Face masks duty-free until next year
(CNS): Cabinet approved a 100% waiver of import duty until June next year on imported facial masks, hand sanitizers and surgical gloves following its weekly meeting last week. The waiver comes just as the government is about to reintroduce mask mandates indoors in regulations expected to be rolled out later this week, which was confirmed in the release of the Cabinet summary notes.
Most businesses were beginning to roll out mask requirements even before government announced plans to mandate masks again in the face of what is now believed to be at least ten cases of community transmitted COVID-19. The reintroduction of COVID-19 suppression measures, including mask wearing mandates and safe distancing in public places, will also see public gatherings cut to 100 inside and 250 outdoors.
Speaking to the country at the press conference Tuesday evening, Panton outlined the forthcoming changes. “We will soon change some of the regulations, including mandating masking in all indoor areas, such as churches, schools, supermarkets, bars, and insisting on the use of hand hygiene,” he said.
With the virus apparently spreading, officials are urging people to stay home as much as possible, only leave for essential trips and wear a mask. They are also advising people to practice social distancing by staying at least six feet away from other people who are not
members of your household at all times. Even before the publication of the new regulations privates businesses can mandate face mask and refuse entry to those not wearing one.
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Category: Health, Medical Health
Ofreg should see to it that all the duty free are passed on to the consumers
Is this really. news worthy, or even worth mentioning – drop in the bucket to Government and to individuals.
Well geez, this should have been done months ago. Not exactly leading edge public health policy thinking when so many are unvaccinated.
I hope when they get duty waived on these items they dont jack up the pricing. these vendors and supermarkets is ridiculous with this!!!!
What about paving equipment and foot spas? Exorcism props?
Juju since you haven’t honored your promise to allow us to grow medical marijuana as yet, can you reduce the duty on jamaican ganja by any chance?
No weed, no vaccine!
Canoes are the problem
Well I guess this tells us when they plan on moving forward with the reopening plan…June 2022. Heaven help us!
Like all other duty-free items, Government pays no attention to whether or not a merchant passes on the savings to the customer (they don’t!). I’m paying $4 for KN95 masks now, I’ll watch and see!!
“A single face mask can release as many as 173,000 microfibers per day into the seas, according to a study in Environmental Advances. “They’re not going anywhere,” says Nicholas Mallos, who oversees the Ocean Conservancy’s marine debris program.”
How face masks are disposed of in Cayman? With household trash? Simply thrown away?
It seems that all other serious problems Cayman is facing are forgotten.
Family wins court case over Staffordshire landfill site emissions
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-58577136
Hooray! That makes up for keeping out borders closed for no reason!
I will be carrying on life as normal and not giving in to the utter hysteria relating to the community spread. It was coming anyway in October, so why all the panic now??
They should hand them out for free at the door when you enter
What’s wrong with you Babs? You are not in Canada.
So if there is a “No Shirt / No Shoes” requirement should businesses also give you shoes and a shirt?
Oh ffs. Duty free, wow very generous of the Govt.
They really have an optimistic outlook…”duty free until June NEXT YEAR!!!”
What type of plan exactly do Pact have in mind.
Unreal!
They don’t work
Earlier this week I ordered 100 for $20US on Amazon – here similar ones are 20 for $20 KYD!
To benefit the rich again! What a pile of BS!
price gouging on masks already. 50 disposable 132 ci
I bought face masks at Foster’s today and the person behind me in line planned on doing the same til she said that the $15 face masks were $5 only 3 days before. Seriously? How much more can we be ripped off?
More fool for buying them. Have lots of t- shirts that can be ripped up!
Cayman has always been overpriced! On the one hand, you don’t pay taxes but on the other, you are paying a 200-300 per cent markup on most goods.
And imagine, the fosters of all families behind something like this. KmanKind I guess
Don’t worry. One more year like the past one and we goin to be paying income tax, No other way to keep paying all the big salaries of the politicians and all of the civil service.
The gravy train might be ending next year.
Great. Just save $3.00 now I can buy half a beer.
Wow! That makes up for no income. Not!
This is great.
Face masks and the environment: Preventing the next plastic problem
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210310122431.htm
Well I’m trying to save the planet by wrapping my face and hands in toilet roll.
LMAO – might need to lend me some!!
Environmental challenges induced by extensive use of face masks during COVID-19: A review and potential solutions
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667010021000184
Face masks etc, etc duty free in the Brac only means more profit for the businesses, duty free are never passed on to the consumers in the Brac. Like when they made gasoline 100 % duty free, the cost for consumers at the pumps went up. No one checks to see that it is passed on.
Looser’s… How about a compensation for all of the income that was taken from us yesterday.
Not paying for masks again out of 1,000 per month – mandating them, government or rich owners of establishments pay for them as they are receiving the reduced duty which will not be passed on to the customer!
Shouldn’t have duty on them in the first place…