‘Stray’ traveller cleared, those isolated stay home
(CNS): A woman who did not have permission from the local TravelTime team to come to the Cayman Islands but was allowed on board the British Airways flight last week has not been deported, officials have confirmed. Meanwhile, the first group of people home-isolating using geofencing technology all followed the rules this weekend, as the test run ahead of the border reopening went relatively well.
On Friday Premier Alden McLaughlin had indicated that the woman who arrived without TravelTime clearance, one of 96 people on the British Airways flight, had been returned to the UK. This was because initially Customs and Border Control believed the woman was a visitor, and as the borders are closed she was pulled aside and sent straight to a government quarantine facility in order for an investigation to commence and in anticipation of her deportation.
But it was later discovered that she was not a visitor, and so she has been allowed to remain in isolation and continue quarantining in the government facility until the 14 days have passed. It is understood that the woman slipped through the net because she had an acknowledgment letter from TravelTime, which the check-in staff in London had accepted in error as clearance to travel.
Despite that error. CBC said they picked up the uncleared traveller immediately, showing that the airport protocols are robust even when a mistake has been made.
Meanwhile, the 29 people currently staying in isolation at home and issued with wristbands using geofencing technology all stayed in their designated quarantine zones over the weekend and there were no breaches of the parameters by visitors. Officials managing the pilot programme said on Sunday evening that all members of the group “passed an uneventful weekend” and no breaches were reported at that time.
Category: Local News, Transport
If returnees are Caymanian or have status why do they need permission from the Traveltime gods,on what basis can they refuse?.
if they have status they are Caymanian. Stop the discrimination. Driftwood lives matter.
It’s called a form of welfare.
Availability in the quarantine facility.
There needs to be enough room at the isolation facilities. If there isn’t they can be refused
https://youtu.be/3PMK-7bQ3ns?t=3740
Alden “It must remain clear to all that our published policies will be enforced.” Unsaid – Except where we decide privately otherwise.
SO, the big question is did Alden know about the change in applying the policy and was flat out lying, or someone somewhere in the chain decided not to apply the published policy, on what authority, and apparently without any consequences, in which case, why even bother publishing your policies.
CDC picked her up immediately but didn’t know she was not a visitor. At least they got 50% of it right.
If she’s not Caymanian she is a visitor
A Dependent is not a visitor. Unless you are a Caymanian. Then all Expats are visitors/driftwood.
Ugh
Like a lot of the elements of this story, simply not credible. We are meant to believe that this person didn’t raise their immigration status when told that they didn’t have the right to enter and would be deported, and CBC subsequently “discovered” she had residence status? Or that CBC at ORIA checked her name against the list and found she wasn’t on it, but didn’t check her passport for a residence stamp or against their database of people with permission to reside, in the same way as they routinely do with every entrant? Or that she was not on the system but had the right to reside?
As opposed to the somewhat more believable version in which she was caught, it was acknowledged that ordinarily she would have right to reside, but because of the travel time rules she couldn’t enter and would have to quarantine before the return flight. Only to be subsequently overruled by some anonymous figure who apparently has the right to overrule official government policy.?
What exactly are CBC going to say to all those people who are Caymanians, permanent residents or work permit holders who also have the right to reside her but are not allowed to flu in because they cant get Travel Time clearance? Its the Ministers wife all over again.
CDC?
So the premier was mis-informed? Any verification of his contention as to the numbers of Caymanians employed by certain hotels?
The lady or her family must know the right people in government including the Chief Officers in MITIAMA and Tourism and persons responsible for Travel Time because somebody in the system did somebody a favor. I think this is called cronyism, incompetence or luck and proves the rules only apply to certain people. This is how abuse of the system works and corruption is tolerated because it’s all about who you know in this banana republic.
My thoughts exactly.
As usual the rich have a different set of rules here
Incorrect. I know the person and they definitely don’t. Just a hardworking family.
People don’t like hardworking families? Ok. Go cry to your hero McKeeva Bush. A pillar of your community.
She screwed up(actually the system screwed up) so she has to be Rich? That mental health place is opening up in a few years. Maybe go check it out. Hating people because they are rich to you is a form of racism and a sure sign of ignorance.
Are you stupid? It clearly says in the article the woman used “an acknowledgement letter from TravelTime, which the check-in staff in London had accepted in error as clearance to travel.” Since you don’t know, when you register for a flight you get an email acknowledging your registration confirming that you are on the list for potentially getting on the flight. This is simply a case of human error on the part of BA check-in staff in London who do not work for the Caymanian Govt. It’s not sexy or exciting like cronyism and corruption it’s just dull and boring like most of life. Stop trying to titillate the masses with lies you trogladite.
Doesn’t explain how she got the right to stay though, does it? Or how the front line CBC staff quarantined her pending the return flight with the intention that she was flying out, only for that to be reversed. Or the fact that the Premier was aware of it, and said she was deported. How she got on the flight – understandable. How she stayed on the island, as clear as mud, and the Premier has doubled down by saying that it should be clear to all that the policy will be enforced. Explain that before you accuse people of pot stirring, let alone calling them troglodytes.
Did she pay for the quarantine?
WOW mistakes happen…I guess you have never made one?
And the has a legal right to come home!…..Thats right its her home too!
Quite possibly a personal trainer.
As much as I don’t disagree that these kind of things happen all the time, I would say that it’s unlikely in this case. If what you say is true it wouldn’t have been bungled and announced incorrectly. The person would have been cleared without incident.
Congrats to the CBC and especially to the Team monitoring those quarantined at home. Well done and thanks!