COVID-19 vaccine pace reduced to a crawl
(CNS): Just 216 more people have stepped forward for their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine since Thursday, according to the official numbers released Monday, as the needle barely moved over the last few days. Only 256 people got their second dose this weekend, which means that one month before the proposed soft opening, when the government will be lifting the restrictions on commercial air traffic and returning to open skies agreements, the national vaccinate rate remains at 68%.
While the rate in the Cayman Islands is still one of the best in the world, it is far short of government’s target of 80%, which experts believe is the level needed to protect children and the vulnerable who cannot get the vaccine from the danger of being infected by the coronavirus.
50,524 adults and teens have had at least one dose of the virus, so 71% of the estimated population is on the road to getting their double dose ahead of the 9 September proposed opening date.
Meanwhile, as of Monday anyone arriving in Cayman with a verifiable vaccination and a negative pre-arrival test will be allowed to self-isolate for five days at home, on trust, without wearing an electronic device. This is a test by government to assess the risk of the virus breaking into the community.
Two more travellers in quarantine have tested positive for the virus among the 1,038 people isolating. There are currently six active cases of the virus among those with two people suffering symptoms, though no one is in hospital.
The situation in the United States continues to deteriorate with emergency rooms around the country closing as the number of patients infected with the Delta variant surges in areas where vaccination levels are low. The US has averaged over 108,000 cases per day over the past week, with hospitalisations and deaths doubling over the past two weeks.
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Category: Health, Medical Health
The virus will continue to mutate, so it’s time for us to start learning to live with it. We should only be monitoring people with mild symptoms. We need to stop reporting positive cases as it serves absolutely no purpose other than to evoke fear in people. It is so unfair to discriminate against those who have been vaccinated. Those who remain unvaccinated are willing to risk their lives. Enough is enough please open the Borders and give us all back our freedom. Pretty soon the Government will have to pay all of us a stipend to survive. People need to start rebuilding what’s left of the economy before it’s too late.
So 4 weeks from now on September 9th, the “plan” is to open up more air slots to allow for more flights.
Where is the plan for that? Cayman Airways flights in/out are fully booked until end of September. BA as well.
What about other carriers? Some of us need to travel.
Can you please do another press conference Mr Panton? Continued lack of transparency leaves us all guessing.
There is no plan.
The major carriers will not return to Cayman until there is no quarantine. I believe they have already indicated this to the premier. Thus we are stuck with Cayman Airways and their overpriced fares, and of course, being allowed to pay that fare to get off the island depends on if you are lucky enough to find a seat on the plane.
It’s obscene and unacceptable that cayman airways has been fixed at about 300 usd return to Miami for years, and now they have to winky regular flights off island it’s closer to 800 usd. Government taking people for a ride and daylight robbery.
Somebody has to pay for an airline that loses millions of $$$ every year. Only right that users pay.
You want to travel to COVID land you pay the price.
No more free lunches for loss making airlines.
I think it is highly unlikely the government will remove the quarantine requirement in 8 weeks. I think they will probably allow visitors and allow residents to more freely travel.
American Airlines has already indicated to CIG that they are unlikely to consider service with a quarantine protocol in place, as tourists are not going to want to be locked up for 5+ to 14+ days.
No matter who or what you put your faith in Covid is coming to you someday. Run, hide, live free or live scared it won’t matter much in the end. CIGs plan is to let it in and do away with meaningful quarantine. Then blame any unvaccinated for everything that happens. That is only if they really had a plan they would follow. If not the real plan is to stay closed until all the loans runs out. That one is more likely and this is what the smart people are planning for. Question; What is a CIG with no money and a great debt?
According to numerous reports, the vaccinated people are still spreading the virus. Let us examine what that means. A vaccinated person comes to Cayman, and transmits the virus to another vaccinated person, who then transmits to another vaccinated person. It doesn’t matter whether 80% of people are vaccinated, or 90% or 100%. The vaccinated people are still transmitting all variants of the virus. It DOESN’T REQUIRE UNVACCINATED PEOPLE TO TRANSMIT THE VIRUS TO EVERYONE ON THE ISLAND. It will happen anyway. Now, try not to panic.
But they won’t overwhelm the hospitals with patients because they are vaxxed. So get jabbed.
6:33 Your logic is incomplete. The key thing to note is that vaccinated people aren’t going to burden the healthcare system do not really a big deal if they get it. However, unvaccinated ones are far more likely to get sick and need intervention.
The other key point is that the rate of transmission from vaccinated people is not the same. If an unvaccinated infected person infects 60% of the people they come in contact with and a vaccinated infected person infects 5% of the people they come in contact with, they do not present the same risk. Those numbers may not be right but they are directionally right. The vaccinated pose a much lower risk.
“As the authors note, myocarditis does happen after other vaccines. The estimated rate (62.8 cases per million) makes this a rare event. To put this in context, the authors point out that COVID-19 vaccination in males aged 12 to 29 years would prevent 11,000 COVID-19 cases, 560 hospitalizations, 138 intensive care unit admissions and 6 deaths compared with 39 to 47 expected case of myocarditis, if the link with the vaccine is causal.
https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-us-case-series-study-in-children-study-looking-at-association-of-myocarditis-with-the-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine/
And, respectfully, the part of the story you left out.
He said: ‘Estimates vary, but a recent study from the US estimated that covid causes around 450 cases of myocarditis per million males aged between 12 to 17 and 213 cases per million in females aged 12 to 17.
‘This compares with a risk following mRNA vaccination of 76.5 cases per million in males in data from the US and Israel. ‘So the overall risk of myocarditis is decreased by being vaccinated.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9880909/Study-Teenage-boys-14-TIMES-likely-suffer-rare-heart-complication-Pfizers-jab.html
Thank you! – I suspect that the people who keep posting things out of context or misquoting sources to make points that are false are evil trolls rather than simply ignorant. Why else would they try so hard to increase the probability that some of us will get sick and/or die?
My humble opinion: Accept only vaxx tourists to appease the tourism “desperate”, but keep the number to a limit per month so that any outbreaks can be clearly monitored and promptly contained. The unvaxxd can take the logical precautions, and the vaxxd do whatever they want.
I bet many thought people would be blazing a trail to vaxx for money and land.
As we press towards “jabbing” the younger members of our society, here is a genuine warning regarding young boys being more at risk.
“The findings echo data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which suggests the risk is up to nine times higher among teenage boys.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9880909/Study-Teenage-boys-14-TIMES-likely-suffer-rare-heart-complication-Pfizers-jab.html
Fact checking welcomed and encouraged.
Daily mail is a dead give away it’s not a good source
In the article, there were 180 cases of myocarditis per 1 million, or rate of .00018. If there are 5,000 male teenagers jabbed in the Cayman islands, that would equate to just one case. (The article also says that the virus itself causes myocarditis, and at a rate more than twice than the rare cases caused by vaccine).
All cases of myocarditis by the vaccine were mild and resolved after a few days.
The article is a good balanced article, giving multiple viewpoints by a number of experts. The UK is going to tread slowly on giving to under 18s.
“As the authors note, myocarditis does happen after other vaccines. The estimated rate (62.8 cases per million) makes this a rare event. To put this in context, the authors point out that COVID-19 vaccination in males aged 12 to 29 years would prevent 11,000 COVID-19 cases, 560 hospitalizations, 138 intensive care unit admissions and 6 deaths compared with 39 to 47 expected case of myocarditis, if the link with the vaccine is causal.
https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-us-case-series-study-in-children-study-looking-at-association-of-myocarditis-with-the-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine/
And, respectfully, the part of the story you left out.
He said: ‘Estimates vary, but a recent study from the US estimated that covid causes around 450 cases of myocarditis per million males aged between 12 to 17 and 213 cases per million in females aged 12 to 17.
‘This compares with a risk following mRNA vaccination of 76.5 cases per million in males in data from the US and Israel. ‘So the overall risk of myocarditis is decreased by being vaccinated.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9880909/Study-Teenage-boys-14-TIMES-likely-suffer-rare-heart-complication-Pfizers-jab.html
As ever, the Daily Mail have gone with the sensationalist headline.
14 times larger sounds a lot scarier than saying boys have a 0.014% chance compared to 0.001% chance. Though the chart provided doesn’t provide exact numbers. So those numbers are approximate.
Reading further the article is based on the 15 patients admitted with the condition to Boston Children’s hospital, of which one was female. A very low sample size from which to draw conclusions.
The article also says itself that the condition is rarely fatal, especially if treated quickly, and it is something that doctors are aware of an parents are warned to look out for after vaccination.
Easy solution from my view.
1. Set a final border opening date
2. Notify the community after opening date, vaccinations will no longer be free
4. Allow only vaccinated visitors to the country
3. Limit amount of visitors allowed into the country per day or week.
3. Ready the same quarantines beds they had ready during the island lockdown for those that may become sick
4. Set a threshold for severe active cases and if reached the country will be placed into lockdown until numbers decrease
5. Let those that made their personal decision not to be vaccinated protect themselves either by wearing a mask or by social distancing
6. Let the country finally proceed on
If you give people to much freedom, don’t expect them to follow you. Case in point, those who just don’t want to be vaccinated don’t see any reason to get it done. Take away “Free Vaccine” and open the doors and you’ll see how quick they change their mind.
Signed,
Fed up Caymanian
If the vaccines work open up immediately.
If the vaccines don’t work, open up immediately there’s no difference.
Everyone pays taxes here so we’ve already paid for the vaccines. Just because you don’t have to pay out of your pocket does not mean it’s free. Last time I checked we lived in a democratic society. What in world does “give people too much freedom” mean? Get over yourself.
How can you set a border opening date when Florida is bursting at the seams today with new COVID cases and now has 23% of all COVID cases in America?
there is no plan to re-open. 80% is virtually impossible.
the real plan/truth is that cayman will fully re-open when the rest of the world is back to normal and covid has been declared simlilar risk to that of seasonal flu…..which will likely be next spring.
thanks for nothing pact.
The world will never be back to “normal”. Everyone has had their chance to get vaccinated. Open the board. People should live with their decision.
What!!? Covid is here forever. We have to live with it. You think covid will disappear by next spring. So stupid.
you are forever stupid then….
All other corona viruses in history and similar pandemics still found traces of the disease decades, and in one case over 100 years later. It’s going nowhere.
The government seems to have been scared by the major player’s in the tourism sector. They intend to go ahead and open the borders even though we see how the new delta variant is significantly more transmissible and deadly.
Better get your vaccine this week if opening in September. You will have to wait a couple weeks to get your second dose and then two weeks after that to get the most protection. Count out the weeks and the time to get the shot to be protected is this week.
The only way to stop the spread is to stop travel and the latter seems impossible. Definitely pandemic of the unhealthy.
One just has to see the daily cases in Florida to understand Cayman won’t be opening its border , such as it is, anytime soon. An October soft opening is a pipe dream.
It concerns me that we seem to be basing all of our reopening phases on how COVID-19 used to behave. The Delta variant is seemingly much more transmissible and even vaccinated people can catch and spread it. So once travelers come in here (even fully vaccinated) and don’t have to quarantine we could start seeing community cases in Cayman. I am not looking forward to that.
Absolutely right!
Agree with your comment!
They moved the target from 70% to 80% being vaccinated based on higher transmissibility.
In Canada, where Delta variant is taking off in unvaccinated people, only 0.5% of new Covid-19 cases are in those who are double vaxxed. Yes, you can get still get infected despite double vaccination, but it is very rare to do so. We are lucky to have these powerful vaccines protecting us.
More evidence that Covid in children is not risk free as some seem to suggest – Guardian:
“Dr Mark Kline, chief of Children’s Hospital New Orleans, told local news that outpatient Covid positivity rates had risen from 1% a month ago to 20%. The hospital was treating 18 child Covid inpatients with six in intensive care. There were three on ventilators, including a three month old baby”
I’m not sure anyone says it’s risk free, nothing in life is that certain, but so far the odds of being badly affected increase with age and pre existing conditions. If you are over 85 your risk of dying, vs someone under 30, is 800x’s greater, 50-64 is 35x’s greater.
I think it is highly unlikely we will remove the quarantine requirement in 8 weeks in October. I am OK with that if it means no masks and no remote learning etc.
BUT, please at least allow residents to freely travel and allow visitors (with the quarantine). Cayman Airways and BA flights are now sold out through the end of September (and have been all summer). This is getting ridiculous. Put on more flights so some of us can travel.
Maybe a press conference Mr. Panton?
What is the difference if residents move in and out or visitors do the same? Only covid with visitors. Ridiculous.
We should be allowed out now for the same reason we were allowed back in when no one else was.
Are we having a flu out break in the summer?
I’m a Caymanian business owner/exec, and have to say, through recurring efforts to appease the wrong people, for often the wrong reasons, or not understanding reasonable limits, or standards, Cayman as a place to live and work has very quickly become over-the-top in many respects. I’ve had to leave Cayman and live elsewhere for many months this year, at personal expense and sacrifice, in order to travel and conduct meetings and on-site due diligence for my job. I also have to be mindful of how many days I can linger somewhere else without accidentally falling foul as an unintentional resident for tax purposes. I can’t get back to Cayman, even if I wanted to, short of chartering a private jet. It’s not sustainable, and will probably mean closing the Cayman Islands operation/life and relocating that business/life elsewhere, since the outlook for adaptation has proven to be overly restrictive. I know I’m not the only one in this boat, or with these thoughts. PACT need to step up the timeline and criteria for a reasonable reopening strategy, with vaccination passports/app, and mobility for those who have done/completed their civil duty. CAL still don’t have firm dates/times for September flights, just weeks away – as if we need any more proof they should not be running Travel Time or be positioned, as they are, as inept/conflicted/preferential gatekeepers on in/outbound flights.
Yes, I fear we’ll start losing some of our financial services clients due to the restricted movement.
Not the only thing, rental condo strata’s are burning through a lot of cash.
No, I dont think so, not yet anyway My colleagues in NY and Toronto (Big Four accounting firm) have been working from home since March 2020 and still are. So are my investment management clients in the US.
I think the vast majority of meetings in the fall will be over Zoom. Maybe in early 2022.
4:53, lots of my friends/acquaintances are working in person and traveling to their other locations as needed. Some things cannot be done via Zoom.
Especially given time differences
I’d be more worried about Biden global 15% tax rate
I completely identify with this, my family being in a very similar situation for personal and business reasons. I’ve had to spend more time away from home than at home in the past 18 months because of the extreme difficulties in travelling. I understood the restrictions initially, but at this point it’s becoming a real hardship with no realistic end in sight. Some of us simply have substantial lives and commitments in two places, and not only the wealthy and/or the expats. Covid is here to stay, and a reasoned, practical approach is needed to at least permit residents more leeway in coming and going. I was shocked to hear talk of returning cruise ships – surely the needs of residents have to be addressed well before we think about visitors, especially cruise ship visitors.
What’s the cost of a private jet from Miami?
A couple of months of CUC bills. If that’s too much find a new business
With the US situation we r bound to get cases if open up and with reduced quarantine for vaccinated . As vaccination doesnt prevent transmission we will get cases with one or two severe ones even resulting in death .I think irrespective 80 percent or not it is better to hold of opening of borders until two weeks after the daily us cases come down to 10000 per day
You are going to get a dose of it whenever you open. It is clearly going to be around a long,long time. Get vaccinated.
I don’t want to risk the life or long term health of my 7 yr old until he can be vaccinated. I believe that the trials and approval for his age group should be completed by Sept//Oct. Once we can vaccinate the kids we’ll have a new population to add to our percentage tally and our most precious lives protected. It doesn’t take a scientist to know that kids in school are the most effective conduit to spreading contagions. They simply will not keep their hands out of their mouths and noses, while paying no attention to where they’ve been. Please wait until the kids can be vaccinated to get reckless with allowing vaccinated visitors and residents to enter without quarantining. Woes be to the unvaccinated at that point, since even the vaccinated can spread Covid-19. And nobody wants to have to close the schools again. We’re so close to doing this better than the rest of the world and I believe vaccinating the kids first is a huge part of that equation.
Absolutely agree with this! The children under 12 deserve to be protected. Look at what is going on all over the world. The kids also deserve to be in school. There is no point of reopening only to throw us back into a lockdown, closed schools, etc. Surely a few tourist dollars for a few weeks (until COVID gets in the community) is not worth it.
The rest of the world has been able to keep kids in school…..even before vaccinations were available to the adults.
Try again. That used to be the case but the delta variant has changed the infection in children. So now they are just hiding the children’s hospitalization numbers in with vaccine available ages.
Schools are still opening IN PERSON for Fall. My kids went all of last year and just started their fall semester.
I work at a school and we have been open since last July. No lockdowns. No closures and covid has been raging in our area the whole time. The person who contacts covid is quarantined and any close contacts and the rest continue on. It has become second nature for us. School continues on. Masks worn indoors, not out, but that is because our population is severely at-risk.
Children are protected based on their youth. This virus affects them less compared to adults. Don’t take my word for it, they’ve been studying covid in children for the past year. These were the results: symptom burden in these children did not increase with time, and most recovered by day 56.
This was a 1 year study with more than 250,000 children published in The Lancet. But sure, keep fearmongering about a virus that children simply don’t need the vaccine for as the virus has just not affected them nearly as bad as adults.
That being said, I’m for mandating that teachers and staff that work around young children be fully vaccinated. Children should also be wearing masks in school and taught proper hygiene both at home and in school.
Source: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642%2821%2900198-X/fulltext
The Lancet? LOL, some people will believe anything they read.
Just like you believe everything you hear.
I guess Facebook and Tiktok are better sources of information??
And some people are idiots.
If you read that paper, the data used was pre-Delta variant – from March 2020 to Feb 21. That makes it interesting but not predictive of what is happening now. This is where things are now
“Dr Mark Kline, chief of Children’s Hospital New Orleans, told local news that outpatient Covid positivity rates had risen from 1% a month ago to 20%. The hospital was treating 18 child Covid inpatients with six in intensive care. There were three on ventilators, including a three month old baby”
Research ‘viral escape.’
be safe.
In many countries children are not being vaccinated and don’t wear face masks at schools.
The US FDA said it doesnt expect authorization for under 12s until “mid-winter” at the earliest. Under 12s will be a 2022 event.
(Im doubting very much that the quarantine requirement will be removed in October).
Sounds like homeschool it is for you.
How about a PRESS CONFERENCE where government answers this question?
While there has been a lot of thought given to the adult workers receiving the tourism stipend (apparently 3,400+ adults), there are significantly more children on island (12,000-15,000 based on some estimates) who cannot be vaccinated or vote.
I appreciate you mentioning the children, and based on the likes and dislikes to your comment the impact to children is clearly a hot topic. However, as only government can decide on the rules, regardless of how many likes or dislikes this comment gets, may we please hear directly from government? It may help alleviate a lot of parents’ worries.
Slower than a snail’s pace.
Part of the problem is we’ve hit saturation point for those that want vaccines and the rest of the problem is our denominator in the 80% calculation is overestimated.
80% is not going to happen. Wayne has two choices: realize he screwed up his calculations and go forward with reopening or stick to his guns and continue to see residents/businesses suffer unduly.
Germany, France, Israel and now the UK have announced that they are going ahead with offering booster doses of the vaccine as a way of minimizing breakthrough infections and protecting the most vulnerable. We should do the same particularly as we have thousands of unused doses that are on their way to the dump if not used.
Once the UK starts boosting, Cayman should do the same (for the same age groups/cohorts). I expect that Cayman will as they have taken many of their cues from UK Public Health. The US is probably not far behind.
There will be no shortage of vaccines in Cayman.
Should people be having booster jabs when some nations haven’t even received their first jab? Doesn’t seem morally right
4:15pm:
Well, we already have plenty of damn vaccines on hand so why not? It’s not like we can ship them anywhere.
We should not send our surplus vaccine to the dump and we cannot send it to other countries. We should use it to give those who want it a booster shot as this will decrease the chance that those vulnerable will get sick and it will decrease the chance that people who have breakthrough infections will spread the virus.
Vaccination of the non-vaccinated has to be the primary goal but government needs to also start thinking of boosters as a way of minimizing breakthrough infections in those at risk. The UK announced today that its booster programme would be starting in September.
“UK Covid booster jabs could be offered from next month, says health secretary
He said:
When it comes to booster jabs we are waiting for the final advice from JCVI, that’s our group of independent clinical advisers, and when we get that advice we will be able to start the booster programme, but I anticipate it will begin in early September, so I’m already making plans for that.
It’s really important that when we start that programme, the sort of first cohorts, the ones that got the jabs early on when we started our programme – the first in the world back in December last year – that those cohorts come first and so we will be prioritising it.
He said the plan is for the flu jab to be offered, especially to over 50s, at the same time as their Covid booster jab.”
Agreed. Some people got their first shot almost 8 months ago and the best evidence available indicates that those at most risk have had their immunity decrease by 25% in that time.
Time for the Government to step up and follow ALT’s brave steps.
we want to protect the community, specially the most vulnerable but have we ensure that the following professions are at least 80% vaccinated: teachers, day care staff members, hospital staff regardless of job title?
based on the news that supermarket staff have to be fully vaccinated, this should be same for those who are exposed to the most vulnerable of our population.
this target of 80% is such a facade. open up so we can all move forward and learn how to live with the virus.
also, it is time to mandate masks in indoor settings! supermarket staff must be vaccinated, but yet customers can come in here without a mask and transmit it.
no common sense from our government.
You had me in agreement right up to the mask bit… The only time this should be applied is when you are actually sick with a cold or flu or if we had covid still in the general community.
Whether you are vaccinated or not, you can still transmit the virus. So only way to protect yourself and others is by masking up.
Oh well, that’s their problem. Open up already, they had enough time.
Tough luck for the kids under 12, you say?
I read it as tough luck to the ones that have chosen to remain unvaccinated. I doubt the comment was directed at kids.
But unfortunately they can’t get vaccinated so we need a plan. The virus is now affecting young children. You’re okay with children dying?
The plan should be everyone that can be vaccinated should be vaccinated. Wear masks in high traffic areas. Wash your hands often and social distance when possible. Open the borders. No quarantine to those vaccinated. Quarantine to those unvaccinated.
80% will not “protect” the remaining 20% so we should stop saying that. This variant is so infectious, and there is conclusive evidence that even vaccinated can serve as a vector for spread (albeit to a lesser extent), that the virus will find most of the remaining 20% should we get any spread in the community (absent of mitigation steps such as masking in public and more social distancing, remote schooling — which cannot go on forever).
We have a very high vaccination rate, but an extremely low natural infection rate (in the single digits percentage). leaving a lot of susceptible people.
You will at some time encounter this virus in the next year, so you can decide whether your want to equip your body with the best toolbox possible by getting a vaccine.
(PS, Im double vaxxed).
Persons who should know better need to stop getting on radio and spouting out misinformation about the virus and vaccine!! The scientists did not start from scratch a year ago to make the vaccine, it is common knowledge that they ( the scientist) normally build from an existing platform to create new vaccines and medicines. Yes, in normal times more time would have been given for testing but we all know what the alternative would have been. To the church folks who refuse to take the vaccine, well that is their personal business but they should reflect back to the time of Jesus being on the earth, when one of the followers of Jesus was Doctor Luke, who wrote part of the New Testament. God, faith doctors and medicines works perfectly together. Fanatical rants is harmful to our health..
This is a mistake. We are blindly stumbling in the dark, with growing indications there is an abyss ahead of us. There is no pressing need. Keep quarantine and testing in place. Once Pandora’s box is opened there is not going to be any real mechanism to control its contents. Delta is is going to do a number on us. We will be back to masks and social distancing. Offices, job sites, and schools will be disrupted. People will almost certainly die. Why? Seriously. So Billy Bob can vacation without 5 day’s quarantine? The economic benefits (to the Caymanian people) do not appear worth the risk.
Youre in lala land if you think the government will be unable to keep the virus out. It cannot afford to stay closed off from the world. We will be back to wearing masks by the end of the year. It was fun while it lasted I guess…
Of course we can afford to stay closed. Most of the economy is (at least for now) booming. Large numbers of people continue to be willing to move here through quarantine. Government continues to have enough revenue. Indeed, it has more than it needs if only it stops waste (including paying stipends to fully employed people). People can travel. They just need vaccination, testing and quarantine to safely do so. Is that too big a price to pay to maintain our open and working society, and the safety of our vulnerable? You want to expose Cayman to the virus on purpose? Why? Think that through.
It will be impossible to not let the virus in while allowing tourism to reopen. Once this thing gets in, they won’t be locking down for months again. We will have to learn to live with the virus as every other country in the world has had to. That includes masks, isolation of infected, hospital preparedness and testing in the community.
There is no such thing as a “safe” reopening. If we don’t do it now then when?
Why would I want to wear a mask, exercise social distancing, isolate people, submit to regular testing..? So an industry that is neither owned by or employs Caymanians in any meaningful way can have tourists? You think that is a reasonable trade-off?
1:36…..reopening is about far more than tourism. Shows how clueless you are. Many persons can’t make it to overseas medical appointments because of lack/uncertainty of flights. Specialists that normally visit Cayman to treat our people, can’t come like they would due to the restrictions. Students are struggling to get to/from university. There are many reasons why we need to reopen and they all benefit Caymanians.
Reasonable quarantine protocols can accommodate all of those categories. They are no reason to throw the doors open.
FFS there are no flights.
What are you smoking?
The problem is you’re looking at things from a “you” perspective not a “we” perspective. I’m sure you’d personally be fine with the island being like this forever…
Its not closed off. People are coming and going all the time. We have a controlled border unlike a lot of first world countries. You say it cannot afford to keep the quarantine in place, well bring in a tax.
Hi. I’m Billy Bob and I already booked another island for my family. No worries here!
Have a good time Billy Bob! Hope the salt doesn’t damage yer banjo strings!
We all know 80 per cent of the entire population is not possible. Everyone who wants the vaccine now has it and we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. Open up on September 9 so people can live their lives again. Let’s follow the uk and Europe’s lead here:
1) encourage people to be sensible in places with large gatherings and contact with masks, hand washing, distancing etc
2) only let vaccinated people travel abroad from cayman and negative test or 5 day quarantine on return
3) same quarantine for vaccinated people flying in
4) launch an app with the HSA vaccine status easily shown – only allow vaccinated in bars, restaurants, nightclubs, the cinema, and non essential shops
5) have a 2 hour a day time slot and alphabet days for unvaccinated to use essential shops like supermarkets, banks, etc.
You left hotels off your list. Unwilling to require tourists to be vaccinated? Why?
Exactly. Canada won’t even let unvaccinated Americans in. America is about to limit entry to vaccinated persons only. All while CITA is demanding we reopen and not seemingly requiring vaccination of its own staff.
6) have a large “X” painted on the unvaccinateds’ clothing.
Oh right, that
No 80% then no opening. Get that through your thick skull. Just look at Florida today.
We could already be at 80% as the government has no clue how many people are on island and guessed there was around 71,000 people. Also, counting people who can’t even take the vaccine is stupid as well…
We have long passed 80% of the real population eligible to be vaccinated.
That is irrelevant. Every human in Cayman is a potential vector. Unless 80% are able to act as a likely firebreak, herd immunity cannot be achieved. It is for that reason that every human physically here needs to be taken into account.
Exactly. Look what all the unvaccinated are causing in Florida! You are so right.