Security beefed up, over 1,500 people isolating

| 09/12/2020 | 28 Comments

(CNS): Security at government’s COVID-19 quarantine locations has been stepped up after a man managed to escape from what was supposed to be a secure facility on Sunday. Public concern is growing with the rising number of people in government quarantine or home isolation, which reached 1,572 on Tuesday, the highest number since the limited border opening on 1 October. One more person has also tested positive for the virus, bringing the total number of active cases to 24.

Officials said there are now 16 security officers monitoring the exterior of government quarantine facilities after five more were added.

Medical Officer of Health Dr Samuel Williams-Rodriguez said he was aware of the concerns about the latest isolation breach but that contact tracing had taken place and all necessary individuals were contacted. During this process public health officials determine if any further steps are required. In this particular case, he said, there is no longer a public health concern.

“The public can rest easy that we will always act promptly and to the highest standards,” said Dr Williams-Rodriguez. “As always, I want to reiterate the importance of adhering to the policies and guidelines in place for the safety of the public, especially those laws around isolation orders. We must all be accountable for our actions and be responsible for doing our part to protect the wider community,” he added in a press release about the most recent breach of COVID-19 isolation protocols..  

The traveller who breached quarantine is required to complete their isolation period under 24-hour security, as per the Public Health Law, and has been warned for intended prosecution. The RCIPS is currently investigating the incident and a completed file will be sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) for a decision.

Travel Cayman Director Dr Tasha Ebanks-Garcia confirmed that a security detail was on the property 24 hours each day when the breach had occurred.

“Prior to the breach security officers were stationed on each floor where there are travellers, with one security officer on the outside of each exit,” she said. “An RCIPS officer is also on duty at all times and the RCIPS vehicle is parked in front of the facility.” She also noted that security vehicle patrols are conducted every 30 minutes and there is an interchanging rotation among the security officers every fifteen minutes.

While no one in Cayman is hospitalised with the virus, five people are currently suffering symptoms. On Tuesday Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee said the latest traveller to test positive for the virus was asymptomatic. That test was one of 377 tests carried out over the last day, the rest of which were negative.

Cayman now has a running tally of 292 positive cases of coronavirus since testing began, having carried out 55,240 tests.


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Comments (28)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Why are we allowing so many people to come in?
    I can understand having a few hundred in quarantine, but why over 1500?

  2. Anonymous says:

    Again CIG need to release more detailed explanations of what has occurred and what security has been increased. – if you were already watching all of the exits what did they do jump out a window? And what have you done? Barricade the windows?

  3. Anonymous says:

    Dear lord, maintaining security inside a hotel should be that difficult.
    • no one should get ground-floor room if there is an outside exit (the higher the floor, the better)
    • a security guard at each elevator and stairwell
    • no room key given….walk out that room and you’re locked out. No denying that breach!
    • random occupancy checks as an extra layer of security. It can be by FaceTime even as long as camera is on.

    $10,0000 fine AND imprisonment for anyone that breaches for even a second. Zero tolerance. No more playing games. Make it automatic so no stupid judges can throw discretion in there.

    • Anonymous says:

      Discretion should have no place in this matter! The fine and incarceration should be MANDATORY! Bleeding heart judges listening to whining babies (when caught) always destroy a good thing, and in this case it could cost one or more of us our lives.

      NO DISCRETION!

  4. Anonymous says:

    So between the deterrents of CIG imposing and getting paid significant fines for breaches OR expending money on more security…CIG went with the expense…well all good as long as there’s still enough money for Alden and the CheapPunks salaries.

  5. Anonymous says:

    The guards earn what $10 an hour are they really bothered!

    But what about the home isolators no one guarding them, maybe stop them and just use the hotels unless medically necessary.

  6. Anonymous says:

    People keep panicking about the breachers. Ask yourself, despite all the problems, has the virus spread and brought the country to its knees. The answer is no. that’s because 99.99999999% of the quarantined are not carrying any virus. And those that are will not be asymptomatic nor contagious. The very few that unfortunately have clear symptoms or worse – they are not trying to escape anywhere.

    Calm down everyone. We can get thru this

    • Anonymous says:

      Couple of issues with your post: It is possible to be asymptomatic and still be contagious. It’s also very clear that you are not good at math and pulled that % number out of thin air – we have had travelers testing positive almost every week.

      The reason the country has not been ‘brought to its knees’ is thanks in part to the rules that are in place. People need to do their part and sacrifice their freedom (temporarily) for the good of all. If they cannot do that, then they can stay wherever they are.

    • Anonymous says:

      An asymptomatic positive means the host is shedding viral RNA, so it does not give any reading on contagiousness. Everyone inbound has attested that they understand the rules and signed a contract. We are doing as well as we are from having done the testing, and months of difficult lockdown work in our community, that few other places have bothered to do. If anyone is coming here without sensitivity to that sacrifice, cost, or appreciation of how rare that is (anywhere), then they can take a hike. We have done well without the Breitbart alt-facts and persistently false “flu” comparisons.

    • Anonymous says:

      So if the odds are 1 in 10,000,000,000 then why do we have 78?
      have we had 780,000,000,000 quarantine people?

      Mathematics wasn’t your strong point was it.

    • Anonymous says:

      Are you a Dr of some sort ? It’s this type of arrogance that causes mass amount of people to get sick. FFS, we are in the middle of a pandemic that as killed nearly 300,000 people (including young with no underlying conditions) in less than a year. Medical workers around the world are tired. Get your facts straight.

    • Anonymous says:

      8:36am please sir/ma’am do not, I repeat, do not reproduce.

    • Anonymous says:

      Your math is wrong. With 1572 people in quarantine and 24 people known to have the virus that’s 1.53%. This to me signifies a real risk to the population of Cayman if people are breaking quarantine.

  7. Cayman Night Traveller says:

    For the education of Dr Tasha Ebanks-Garcia who prior to her appointment as Director of Travel Cayman had no experience in quarantine management or security I wish to comment as follows.
    I stayed at the Holiday Inn quarantine facility in the last 2 weeks of October and for some unfathomable reason was put in a ground floor room overlooking the golf course. For the fist week I never saw any security patrols outside my ground floor “balcony”. They were instituted for the second week after an “incident” as advised to me by hotel staff,, evidently a serious security breach but hushed up by the authorities.The point I wish to make is that I could have hopped over the low railing on my “balcony” any time after dinner was delivered (left on a table outside the room), for a night on the town, returning the same way,and no-one would have known as nobody ever carries out a room check to ensure someone is inside. Just time your outing right after the patrol has passed (hourly whilst I was there).For the whole 16 days I was in my room I never saw or spoke to anyone except on the last day when we had our Covid test.

    • Anonymous says:

      Cayman continues to appeal to and harbour dishonest criminal-minded people. When we came in, we didn’t need a guard at all because (a) we’d assumed we could have been positive without knowing, (b) had signed a contract, and (c) wouldn’t have considered exposing anyone until we knew we had tested clear after 15th day. We’d also previously honorably completed months of lockdown here without attending secret prohibited drinking gatherings, doggie meet and greets, nanny and helper visits, non-name day shopping, fake fishing trips, and other lowlife activity we chronicled during the hard lockdown. The narcissists that inspect their own honesty armour for kinks they could exploit are the real covidiots that don’t go away even after this is all over.

    • Anonymous says:

      Thank you for being responsible.

    • Anonymous says:

      I did just that. Several times. Yet still no spread.

  8. Anonymous says:

    ENOUGH ALREADY! The courts have demonstrated that the law is a JOKE, so now it’s time to send a DETERRENT MESSAGE!! CI $10,000 fines AND 2 years at hard labour, paying for their own incarceration for being a stupid and inconsiderate DUMBASS!

    • Anonymous says:

      Better yet, relocate all Northward Prisoners to the Holliday Inn and use Northward Prison for quarantine facilities. Only need one guard at the gate to let them out when they test negative after 14 days.

  9. Anonymous says:

    are we missing something. you hire a security company who has allowed people.to leave? has this been bidded? funny just like the cctv

  10. Anonymous says:

    Spending millions on security, almost none of which would be needed if there was effective enforcement.

    • Anonymous says:

      Or people willing to comply with our regulations rather than display their contempt for our safety.

      • Anonymous says:

        If they believe they will be strictly punished for any breaches, the willingness to comply will increase exponentially.

        • Anonymous says:

          Just as in society there are criminals who break the law even though they know they could go to jail, there are people in quarantine who will break the law too. There are far more law abiding citizens who do more than they are asked to do without a word of complaint. When all of this is behind us, let’s bring the same fervour we have for those breaking quarantine to those who abuse children or beat their partners.

          • Anonymous says:

            All are scum. We as a society apply no fervor in our disdain for any of the categories you mention.

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