Restrictions lifted on people leaving
(CNS): Government has removed the restrictions on people leaving the Cayman Islands. Outbound travel is now open to anyone in Cayman who needs to leave using Cayman Airways, charter or private flights. Passengers can now make their travel arrangements directly with the carriers. But the air and sea ports remain closed until 1 September, so all arriving passengers must still be cleared through TravelTime.
Officials said they understood that as time progresses an increasing number of people need to leave the Islands for a variety of reasons, and as a result the restrictions would be lifted.
TravelTime, which is run by the Ministry of International Trade, Aviation and Maritime Affairs, was established at the beginning of July to manage both outbound and inbound travel while the Cayman Islands’ borders remain closed and scheduled commercial flights are not available.
To streamline the process, those who have already applied to TravelTime for outbound travel to locations serviced by Cayman Airways can make their own reservations. For those contracting a charter service or travelling via private aircraft, authorisations for these flights must be granted by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands. All outbound passengers will be subject to normal Customs and Border Control processes to leave the country.
People wanting to travel directly to London via the British Airways air-bridge should still register with TravelTime, which works collaboratively with the governor’s office. People wanting to travel to the Cayman Islands or on the British Airways air-bridge are still required to register at www.exploregov.ky/traveltime.
During the border closure, all international flights will continue to leave from Owen Roberts International Airport in Grand Cayman.
TravelTime will continue to manage inbound travel for Caymanians, permanent residents and work permit holders, who are reminded of the requirement for mandatory isolation over 14 days in a government isolation centre upon their return.
“Demand for these facilities is very high, and inbound travel will be subject to availability of space in government isolation centres,” officials said, adding that no one who leaves the islands is guaranteed a return on a specified date.
People who intend to return to the Cayman Islands are still required to register with Travel Time: www.exploregov.ky/traveltime
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Category: Local News, Transport
There never was a restriction on people leaving
Simply you had to be accepted by your destination of choice
And if you wanted to come back then you had to do 14 days quarantine
Need more flights to leave. They are all booked.
Interestingly British Airways flying in 2 flights tomorrow, but no other route seem to have so many flights on offer, the Brits are coming but no one else. I hope they know Europe is not covid free
Where I want to go visit in Canada, wait times for results are averaging over 3 days so unlikely will have written test results in 72 hours prior to arrival. Also, it takes two travel days to get from Edmonton, Canada to Cayman, so even if written test results were available by day 3 (72 hours), I wouldnt be there to pick up.
So how is it possible that I arrive in Cayman with written test results no older than three days, when it takes two travel days to get to Cayman? Why not just test when I get to Cayman?
Obviously, no one has thought this through….
ridiculous – why would we want to test you once in Cayman – too late if you are positive.. You may then be a drain on the healthcare system and indeed infect others. Test needs to be before arrival. Plenty of private clinics who can do the rapid test for you
Not in Canada.
Not our problem.
Where did you get this misinformation?? Not true in Florida or most US states. Test kits once again in short supply and results now not back for 2 weeks in many places. Unless you are the President.
We all need to think carefully about our travel logistics, flight gambles, and financial/time flexibility before casually boarding outbound planes like we aren’t in a global pandemic. The reality is you could get stuck. For months. Today’s policy could be gone tomorrow, as UK vacationers in Spain found out this week.
7:35 Yes your right, I’m Canadian waiting to get to Cayman, first of all Canada have no flight date. The method Cayman has in place makes no sense. They are willing to let in the UK and Miami but not Canada, Wow! great choice👍🏻.
We will see how soon you close your borders again.
CNS, can you ask the government how long after September 1st will regular commercial activity resume?So far theres no mention of it.
Cayman Airways has already started to take reservations for regular flight resumption; and what will be the requirements to return. Can we get some clarity on this please.
Thanks @4:32pm for asking this question. Non Americans cannot enter the USA on a 1 way ticket so how are people suppose to book to travel? A 1 way with KX and a 1 way via travel time? Has anyone even sat down and figured out what the hell they are trying to achieve? This is just pure nonsense and not workable.
Open the silly airport like other places have and do control covid checks at the airport. It’s working in Bermuda. There is no Bermuda travel time.
There is no need for this travel time team who are firstly not border control operatives and secondly not travel advisors. Who will pick up the tab for persons tickets being more expensive by buying two one ways tickets and with no advance purchase to get the lower fare?
I think Alden, Moses and whomever is advising them think people are stupid. Well we aren’t. We know you read CMS so sort this crap 💩 out. If you’re looking for work for the people at travel time or Eric Bush to do, I suggest to go help out at the port as the port seems overwhelmed with work according to Mr. Walton as reported in the other local press.
The erudite solutions architects behind missed a minor detail did they? No bother, the implementation will not be delayed by pesky questions from the traveling masses.
Right annoying enough to have to answer questions from the dimwits in Government when the work has all been done for them.
National awards and Caymanian Status grants shall be proferred with godspeed.
Is ANYONE at CIG aware that it is impossible to get a COVID test and results within 72 hours anywhere in the US right now? This has been brought up to Travel Time with no response.
Travel can be both possible and inadvisable at the same time.
Is that not exactly what we were doing?
will Cayman airways fly out with passengers and then come back empty ??
@1:00pm very good question seeing you need go thorough a whole rigmarole to return with a 72 hour window or maybe KX will be on standby for 72 hours to bring covid clear residents 🙄
TravelTime couldn’t handle it, eh?
Is there any truth in the rumour that BA has cancelled all of its September flights to Cayman?
Most of the passengers on the flight to London are from Nassau. I guess that is what will drive BAs decision.
Here’s a question. An RAF VOyager flew in this week with 14 people on board to run the Regiment training program. All up pax load for a Voyager is 290+. Would it not have been a useful addition to our very limited air bridge capability to fly in some civilian pax on that flight, and for that matter out bound. I assume it stopped off on the way to deliver other supplies, but am sure those desperate to get back – or back to UK- wouldn’t have minded a detour.
Still seems to be running from Sept 3rd. cancelled 1st and 2nd…
God knows why they couldn’t leave before.
making it easier for people to leave is only more bad news for cayman
Would you suggest we keep them here against their will?!
Is that not exactly what we were doing?
Well a person certainly couldn’t have stayed if they wanted without a work permit otherwise they are an overstayer. Now that all the expats are gone or leaving, I hope that every employable Caymanian takes one of those jobs. And doesn’t complain.
Why are there still insufficient quarantine facilities?
10.02 you expect government and private sector to rush out and build some more ..?
We have plenty physical stock. It has simply not been made available.
Why would a hotel open their doors to a Government notorious for not paying their bills?
Numerous people who wanted to shelter here have been turned away because of this issue. Work permit holders are now permanently staying away, working remotely. They would have safely come in through quarantine if they had had that option. This is not good for Cayman.
Hahaha.. If you think Govt is going to let work permit holders work remotely off island for ever and ever without raising wp fees you make a mistake. This Covid new world is a blessing for PR and Caymanians mark my word. Even Caymanian abroad….shake up of unbelievable magnitude which undermines the very system of wage deflation which had been on for at least 30 years. The days of the top creaming off millions at the expense of labour is done unless the Govt decides that they will downsize and cut civil servants and constitutants wages/ employment by half.
Amen
Ummm, government cannot stop anyone working outside of Cayman. All those work permit fees, rented apartments and grocery sales – GONE! Total genius.
Ummm people work here for the weather, sand, and sea. They also don’t pay taxes here. The island doesn’t have that much crime and we don’t have Trump as a president. So i’m Thinking they will stay here to work. 🙄
Can you read? We have not been letting them come!
Hes not talking about those here staying, its about a) replacing those that leave and b) stopping employers realizing that the COVID era of remote working in financial services means that people dont have to come here at all!
Probably no shortage of people still wanting to come here, but why would any rational employer decide to do that when it will cost an arm and a leg to get them through quarantine, assuming CIG will even give them a WP. Wages and cost of living so high here now that it costs more to hire someone to work here than it does to pay them to work in London, and without the hassle of dealing with immigration, let alone travel time. You can look forward to all the worker bees (and their WP fees) staying onshor – the only people here will be a handful of place holders based on the minimum requirement to establish economic substance. Great news for PR holders and Caymanians who fancy being a director, not so great news for those that rent or sell real estate or services to the army of FS workers who can provide service from anywhere on the globe.
Save one critical fact,most FS providers are CIMA licenced. How do you all these that propose that they will not pay work permit fees get around that. CIMA fines regime and the associated fines will be put in place. Hell or high water ceasar is getting his.. The only thing is now Caymanians and PR holders looking at cheap real estate and high wages 1979 all over again.
I second this prediction. Employers can now access a GLOBAL market for talent and that means they don’t need to pay top dollar for expats or a hefty work permit fee to CIG.
Caymanians and expats ought to prepare themselves for this to become an EMPLOYERs market.
“If you think Govt is going to let work permit holders work remotely off island for ever and ever without raising wp fee…” want to explain how Govt is going to stop onshoring of jobs? Because raising WP fees to allow remote working isn’t going to do it – quite the opposite.
If a business has a staffing issue that has been handled by their staff off island who couldn’t get back for the last 3 months, you think an employer will pay even more in WP fees for the privilege of having someone do it from there? Unless the law specifically requires them to be resident, that job going to evaporate along with the WP income.
Once you are taxable onshore with your “Cayman job” it will make no sense unless you are able to to live without that income and just park your Cayman salary in a Cayman bank.
Hotels feel they can make more money off staycations than providing quarantine facilities
Then they deserve to deal with the reality that no one is coming for a year, or more.
We had a job offer out, but the employee couldn’t make it in before the airport was shut. So they started work remotely. When we tried to get the temporary converted to a full, before they started flying WP holders in but in the expectation that would change (and in the meantime the person was doing the same job)Immigration refused the WP, saying that as matter of policy they were not issuing WPs to people off island, just renewals. So that person is continuing to do the same job but from overseas, we have saved $10K in WP fees and the cost of flying them here, paying for quarantine, accommodating them and increasing their wages to Cayman levels to deal with the cost of living increase. How does that make any sense for Cayman?
It does not but the Premier must think otherwise.
Does not matter after the 1st of Sep anyway.
Leaving is the simple part… coming back might be another story altogether. I pray that all those who do leave will take all precautions while they are away, especially if visiting some of the places were there are lots of active cases.
No. We want to travel to the hotspots so we can catch Covid.