Over 7,000 more people need vaccine for border opening

| 16/04/2021 | 77 Comments
Vaccines given at the ORIA clinic

(CNS): According to the latest figures from Public Health, 33,808 people have been received the first shot of the COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, or 52% of the population. With just 264 people being vaccinated over the last day, the numbers are slowing again and stalling at around half of the population. Cayman needs at least another 7,000 people to be vaccinated before what had been the previous government’s target of between 75-80% of the population protected before the borders open without risking a potential return of the coronavirus here.

Meanwhile, two more travellers tested positive for the virus over the last day and are among 24 active cases of COVID-19, with three people suffering symptoms. There are currently 669 people in either government quarantine or home isolation.


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Category: Health, Medical Health

Comments (77)

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  1. Annie says:

    We have the vaccine. We know vaccinated persons can neither contract nor spread the virus. Let Vaccinated tourists to travel here. If you are still afraid quarantine for a day or two.

  2. Anonymous says:

    There needs to an incentive to inspire people to get vaccinated.
    For expats offer a 2nd pension fund withdrawal from those grossly incompetent overcharging underperforming pensions.
    For Caymanians offer a KYD1000 grocery store debit/gift card.

  3. Anonymous says:

    I don’t think we should open the borders until at least 80% of the population can spell it correctly.

    • Anonymous says:

      Haha. It amazes me how many people I know (well educated people!) who spell it “boarder”. And that this problem did not identify itself until this past year.

  4. Anonymous says:

    There are some very good suggestions here for how to increase access to the vaccine for working people.

    Another idea is to think about how people who choose not to get vaccinated and subsequently require expensive medical treatment. Why should those costs be passed on to the rest of us for what is essentially a serf-inflicted problem?

    • Anonymous says:

      Some people truly can’t be helped. There are staunch anti-vaxxers on this island as well as people who don’t trust this particular vaccine. The whole population should not be punished for the few who will never be convinced to get it.

  5. Anonymous says:

    I’m guessing it has been really hard for construction workers to get to the site. Can the “free bus” collect workers from the big sites at the end of the day and shuttle them to the airport? That should capture a lot of people.

    And we need to set a date of re-opening. I’m sure that will incentivize the holdouts to go get vaccinated!

    • Anonymous says:

      Bus is an excellent idea. Be helpful to have some regional vaccination as well for those who have difficulty in travelling in to town.

    • Anonymous says:

      The government should have a plan to reopen that includes the action(s) that will be taken in the event where virus detections increase. You can’t stay closed forever. Unfortunately, the political bs is now in the way. The cry babies can’t accept the loss and the borders are going to be held hostage.

  6. Anonymous says:

    There are still people who desperately want it but through no fault of their own are having difficulty with the opening hours. Open all weekend, until 10pm with no lunch breaks, and let’s give them a chance to get it done! The need is there but it’s not being met, much to these peoples’ frustration.

    • Anonymous says:

      I find that hard to believe. It was open from 5pm to 7:45pm on Tuesday for example

      • Anonymous says:

        It’s called lazy. Unfortunately these are the same people who scream expats take their jobs.

      • Anonymous says:

        Trying having to work late in outer districts and no car. Its happening.

        • Anon says:

          Saturday’s they are open almost all day, so….. and the buses run all day Saturday. Quit making excuses and get it done.

    • Anonymous says:

      Should be open everyday from 7-5 and the government must demand every employer let their staff get vaccinated at some point during the day. 3 hour lunch break twice. Done.

    • Horny says:

      6.40am I am not exactly clear what you are talking about, is it the vaccination or something else?.

    • Annie says:

      I have a car, and I take for granted that I can easily get to work, or the grocery store But, that is not the reality for many people. I think this poster has a point.

  7. Sea Wood says:

    Please get the shot!
    If not for you own health and safety then perhaps to do your part to open up these islands again!

    • Anonymous says:

      … If not for you own health and safety…
      LOL
      Thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, already have cancer, neurological, autoimmune, autonomic conditions, genetic polymorphisms of all sorts that make them high risk for all kind of health issues in addition to what they already have, including deaths, from so called immune boosters used under Emergency authorization.

      Think before you comment next time.

      By the way, FL was never in a lockdown or required a quarantine and is doing just fine. I am 72, from Barcelona, visiting my son in Miami. My husband is 76. This is our 3d visit since 2020. We are not going to vaccinate.

      It is your paranoid government that keeps you locked.

      • Anonymous says:

        Florida is never fine.

      • Anonymous says:

        I think it is fair to say you have been lucky so far.

      • Sea Wood says:

        Good luck hope you avoid COVID. I had it last September. Was down 5 days fever, lost sense of smell. Felt terrible. Only place I felt comfortable was in bed.

        Just had my second vaccine dose 3 weeks ago.

        Don’t underestimate this plague.

        I am sure now I’m not Superman.

      • Anonymous says:

        I agree having spent many months in the USA over the past 12 months it seems all here in the bubble have a misconception of what it is really like.
        It is and never has been that bad!

      • Bouche says:

        So how do you explain lockdowns in UK, Italy, Australia, Canada, etc etc. nearly every country has had lockdowns. You obviously have some kind of hatred for our country, so I don’t know why you are even on this website. Go back to Spain and pray that you get lucky without the vaccine, by riding on the backs of everyone else who vaccinated and keeps you safe.

      • Sing says:

        If you want to be wrong follow the masses “Socrates “
        It won’t matter anymore viral shedding will get us all

      • Anonymous says:

        I appreciate your stand. No vaccine for me or my family.

      • Ike says:

        Note? You’re a visitor in Florida. Florida isn’t doing fine because they don’t have requirements or because you are good. Florida’s cases are rising and at record levels.

    • Anonymous says:

      Oh please stop with the emotional blackmail. It is the right of every individual to choose.

  8. Anonymous says:

    The new Government needs to set a date for reopening and if the rest want to take their chances without a vaccine, so be it. They just need to be clear that there will be outbreaks and that we are not locking down again. You get sick, tough shit… you had plenty of time to get a free jab.

    • Anonymous says:

      I rolled in 7.55pm Tuesday night and was given the jab within 2 mins and was out in 15. Very easy. They should by now be going out to job sites and offices to give the vaccine.

    • Anonymous says:

      Lets see how that goes when our hospital and ICU is overwhelmed. Bermuda has over 800 active cases right now with a population similar to ours.

  9. Anonymous says:

    I think it should be the choice of an individual Caymanian to get or not get the vaccine.

    I also think it should be a requirement for all new work permits or renewals that the individual is vaccinated.

    I also think it should be a requirement for all individuals that accept the $1500 a month tourism industry stipend be vaccinated.

    • Anonymous says:

      All work permit holders but not all Caymanians? Are you serious??
      The medicals for work permit renewals are discriminatory already. Don’t add to this human rights failure.

  10. anonymous says:

    Perhaps it should be requirement for work permit holders be required to prove vaccination status. If not vaccinated the work permit should not be renewed. Since this is a pandemic that will affect the economic well being of Cayman in both the short and long term there should also be consideration of amending current work permits with a stipulation that a specified time frame would be allowed to obtain the vaccination and if not the work permit holder has the choice to return to their home country or be vaccinated. Work permit holders are required to have other medical tests and clearances done before being granted a work permit and this in many ways is no different.

  11. Anonymous says:

    The HSA has no one else to blame but themselves. The people that wanted to get their shots done got so fed waiting on their last name, day of the week etc not to mention the stupidity of closing at lunch time when people go or worse opening at 9am when everyone is at work and closing at 5pm when people got of work.

    • Anonymous says:

      I am not prepared to say anything against the HSA because i feel they have done a great job to this point of managing the process.

      But i agree to quickly get us over the top they should not offer the shots on a Monday/Tuesday one week and instead open Saturday/Sunday. Add to that instead of 9-5, one or two days should be 12-8.

    • Meme says:

      Have you looked at the hours for vaccines? You need to look at the schedule before complaining. They are now open to everyone, and they are open late on weeknights, during lunch hours, and all day Saturday’s. Go to the website and do a little research before you stir people up with false complaints.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Serious question. How would a border reopening actually be in our interest? Why is that something we should be pursuing?

    More minimum wage employment, especially for imported workers, is simply not a rational basis for any of the risks associated.

    • Anonymous says:

      I reason would be to have access to medical.
      You do realize that we are missing specialist visits from Doctors here because that can’t come in!

      • Anonymous says:

        You realize that many of those doctors have chosen not to be based here. Many of them seek to benefit from our economy and insurance laws, while refusing to make Cayman their home and competing with the many excellent doctors who have. If there is a specialization not available here, most patients can still access it overseas.

        How many local lives are you willing to sacrifice by opening?

        • Anonymous says:

          But there lies the problem:how does one get overseas to seek urgent medical treatment when the borders are closed?..we are going round in circles here..
          How many people have had to postpone treatment or not seen a specialist due to the current lack of flights and strict quarantine rules?quite a lot I think…

          • Anonymous says:

            Ummm, anyone that needs to go to access medical treatment, can. The border is not THAT closed.

            • Anonymous says:

              But not that easily…I have 2 children under 16 which means they would have to quarantine alongside me on my return for up to 15 days..they can’t realistically miss that much school and what about work?
              I am not talking about leisure trips,I am talking about essential travel or work travel which sometimes is essential.

              • Anonymous says:

                If you open the border your children will be missing a lot more school. We might even kill an older teacher or two, or that nice lady that cleans the classroom in the evenings.

                I do not mean to make light of individual circumstances. There are compelling cases for which controlled exemptions can be made, or for which special accommodations can and should be provided.

                But opening the border so someone can come on vacation for a week, or so I can go to Dadeland Mall, is madness in the circumstances.

                • Anonymous says:

                  Do you realize the US has a strong vaccination program? Most states are substantially lowering Covid numbers daily, starting to drop mandates and by July 4 most of the US will be without mandates and basically everything will be open? People are traveling. There is going to be a traveling boom this summer. If you want us to come visit, open up. If you don’t want us to visit, stay closed , but us vaccinated people are traveling.

    • Anonymous says:

      Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent throughout the economy by visitors to Cayman. This money flows to all aspects of the economy, such as AC businesses, hotels, restaurants, rental properties, watersports etc. It is concerning that people with the level of economic illiteracy like yourself seem to be influencing government policy on border re-opening.

      • Anonymous says:

        Ummm, all the businesses you mention are owned by by expatriates, or a small local oligarchy. They employ very few locals. Please provide a sensible answer to a serious and sensible question.

    • Anonymous says:

      9:52……are you really that frigging clueless? Lord have mercy.

      It is in our interest for a variety of reasons! Here are three BIG ones:
      – You think Government just keeps printing money or can you realize how much of a blow the budget is taking without tourism income?
      – Caymanians have health issues that require them and/or their doctors traveling.
      – Students need to come/go on their breaks

      • Anonymous says:

        It is the financial services industry that is printing money for the people and government. The contributions from tourism are relatively nominal, and (except at the high end) bring significant negative issues.

        • Anonymous says:

          There isn’t a single negative issue from tourism that outweighs the economic benefits. You are a fool.

          • Anonymous says:

            Overcrowding, derisory and unstable wages, mass importation of poverty, garbage, environmental stresses, traffic, displacement of locals from beaches etc. all for what in return for the local (Caymanian) people?

    • Anonymous says:

      Dumbest comment I think I’ve read in a while… think about it for a second. Island is shut and we have no tourism. Many Caymanians are employed in tourism. Government is paying tourism workers out of the public purse. I think if you can add 2 and 2 together, you can see why we need to have tourism back.

      • Anonymous says:

        Umm, for more than a year NO Caymanians have been employed in tourism. When they wore, their wages were usually subsistence level. Much better and more lucrative opportunities are available, and many have taken advantage of them. Some elements of the economy, that play a much bigger part than tourism, are booming. We can succeed and even thrive without the mass market crap that sullied our environment and quality of life.

        • Anonymous says:

          Who do you think owns all these companies that benefit from cruise and on island tourism? There are plenty of Caymanians suffering from the loss of this important pillar of our economy.

  13. Annie says:

    Because all of the logical, educated and sane people have been vaccinated it is slowing. Now we have to wait for the uneducated, fearful, preyed upon personss to hear their pastor say Jesus wants them vaccinated. But they probably need to buy so anointed oil first.

  14. Anonymous says:

    When the government formally commits I’lol commit. No date no shot.

    • Anonymous says:

      So you are holding up the process. There is a trigger date, based on percentage of population taking the shot. That was set pretty much when the vaccination process started.

      When you have no money in the bank, and you need new tires, do you choose the day you are going to buy the tires, or do you go the day you have enough money?

      Pretty sure the trigger date to go buy the tires is decided the day you have enough money.

      Go get the shot, let’s reach the trigger date.

      • Anonymous says:

        Sounds good but there were no firm commitments made. Will you be surprised if we get to the target and the goal posted is moved again? Nah, think I’ll wait and see what happens. Perhaps the government should change course and realize we are supposed to be a free country where we have rights. I’ve been given the opportunity to be vaccinated. What happens from here is my business and I take personal responsibility for that. I’m not holding anyone hostage, the government is and it’s high time people take note of that. In truth I fear the vaccine about as much as I fear the virus which is to say not much. I know the stats on both. The reaction to this virus and the amount of sheep that evidently will do anything the government says without question is far more worrisome to me.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Yeah because specious reasoning shows that if another 7,000 people get the jab everyone will be safe forever. You fools do realize they will say there is a new strain or the “vaccine” was not effective and you now will all have to take boosters every 6 months. WAKE UP!

  16. Anonymous says:

    LOL
    It’s lovely how Gov keep creating new targets to reopen.
    LOL
    You are lost, no plan people.

  17. Anonymous says:

    We don’t have enough hospital capacity for open boarders. Not until the rest of the world starves out the new variants of concern they are currently grappling with. Some fully vaccinated can still be overrun by variants since they are substantially mutated from the vaccine profile from early 2020.

    • B-O-R-D-E-R says:

      5.33pm You are at it again. Is there a vaccine that can help you spell?.

    • Anonymous says:

      Please know that current data show even all current variants are 99.99% protected by all current vaccines from HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATH. You my get sick but will survive. Please watch on vumedi by doctor Monica Ghandi ( University of California San Francisco infectious disease specialist). She does weekly or at least every other week excellent reviews of the current published literature. Many other infectious disease specialist the United States also note the same results. Obviously continue to watch for a variant that would evade the vaccine is important. Also, current literature appears the vaccine will be effective for greater than six months. Many people are getting confused when it says at least six months.

  18. Dan says:

    Offer door to door vaccination programs for people in East End and other locations, for those who cannot get themselves to the airport. Once this has been completed open up the borders.

    If someone doesn’t want to get vaccinated that should be up to them, but there is no reason why they should hold the rest of us back from actually living life.

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