Positive tests grow as $10k fine approved
(CNS): Cabinet has now approved and gazetted three updated regulations in the Public Health Law that will allow the courts from now on to impose a maximum $10,000 fine on people breaking COVID-19 isolation rules. The new higher fines come into effect as another five travellers tested positive for the virus on Friday and as concerns grow about quarantine breaches.
Medical Officer of Health Dr Samuel Williams-Rodriguez revealed the latest positive results for this week from a batch of 357 coronavirus tests carried out over the last day. This means that there were 13 new cases of COVID-19 among travellers this week.
Four of the new group are asymptomatic but one is showing symptoms. All five people will remain in isolation. There are currently 20 active cases of the virus among those quarantining, three of whom are now symptomatic. One person has been showing symptoms for several weeks.
The total number of people in home isolation or a government facility is pending, but with the arrival of the BA flight this evening, it is expected to be in excess of 1,000 people, most of whom are using the iMsafe technology at their homes.
A Canadian couple were fined $1,000 each this week after multiple quarantine breaches during a brief two-week stay here, but the enactment of the new regulations will now allow the court in any future cases of quarantine breach to significantly increase the fine to as much as $10,000 or even jail them for up to two years.
It has been confirmed that at the time the couple were fined the increased fine was not yet implemented, though legislators had passed the new law. With this change now reflected in regulations, from Friday the courts will be able to impose the maximum penalty allowed by law when sentencing offenders.
The regulations currently expire on 31 January 2021 but can be renewed if the current isolation rules remain in place.
CNS note: GIS advised the media on Sunday that the latest Public Health Regulations took effect upon publication on Friday rather than Monday, as previously informed. The article has been amended accordingly.
Category: Health, Medical Health
Overall Governments aren’t acting fast enough to adapt to changing environments. You have everyone up in arms about this latest breach from someone who has apparently already had Covid and now has antibodies, much the same as a vaccination. Yes you can get it twice, but so far, all I can find is 25 cases worldwide, which is statistically zero. The individual broke the current rules, which may be outdated in their approach. They will likely need to change to quarantine, or have a positive antibody test, or have a vaccination, if we are going to get back to any sort of normality before 2022. If your only answer is ‘quarantine everyone in a hotel for 2 weeks’ then you have to think a bit further ahead to how do we end the quarantine requirements.
Sorry but no matter what you believe or dont believe in and science and statistics aside, this person was fully aware of and agreed to the rules to enter the Cayman Islands per the law and fulfill 14 days quarantine . Full stop. And then broke that law.
No different from being fully aware of any other law and then wilfully setting out to break it. Black and white, no ifs, ands or buts.
The fine should be for EACH breach.
Time to call Capn Kirkonnell out for his crimes against Caymanians! He is obviously not going to stop till we all get infected with this Virus. Just because he need money$$$$ to stay afloat. Yet another catastrophic failure of this ImSafe scam being perpetrated by unknown entities.What happened to the units on the Cubans or is that a secret too???
What cycle are they running these PCR tests at? And when is everybody that is too scared to come out from behind their sofa going to accept that they’re being played? The inventor of the PCR tests has himself stated they are NOT reliable diagnostic devices.
CNS: Fact check: Inventor of method used to test for COVID-19 didn’t say it can’t be used in virus detection (Reuters)
There are numerous lawsuits challenging their efficacy. The Portugese Courts have already ruled that they must be stopped.
CNS: True, but the reaction by Portugese scientists should be noted (see here)
this is a case-demic, NOT a pandemic. A positive test means pretty much sweet f*ck all.
stop the panic. Where is the flu gone? Why have all cause mortalities not raised?
when are you going to open your eyes?
what has become of us.
CNS: The latter part of this comment is a mishmash of covid-is-the-flu, covid-is-a-hoax cosnspiracy theories. Here is a graph that might help explain.
Here is another link to explain excess deaths.
the Lady at the weekend will only be fined $1000 as well as the $10k is not in effect till Monday 30th Nov
CNS: GIS has now said that the new regulations came into effect on Friday. I’ve added a note at the bottom.
She will still only be fined $1000.00. Guaranteed.
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Government is playing with peoples lives. stop it.
re open the government facility if people (idiots some obviously) want to come in.
Imagine if my two daughters caught the virus because of the stupid idiot watching wave runners Sunday?
The only way to adequately protect the residents of the Cayman Islands is to require that all incoming travelers quarantine in the government run facilities. If we are not going to make this a requirement the government should inform the public that they should immediately start preparing for the increased possibility of another lockdown.
S/b $10k per breach/mofo /interaction…visit 10 friends/clicked glasses…KYD$100,000. Red Solo Cup Booze cruise DJ party with 500 others…you better sit down 😱
Max fine in Canada is $1m, just sayin…
If I have a condo on SMB and come in on a private jet or charter flight,a $1000.00 or $10,000.00 fine makes no difference. The real deterrent is whether I think I will, and will actually be caught.
Simple government takes condo/house.
True-ish. The big part of any conviction is the criminal record that goes with it. Shall we hope that there are no ‘no conviction recorded’ orders?
When are we going to start mandatory day of departure testing so that we can minimize the number of cases of Covid we are importing????
We should all be grateful for how little this virus has affected us so far. In Bermuda they have had community spread affecting their hospital staff.
http://coronavirus.bernews.com/bhb-six-employees-test-positive-for-covid-19/
More laws and fines that will only be enforced against locals….god forbid with jeopardize our international real estate and banking image. And the Pigs in Power continue to get paid.
Against locals? The ones that broke quarantine were foreigners… so shouldn’t it be that these rules are enforced for everyone.
The Canadian ones were and they were fined all of $1k fora pretty much continuous breach…now lets see what Caymanians get.
Ha, no one gives a …., and no one is held accountable in Cayman especially lodge Policiations
I am pleased that the 10K fine and 2 years in prison have been approved both for people breaking quarantine by leaving their accommodations as well for people who visit people in quarantine.
In comparison with Bermuda which tried lax regulations with reduced quarantine period and now has community spread, schools closed and hospital workers infected, we are doing relatively well.
https://www.royalgazette.com/news/article/20201128/middle-school-hit-by-covid-19-to-shift-to-remote-learning/
https://www.royalgazette.com/health/news/article/20201128/covid-19-one-in-hospital-four-new-cases/
I know that there is pressure on government to do what Bermuda has done and let the virus in but hopefully government will continue to resist that stupidity.
So you’re going to throw links out there without reading them? The cases that Bermuda have, are not tourists or travel related: “As yet, these cases appear unrelated, with no links to travel or the current known clusters.”
So there goes that theory!
Homer – no links to travel or known clusters means community spread – can you say ‘D’Oh!’
Bermuda has just about the same active cases as Cayman. The only difference is that their island is open. The new cases in Bermuda are not tourist related.
Ridiculous – where do you think they came from – out of thin air? Of course cases were imported and then spread in the community.
Procrastination is the thief of time. Was there any delay with the LGBTQ /Partnership law? No! More important than Covid for sure.
Um, there was like a 10 year delay…
Crazy, just crazy like trying to get the c-virus in the community
The report stated that the five infected individuals will be placed in isolation. Is isolation a different regiment than quarantine?. Supposedly all the other travelers and crew were required to quarantine. I mean like; they told us that travelers were suppose to present a negative test before being allowed to travel, and that do not seem to be required if someone was showing symptoms a week prior but was allowed to come to cayman!.
So the Canadians got the max fine possible, because Cabinet hadn’t gotten around to Gazetting the new regulations which were announced weeks ago, WTF do they do all day?
Not much when the average day starts with a meat patty and TikTok.
Work at their private businesses.
Everybody blamed the judge but he was powerless to impose a $10,000 fine, the blame clearly lies with Cabinet which had not got around to approving the new regulations.