-19 will be amongst the top ten causes of death- save for the intervention of the Lord almighty – that I can promise you. What Cayman and the Cayman Government need to think most carefully about is the profound changes and how reforms should be made to NOW to capture and secure the prosperity of our people. As a former civil servant, I can say for certain that ideas and great ones do not concentrate amongst a select few. This is especially true for times and in matters in which they have no experience and expertise in respectively. The way out will require a different approach and also require some uncomfortable decisions.
Its not and will not be business as usual and I suggest all hunker down. For tourism revenue, construction revenue and work permit revenue., that is gone and the sail will need to be cut to the cloth.
What we should do is try something new. This was the perfect time to diversify ourselves. Instead we fell back on the same old.
Bio Button.
The word theranos springs to mind.
As do the words specious horseshit.
With so many countries banning US visitors and so many US states banning travelers from Florida and Texas or requiring 14 days of quarantine, there is a tremendous opportunity for Cayman to get that business. The government is on the right track by doing away with the 14 days isolation period that other countries require. The easier we make it for those folks to come the more that will and the more money we will make.
No no no. These are exactly the states we should not be accepting people from.
Money is money. It all spends the same no matter which state they come from.
You do know why they are banning them right?
From Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School.
(Updated July 2)
Based on the excerpt below from Harvard Health Publishing,
-Presuming that visitors arrive on day 3 following testing, 20% of positive cases will be picked up.
– on day 4, 40%
– since the govt plans to test on day 5 (which would be a total of 8 days after potential infection) would that follow the same pattern with the percentage doubling for each day added, So 80% or more? I saw a quote some where attributed to Dr Lee saying by then 93% would be licked up. He is likely right.
But remember that the health monitoring will continue after day five in which the quarantine would end.
The question would be, would the device detect the virus in asymptomatic people? What data do we have on that?
Here is the excerpt from Harvard Health Publishing. The link is at the end of the excerpt:
“What are the chances that a coronavirus test will tell me I am not infected when I actually am?
The chances that a coronavirus test will give you a false negative (indicating that you are not infected when you actually are infected) depend upon the type of test you have and when in the course of your infection the test is performed.
There are two main types of tests:
nasal/throat swab tests and saliva tests, both of which detect the virus itself
blood tests that detect antibodies that your immune system produces in response to the infection.
If you get the nasal/throat swab or saliva test, you will get a false negative test result:
100% of the time on the day you are exposed to the virus. (There are so few viral particles in your nose or saliva so soon after infection that the test cannot detect them.)
About 40% of the time if you are tested four days after exposure to the virus.
About 20% of the time if you develop symptoms and are tested three days after those symptoms started.
This possibility of a false negative test result is why anyone who has symptoms that could be due to COVID-19, or has been exposed to someone known to be infected, must isolate even if they test negative for coronavirus.
The blood antibody test does not become positive (or might never be positive in some people) until many days after exposure, and is therefore not the primary test used for diagnosis. It is very useful for research and public health decision Making .”
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/if-youve-been-exposed-to-the-coronavirus
Good article. Bottom line – PCR tests plus 14 days is the safest protocol. The protocol the government is proposing of limited isolation/quarantine and no test beyond 5 days after arrival means somewhere between 20% and 7% of infected people will be missed and allowed to move about the community.
12:56 pm: it is more likely 7%, Given the compounding effect of the virus. Intuitively I tend to feel that Dr Lee is right that 93% will be caught on Day 5, but I think some of this is still guesstimates.
The question is what exactly will the bio-button measure In the remaining 7% (at best) after day 5.
From what I read some of these devices measure a combination of temperature and pulse rate.
Presumably asymptomatic people do not spike a fever. Is there any data to show that these devices detect any imperceptible symptoms? Do asymptomatic persons exhibit higher pulse rates? Any evidence to suggest that or other imperceptible symptoms?
Dr Lee really has to justify relying on the device to detect Covid in the remaining 7% (at the very least) of people not picked up in the testing on day five, after which they are released of negative.
Otherwise we are taking a gamble.
Read the fine print. Anyone wanting to come has to pay”in the region of a few hundred dollars” registration fee? Furthermore anyone paying attention knows Covid testing results especially in Florida can take weeks…if you can even get tested.
This plan sounds like another boondoggle sold to government by consultants raking in $$$.
PCR tests and compenents are about $400/go and this will take at least 2 tests, plus the wifi/LTE IoT biometric tag (which probably aren’t cheap). We also have to pay people for some level of competence in monitoring all these incoming. Probably costs of $2-3k per arriving passenger.
When has Govt ever assesed a cost correctly or stuck to a budget? The majority of the cost of this ridiculous experiment will just be another overcost handed down to the people of Cayman by way of increased duties/taxes and fees. SMH
Lol
Are you insane? Do you not realise why they are being banned?!!! Wow.
Canada, the US, Australia and NZ all require 14 days isolation/quarantine with or without PCR testing. They use that protocol because it has proven to be safe and effective. It would be helpful for CIG to publish the scientific evidence that underpins their approach. I suspect that will not happen simply because ill-informed wishful thinking does not qualify as scientific evidence.
You are correct. But you neglected to mention, persons quarantine in their homes! Persons are free to travel within the States. If someone travels from Florida to Maine, to visit their summer home, one must isolate in their summer home. One is free to travel to a hotel of their choosing and isolate there. When one goes to Canada, one isolates where they wish to! What has caused the mess in Cayman is the government quarantine facilities. Having erred to one extreme, they are about to go to the opposite extreme. Moderation is not an option. Residency is sold to people. One of the requirements is that they own property. All Cayman had to do was allow Caymanians and these high net worth residents to use their own damn homes to isolate! For two weeks they’d have to order in which would help the local economy. The high net worth residents, do not need to work. After two weeks they will spend in areas other than food.
The problem of course is that those who were initially allowed to quarantine at home were not doing so hence to move to more draconian measures. They were being seen all over and even with these proposed measures comments are already abound about persons will still need to the supermarket to get food even when in quarantine.
We can only hope the Geo-tracker works and there are serious penalties as a deterrent.
We do not do law enforcement here. Penalties are irrelevant.
We are all aware of the consequences now. So please get over the handful of idiots who didn’t obey in the beginning. Despite their misbehavior, please remind me how many became ill and how many died from their indiscretions?
We were perfectly aware of the risks before. The people dying were Chinese and Italian. Is that why it was OK for people to break isolation?
Since you are perfectly aware, please tell us what’s around the next corner? A vaccine? 5 years of isolation? 800 deaths? 1,000 positives? When does the airport often? When are cruise ships allowed back?
Except experience confirms people do not remain isolated if left to their own devices.
6:23 Absolutely correct! I have a vacation home, need to return. I would go to my home and quarantine at my place. Like you mentioned I can order in, there would be no issues. My issue is to get to my home and tidy up, I have a lot to do that would keep me busy. Why quarantine some where else, makes no sense. Who came up with this plan. 🤔🙄
When you order in, are you going to hand a tip to the delivery person? Will that be before or after they come and deliver to me?
5:39For you information I live in Canada in a Province with no COVID. So no relax. I just need to get back to my home on the island. Very sad to see how some people on the island don’t appreciate us with vacation homes, who love the island, love the people, and have respect , we’re not all idiots.
It’s also sad to see your opening to the UK, Miami, who’s numbers are worrisome, but Canada who has a great system working no date yet.
I quarantined for 14 days. Left sanitized cash under door mat & sanitized food (groceries/restaurant deliveries) left in door mat. Did not see anyone face to face for my 14 days after coming back from Italy in March. It wasn’t hard & since then a lot better grocery/restaurant delivery apps. It can be done.
USA does not require 14 day isolation!
Canada is home isolation.
Each State determines its travel rules. Here is one example. Read for yourself and then post. https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/Covid-19-Knowledge-Base/Travel-In-or-Out-of-CT
Thats right for national travel BUT you said USA, indicating an international traveler.
Each state does NOT make that decision the federal government does.
How many times have you flown in and out of the USA in the past 3 months?
I have 16 times, so would have a better idea than you.
NY and some states are requiring 14 days self-isolation of travelers from hotspots.
Tourists and Quarancheaters are proving the opposite in Canada…few bother to comply, and with measurable repercussions:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-canada-border/leaky-border-tourists-and-quarantine-cheats-threaten-canada-amid-u-s-covid-19-surge-idUSKCN24K0MP
Phase One will not bring a single US tourist, unless they have serious financial means and the ability to stay for 30 days.
When will the outline the other phases that will take place from Oct to Mar?
Good, hopefully it stays that way!
So? A soft opening is the only way to go. We will likely get some foreign homeowners back who feel it safer to be here. And they will add to the economy.
No, an option remains of requiring everyone to quarantine.
So if I want to come to my Condo (owner since 1987, not a random property flip) for a 6 week stay (I can self isolate), I need to book tickets, get Covid Tested, submit paperwork, hope that CIG can process within the time for my flights, possibly have CIG be delayed in response, or erroneously deny me entry and forfit tickets/plans. If all OK, then return and pay for the monitoring process, if it is even close to effective.
So many possible avenues for problems. This may make some happy – I and my family will not return until safer conditions permit easier qualifications.
I fully understand the need for a soft reopening, but these conditions will not allow most condo owners to return yet. And as I said – this will make some perfectly happy; I have read many comments that we are actually not wanted, or our dollars that support jobs for Caymanians.
This is not a rant, just reality.
Good, then you know the stance of the majority. We do not want anyone beyond our people back within our shores any time soon.
Looser!
You being a condo owner for a number of years does not mean you do anything for Cayman or our people. You coming here only serves you, so do not try and act as if you having a place here is beneficial for Island. Your short vacation is barely a drop in the bucket.
What a wonderful person you must be.
Not
Totally with you on this and the practicality (or not) of all of this approach. It’s leading me to think about selling my property and going elsewhere where it’s just as safe, easier and better value.
1:24 Good, I’ll buy it if you promise never to come back.
Dear Sir/Maam, I understand your frustrations. As you have been coming here since’87 you know what Cayman has become and what Cayman used to be. As a Caymanian, I have watched, to my chagrin, these changes take place also. There is a price to be paid and a consequence for what some erringly call ‘progress’ when in reality Cayman has experienced exponential levels of societal degradation, a loss of sense of community and/or anything close to a level playing field and widespread perception of powerlessness to forge a better path moving forward. Although we may have different perspectives the negatives affect us all. There are valid reasons for the vitriol on both sides of this perceived divide, and there are those who have made a living by predating upon their fellow man/woman regardless of one’s origin and the use of tactics designed to further divisiveness is but one of their calling cards of deceptive and/or manipulative practices. Let one be clear here, your dollars support a behemoth of wasteful, corrupted and inequitable amalgamation of maladministrational/bureaucratic largesse far more than it does for supporting jobs for Caymanians. That being said, I for one will welcome you back to our islands in the sun whenever you and your family return and I consider your reasoning to be boh practical and logical. It is unfortunate, yet undeniable, that Cayman’s economy is no longer for Caymanians. There is a preponderance of institutionalized corruption, a purposefully promulgated welfare state implanted in order to mollify a largely displaced people within their own homeland and the illegitimate allowance of a myopically constructed monopolization of our economy which has and will render it unsustainable in the medium and long term unless proactive efforts of mitigation and damage control are taken forthwith. That requires a solidarity from both sides of said perceived divide. I do not have the luxury of ignoring these realities. I, for one, wish you well and whenever you do decide to come back to Cayman and I will say welcome back and I will genuinely mean it. There are those of us here who are not fooled by the sociopathic predators and traders of injustice who have created this division among people for the purposes of their own greed induced agendas and malevolently derived tactics of political expediency. The impetus is upon you to identify these charlatans for who and what they are, regardless of their origin, and act accordingly. We all have a part to play in the trajectory of Cayman, and you are nowhere near powerless in this regard. One could even surmise that in certain instances you have far more power than a member of the electorate depending upon who you choose to business with, or not. Capiche?
Well said, Jonathan.
You are most certainly wanted and welcomed. We just ask that you and your family enter through quarantine. This is the same basis on which Caymanians have been entering, and is the way you and we can all be safe.
So you agree that caymanians travelling should also be subject of quarantine wherever they’re travelling into?
Are you somehow trying to intimate that this would not be or is not the case? Do you have any reason for your statement beyond and implicit attempt at some hidden in plain sight animosity towards Caymanians? Does your disingenuity know no bounds or are you in all reality just a XXXX stirrer getting your jollies hiding behind the screen of anonymity which this forum provides? Do you have anything of positive, proactive, beneficial and/or comprehensible qualities to provide? Get a grip, and get over yourself. Is there any value to what you have written above? Methinks not. Same goes for the rest of you who have fallen down the nonsensical rabbit hole of this ‘us versus them’ tragic comedy of absolute abject XXXX. Long walks and short docks comes to mind.
If Cayman has Covid and the place they are going to does not, yes, absolutely!
We don’t have Covid19 but all of the other countries do. I used to live in the USA. The country that I was living in in Florida is running out of ICU beds. Do I think they should be coming to Cayman? No. People are objecting because the USA is not handling Covid19 properly and they are afraid that all of the “It’s my right to not wear masks people will come here and infect our people”.So why should Caymanians be subjected to quarantines when travelling? That statement makes no sense. We don’t have rising numbers of Covid19. The people that spread the Covid19 here was people that were allowed to come in and self isolate. Instead they went out to restaurants and swimming and other activities and spread Covid19 in our community. Hence, the reason government enacted the quarantine facilities and the people of Cayman don’t trust anyone to self isolate.As for Caymanians going overseas, if you don’t need to go, stay home. I’m not travelling overseas until next year.
What you don’t seem to understand is not everyone in Florida has Covid. Not everyone in Florida is running around without masks. Not everyone in the US has Covid and are running around without masks. There are people here who are following the social distancing/ mask guidelines and live (even in Florida) who follow the rules. There are sections in Florida with low numbers. There are areas in the US that have low numbers. We are all grouped together and it makes us all look bad, but it is not all of us.
I am a teacher (Not in FL) and In my area our numbers are Low so that our summer school program has been open for weeks.We are also planning on opening in the fall, on time. We are following the rules. Our restaurants, gyms, stores are also all open. Masks are mandated and have been since the beginning. People have adapted and are following the rules.
If you don’t understand that these measures are being implemented to protect the people of these islands who live here all year round, not just for 6 weeks, then yes, don’t come.
You don’t get to have special treatment to come and vacation for a few weeks when may of our own have been trying to get home. The process can’t be adjusted for some and not for others. We all have to go through this process to protect visitors and locals.
Where was the competitive tendering on all of this?
I have an excellent technology that counts your footsteps, detects Coronavirus, packs the children’s lunch and spins gold for the developers. The lucky few countries to buy into this technology will be given first choice of a range of bridges we are also building in the Kalahari desert.
Lets say hypothetically 2 persons on a hundred person flight develop Covid shortly after arriving. Does everyone else on the flight get isolated or are they simply released to potentially infect everyone on the islands?
LOL! Common sense question that appears only lay people have. Authorities are focused on more “complex” issues overlooking the basic ones.
The results of a very large study published today by the CDC in the US shows that children are at least as likely to transmit the virus as adults.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/10/20-1315_article
Do people want their children to safely go back to school this fall, or should we play Russian roulette with an untested technology?
The choice should be given and taken.Living with no virus is no longer an option. We must learn to live with the virus. Each in his/her own way. Hiding away from other people is still an option for those who live in complete fear. Living a more normal life while taking in social distancing, wearing masks, etc. should also be an option.
Cool, we’re not in the US so move along.
Investors in the Bio-whatever company will make a fortune if this plan works. Caymanian guinea pigs will die if it does not.
The biobutton technology that government appears to be promoting has not been accredited by any credible scientific body as a method to detect Covid-19. Government is selling Caymanians as guinea pigs with a deadly virus on one hand and an idea that will make somebody rich if it works on the other. This is just genetically altered mosquitos as a cure without the mosquitos.
Don’t let greed burst our little bubble.
This all boils down to one of two things. The first is are we going to open and welcome tourist who are not traveling as much as before due to this virus? Spain and other countries are doing this without much success, or are we going to keep close and focus on the financial and local industries until there is a vaccine? We already did the hard work to create a safe bubble so the kids can go back to school and people can live their lives. I don’t understand why chase a potential tourist dollar in this global recession.
Having a job is not greed. Asking people to lose everything so that you can avoid a miniscule risk (when taking proper precautions) is greedy.
The risk is far from minuscule, and if it goes wrong it will destroy the careers and businesses of many more. What is wrong with quarantine?
If you adhere to social distancing, hand washing and wearing a mask, your risk is nearly zero. See Japan.
Or ignorance, or paranoia, or selfishness, combined with financial security.
Think of the whole instead of the self. The jobs we have lost are taxi, dive, hotels. Most of these are predominantly non caymanian which means the few Caymanians can reporpose to do something else. The whole, financial sector, Gov jobs, customs, restaurant are still doing good and could do better if children went back to school. The financial risk to chase the tourist is far greater than having to shut down again which means we will loose both what we have and what we are trying to get. The old adage goes a bird in the hand is better than 2 in the Bush.
What exactly do we get if we’re let vacation homeowners back in? They don’t pay for accommodations, so no accommodation tax either. They will but groceries and eat out, but we all do that. If they own a home here they have likely visited every tourist spot before, they won’t buy souvenirs. Maybe they will rent a jet ski and dive? So that’s what we’re risking our little bubble for? 😒
Hello. I can not help but wonder of this idea is somehow to the benefit of the “Brothers”.
And by that I mean, just like the Care Pay scandal, where the select few benefited from the proposal that Gov’t used.
Be careful of the smoke screens and ensure all this is above board.
It’s a very soft opening which not many will use. It’s fine. I am sure that at the first sign of a virus they will reassess.
The first sign will be much, much too late. Our society is open again. Reintroduce it and it will spread invisibly for 3 or 4 weeks, before ‘first sign.”
I certainly don’t agree with everything that this government has done in the Covid crisis but it is important to recognise when they are making the right moves.
At last they have started to outline their plans for reopening the borders, some 4 months after they closed them. The plans aren’t perfect but they are a good start. They stressed the importance of starting slowly and getting it right. Cautious but sensible. They stressed the importance of communicating to potential future visitors how it would work and what to expect. Again sensible. At last they recognise the need to quarantine in your home or place of residence in Cayman, with the right geo location elements in place. This is realistic based on the numbers of people involved and the lack of potential quarantine facilities.
While a lot of people will resist any opening up of the borders the reality is that all of our service based economic sectors rely on international links. We need to figure out how to open up carefully and soon.
The government is taking a calculated risk but it is good to see them being cautious but pragmatic.
Calculated??? – I would love to see those calculations. Guess work is more likely.
CIG – Show us the hard numbers and the assumptions and then we can all see just how reasonable the plan is.
Of course we now need to form a Bio Buttontime Dept, we need to keep our civil servants busy.
1:54. I never want to live in your world. I pity you. How ungrateful you are.
Oh you classic civil servant with your classic reply, just wait until the money runs out…. your tune will change.
The post office workers and PWD electrical staff who’ve been paid 4 months now and not done anything could be repositioned…?
But they have children
What’s the IFR (infection fatality rate) at, .027?
Odds are you won’t get infected (70%)and if you don’t beat those odds and get infected you have a 99.973% chance of surviving an infection.
Life has risks. Take precautions, but live your lives.
@1:51 that’s exactly right and we’re everyone has lost the plot this is not Even close to being the deadly virus they have sold us on and by this rational when flu season hits we have to shut the world down again what a joke it’s all turned out to be
4:13 When you get it, I can’t wait for your change of heart comments then.
So by August 31st, we the people who have been locked up and controlled in all regards patiently waiting another two weeks and another two and another two…..for what will be over 5 MONTHS will finally reach Suppression Level 1 only to be reinfected with inbound US travelers bringing Jumanji Level 10. Great.
Writer has a point. All this effort and expense and NOW you’re going to open up? Really? Any fool knew that this was going to last for a long, long, time. I don’t understand why complete isolation was chosen in the first place.