Cayman tourism to depend on rich for early recovery
(CNS): Visitors to the Cayman Islands in the near future can expect their trip here to be more expensive than ever, given the increase in the cost of flights, health protection measures and general operations. As a result, the destination will be dependent on vacationers with deep pockets and those looking for a safe, but luxurious, haven to temporary relocate for remote working.
According to Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell, as Cayman considers a safe, phased reopening to visitors in October, consideration is also being given to the introduction of a ‘global citizen’ package to promote the islands to people who can afford it. Cayman’s success in controlling the virus will be used as a marketing tool.
Delivering a short address during the online Chamber of Commerce 2020 Economic Forum on Friday, Kirkconnell said that over the next three to six months the focus of tourism will be on creating promotional initiatives designed to attract high net worth guests and reintroduce tourism at the appropriate time.
“One of those initiatives will be a ‘Global Citizen Programme’,” the minister stated. “We are pursuing the opportunity to welcome business executives, entrepreneurs and students who can work remotely in a stunning and worry-free environment as they work and manage their business from offshore. This will allow a productive work environment and a luxurious
island lifestyle.”
Government is examining what legislation will be needed to allow long-term visitors to come to Cayman and work remotely provided that all of the commercial activity they are involved in is generated entirely outside of this jurisdiction.
Emphasising the safety of our border reopening, Kirkconnell pointed out that health and safety will be a major consideration of future visitors. “Guests… will now be placing as much importance on health, safety and hygiene as they once did on price, location and quality of service,” he said.
Following his presentation, Chamber CEO Wil Pineau hosted a panel discussion with Department of Tourism (DoT) Director Rosa Harris, CITA President Theresa Leacock-Broderick and Ritz-Carlton General Manager Marc Langevin.
The Ritz manager noted the devastating impact on the sector and wondered how long the hotels could continue to sustain losses of hundreds of millions dollars when they are not sure when the borders will reopen in the face of a very slow recovery. But he agreed with Leacock that their sector wants to see a steady and safe reopening rather than having to shut down again.
Harris said that until there is a medical solution to COVID-19 Cayman must present itself as a very safe environment, and if people want to come they must accept that in order to keep it that way they must be prepared to take a few steps before they can visit.
The minister confirmed that bio-buttons will play a part in the safety protocols when the borders reopen in addition to an application process to come to the islands and pre-testing procedure. Cayman is expected to be the first destination to use this technology as a way of reducing the need to quarantine for too long.
Harris warned any kind of quarantine measures will mean that the returning numbers will be low and likely to be restricted to those with property here or visiting friends and family.
Leacock said that the confirmed postponement of cruise tourism until at least next year will allow Cayman to reconsider the conflicts in tourism and focus on the long-term sustainability of tourism. Pineau pointed out that for the first time we are at a point where Cayman can decide what kind of tourism we want in future. Harris also described it as a reset.
The panel pointed out that even if the borders open in October, we can expect only a very small number of guests visiting that month.
See the ministers full statement in the CNS Library.
So we are going to market the island as safe and Covid-19 free to the rich “Global Citizens” but we are going to require masks in schools and an extra 2-weeks at home non-eLearning for our kids.
We don’t have community spread. Let’s think about the risk benefits of how we educate our children.
For those only concerned about the economics think about the message masking all the kids up will send to potential visitors.
How many days without a case do we need to get to before we remove some of these restrictions.
Maybe masks are needed but there is no way we need to keep any kids home when school starts.
It is like CIG came up with a plan for schools in June and can’t be bothered to update it.
One of the ways we can attract these people is to let them know that on this up-to-date Island they can have items shipped overnight from almost anywhere in the world. Explain to them it will only take between three weeks to a month or more to clear customs. A real example of what a first class, first world society we are.
Three questions –
– What is Kirkconnell’s personal connection with “ Bio- Buttons “ and their manufacture/distribution.
– Why has no other country adopted them as a means of controlling the spread of Coronavirus.
– When will the CIG give an indication however flexible of a likely date for determining when and how Cayman can assess the risk of allowing travelers from the US to land in Cayman.
We will be the world’s first guinea pigs with Bio-Buttons. Only in Cayman.
Cayman is always pioneering the most expensive bad ideas, and Moses is always there in the middle of the moonshot pitch plate. Perhaps I can interest you in a fleet of non-flyable Boeing 737 MAX 8’s?
#2 because Bio-buttons are for monitoring sick or recovering immobile patients, not for healthy and active individuals. Only CIG can be fooled and taken advantage of by misrepresenting the device.
I don’t think Biointellisense will find large market.
Maybe the buttons work, but in practice, what agency will be tasked with monitoring thousands of homes and biobuttons here? What AI software and high-tech response dispatch are they running?!? Suppose it’s the same guys that can’t run CCTV for secure police evidence lockers? Or the brand new, non-functional CCTV traffic, and neighbourhood cams? What would be the chances?
This approach from CIG with NGO input seems viable but it depends on any of our competitors who have a covid-free or “safe” environment and better amenities for those with “deep pockets”. We really don’t have that much to offer for their land and sea (read “yachting”…deep pockets, remember) activities than 2 resorts, maybe and a few “attractions”.
Not sure if this will fly but nothing tried…. as long as they prioritize covid-prevention measures.
I have 2 questions and 1 statement.
How long has Moses Kirkconnell been in government and what has he done for the Caymanian people?
He should be fired.
hey…just look at brac tourism!…..oopps..
There are already at least 3 types of low cost tests for the virus which give the result in 15 minutes!…give all arrivals the test while they wait 15 minutes or give them the test before they board and you will have the results by the time they land. No need to make it so difficult!
But they can be positive & not reflect that until days later. Look at Bermuda. Two police positive. One had travelled & had initially been negative. The other is assumed locally acquired. Now testing contacts.
If only it was as easy as one test & all clear. Some take up to 14 days to test positive (in quarantine).
Oh stop it.
The perfect world is coming next.
I didn’t see any reference to a detailed market analysis completed to support this approach. Was it missed being attached to the story?
What was the sample size of those polled in their in-depth survey?
Who completed the analysis? What did the competitive analysis look like?
What is the current ‘buying’ mood of the prospective market for what we are ‘selling’? How many were ‘Definitely would buy’ vs probably would buy, might or might not buy, probably would not buy, and definitely would not buy? Let’s see the data.
What gap would be filled that others are not?
What is the size of this market pie? What % is available to Cayman?
What is the ROI or ‘trickle down’ impact for everyday people?
Anyone have this data to share?
don’t ask awkward questions!!!
Just think of the watches these people will buy.
Moses please step down as the idea is rubbish and disturbing to think this is what the plan is to open up. For now, might as well stay closed until January as a vaccine or at least a remedy is in site. Furthermore, this island relies on all walks of life not only the very rich who by the way can go anywhere, so please do not get yourself excited that Cayman is the golden ticket because it’s not. The view of our politicians is like living in Disney World all the time, wake up!! If we must open then do it carefully and slowly monitoring as best as possible then gradually bring in more people – yeah it sounds difficult but guess what we all will have to learn to live with it. Stop listening to the media and just get your facts straight. BTW, are you aware that in the US hospitals receive funds for all positive cases so let that sink in for a minute. If we did not have the news we would have all gone about our business like we were in Feb and some folks would have gotten sick and some would just have gone through the day without any symptoms. This has been around since SEPTEMBER and no one knew, SO please stop with the OMG look it’s out of hand – yeah because you have countries inflating their numbers, election year in one of the biggest countries and the media going “bat shit crazy” with hyping everything. What would you have done today if you never heard of COVID? exactly gone about your damn business.
The plan really is a dumpster fire of terrible ideas. It has taken them this long since March to put this garbage together. The toot toot train has left the building.
Thank you for your post of rationality. The media hyped this up so much we are afraid the world around to admit it was made up.
Fix the dump! Build a recycling plant!
Don’t fix The Dump it is our biggest mountain and a national monument.
“ Cayman is expected to be the first destination to use this technology as a way of reducing the need to quarantine for too long.”
This will go well…
Cayman will be overrun with the virus just like EVERY OTHER COUNTRY THAT HAS REOPENED !!!
Americans were using fake covid certificates to get into the Bahamas and look what happened there.
Say everything you want to say to your grandparents and parents now before it is too late.
Fake covid certificates?! How do you know this??
Because volumes of fake doctor note “clean” Americans caused cases in Bahamas to surge. Bahamas now requires a clear PCR test from a CLIA-accredited CDC Lab, before departure, for the reward of a mandatory 14 day quarantine, or immediate deportation from Bahamas. Their tourism matches ours right now.
pie in the sky stuff…clearly grasping at straws when they have no real plan to save the cayman economy.
the chamber should be ashamed of themselves for sitting back and accepting this waffle.
This is the stupidest idea I have ever heard. It’s so stupid that I think it is only being put forth to let everyone have a press release to justify a few government jobs.
Let’s consider what is being said:
“work remotely in a stunning and worry-free environment” – High net worth people already have this. Does worry-free mean they won’t have to wear a mask or a bio-button? If they do then it ain’t worry free.
“health and safety will be a major consideration of future visitors” – Most people have moved on as Corona is part of the daily fabric.
“safety and hygiene as they once did on price, location and quality of service” – This one is laughable, Cayman is the most expensive place on earth. Nobody comes to Cayman as a low cost option. So consider that many of these elite folks have all of the above at a lower price point.
Ritz-Carlton General Manager Marc Langevin – if he said what needs to be said he would be burned at the stake. What he should say is: “If we don’t open soon we will be closing and leaving. The tourism industry is in free fall. It will be difficult enough if the borders were thrown open tomorrow. It will take time for businesses time to staff up, flights to be scheduled, and reservations to be made.”
“Harris said that until there is a medical solution to COVID-19 Cayman must….” – This is the one statement that sends chills down the back of a business owner. What if there is NO medical solution? What if the medical solution is only 50% effective? What if the medical solution is years away?
“Harris warned any kind of quarantine measures will mean that the returning numbers will be low and likely to be restricted to those with property here or visiting friends and family.” – This is was all that needed to be said. There will be no significant numbers of people to buoy the tourism industry. I would surprised if you got a single remote worker at all.
However, I will add that even though I have property in CI, I won’t be coming. I have too much to do to waste it stuck in quarantine and even if I didn’t have to quarantine – sticking a bio-button on to drag on your clothes, pull your hair and skin….really? I hope the CIG doesn’t waste their money on this idea.
The only people headed back are those with family. Cayman is not a tourist destination at the present time. No high net worth individual is going to risk being trapped in a future shut down anyways.
I hope and pray that I get to come soon. But coming back is looking more and more like it is very far away.
Thank you. Well said!
I totally disagree with you. I’ll be the first one there working remotely. Would you prefer being in Canada where cases are increasing or in the US where cases are raging and no one is wearing masks. I think it will be a popular programme!
Stop listening to the news. People are wearing masks in the US. It is mandated in many states and cities.
Any of these hypothetical “tourists” would need to be both rich and exceedingly dumb, ie. to willingly pay $800/night to confine themselves for their week’s vacation, or risk a border lockout during a global pandemic. By default, it suggests the DoT Ministry is still abnormally focused on airlift from the stupidest red state markets. The first load imprisoned will complain…there will be lawyers, and bad headlines. By the second load there will be security staff being palmed Benjamins to wear the Biobuttons while the family goes out. It’s a bad idea from every angle, except perhaps isolated room service facilities, and guess who owns those…DART. Imprisoned tourists don’t rent cars, they don’t go to restaurants, they don’t swim with Stingrays, and they won’t be leaving 5 star reviews. How does more people ordering room service help our economy?
It is a bad plan and illogical as anyone who pays attention to reliable news sources will understand. Testing is not going to prevent positive cases from arriving in Cayman. Here is an excerpt from an article in today’s NY Times:
Given the shortages and delays, when should people seek testing? Ideally, every person in America would get tested every few days — because we know that at least one-third of people who are infected and contagious have no symptoms.
But there is simply not enough capacity to do that many tests. Because results that take more than two days to arrive are effectively useless, it only makes sense to get tested in certain circumstances. If you think you were exposed to the coronavirus, and you can’t easily quarantine until the threat of contagion passes, you’ll want to get what’s known as a PCR test — that’s the most common type of test right now, available at most testing sites — to know whether you have an active infection and pose a risk to others. Ideally you would get tested twice — once soon after exposure, and again about a week later. (It often takes several days to develop an active infection.)
Getting tested when you have no symptoms or clear exposure is, at this point, of limited value because it can’t be done routinely. But it might make sense to get screened if you are planning to visit elderly or immunocompromised friends or loved ones. In this scenario, ideally you’d get two PCR tests, a week or so apart, and quarantine while you wait for your results.
Unfortunately, both of these scenarios assume you live in an area without long testing delays — which is a big assumption at the moment. Yes, this is extremely frustrating.
What next, suitcases full of mystery money again?
Moses And Alden’Utopia is a myth Cayman the “VisiTor” they are talking about is now turning into the Resident as soon as they arrive and pays them $$$$$$ the trouble with that is there is absolutely no vetting or screening of this Riff Raff they are now letting into Cayman who are bringing their baggage along with them and not even down to basic custom duty on their imported goods they are willing or offering to pay and are being allowed or permitted to get away with huge breaks which is a very very unfair precedent being now set in Cayman.Evading Custom duties is and offense unless you are rich it it appears. The CBC needs to get its house in order and stop this shit!
They seem to have read about what Malta has been doing. Let the Russian oligarchs buy their way in. Only problem is Cayman cannot give an “EU” qualifiedpassport like Malta.
Blaming all expats for the failings of the few. Is like blaming all Caymanians for the few like you.
And to think that next year we are going to vote the same people right back in office. Boy we fool.
Unfortunately, with the very limited talent pool allowed to run in the Cayman Islands there are no real choices.
Maybe if some decent Caymanians ran for office, like Marco Archer, we would be alright. There are some decent and committed paper Caymanians but we all know they are not welcomed through this door. So its 100% up to Caymanian Caymanians to fix this problem.
Ah Yes, the illusionary ‘paper” Caymanian who is smarter than the local and better suited to carry the country forward and has all the answers. In fact, they are so talented they fled their problem-ridden countries of origin to flock to the cayman islands to educate everyone on how to run a successful nation.
It opens up choice, stupid!
And that answer just qualifies what the poster was saying.
Will you never learn to keep your 3rd world stupidity to yourselves?
Hear this little b**ch. 3rd world?? Where?? Shut up Trumpster dumpster.
We Trumpsters don’t talk like that, buddy. 5:11 reeks of liberal plantation owner mentality.
Uneducated labourers and criminals don’t elect economists.
It’s weird that Caymanian voters will abide years of maladministration, still presuming incorrectly, that they can’t do anything about it until a next reshuffled election result. CPR has proved otherwise. Our number one priority should be to petition Governor NOW to amend the flawed/rigged Elections Law – to eject the recidivists, encourage responsible new representatives, and derail the “who’s asking and what’s in it for me” corruption that seems to be baked into almost every official government process in this territory. That is, unless we like collectively subscribe to the same corruption?!? Who ya fo?
This has always been the case! Covid=19 has exposed exactly why we dont need a cruise port to destroy our beautiful harbor. The people spending money here are fly in and stay over tourist. FACTS!
Moses is exactly what is wrong with Cayman – shows how dumbed down the electorate is on these islands.
Before you let anyone else in- FIX THE DUMP!!!!! We don’t need extra trash.
Fix the Elections Law and eject the conflicted maladministrators.
Fixin THE DUMP is not a political priority. However, after the next big Ivan like hurricane hits in the future action will be taken. The CIG will have no choice.
Fixing the dump, ie, remediating the unsorted waste pile, WTE, recycling, would all require the importation of more garbage than we already have, or expanding population beyond 100,000. That’s why the dump is being capped for later. Real ideas please.
We will be the world’s first guinea pigs with Bio-Buttons. Only in Cayman.
If you think I am putting on a tracking device on my body or on my children you have another thing coming. What level of electromagnetic radiation does thing through off? Has it been tested on children?
Says using an iPhone stored neatly next to your reproductive organs…
And how do you know that? Because you do?
We don’t keep smartphones near our bodies, don’t use airpods, we use protective covers, turn WiFi and Bluetooth off when not needed. Turn completely off for the night, including WiFi.
We are not addicted to smart technology. Old fashioned fridge that cools our food is all we need. No need for appliances and devices that use “smart” technology.
And if we do buy devices we make sure it is tested for EMF levels, flicker rates and sound levels, LED count and wavelengths emitted.
…and if any of that extreme paranoia is true, it’s doubtful you’d volunteer for normal X-ray irradiation at an airport, more solar radiation in the airplane, and/or willingly confine to a hotel room for a week in a foreign country.
Just give up…please
The FDA approval letter says:
NOT intended for active people who move a lot.
For people over 21, who are basically stationary (sick, recovering from surgeries, etc,)
I am not sure why it still being considered when it CLEARLY DON’T FIT THE PURPOSE. People who wear biostickers must be IMMOBILE!
And you are correct about EMF. But expect to be insulted here.
The dump will kill you long before any button does.
Fine with us – don’t come then.
Have a nice life!
Would you be interested in traveling where your every movement, bathroom break, romantic positions, were going to be monitored?
I wear Fitbit. It monitors my heart rate and my breathing rate. The thing they want you to wear monitors those two things plus your temperature. What’s the big deal? How will anyone know if you’re exercising or having a romantic moment when your heart rate is up. More importantly, who cares? With all the civil liberties that have been lost in American since 9/11, this doesn’t seem so bad. What the TSA does to me every time I fly to or through the U.S. seems much worse to me!
Congratulations.
Also monitors body position
Why do you need to monitor your heart beat or breathing rate? Are you sick?
Exactly!!!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!
Ok, you’ve used up all your exclamation points for the rest of the day. Now take a chill pill and calm down.
Why to people get a routine check-up at the doctor – blood tests, blood pressure, etc. when they are healthy? Why do women get mammograms and men prostate tests when they are healthy? It’s preventative and called diagnostics. Look it up.
Just pack a roll of tinfoil and wrap yourself in it before you land. Do this to your phone too and you’ll be A OK!
ha ha but I bet u on your cell phone 24/7
Wired laptop
This government worships “the rich”. If you’re not rich, this isn’t your party Cayman.
As George Carlin once said: “It’s A Big Club And You Ain’t In It!”
Who spun to CIG there were ‘High Net Worth’ individuals ( assuming they include their wives)lining up with passport in hand to flee here to Cayman ? U.S. citizens cant , as they still need to lodge tax returns abroad for over the limit earnings, would have to declare everything earned here & cant start a bank account or invest/ be a director on an investment fund. What exactly is the pot of gold attracting them here, or is it the illusion of glamour & a Monaco lifestyle? Why spend more money to be here at inflated costs, when they can work remotely from their garden shed with a wifi booster?
You should ask some of the rich people buying multi-million dollar properties sight unseen right now. Maybe they are all insane? Or maybe they just want out of the US and to live in a reasonably safe place for a year or two?
What 7:59 am fails to understand is being required to do something by law and actually doing it, or doing it in the correct way are very different things. FATCA and then CRS globally has been implemented, making it APPEAR that it is no longer appealing for wealthy individuals to “hideout” in offshore jurisdictions to avoid paying taxes in their home domicile. One only has to look at the economic activity taking place on Grand Cayman alone. Simultaneously, also note in the increase in legal, trust, financial and corporate services firms operating in the cayman islands, in addition to the larger already established firms providing services to HNW and UHNW individuals. The rest is your H/W to connect the dots.
Yes, we’ve all heard this anecdotal hot air (spouted from hopeful junior realtors, and their firm owners)….how many condos have actually traded hands in last 6mos and what is the median sale value? What are the actual hard booked numbers, how many of those are for prospective new build sites (where seeing sight is still theoretical)? How much CI Gov’t revenue generated in stamp duty? CIREBA hasn’t updated their market data reports since 2017. Let’s all please kindly desist on the con-artistry and transparently publish the applicable data.
https://www.cireba.com/market-review
Probably not much. This place is dead in the water. Thank God I got out.
Stay out too
They are called money dumps, like a huge number of properties that have been used by tax dodgers on Cayman for years.
Tax them, earn money from them and stop encouraging the slime bags to break the law in their home countries.
MYbe it’s the HNW already here who are pi$$&d at having to spend 14 days in quarantine at the Ritz?
Leaders keep talking about opening the boarder, tracking, rich people, why is no one looking at ways to introduce other industries that are not reliable on tourism. How about an agriculture initiative so we can feed our selves better? How about legalizing cannabis for personal growth and charge license fees? Can we look at the region and see what’s missing an start exporting ? Something has to be done. Even with a vaccine tourism as we knew it is gone
EXACTLY!
Over the years I have mentioned about agriculture, making essential oils which are expensive if they are authentic(Jamaica can teach us), even prisoners were taught how to make purses or whatever from iguana’s skin.
It all fell on deaf ears.
It seems only Michel Myles is doing something to retrain Caymanians, that is why he is a hero in my book, yet, some already trying to diminish his achievements.
You need more dirt for agriculture.
Seems like we are going into the business of guns and ammo.maybe we can lease out some firepower
Border!!!! FFS.
LaLa Land= CNS comment section. 99% of you are so angry, sad and pitiful. If you said something positive it would choke you.
Coming from Dale Carnegie here….way to win us over with your clubs!
The Cayman Islands could have cashed in on the concept of remote working years ago if they’d tried. A good friend of mine from the USA owned (it’s been sold now and they’ve moved on) a condo just outside George Town. His business was ideally suited to an online operation so he split his time between working from here and from his home in the USA. He thought about selling up in the USA and coming here full-time but said the obstacles put in his way made it impossible. In fairness I don’t know the full details but the way he summed it up immigration couldn’t manage the concept of someone running a business based entirely in the USA from the Cayman Islands. Even though he’d be bringing money into the islands and supporting local businesses, he was just regarded as another ex-pat trying to take work from local people.
Nonsense. Hundreds of expats are here doing just what you describe. Exempt company + Trade and Business License + work permit. Sounds like the person you know did not want to comply with the laws.
For Americans what you’ve described has very little financial advantages. They pay taxes back home on earnings above a certain amount. So why would they stay here and pay the fees you’ve described? The exempt company fees aren’t bad but the wp fee is pretty high depending on your title and cost of living and health insurance is beyond ridiculous here. So as others have said they’re better off incorporating in Delaware and working from their own homes. They can afford to vacation where and when they like. Cayman government is looking at these folks like prized cows and unfortunately that’s just not how it works.
HNW folks will have to be from places other than USA for the tax thing to really be of benefit to them. At least that’s how it’s been explained to me
Not nonsense at all. I am not the original poster, but I personally know someone doing this right now and it looks like he’ll have to sell his oceanfront condo and leave because multiple Caymanians applied for his highly skilled remotely operated job when it was advertised and his work permit (which is VERY expensive) hasn’t be renewed for his exempt company. He’s got lawyers on it but he’s pretty disgusted with the whole situation and now looking elsewhere. Out of one side of our mouth we say we want these people and out of the other side it’s pure protectionism.
So you expect Caymanians not to work in their homeland at the executive level?
This farce needs to stop.
Do you expect a foreign owner to bring their business here and then have to give a Caymanian their job as ceo/director/principal whatever? If I bring my one man show here I’m the one man going to run it otherwise I’m not bringing it. That’s the whole point. The idea of a work permit requirement or giving the job to someone else is the real farce.
Agreed the idea of owning an exempted company but still having to have a work permit and consider caymanians for the only job (which is meant to be yours as the owner is asinine). If I can’t have the permit to have the job to run my company I’m going to close it and leave and the Caymanian (qualified or not) gets nothing. So what’s the point? It’s a lose lose situation and the idea of advertising for such positions is beyond crazy. I don’t get it.
So ask for a waiver from advertising. It will be granted.
SEZ does not even need to advertise. Sounds like he was poorly advised.
Stalling tactics by this excuse of a man.
He knows damned well that we are in the middle of the execution of the Lockstep document published (leaked) by Rockefeller Foundation in 2010.
CNS: Sorry but this is one of the batshit crazy conspiracy theories that has sprung up and gone viral on social media. Facebook really has a lot to answer for. Anyway, here is a clear debunking of the theory. It also has a link to the actual document so you can see for yourself. “Scenarios for the Future of Technology and International Development” lays out four scenarios, one of which is a pandemic, and considers the role of technology and philanthropy in each. Anyway, back to the crazy…
The next phase is stalling tactics until 2nd wave can be unleashed prior to mandatory vaccine. We are in this phase now.
The laws for breaking mask use, distancing and gathering requirements will also become more draconian.
It is all there in black and white for those who care to search it out.
In the meantime, there will be start, stop, start, stop to give the illusion of progress.
I reply nonsense to your reply comment too. I had a friend doing something similar. She had a work permit in her own company as the sole employee. She was a freelance artist. Ok for the first year but when she came to renew her work permit, it was declined because she was supposed to replace herself with a Caymanian and train them to do her job in her place. How? By exactly copying the trademark style of art she was known for? Without a work permit she was forced to leave the island. So yeah, great in theory, but doesn’t work well in practice.
😂 Good shutdown, CNS. Batshit indeed, just don’t eat it, might catch a virus or something.
I am wealthy by most people’s measure. I own property in Cayman. I have been very disciplined in my exposure to C-19. I am willing to be tested before I leave my country to arrive in Cayman. I am willing to be tested in Cayman. I am willing to be under quarantine in Cayman. But if you think that I am going to be bio-tracked, think again. You are not my only option. Time to rethink my seasonal commitment made to Cayman decades ago. Know your audience people, know your audience.
Yet you no doubt have a smartphone….
Idiot. A Smartphone doesn’t monitor your personal health status, it’s got nothing to do with the state once you are released back into society after testing.
Not your hartbeat or temperature,
“Only” your location and all your communications with virtually everyone…
LOL
You got to love american way of thinking….
He didn’t mention his smart watch.
I don’t really care if it records where I’ve been or who I’ve called. That info is going into the black hole with the traffic camera pictures.
What TF is a hartbeat? Asking for a dumb friend.
Dont worry, you will find a buyer for your property quickly, and we will not miss you.
Plenty of people are willing to take these simple precautions in order to keep us safe
Cayman is not just your vacation playground, its also our home!
This is an understandable but foolish view. You/we will absolutely miss these people. These people bought homes paid stamp duty and visit to spend money regularly. If more than a certain amount decide to sell their homes then the home supply grows and if demand does not grow with it you have market conditions that favor buyers and therefor reductions in prices. Which means your home value goes down as well. So does the sale value of homes on the market and stamp duty paid. By definition the people paying the lower prices are willing to spend less in general so regardless of them living here or not they’ll spend less.
You bite your nose to spite your face. And btw when you say what you say these people hear it and repeat it to their friends who will all think cayman is an unwelcoming place regardless of their good intentions. This is becoming more and more true. So keep up the good work buddy…
The buyer won’t be you, Jack.
We welcome the wealthy, but we don’t bend over for them. If you don’t want to play by our rules, which are designed to keep us an your fellow visitors safe, then don’t come. It’s that simple. You can visit your other options that don’t infringe on your perceived rights and we can stay safe. It’s a win-win if you as me!
We’ve had a house for 6 years and have been willing to put up with all the ridiculous costs. The government covid response and the comments on here have been eye opening. Put in more taxes and we’re gone to some prettier place.
So get going then! No one is begging for you to stay one boy wonder. Go and find your “prettier place”.
Presenting intelligent, well researched, collaborated and intellectually sound requirements for returning visitors is not “bending over”. You do however highlight the core of the local challenge. Attitude. As unintended as this might have been, well done in capsulizing the real issue.
Unless I am missing something, the bio button is optional – it is only those looking for a reduced quarantine period who will be asked to wear it. The alternative is the full 14 day quarantine in a government facility. Granted, those quarantine facilities would need to be made available (and that is certainly not the case at the moment).
Question, oh wealthy one, where are you going to “Reconsider” your seasonal commitment made to the Cayman Islands and relocate to? There really is no Safehaven and most places in the world, especially the attractive locations are still under border lockdown/restrictions and pursuing even more extreme containment measures than cayman due to the Covid-19 crisis. Which also looks like it’s not going away anytime soon.
You haven’t looked very hard if you haven’t noticed the 100’s of beachy islands available. We foreign homeowners do want to be able to go to our property. This is all making me think I made a mistake not building on an island on the west coast of Florida. The food and fishing is better and I can actually go there. The coral is nice but the attitude on here is pretty ugly.
Overall the concept of being a Covid free zone is a winner, especially for affluent people who are prepared to pay to stay here for the winter season which is likely to be the next high point of the Covid pandemic numbers abroad.
What continues to be inexcusable is the snail like pace that the government works at in creating solutions.
The Biobutton is a distract / deflect tactic. The real issue is how they are going to enforce a quarantine and testing program which is effective and they still haven’t got that organized, after 6 months since closing Cayman off from the world and having 200k test kits handed to them and half of them paid for by someone else.
Back in May we were hearing the government had no real plan and guess what…. we are now in mid August, 2 weeks from when they said they would open the borders to travel and we still don’t have any plan in place! They are making this up as they go along!! It’s becoming farcical.
Enough is enough!! It’s time that government put dates in place and communicated their plans to open Cayman up to international travel, slowly but sensibly with the proper quarantine allowed in people’s homes. If they want to start with a 10 day quarantine, with testing at 5 days and 10 days to start with to verify their approach fine – do it. But for gods sake have the balls to actually start the process so we can all start to move on and understand there will be an alternative to being closed off forever.
If government decide to extend the closure again then we should look at a legal challenge based on the constitutional right for free movement on and off island. The Covid emergency has ceased. It stopped when government admitted there was an alternative to the forced quarantining in the 1 available government hotel. Covid will be with us for years to come and government need to deal with that fact.
This regime doesn’t have the mental horsepower to reopen the post office, or properly coordinate international mail.
100% agree
I know of more Independently wealthy who have left the island on flights out than who have decided to move here. The world understands Covid is going to be around for a long time and we are going to have to live with it. But the halls of government and their wealthy friends have not accepted this truth. Probably due to very low intelligence or reenforced by group think.
Delusional idiots, all of them.
Cayman is doomed without the affluent middle class and mass tourism. A few dudes hiding in Cayman is not a solution to dwindling revenues and unemployment on a massive scale.
The delusion that Cayman is Covid free, is just that, a delusion and only one infection away from catastrophe. This is what happens when your economy is based upon two industries, both of which are prone to upheaval from outside influences.
I totally agree. You need people from all walks of life. I have been involved in the tourism industry for over 30 years and our business depends on the mass tourism. At the same time I know that we can not open up the borders for a long time for mass tourism as it will mean mass COVID 19 cases.
I see the Kirkbots are out in force. Pathetic. Knowing that your paymaster has no clue, you still mindlessly support him?
Reading the headline I assumed that all our politicians had agreed to donate 10% of their “earnings” and allowances which would go a long way to aiding the recovery of our tourist employees.
🤣🤣😂😭 Oh you. Good one.
Great. Just as we’re praying for cost of living to decrease or even stay the same, we will see prices go up even more to cater to those who can afford to come here and think a $20 burger is cheap.
A $20 burger is cheap.
Troll
Hahaha.
How you ask? Well hopefully some other country successfully does it so we can copy what they do.
What? Like Malta?
Another con job by some foreign con man peddling a solution that they think guarantees them Caymanian Status issued by Cabinet and insider trading information which will help a few friends and officials make millions. This is a tried and tested model that is now being utilized by the real owners of Cayman. No one at dart can be trusted. They are developing a country for them while planning to keep the rest of us out of their personal playground where only the super rich, the corrupt and the politicians they own feast every week. Think of Palm Heights on a much larger scale where the Monaco yacht club glitterati brunch and demonstrate us all who really is in charge.
I did a quick look an no where else is using this bio sticker. I think Government need check carefully what they buying. This bio company only just formed in 2018
…. Zandrea Ambrose, PhD, a virologist at the University of Pittsburgh, was critical of whether BioButton could effectively track the virus’ spread. COVID-19 is now understood as a tricky mismatch of symptoms that only sometimes appear, and that could be signs of other ailments, she told Motherboard. This is particularly true for children and young adults.
“Fever is associated in less than 50 percent of covid-19 patients,” said Ambrose. “I don’t know that respiratory rate can easily be associated with COVID-19 unless [the device] is monitoring it constantly for long periods of time. Exercise could affect respiratory rate.”
…. Ambrose said she doesn’t “find this type of monitoring particularly helpful, particularly for asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic individuals.”
Glitterati need dancing lessons. The tumble from the table top was shocking.
Their disco brunch was laughable.
How many MLAs have bought investments in these BIO Buttons? Just saying. Sounds like another GMO Mosquito situation…
Still no solution to the hundreds of unemployed Caymanians in the tourism sector. Even with this plan only a selected few in this industry will profit with little impact on the economy.
Something like this is also already offered in the Special Economic Zone.
Special Economic Zone is a Private entity with good old Charlie pocketing the vast majority of fees….will be interesting to see if the Gov will stand up and circumvent the zones
Do you really think with the present situation in the US and all over the world that the “RICH” are going to come running to cayman? With the rampant crime, high prices, nothing really to do, I doubt the “RICH” are coming to cayman anytime soon…..they stopped coming from before they will stop coming now
Not likely, given they currently allow them to run completely outside of any of the CIMA regulation or AML/KYC. Just another club for friends of CIG. It is the suckers that are paying.
It is rip off to Cayman and directly competes with the government and t or private sector for business.
I would think that the BioSticker™️ market is very narrow since it is to monitor physicals parameters of patients who otherwise can’t be hooked to hospital type monitoring units. Recovering after surgeries patients, care homes residents who are ill, etc. . At least this is how BioIntelliSense Inc. presented it to FDA. Since the device is new, its usefulness has not been tested yet. Therefore somehow they found fools in CIG who “decided” to provide the “testing grounds”, but instead of using it on “patients” they’re are planning to use it on healthy individuals. What kind of deal was made ( or will be made) between BioIntelliSense Inc. and CIG will remain unknown.
Another day in Lalaland where reality has been suspended by .gov decree ! Where untested and completely unproven technology is put to use at the risk of the greater population. The only positive I see at this point might be that our dear MoT gets back to his hideout in CB as soon as the cases ramp up again , forcing on another lock down and curfew upon us , once again . .. I know , expecting some form of sense seems way too much to ask especially when our dear MoT comes to mind…
Large numbers of wealthy people willing to pay for (and endure) quarantine continue to be turned away by travel time. We are not even allowing them seats on the BA flights. They are now finding other destinations.
Not even Caymanians travel time and Governor’s office allowing a seat on flights. It’s unreal this no plan government
I’m skeptical that there are “large numbers” of UK summer travelers that are queuing disappointedly that they might not be able to lock them family in a room in the Cayman Islands for a week. We didn’t even get “large numbers” wanting to endure 110’F+ summer days in the best years before COVID-19. Not when Europe is open next door, and Hawaii offers cheaper domestic USA vacation choices. Certainly not now at the prospect of 5 days of hard $600 a day/night quarantining in a musky hotel room <1200 sq ft eating fast food room service with whining teenagers. The inevitable bad reviews from the later won't do anything positive for Cayman's economic engine, reputation, or recovery. Locked-up guests won't be renting cars, dining in struggling restaurants, buy Rolexes at Kirk's; they won't be diving, or swimming with Turtles, Dolphins, or Stingrays. Limited value at best, and near zero economic trickle-down beyond the select DART entities that might stand to marginally benefit.
Moses Alden Joey and McKeeva are all controlled by the Camana Bay Mafia. They aren’t fooling anyone. Dart runs this country now and needs people that can afford to stay in their hotels and buy their overpriced real estate.
Problem is the real rich folks aren’t interested in staying in hotels like the Kimpton or the Ritz and all the cement building and closing of local establishments (Royal Palms, Calicos) is just destroying the Cayman Islands people fell in love with before.
Why is no one asking what we are doing to train those hospitality staff that are still here? The service at restaurants is so horrible, not that the service was ever good here. Let’s get some training. Teach service, not servitude!
Now why did you have to go and let the cat out of the bag?
Good luck depending on the rich! The rich are not even taking a glance at Cayman. Who wants to pay $$$$ to sit in a hotel room quarantine with a bio button attached to your chest? Where’s the villas, gardeners, cooks, yachts? That is what the rich are looking for. The upper middle class will not pay high airfare and high hotel prices to quarantine with a tracking device.
Other islands are offering travel deals/ specials & Covid testing that is not so restrictive .
You can test easy and upload results to government websites in most places. But not cayman, They don’t know how to even use 1 web portal to track the populations status.
The idea is that they sit in their villa with a bio button where no one will be there to check that they are isolating. That’s the sell.
Wrong. Ask the real estate agents.
This whole process is clear as the driven snow, eh Moses?
I am sure all the people will be happy to join in going on a Sleigh ride in the Paradise White.
“…Cayman is expected to be the first destination to use this technology…”.
BioIntelliSense Inc. takes CIG for fools that are unable ( or unwilling?) to perform due diligence to confirm the “facts” about “ the technology”.
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf19/K191614.pdf
Again with the biobuttons! They are not proven for covid, nor will they ever be proven effective. Heart rate and breathing rates have not been shown to be proven methods of detection. Temperature can be, but as the cdic has just stated, something healthcare professionals have already known, is that it is notoriously unreliable. Why are we accepting the government to continue with this decpetive lie that they will be effective in keeping covid in check? And now they have rumors of taxation due to low revenue? This government is incredibly irresponsible. Caymanians need to stand up and stop this continuing government practice.
Instead of worrying about the rich for early recovery, how about lowering airfare and hotel prices? The restaurant prices are a bit over the top, too. Offer deals and incentives to get the word out that Cayman is open and for people to come. Concentrate on families, young professionals, singles as the island is relatively safe.
While still closed: Create better bus and taxi service ( how about a trolley route) so tourists and locals do not have to drive up and down 7mb Day and night? There should not be a need for tourists to rent a car or hop in it every time they want to go from one end of 7mb to the other. That just creates traffic, smog. Design some better lighting on main roads, signage around the roundabouts, sidewalks and bike routes. Work on some nightly entertainment so when tourists do come there is more to do than dinner and bars. Think Bermuda with their Harbour Nights and some live music (i.e. Negril). Sporting events so tourists can attend with their families. Boat cruises for families, singles with dancing and music,
It was suggested almost 20 years ago at a Planning committee meeting to turn the middle lane of SMB road into a trolley service but govt refused to look at it and now the Dart overpasses, designed to be multistorey building foundations have screwed that idea up forever.
A trolley can very easily fit under there.
Haha ‘building foundations”. No my darling that was built for his protection. They wouldn’t let him build the requested 8ft perimeter fence so he built a tunnel right in front of his driveway. Ain’t NO hotel gon be built there for the next 10 years unless it’s the epic tower.
I miss the majestic-ness of looking down the long Royal Palm lined drive that was once the West Indian Club. I really loved that…
Should have bought it when you had the chance.
“..a safe, but luxurious, haven..” = foul smelling, mosquitoes ridden, toxic wasteland
Clearly you haven’t been to Cayman, ever.
Furthermore, we aren’t the only place with mosquitos. Smh, buy some off.
Have been to Cayman and it is the last place in the planet I would travel to in the current climate.
This fool speaking can’t see his nose in front of him. Open a newspaper. Nobody is chomping at the bit to go to Cayman. Nobody.
Yep. You’re much better off in the US. Not sure what newspaper you’re reading, but I personally know several dozen people who’d love to be in Cayman at this point. So what country would you prefer to be in exactly?
Everyone in the US is free and getting on with life in spite of some miniscule risk. Even though CNN and the New York Times might paint a different picture, the vast majority of Americans don’t live in fear. Good luck in your bubble.
10 years is long enough? By the way my co-worker (and roommate) died from aggressive brain tumor after living only 2 years in this luxurious safe heaven.
Cayman has an alarmingly high rate of cancer. My friend’s wife (an expat) died after 3 years.
My brother-in-law’s wife (an expat) contracted an aggressive form of cancer and she was only early 30’s.
Fortunately, he went to her home country and it is now in remission.
It is no surprise considering the filthy and dirty way the government has treated these islands. Paradise, my a$$. Once maybe, but now no.
Just an overpriced prison for people who like to drink, bake in the sun and be pushed around by a dishonest government.
The rate of demise is shocking.
Perhaps this is the plan?
With one of the finest dumps in the Caribbean.
Jealous much Hubert?
Ahh the aroma of the tip in Kirk car park
#1 Bio buttons are for immobile people in healthcare or at home settings per FDA approval, not healthy and active individuals.
#2 Fix the Dump before inviting rich people.
Hope they remember to pack their Prada face masks
So they won’t suffocate when the Dump is on fire.