Panton outlines full border opening plan
(CNS): Premier Wayne Panton has outlined the government’s 6-phase proposed national reopening plan, designed to get the Cayman Islands’ borders fully opened again before the end of January 2022. Government is aiming to get 80% of the entire population vaccinated and to phase out the GPS monitoring for fully and verifiably vaccinated travellers next month, with the goal of a limited introduction of tourism in Phase 3, planned for September, followed by the removal of quarantine for vaccinated travellers by October.
Speaking at the Chamber of Commerce Legislative Luncheon on Thursday, Panton set out a clear path to welcoming guests back to the islands.
The details of the phased policy is now available on the government website here.
Check back to CNS later today for more from Panton, including the PACT’s focus on climate resilience as well as the plans for a new approach to tourism that includes Caymanians.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
You’d better hurry, time is running out.
A chart with a bunch of words and pretty colors…..no substance to it. There should be no IF we hit 80%. State the dates for each phase and let the unvaccinated fend for themselves!
No wonder Caymanians always feel beaten down and don’t stand up for themselves…. They don’t stand a chance. The government says it is working for Caymanians. This government is not working for me. I have a lot of money tied up in Cayman and not being able to look after my investments is killing me!
A PCR test can be fabricated using Acrobat. Upon entry, it is only required to produce a piece of paper, at least from my last two times of entry in March and May.
The fate of most us is tied by the government to the opinions of a doctor who thinks he is god!
There is no customer service, let alone loyalty.
Whether open today or in the next few years, returning residents and visitors should produce a negative results before letting loose in the community whilst the virus is still active. At this time I am not traveling, nor eating out and just enjoying what others are coming here for, the sun, the sea and the tranquility of the island. I have no reason at all to be vaccinated. I will not be bullied by ingrates who see it fit to be calling people derogatory names. This is my choice and it should be. What are the vaccinated afraid of?
I doubt anyone here is afraid of you. They are angry because government’s reopening plan is contingent on reaching an 80% vaccination rate and people like you are preventing that.
CIG is afraid that you and other unvaccinated people will overwhelm the healthcare system and people with other illnesses will not get the care that they need because resources will have to be directed towards covid patients.
You clearly feel quite special because you’ve decided not to get vaccinated so own that decision and stop worrying about what tests vaccinated people need. You obviously have no reason to be afraid.
9:52 100%. Nail on head!
Anyone seen Alden?
When PACT appears lost, don’t forget to say “look over there”.
Yeah man, he is at home with family when not at work
So no meaningful change until mid-October and then only if the impossible target is reached.
riiiight
We need to move forward with the vaccine passport for local access when we are reopening. Without a vaccine passport you will not be admitted to restaurants, gyms, cinema, gyms, hairsalons etc.
You would want that? A full on police state…show us your papers? Please read some history.
Your reference to history is overstated in my opinion.
There was a percentage of freedom fighters during the Spanish flu that made all the same claims about masking, control by government, and claims that lives would be controlled forever if people conformed to the outrageous policy. Best I can tell, none of it unfolded as they predicted.
No plan PACT
This “plan” looks like it was drawn up by a very annoyed civil servant who was told to produce something in time for the Chamber lunch. This is the new Government, focused on appearances and media and no real substance and afraid of their shadows.
Ps if I hear one more speech about climate change I’m going to puke
Judging from the number or errors and typos i would agree!~
2nd pension fund withdrawal incentive to get the vaccine shot. Money talks
Oh God, not you again. So you want to get your pension money now so you can spend it on crap you don’t need, and then become a burden on the government to support you later. And all while refusing to get the vaccine. What a great asset you are to society (sarc.)
More like get your money out of overcharging 1.5% MER fees and grossly underperforming pensions and into your own investment account to appreciate in value. Blatant white collar theft of all pensioners this pensions are.
When and how often are the next BA flights?
Check back in January for more details. Thank you!
I guess I can put off my family trip with my young children at least for another 6 months.
That’s a good idea. If you pay close attention, you will see there is a bit of a pandemic going on right now. See you in 6 months.
I guess you haven’t heard that there are several vaccines out there that are very effective and do allow people to travel (outside of Cayman). If PACT truly wants this plan to work, then they also need to be providing more incentive for the unvaccinated to reconsider their decision not to get the jab. Without it, Cayman will remain in its bubble and the many Caymanians that rely on tourism will continue to suffer. This virus is not going away, so it’s time for government to actually come up with a “People-driven, Accountable, Competent and Transparent” plan.
Set the opening dates. If you don’t get a vaccine then tough luck.
100%
PACT is moving forward, what more can we want? OH to beat up our gums. Open if you don’t have vaccine its on you but readily available.
80% is misleading. Why not remove the kids and give us the actual target.. the true ‘target’ is about 93% of the population that can be vaccinated. Everyone knows this is not achievable and thus there is no plan.
This Government is afraid to take the risk and re-open and maybe they will have to lock down again but this is what leadership is about.
Do the research, make a plan, make a decision and sometimes the decision works and sometimes it doesn’t but what you don’t do is DO NOTHING…..which is what this “plan” amounts to given the caveats.
Got it. We are locked down until Christ walks the earth again. This is horse hockey. Set an impossible standard for phase two, then we never have to deal with phase 3, 4 or 5. Crafty for such idiots. Must have had help to devise a plan so useless. Love the getting rid of tracking bracelets. Let’s throw out the only thing that actually worked. Excellent job!
May be sooner than you think then
This is not a reopening plan. It is a 5 stage emptiness of ‘reassess at every point’ with nothing concrete or meaningful. Nothing like the Boris road map in the uk. Clueless. COVID is here to stay. We can’t keep it out. Open the border, if you chose not to have a vaccine then you can lice with the consequences.
Very disappointed by PACT. There is nothing concrete in this plan. No details, nothing about what will be required after August 9 even if we reach the mythical 80% vaccination of the mythical population figure. What about PCR testing, quarantine length, anything of substance? Seems like a placebo plan to keep the COC happy or deluded?
42 more first doses in the last day (link below)! With 20 dosing days per month that would be 800 per month (assuming doesnt decline even further).
That means only 8,116 more first doses until we reach 56,880 (80% of 71,100)!
Do the math…….
https://www.gov.ky/news/press-release-details/covid-19-update-8-july-2021
A world class plan. Thank you CIG we are in a league of our own.
I calculate about 10 years..as the numbers go down. And then there’s the variants..lol
By this fall you’ll need a booster shot.
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/booster-shot-12-months-provide-best-protection-covid/story?id=78741334
So?
Most people I know acknowledge and accept this reality. Thanks for sharing!
When almost 50% of the population are on work permits, it shouldn’t be beyond even the wit of Caymanian politicians to attach a requirement for mandatory vaccination for ALL holders.
It’s time..this should have been done along time ago. I still have some of them telling me stupidness like they are going to sue the government if they have to take the vaccine..In my opinion, I’m sorry, if you want to live and work amongst us you must follow our rules and regulations. I cannot go to any other country and dictate to them what laws I will or will not follow.
The only way we can reach this idiotic target is to immediately require work permit holders to get the jab. Barring that, there is no hope to reopen before 2022.
Fine, if the government is prepared to also require it of all expatriate civil servants.
Fine cancel my permit. So when can I leave?
Imprisoned, no flights…Governor, isn’t that against human rughts?
It is clear now that PPM bloggers and their pr agency are out the gates to bash anything that is said by Panton and PACT. The strategy is to attack, destabilize and mock everything that is said it does not matter if it makes sense or not. This is what the party has become all rational thought or behavior be damned. PPM and its supporter base are now fueled by sour grapes and hate for all in their quest for a return to power.
Yeah, the PPM are like the Stingrays out at Stingray City when they see a boat coming to feed them after Lockdown..Feeding Frenzy tonight..Alden working on that speech for Roy to read tomorrow..
What the PPM should be doing is trying to get at least their party vaccinated. Would it be better rather than coming out criticising that they come out with some good news like that or even announce a drive to get vaccinated by the PPM. Spend some of the millions of dollars they have on an advertising campaign supported by the PPM. I don’t understand why they just can’t do something to make them look like they are doing something good.
Coming out every two weeks squeezed up behind a table that can barely hold them, just to be nasty and critical does nothing to repair their reputation. Get out and do something that doesn’t make you look like you are all sore losers. Do something positive!
Finally, they can shut up about PACT not having a plan.
Private Prosperity Mafia and their hitters only cared to doctor up something now that the tables have turned on them.
Bonasera…Bonasera…What have I ever done to make you treat me so disrespectfully?
So now you try to change the narrative when your boys are feeling the heat. Where were you when all the hate was being directed at PPM? Where were you when all manner of lies were being told about PPM and we even had certain media houses were openly and not so openly biased against them. Now because PACT gets a little heat you quickly use that opportunity to try to keep up the hatred of PPM. Publish your proof or people are free to assume you are making it up out of hatred for the Progressives.
PPM are spending on savvy pr experts. Who is funding that?
The messages coming from Roy are not Roy’s, they are Alden’s. It was disgusting to see Roy’s antics on the campaign trail.
Alden is gonna use Roy for 2 years, while he rests and recovers on his ‘farm’. Then, like the terminator AAAAAHHHHHLLLLLDEEEEHNNNN WILL BE BACK to take over.
Poor Roy, fooled up again. Can’t even say ‘nice guy’ these days because he is out with his guns blazing.
Deflection and distraction … PPM (Unity) did an excellent job dealing with the pandemic but your PACT crew are clueless. I even hear the Health Minister is using her training as a nurse as a credential for the job lol
At least trained in something compared to…where mi donkey under the moon in several attempted languages with a trainer
Was she really a trained nurse? I didn’t know that.
Sort of …. she failed I think
Did I miss the part about how and why an 80% vaccination was chosen to proceed past stage 3? If so, did I miss the part of the plan that outlines how this number will be achieved in a little more than 90 days?
did the chamber actually sit there and swallow this garbage?
i would have walked out halfway thorugh.
As the Premier does not have a crystal ball, like everyone else he has to resort to reasonable assumptions relating to the future.
Nobody can say with absolute certainty what will happen and when, hence a stab at a series of dates and logical set of events .
As Yogi Berra said…”Predictions are very difficult, especially if they are about the future.”
What’s a Yogi Berra?
A stealer of picinic baskets.
It’s not A Yogi Berra. It’s THE Yogi Berra! One of the great philosophers of the last century! Look it up.
He was a baseball player who made comments which have become part intellectual part comedic.
A Berra that does Yogi.
This thread seems like deja vu all over again.
When you are Premier… one is expecting him to have a crystal clear view.
By definition, predictions can’t be about anything else but the future.
Well done 7.18, you got there…that’s the whole point of the quote… by the same man who said” if you get to a fork in the road, take it”.
Are you up to speed now..?
Not true. Many times a prediction is made about something that has happened in the past but is not yet known. Take the simple example of national elections in many countries – as soon as voting closes, you have all sorts of predictions released about who has won, which at that point in time is a historic event.
What? You weren’t invited?
Mostly expat crowd as usual. Free lunch and what not. Many did walk out tho! I was watching online and the waffling was unbearably painful
Funny how we both watched the same feed yet saw very different things. Panton received round after round of applause for his plan, and also his answers when questioned by “President Mike” 😂. It wasn’t until Shomari was giving his “thanks for coming, England cheats at futbol” closing speech that people started walking out. Maybe the truth hurts?
Don’t let facts get in the way of a good story though!
nonsense as usual…80% is near impossible. just do the maths.
why are we not at 80% after 6-7 months of vaccination????
the plan is no-plan.
It wouldn’t be impossible if you would just go and get your vaccine.
had mine long times
One reason , how many have been vaccinated in the civil service and related departments? The largest single employer in Cayman.
The civil service vaccination rate should be easy to report by the government. They have a database with vaccinations and you would think they know who works in the civil service. Knowing this absolute number would go a long way in confirming whether there is a realistic path to getting to the proposed target percentage.
Reporting the actual population number of 11 and under children also would have been the first step for a government that truly wanted go be transparent in a productive attempt to reopen.
If we have 10,000 under 12 this leaves an target population of 61,000 – to achieve 80% of 71,000 we need to vaccinate 57,000 residents or 95% of the remaining population. This includes children 12 and over.
So, as a tourist, when should I book my flight? Yeah……it’s impossible to say. I think I will keep with my original plan and book elsewhere for my winter holiday trips.
You can’t actually book a flight anyway!
You can. Cayman Airways twice a day from September.
Could have if plan had firm opening date.
Wrong. I had flights for September that I have since cancelled. American Airlines .
Good plan……..you should do that!
2 mass shootings in 1 week in Cayman Islands.
2 mass shootings and still fewer dead total than any major American city’s individual murder total for any given day. Or any single black church shooting by white supremacists. Or school shootings. Or police brutality incidents… the list goes on and on and on and on.
Caymanians know what is happening locally. If you don’t, ask someone about 2011.
Stay home if you are scared.
People like you we don’t need here..If you don’t like us this much why do you even bother to continually badger us. We have a small population here, many of which are still unvaccinated and those are the ones that we are trying to protect now not the Vaccinated.
There is no guarantee that the place you have booked to travel to won’t be made to shut down due to high infections rates. BVI comes to mind.
Everyone on island has had plenty of time and chances to get a vaccination. That doesn’t float.
BVI opened to everyone. Those vaccinated and unvaccinated.They only had 31% of their population vaccinated. Lame for you to compare them.
I don’t think anyone actually cares about the unvaccinated at this point.
If we are now only doing a couple hundred first doses a week (and on a diminishing basis), it will take 35 weeks or 8 months to get 7,000 more first doses out.
Lockdown … Oct 14th
Just say October 31st and make it Halloween 👻🦠
April 1 – we have a lot of fools in government.
Panton confirms he has no plan.
In 2020, islands would post their EXACT opening date and their protocols. It was easy to follow and succinct. St. Bart opening on June 22,2020, Bermuda opening on July 1, 2021 etc.
This gave everyone knowledge of what island was open, when to book their travel, and what was necessary for Covid restrictions/ policies ( in an attached web site). The plan that was just put out for Cayman does not give anyone EXACT dates, but just kicking the bucket further down the road.
Mid ( whatever month) IF ( we meet) such & such goal does not help a traveler who plans months in advance to set up an expensive family holiday.
Who cares about expensive family holidays! Some are now desperate just to go and see elderly parents and family that for some will be two years! Why is government not arranging for those wanting to go to UK etc for this reason and come back, that have been fully vaccinated for months. What reason or excuse does government have to not put on extra BA flights… There is no valid reason!
I want to get to Cayman just for that same reason.
Not sure wat your definition of a “holiday” is, but tseeing elderly parents anf family is exactly what most people i know use their holfidays to do
Sept is slow season. dont you think everyone has done their vacation planning for they year? if you dont want to accept covid vaccines from other places now whats gonna change in a month or two. please explain how you want accept the vaccine card now but will in a month
there are no flights to Tampa New York Dallas yet can’t get s flight to Miami all flights booked till September
People start planning US Thanksgiving holiday, winter/Christmas holiday and school vacation break holiday trips. Most people want warm weather destinations. Need to know what is open, flights, hotels.
“subject to the achievement of 80% vaccination” is as convincing as “subject to the intervention by aliens”. What if, let’s say, that isn’t achieved or achievable,then what ?? An unachievable caveat renders the “plan” worthless.
So does Delta & Lambda and Pfizer’s worries over the fading immunity of its vaccine.
this is not accurate…..here is the link to today’s research info that came out regarding boosters (stating that there is “no need” for boosters)
Fully vaccinated people “do not need a booster shot at this time,” the FDA and CDC say
https://www.axios.com/fda-cdc-fully-vaccinated-booster-covid-vaccine-c648f786-3bb9-40f3-b43d-cd88b54a4fa3.html?utm_campaign=organic&utm_medium=socialshare&utm_source=email
I hope phase 2 of this plan convinces the unvaccinated morons to get it done. If there were quarantine breaches with the bands, imagine without.
Takes an experimental vaccine for a flu which actually kills people.
Why are you upset? You are protected
We have seen what a leader looks like. Wayne is not that. Neither is anyone in this NoimPACT Government. Sad.
I hate to add to the negative comments but: this is not a plan! How do we get to 80%? Without a plan for that the rest of this “plan” is meaningless. And If we don’t get there (which we won’t) what’s is the alternate plan?
Maybe they’re saying 80 but in reality the goal is 70? If that’s the case they will lose all credibility as a Government.
For the record I’m not a PPM’er and consider myself a tepid PACT supporter, but this “plan” (which took them months to come up with) is an embarrassment.
And what about the booster shots (which Pfizer now says is required)? If you don’t get the booster will you not count towards the 80%?
Ain’t
Gonna
Get
To
80
Dumbasses
No you’ll probably kick it long before then.
Maybe if the Obeah worshipping imports would get on board we may have a fighting chance.
I suspect they are all selling numbers in GT etc to even bother getting vaccinated though.
Not much we can do.
No GPS, but self- quarantine for locals and residents. Next phase self quarantine and spot checks for tourists. Interesting.
If we are no longer requiring GPS bands for vaccinated travelers after August 9th, can we please add a couple more Cayman Airways flights a week in August? I understand the limitation on flights was due to a limited supply of GPS bands and phones.
If you are getting rid of the GPS bands in August for vaccinated travelers , bite the bullet and let it be for international guests, too. Get the economy going.
Waiting for 80% now is just as irrational as waiting for 70%….those who wanted the vax, got it.
A bunch of words. No substance. Lots of what if’s. Call it what it is The Cayman No Plan Plan. Set a date and get it together.
Sometimes a leader has to do the hard thing and make a decision. We cannot survive much more paralysis by analysis.
Get it wrong and the paralysis for the majority of us, vaccinated or not will be indefinite.
Really?? The plan is full of dates. Honestly some people will NEVER be satisfied.
All the dates are based on 80% and we don’t have a date for that and we probably won’t get there so the dates they have given are meaningless.
Stop being pessimistic and go and get your shot. Be a part of the solution not the problem
Why is it that CAL is leaving the middle seat empty inbound but BA is using all seat in or outbound? Come on CAL stop being dumb.
I like empty seats. Just add more planes.
80%? Really? So in essence there is no plan.
80% of a fabricated number will never be attained.
I disagree. I think we can attain 80% sometime in 2022. Of course, all the first vaccines will have worn off by then, so we’ll have to start all over again.
Lots of words, so little substance, zero attainable targets.
Was that a plan? Did anything really change? There were no set dates just guideline months( which never have happened yet). The percentage of vaccination rate just went from 70% to 80%….moving that goalpost again. Can’t reach the first one. How the heck is the second one going to be reached? What if it isn’t? Cayman closed forever?
Wouldn’t put money down on any vacation plans for travel. This all sounds like one big maybe this or maybe that.
So you think the government has a crystal ball and knows exactly what the virus is doing and what day and week it does what it does?
This is a plan and it should be supported rather than constantly bashed. People need to stop the foolishness and just get vaccinated.
I am so sick and tired of hearing the same old experimental vaccine, magnets in arms, tracking devices inserted in the vaccine, using worm medicine for horses to cure covid ( by the way using this drug is “experimental” as the FDA has not approved it for use for covid19), and of course the old one that we are likely to grow extra extremities including horns.
Oh I bet the PPM journalists probably at HQ on Crewe Road writing like crazy…
Roy, ya camera ready ole boy?
Geesh don’t talk about those idiots..instead of them trying to do something to help us get people vaccinated so that we can get open up, all they do is jam up behind that table talking foolishness.
4.02pm You are obsessed with PPM. Get some help.
80% not happening…..
Agree. 3 year old could work that out
I demanded my 3-year-old do the math. He cried and asked for Mommy.
They can always go back and revise the population again.
https://caymannewsservice.com/2021/06/isolation-cut-to-5-days-but-population-error-skews-vaccine-rate/
What happens when we can’t make 80% anytime soon? Do we just continue to be held hostage by people who don’t care to get vaccinated?
Hopefully all those in the commentariat that were saying “No opening, no vaccine” will actually go out and get it.
No attainable targets, no vaccine.
If they didn’t get it yet, they’ll never get it.