Officials deny additional isolation breaches

| 22/02/2021 | 33 Comments

(CNS): Two people have been placed in quarantine and could be facing prosecution after visiting a yard where an unspecified number of travellers were in COVID isolation on Cayman Brac recently. However, officials have denied reports of two other separate breaches over the last two weeks on Grand Cayman. In the Brac case, the unauthorised visitors were nabbed during a routine compliance visit to the family in isolation.

“On instructions from the Medical Officer of Health, the persons visiting have been placed in quarantine and have been tagged with monitoring devices,” officials said.

The visitors and the people in quarantine are under investigation by the RCIPS and officials have said that a completed file will be sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for a decision when the inquiries are complete.

It is believed that the police have opened almost a dozen investigations since the law was changed to impose a possible two-year jail term and a $10,000 fine for those breaching coronavirus isolation protocols. However, since the prosecution of Skylar Mack and VJ Ramgeet, who were both jailed for two months, no outcomes of any of the other investigations have been revealed.

This includes a teenage boy who breached quarantine rules twice back in December and who, it appears, will not be facing any consequences. Earlier this month Governor Martyn Roper said the investigations were ongoing but some were complex, as he asked for the public to be patient.

So far, it appears that no one who has breached isolation has been positive with the virus. In this case, as on previous occasions where breaches have been reported, Public Health has engaged in primary contact tracing protocols and found no cause for concern that the virus could have been transmitted.

Officials reminded the public and travellers that anyone that is found to be in an apparent breach of the mandatory quarantine provisions will be warned for intended prosecution.

Meanwhile, Travel Cayman, which manages the isolation programme to keep the virus out of the community, recently launched a public confidential hotline for people to report suspected quarantine breaches. The number is 943-7233 (943 SAFE) and is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by the Travel Cayman team.


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Category: Crime, Health, Medical Health, Police

Comments (33)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    He “will not be facing any consequences…??!! WTF!! That is crap!! I am Caymanian to the core and I don’t carry the us/them torch but I know it when I encounter it from both sides. So, to me it’s not about that. It’s about justice, dammit!! I was all for Skylar being prosecuted and paying the price. You tell me this Lodge Government with all it’s legal people, players and payers will blatantly sweep a more serious breach under the rug because poor baby is allegedly ADHD (so what) and allegedly mommy is a senior Government Officer??!!!

    This is TOO much!!

    I pray the UK’s Anti-Corruption team will come here next and drain this swamp!!! Damn, this even has me quoting Donald Trump!! Now I’ve had it!!

  2. Anonymous says:

    I want to know why the only breaches that have faces plastered all over the news are expats? and don’t mention the Ramgeet boy as he would have never seen the light of day if it wasn’t for Skylar.

  3. DANIEL JOHNS says:

    CNS: Daniel, comments made in all caps are routinely deleted. Just keep the caps lock off.

  4. Anonymous says:

    CNS what happened to the reportedly positive man who broke out of quarantine twice?

    CNS: Read the article. All the way through.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Corruption in Cayman Is. is just as common as drinking water, no one cares how much one drinks.

  6. Anonymous says:

    easy solution.
    the location of all home quaraninteeners should be made public.
    members of the the public can then get a reward if they provide evidence of breaches.

  7. Anonymous says:

    All they do is lie so why would any of us in the community believe them?

    • Anonymous says:

      And therein is the real damage from Doctors Express , Trainer gate and the 19 year old double escapee. People see double standards in the application of the rules – leads inevitably to a complete disregard for the rules by everyone else. We have arrived at a point where even sensible health advice just gets treated as a) biased or suspect and b) something you can completely ignore without consequences – for you at least. The combination of Dr Lee’s questionable ethics, Dwayne Seymour s less than questionable ethics and Alden’s wholehearted political expediency over Speakergate means the public have zero confidence in anything promulgated by them, even the stuff that has merit and serious implications for public health.

  8. Anonymous says:

    The lack of accurate and timely information about past breaches has resulted in significant distrust between the public and the government. Whatever happened with the you lad that breached quarantine twice? I hope the DPP is is not somewhere that these issues go to get die an unnatural death.

  9. Anonymous says:

    The Brac incident allegedly involves two persons here on work permit – a nurse at Faith Hospital XXXX and her husband XXXX.

    The simple fact that a person who works in a hospital would willfully and recklessly endanger the public by violating the protocols/rules shows that she has absolutely no regard for those of us in the community.

    Seems to be a very easy decision to make – terminate her employment, put in prison, and send out country. Nurses can be replaced XXXX.

    As for those at the house they were visiting – need to fine them, put in prison and deport.

    This sends a strong message to those who WILLFULLY AND RECKLESSLY ENDANGER others. If you can’t play by our rules then bye, so long and farewell.

    • Anonymous says:

      You better believe that if she was my employee I’d fire her! Her head would spin with how quick she’d be fired. Obviously, she can’t use good judgment and who wants an employee, especially a nurse, that is reckless!

      • CantBelieveIT! says:

        This is very sad and unbelievably irresponsible no matter the circumstances or excuses she and her husband would have. I am saddened and disappointed as a Bracker and an acquaintance of this lady and her husband. All i can say it’s very hard to believe! The law is the law no matter how much you try to twist or try to be compassionate with this it seems no way that this can be overlooked and is blatantly just plain irresponsible and unjust. I pray for her and her husband. Never do i wish wrong on anyone but what someone do to their selves is on them.

  10. Fed up says:

    The governments lying Covid policy deny until undeniable proof is provided then make up a bunch of excuses we are sick and tired of these covid deniers coming here and doing as they feel and our govt cover it their BS. Constantly putting others a grave risk and all we can here what great joe they are doing!

  11. Anonymous says:

    How are you supposed to know if you are consorting with the quarantined? They need to wear yellow stars.

    • Anonyminniemouse says:

      Anti-Semitic comments are never a good way to make a point. They are not clever, funny or cool. The only thing you achieved here, is that you showed the world what kind of person you really are.

      • Anonymous says:

        How is that Anti-Semitic? It is excellent use of irony, although in poor taste. It does not in any way convey anti-semitism. It does however convey anti-fascism.

    • Anonymous says:

      Everyone in home quarantine has the tracking bracelet. That would be a pretty big clue that you’re “consorting with the quarantined”.

  12. anon says:

    Is it the police or the Prosecutor’s office that is responsible for these inordinate delays in pursuing these cases, they can’t be that complicated.Feet dragging is a speciality of all Government services.

  13. Anonymous says:

    In the Brac case it is understood that one of the “unauthorized visitors” is a member of staff at Faith Hospital. Could that person have been present to render medical assistance?

    • Anonymous says:

      Hmmn, why would she be personally rendering medical assistance with her husband?
      Oh yes, I forgot, Cayman Brac does not have any ambulances or any EMT’s on duty.

  14. Anonymous says:

    Personal trainergate set the tone from early.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Government (oh wait, do we have one since it was “dissolved”) needs to be held accountable for the disparate treatment involved with prosecuting these breaches. The case of the boy who allegedly broke out twice, while COVID POSITIVE, to go to the gym and Cotton Club MUST be dealt with. We cannot have two systems of justice in Cayman, one for the family of high raking civil servants/govt officials and one for everybody else. We need to be better…

  16. Anonymous says:

    Junior airline staff should not be adjudicating senior public health decisions as “essential travel” gatekeepers for Travel Time. Until we pull that authority from Cayman Airways, and put it back into trustworthy hands, we perpetuate this dangerous conflict-based farce. We shouldn’t be surprised to hear there are determined travelers still gaming such a flawed all-expenses-paid honor system.

    • Anonymous says:

      What makes you think that you need to demonstrate the travel is essential? There is no requirement to demonstrate that- the only issues are whether there are any seats left and whether you have the ability to quarantine at home – either alone or with family who will do the work too- or need the government facility (and whether there is space). That’s it. Just logistics- no need to demonstrate need.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Wtf happened with the kid that broke out twice?!

  18. Anonymous says:

    Well, seeing as breaches don’t move past “being investigated”, it doesn’t much matter. What a joke!

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