Pair fined $2k as more isolation breaches revealed
(CNS): A Canadian couple, said to be owners at Regal Beach Club, were permitted to enter Cayman this month for a 14-day stay at the property but tampered with their iMsafe wristbands, enabling them to break quarantine multiple times. On Monday the couple were each fined $1,000 and opted to leave a few days ahead of their scheduled departure. But it has also been revealed that officials are dealing with three other cases of potential breaches.
Government officials released a statement on Wednesday, more than two days after the couple appeared via Zoom in Summary Court charged with breaking the Public Health Law and almost a week after the Travel Cayman monitoring team had discovered the couple’s consistent breaches.
Pascal Terjanian (52) and Cristina Gurunian (34) were allowed to leave Cayman, having produced a negative test one day before departure. They were supervised by a security officer, at their own expense, while they were given 24 hours to pack their belongings and then escorted to the airport. The couple will not be approved for return until after all COVID-19 mitigation measures are lifted.
It is understood that it was revealed in court that their movements during the breaches of isolation were caught on CCTV footage recovered by the authorities. This included swimming off Seven Mile Beach where the condo is located, walking on the beach, visiting a liquor store and going to the nearby Marriott hotel, where CNS has recently witnessed several people in quarantine mixing freely in and around the pool area while the hotel’s bars and restaurants are open to the general public.
What remains unclear following the court hearing and the release of the statement is how the couple were cleared to enter the country when they were planning to visit for just 14 days — the period of quarantine — and that did not raise red flags for the Travel Cayman team.
In the statement officials revealed that three other breaches of quarantine are now under investigation and that the iMsafe quarantine technology is being reviewed.
“While a single breach of quarantine protocols is regarded as one too many, there are an additional three cases associated to breaches of quarantine at residence protocols which are under investigation,” Dr Tasha Ebanks-Garcia, Director of Travel Cayman, said.
“Following the quarantine breach, the Travel Cayman team convened a meeting to review and strengthen the current processes, and close any gaps in the system that could potentially be exploited,” officials said in the release. “Travellers will now have to pass through an additional checkpoint at the airport to confirm that the bracelet has been fitted correctly, to mitigate against tampering.”
According to Dr Ebanks-Garcia, 2,510 people have arrived in Cayman since 1 October and just over 1,000 of them were allowed to quarantine at home or approved accommodation using the wrist bands. It now appears that there have been at least three breaches of the rules surrounding home isolation.
Nevertheless, Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said most people had stuck to the rules. But given the fact that the team appears to have been unaware that the wristbands could be tampered with, the true number cannot be confirmed.
“In light of recent events, it is necessary to reinforce the message that persons subject to quarantine restrictions and that are found to be in breach of those restrictions will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Byrne said.
However, despite multiple breaches, the couple in this case were fined just $1,000 when the maximum fine is $10,000.
Public health officials have said the required investigations regarding contact tracing were undertaken and all of the necessary individuals contacted. They said that in this case there is no longer a public health concern.
Deputy Governor Franz Manderson defended the quarantine programme and pointed out how well Cayman is fairing compared to other countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Compared to other countries the Cayman Islands is doing exceedingly well at keeping the coronavirus at bay, and keeping our islands safe remains a top priority,” he said. “Breaches of the COVID-19 regulations will therefore not be tolerated and we will seek to prosecute all confirmed violations,” he added, as he urged all travellers and their friends and loved ones to comply with the restrictions to keep the islands safe.
Category: Crime, Health, Medical Health
If the bracelet contacts the phone via bluetooth, there are multiple ways the signal can be blocked. A lost signal is not proof of breach, it would be very difficult to prosecute. Visitors can also enter quarantine private residences undetected. For the system to be effective it has to rely on eye witnesses too. How for example is a service provider like a plumber or electrician supposed to know the person’s residence is a quarantine facility, no notices are placed on the entryways.
For the love of money. Funny how Michael Tibbetts and Kel Thompson’s new “reopen cayman campaign” Is attacking the government for operating with limited borders, with an aim to decrease economic losses sustained by their businesses due to the pandemic. The campaign fails to address the threat of community transmission and the virus if just a few of the life Sustaining tourist refuses to comply with the regulations like this couple. Leaving everyone in the island vulnerable to infection. Just like this couple did.
And the first person that was prosecuted (a local) for COVID breach was handed down a prison sentence. Justice isn’t blind!
CNS: For reference: First curfew breacher jailed
Was he a personal trainer though?
You ignore the hundreds if not thousands of cases that weren’t prosecuted at all. In the middle of lockdown I drove through Bodden Town and there were drunk people and police everywhere, it was like carnival. Total joke. Whilst I’ve no doubt this loser should be thrown off island and banned from ever returning this notion that we only prosecute our own is utterly laughable.
Why was he jailed, why weren’t these people??
Calm down, calm down! The man didn’t have covid and went out to the bins a few times. I think CNS bloggers need to get out and about themselves a bit more!
Listen fool @7:52 one trip to the garbage bin too many and by the way you must have been Cohabi hitting with them huh
They kept their garbage bins at the Marriott, the liquor store or supermarket ?
Bermuda’s Covid Ro rate was over 1 yesterday suggesting that it may be spreading. Worrying for them. Lets not do what they did.
https://www.gov.bm/articles/covid-19-press-statement-november-25-2020
2k is an absolute joke! They should have been made to pay 10k each and deported immediately after!!
and banned for life
Imagine if it was a Caymanian, we would be in prison
Or a Jamaican.
Passports Matter
What, like all those people who broke hard curfew you mean? Except only one person was, and he committed several other offences as well.
Does this guy have a dental license here? If he does what does our Medical Board have to say about criminal convictions relating to endangering people?
With multiple actions contrary to our law and his track record in Canada as set out in the comments below shouldn’t he be prohibited from coming back to Cayman ever?
Yes!
The Attorney General should consider appealing this sentence on the basis that it is unreasonably lenient.
Bermuda has more Covid local transmission today again. On top of that Pompano Beach Club is the latest Bermuda hotel to close after discovering that tourists don’t actually want to go there. Elbow Beach and Fairmont also closed.
Bermuda’s plan is definitely something Cayman should not emulate.
Has the Canadian government been notified?
Will this couple be declared persons non grata here in Cayman? We don’t need people of this calibre here.
these are things we should be protesting for. this Island don’t need anymore financially wealthy and morally bankrupt enitities roaming.
says who ?some bitter loser wo has time to read and comment on newspapers
“CNS has recently witnessed several people in quarantine mixing freely in and around the pool area while the hotel’s bars and restaurants are open to the general public”.
Really?!! Do hotel, restaurant, supermarket staff know what these bracelets look like, are they under standing instructions to contact the police if they see individuals wearing them?
GREAT comment!!! A PSA should be put out, for sure.
“where CNS has recently witnessed several people in quarantine mixing freely in and around the pool area while the hotel’s bars and restaurants are open to the general public”
Seriously? Has this been reported? So his is not about this couple breaking quarantine only but it looks like a common practice…
Who is going to take any of this seriously if all they get is $1k fine and have to leave a few days early? Interesting to see how much our health and safety is worth to the government.
This degenerate has no regard for his patients, the Cayman Islands, the law, here or abroad, or the world in general… AND, most beautiful of all, the Cayman Islands welcomed him with OPEN ARMS. The words pathetic degenerate, psychopath and maniac come to mind. When you look at his pictures here and on CMR, one may see someone who thinks that he is better and smarter than everyone else. This menace should be banned forever and never be allowed to step foot in the Cayman Islands again. XXXX
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/dentist-is-a-menace-disciplinary-board-claims
Big Pappa
Yet your pathetic boarder control policy allowed them in. How many do you think they had to deal with that day, 20. Sounds like maybe 20 to many. Too complicated…they must have had to.work
If you are going to throw the book at someone this is the person. Non- resident, dishonest and rude. Why did we show any leniency? Now we will feel pressured to prosecute the innocent offender
And carrying nothing about the welfare of residents.
‘Caymankind’ – yeah sure, XXXXX – arrogant, conceited, contemptuous, disgusting human beings that shouldn’t be allowed to ever land here again. That Mr Manderson would infer ‘not being tolerant’ instead of a hollow $1,000 fine, smh, job not well done 👎
There has to be some accountability for these serious failures.
Travel Cayman failed to properly screen the request for entry into the Cayman Islands. The individuals with responsibility for the iMsafe devices and technology also failed to properly monitor and administer the technology.
COVID-19 is a highly transmissible virus with many of the people that are infected being asymptomatic. This needs to be taken into consideration before making any statements in defense of the quarantine programme or any statements about the level of compliance with the rules and regulations.
Just how much risk have we been exposed to? Why isn’t the government giving us more information about these breaches (not just the Canadian couple but the other breaches as well)?
If the offenders are positive for Covid but asymptomatic, we won’t know if the virus has been re-introduced into the community Should we all be wearing masks again?
Why is there not more supervision and monitoring of at-home quarantine?
It’s time to let neighbours know about people in quarantine so they can keep an eye, in the interests of public safety.
TravelTime is to blame as well. They shouldn’t have approved someone to come here for 14 days. That was really stupid of them to believe that these people would stay in quarantine. They are here for 14 days and will stay 14 days in quarantine? Really? Who could be that stupid to believe that?
CIG must consider the fines imposed on locals who broke the lock-down orders. If those breaking quarantine are to be fined 1/10 of the maximum fine then everyone cited for lock-down breaches should be treated the same.
Yeah he looks like he knows everything.
So many idiots out there.
C’est la vie.
Why would they ever be allowed to Cayman? Obviously no respect for Cayman or it’s laws.
If that was a Jamaican national they wouldve crucified him. Lol
It’s working people. Please don’t try and “fix” it. Lots of stuff that ‘s not working. Complain about that. If you expected 100% You were dreaming.
WHERE ARE THE BRIEFINGS !!? This is ridiculous and obviously government doesn’t care too much because the prosecution was a slap on the wrist. Makes it seem like the government is not really for us?
Bermuda has 4 more community transmission cases today, including a baby, on top of the 6 hospital staff with Covid reported yesterday and even more reported last weekend.
https://www.royalgazette.com/health/news/article/20201125/two-new-cases-of-the-coronavirus-were-identified-in-560-test-results-received-by-the-ministry-of-hea/
There are 2 lessons there. First, Bermuda’s relatively lax system does not work. Second, things can go very wrong very quickly if controls limiting the importation of Covid are inadequate.
Bermuda also announced new restrictions today.
https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/caribbean-breaking-news-featured/bermudas-premier-fumes-over-covid-19-baby-case/
What new restrictions? They are doing the same thing incoming travellers it seems.
Read the links, decreased numbers meeting up etc etc
And the Travel Cayman team really didn’te see this coming…?
I hope this is lesson to others.
We are not monitoring prisoners and we expect persons to behave with a high level of responsibily. How difficult is that?
Thank you CIG. I still feel safe.
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/montreal-dentists-lawyers-keep-him-working-despite-many-complaints-of-improper-shoddy-work-and-fraud
People please read this link by 7:10 if you’re considering any empathy towards Mr Terjanian, seems the dentist chap is a quality grifter
If the person who broke our quarantine law is a Quebec dentist then their regulator would want to know:
http://www.odq.qc.ca/GeneralPublic/Discipline/tabid/281/language/en-US/Default.aspx
Why would the CIG add insult to injury by allowing these jerks the privilege to board a flight (along with with Covid-clear Caymanians) after only 10 days of failed quarantine protocols. They should have waited out their last four days in jail.
These nordiques have a place at regal beach and they get fined only $2000?
WTF
Studies in other countries have shown that with home quarantine about 20% do not comply and put other peoples lives at risk. There is no reason to expect that people arriving in Cayman will behave any differently. Our low detection rate probably means that there is little detective activity going on.
What ‘studies’? Sounds made up to me!
Lots of reports that quarantines are being breached. Here is one:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54346001
All residents of Quebec should require a special visa to come here
Everyone on Island has been generally ok with the quarantine and lockdown measures since this started and these two POS quebecois are allowed to roam free with a slap on the wrist?!
They put the entire Island at risk and gave the Cayman Islands a giant middle finger.
They should be in Northward.
I have heard several reports that the bracelets are put on so loosely that people can just slip them off, leave them on the night stand with the paired phone, and go off to mingle with the rest of us. On top of that most people I have talked to say that not once did anyone check on them.
Conversly, I understand that the few homeowners now in quarantine on the Brac are being monitored very well, and in continual rapport with the authorities. They like it here and are obeying all rules to the T. Let’s keep it that way. Good job authorities.
A quick Internet search shows just how much this ‘medical professional’ is thought of.
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/dentist-is-a-menace-disciplinary-board-claims/
If he has a license to practice here, it should be revoked as he and his partner show their contempt for the chief medical officer and the Cayman health system.
The judge in this case is also not sending a clear message. It should have been $1000 per breach at minimum. I count at least 4 separate incidents so at least $4000 fine would be the minimum penalty in my mind.
CNS You should have made it clear that the property managers discovered the breaches and reported them to TravelCayman.As for the wristbands just putting tin foil over them will render them useless.What we are seeing is just the tip of the iceberg and Dr Ebanks-Garcia needs to start more active random on site inspections if these breaches are to be reduced. This should be coupled with applying the maximum fines.
Anon thank you for telling everyone how to defeat the wrist band. Of course our monitoring team would see that the device is no longer responding and send the compliance team to investigate.
Anon exactly whose side are you on?
Yep, Travel Time had no clue that they were on the loose.
They definitely need to ensure consistent and proper monitoring. These could have been Super Spreaders and the folks at Regal Beach should be congratulated for reporting them.
As far as the other breaches, they are totally unacceptable. These are the ones we know of and clearly there could be more. Someone needs to be held accountable and ensure this never occurs again.
A shameful and disgusting act by these visitors.
Thanks to CIG for their swift action in getting this case to court.
Deport them!
Is that really true about foil on the wristbands..?
Old maple leafs’ again! They love to run this country.
These were jerks with long rap sheets. We should get a mirror and ask why does Cayman appeal to people like this?
Come on, It doesn’t take much to run rings around anything our govt. does.
PLEASE don’t judge Canadians by this pair of morons.
Speaking as a Canadian who loves Cayman and Caymanian people and fully appreciates every moment that I am blessed to spend in this country, I am fully in support of banning these two goofs from Cayman for as long as possible. They don’t deserve to be here.
If you are going to travel to another country, Cayman or otherwise, you need to abide by their laws and rules. Period.
They can go back North and freeze and think about what they have done.
Jamaicans and Hondurans alike would echo your same sentiment.
Armenian/French Canadien egotistical know it all dentist
I think the nationality is of little importance. A twat is a twat. End of.
I think I can speak for everyone: don’t bother ever coming back! Don’t need your kind here.
True dat. They should sell the condo and never return!
Unfortunately too many in the cayman islands are ecstatic about increasing the population to 100k and beyond, with this “kind”.
Amen
I think the entire reopening plan has been managed exceptionally well. The proof is no community transmission in months.
I wish to thank everyone in involved in keeping us safe. Thanks to the hotels who are being used as isolation facilities.
An excellent private sector/ public service partnership- we are all winning.
…and a big thank you to those many honorable people, with a sense of community duty, and respect, that actually follow the rules even when nobody is looking. You know who you are.
As one who has just experienced hotel isolation at the Holiday Inn it is worse than Northward, but very effective.This could not be in greater contrast than the self isolation option which is wide open to abuse.
Any idiot can take that wristband off without detection.
Even Mr. Biden?
5:30 I guess you did it.
On multiple occasions, yes.
Why is no one reporting that this man is a supposed “medical professional” that, in recent years, practised dentistry here in Cayman. Of all people to defy COVID rules, you would think a high risk (for COVID) professional would understand and avoid the risks. If he’s still licensed here, revoke it.
If that is correct and he now has a criminal conviction maybe somebody ought to report it to the professional body that licensed him in Quebec or wherever he is from. That will provide a further disincentive.
Maybe he understands the risks very clearly. After all he tested negative twice. What are your qualifications? Having said that, he broke the law, which is the issue at hand. Speaking of medical professionals, where is Dr. Lee?
#whereisdrlee
His new practice will soon be open locally. Dont worry
He’s a quack, lost his license fir 30 months in Canada for damaging patients,
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/dentist-is-a-menace-disciplinary-board-claims
he is a DENTIST!
French Canadian, hardly a surprise
No not correct. Armenian Canadian.
5:26 yup, lowest of the low.
Stop being racist. They’re all in the same boat!
So apart from being smug and arrogant also rude?
Armenian Canadian.
Armenian French Canadien, even worse.
Don’t come back you arrogant tooth pulling fool!
and there are still people who think we should open our borders for tourism!
Multiple breaches of quarantine and superiority complexes built on bank account balances and lavish lifestyles.
So said, so done. Ol’ stupid rock people wasn’t so fool after all, right?
We should!
how lenient of our judicial system to give these people a 1k fine each when they could have caused another Island lockdown. I hope every person who got a ticket during the lockdown are treated the same way regardless of the size of their bank account.
Do these people just don’t get it? Ignorance and lack of respect come from every US and Canadian abusers
Same on government and the judge for only fining them one thousand dollars when the law says 10,000. Why Cayman makes laws and don’t enforce them. Or only enforce them on certain people.
4:53 the Government doesn’t sentence persons the Judicial System does.
How could you get this wrong.
The laws were passed by the Government and enforced by the Government.
$1,000 to people who can afford to own a property at Regal beach isn’t much of a deterrent.
government needs to explain why didn’t the bands work. How did they breech so many times? why with so many breeches they weren’t fined the 10000? what a joke
How many locals were fined when stay at home orders were in place, yet many skirted around them? Does anyone remember?
and then I ask you: how to take this island seriously?
Only CIG cannot be taken seriously……… and perhaps a few thousand others.