New rules curb social interactions
(CNS): After well over a year of few restrictions on day to day life on island, Cayman residents are now facing limits on their behaviour following the outbreak of community transmission of COVID-19. Government leaders have mandated new regulations that will last until at least 22 November but have said they could be removed sooner. In the interim, however, changes have been made to indoor and outdoor gathering numbers, and masks mandates are back for indoor areas as well as social distancing requirements. Public gatherings may not exceed 100 people indoors or 250 outdoors or at venues with both inside and outside areas.
Weddings, civil partnerships and funerals are subject to the restrictions but the total number does not include the bride, bridegroom, official witnesses, marriage officer, parties to the intended civil partnership, official witnesses, civil partnership officer, six pallbearers, the officiant and essential mortuary staff.
There are a number of exemptions, such as offices, churches, cinemas and theatres where there is enough room to accommodate more than 100 people where household groups can socially distance. Social distancing of at least six feet must be maintained in all public places unless individual are from the same household. Additional measures, including those relating to the use of personal protective equipment, may also be required at quarantine facilities, healthcare facilities, residential home care facilities, and prisons and places of detention.·
Adults and children over the age of five years must wear masks when indoors in a public place or an educational institution if the six feet social distancing cannot be maintained. The owner or operator of an establishment may also require people to wear masks and refuse entry to any who refuse to do so. Masks are also mandated for drivers and all passengers of taxis and buses, including school buses.
Mask exemptions apply to those with a medical condition, and anyone who is eating, or working at a desk or indoors in a bar or restaurant when sitting at a table.
From Monday, outdoor sporting and exercise activities are permitted but with no more than 250 people and with social distancing for spectators who are not members of the same household. Where the sporting activity or exercise takes place indoors at a gym, fitness centre or other indoor fitness area, no more than half of the legal capacity will be allowed inside at any one time, including employees, patrons, participants and spectators.
Customers will not be allowed into a gym, fitness centre or other indoor fitness area unless the person has completed an approved vaccine course 14 days prior or has presented the owner/operator with a negative PCR test result, taken no more than 48 hours before the date of the activity.· These regulations are currently scheduled to expire on 22 November but may be amended before that date.
Anyone over the age of five travelling from Grand Cayman to Cayman Brac or Little Cayman now requires a PCR negative test or a vaccination certificate.·
Boat operators must ensure that the vessel never has more than 100 people on board or 70% of its legal capacity, whichever is lesser, and this limit also applies when boats congregate. However, boats with a capacity of 40 people or fewer are exempt from this requirement. There are also new rules surrounding local fishing areas set out in the regulations.
New rules for travellers includes a ban on unvaccinated visitors who are not the child of a Caymanian or residents and travelling with that person. Tourists will be allowed to quarantine for seven days if their vaccinations can be securely verified. If not, they must isolate for ten days.
The quarantine period for all verifiably vaccinated travellers has been increased to seven days except for those who already had travel authorisation before the new regulations came into effect. A negative pre-travel PCR test is also required. Ten-day and 14-day quarantine periods still apply to those with unverifiable vaccinations and the unvaccinated.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Health, Medical Health
One step forward….how many steps back? I’ve lost count.
After reading the regulations we are only the curfew away from last year’s total lockdown. Bars and restaurants might as well close. For those of you who want to keep Cayman locked up forever, you have just not thought this through. It will be back to fishing and rope weaving if that’s what you want.
I would understand, somewhat, these rules if they came in a day after the “outbreak” but to put this in weeks later when we are not seeing anymore cases is stupid. And also, to put them in, not announce them in the press conference because the health minister had obviously not read them, and to then expect everyone to comply the next day is also stupid. I was hopeful for PACT but now I’m almost ready to have the PPM and even Dwayne back.
Well said except for last sentence arrggh going backwards is one thing, going back to that is jump in sea and paddle to Cuba.
Sabrina: “There are no exemptions, except for the exemptions.”
train wreck of a performance.
3.25pm She also said their reason for not reopening was not based on anxiety and fear. Yet in next few sentences said the public was anxious and fearful which is why they paused.
Worst government of all time. Plain and simple.
Ok, I disagree: We once had a Cabinet that had McKeeva, Dr. Frank, Gilbert, Roy and Linford/Juliana switching between speaker and cabinet. This was the cabinet that made the mass status grants, that gave us the Dr. Frank low-cost housing debacle, the Royal Watler debacle, the Hurricane Ivan clean-up debacle and the Hurricane Ivan insurance debacle. The current lot is bad, I’ll give you that, and they’re certainly incapable enough to ascend to the worst if they stay in power for four years, but somehow, I don’t see them staying in power long enough.
Agree but who the heck is there to vote and lead..?
God, I wish I knew.
By far.
Love y’all blaming ‘this’ government. You all sound like idiots.
ANY government we had in there would be doing the same.
An abundance of caution trying to please everyone knowing they will NEVER be able to please everyone. EVER
But keep making it POLITICAL, eh!! Whiners
Comments here are like yelling into a void.
Except that’s not what ANY government would do. Name the government that has mask mandates in all public places with a general vaccination rate in the mid 70s and over 90% of at risk groups. Go on.
Ontario Canada 85% of 12 and over vaccinated, mask mandate in place and vaccine passport required to enter many indoor places.
In the beginning when I commented that we all needed to look in between the lines, that this nonsense wont end because the virus is not what is trying to be controlled. The population is.
When nothing was consistent and the goal posts kept changing, when I asked questions I was called all types of names… but here we are anyway.
This doesn’t end until the people demand it stop.
The Cayman Islands seems to be near full rebellion against these measures. Premier holding on by a thread? Have conversation begun to happen with PPM?
Get rid of them all! Vote for Basil Brush!
So I have to wear a mask in a restaurant or bar unless I’m sat in the restaurant eating.. but I’m not allowed to talk to the people I’m with during the course of that meal.
I’m all for minding my manners whilst masticating but this is a bit extreme!
The problem is you are attempting to apply logic to idiocy. Round hole, square peg.
Also, keep your elbows off the table and don’t slurp you soup!
Can’t afford to go restaurant!
Most mask mandates around the world are you wear the mask into the restaurant or when you get up to walk to the restroom, but when you are at your table,you remove the mask and you can eat, talk and drink. To not be able to talk is actually pretty silly. Who will be monitoring that? Is it considered a breach if you do? What is the fine?
Madness.
Let’s just get on with our lives and ignore every press conference and reg from now on. Government ain’t paid me anything so heck with their large fat salaries, mouths and bellies.
What if we see establishments not following mask mandates? Is there a place to call and report them?
We should be commended them, not reporting them they need our patronage during these time.
Calm down… Save this your Stasi officer application form.
911 – a crime is occurring.
Move to Texas.
LaLa Land 00000 cuckoo
How many of you on this complaint are actually Caymanian??? I’m sure the majority of you are not as I see from similar FB comments. If you don’t like or agree with what our Government is doing just go back home. No one is holding you hostage here. Don’t come into our home and tell us how to do things here. Don’t like it then leave!!
ah caymankind
Here we go with the Caymanian vs Expat argument again!
Many, many Caymanians are fed up of the restrictions imposed!
But if YOUR government continues this shit show, then not only will be expats leaving, but Caymanians will too. And if all these people leave, jobs will go too. Then YOU will be stuck here in poverty when cost of living goes through the roof, no employment opportunities and so on.
In an ideal world, I would love to see people like YOU to go through a world without expats and the jobs they bring to YOU.
Hey big mouth, go. I am willing to try it. Been here over 50 years and will still wade through – even if we have to turn the lights off a little earlier at night. At least the demons amoung us will be gone…. Go, go go…. Wait, you won’t because you know it is better but you just want to control it too…
Wait another 50 a-hole
Listen you’re clearly a special case here, do you want this illustrated, or can you read?
This has NOTHING to do with Caymanian, British, Jamaican, Philippino or any other race that you decide to bring into it. It has EVERYTHING to do with human rights, implementing restrictions that are hurting industries yet aren’t essential and most of all sensible and measured leadership.
OUR government is not performing, it’s panicking, reacting to a noisy, ignorant and scared minority, and even if that doesn’t affect you today, it will affect you soon and we all need to pull together, so stop with your racist bull sh/t.
You’re part of the reason why us Caymanians have a bad reputation. Please shut your mouth, sheep.
Do you realize what would happen if all the ex-pats left?
Do you realize why there is no income tax? Where do you think the money comes from for your free schools, healthcare, pensions, cushy government jobs etc. Take one guess mate…
Look at the countries you’re surrounded by. Cuba, Jamaica, Honduras, Belize, Haiti, Nicaragua.
The only thing that differentiates this place is its British overseas territory status and the ex-pats who contribute to the system but pay their own way.
If they left this place would begin to resemble its neighbours in a hurry…
Every person has a voice, you don’t like it then leave the human race.
Free Thatch Rope making classes next Friday at the Bodden Town Community Centre.
I was shocked to see this after sitting through the news conference yesterday when these mandates were not mentioned.
But it makes sense.
I believe one or more members of cabinet said they would cross the floor dissolving parliament if the country kept course on the opening plan.
Looks like they have agreed to stay and “allow” visitors in so long as these new mandates are in place.
I don’t believe a rational group of people would come up with this as a plan without some threat of losing power.
Send the Speaker to knock those members back in line! This is when experience matters……and a good attorney.
2 have said they would cross the floor, effectively a no confidence vote, and would lead to parliament dissolving. We NEED the motherland to step in here. Dr Lee and the Governor both know we can open the borders but pastors and their followers i.e. voters have collectively crapped their pants. Without looking at the science and evidence but instead believing that the sky fairy will deliver us from this pestilence. SMFH.
The islands that common sense forgot.
@CNS can you clarify if the intent of the rules is to require private offices (that only accept package deliveries etc) are required to wear masks while everywhere except desks?
Our offices is unsure but have taken the stance we are ‘open to the public’ because couriers visit and they believe the regulations are intended to include private offices. Please someone confirm
Huh?
This is beyond ridiculous. No one supports these new regulations apart form the paranoid and hysterical and the PACT. Leave the kids alone, you are asking them to wear masks more than most adults. Just sick, they should be ashamed.
So. The hardest hit are those wanting to go to gym if you are unvaccinated. The government says you aren’t allowed to keep yourself fit which is a huge health benefit in fighting ANY illness. ????
I would rather everyone at the gym is vaccinated as long as we are not also expected to wear masks there.
I am actually in favor of those at the gym being vaccinated. Running on a treadmill or any aerobic exercise (huffing and puffing) and not wearing a mask indoor can spread covid in the air. Get vaccinated or mask up in the gym is how I feel.
Those unvaccinated, stay outside to exercise where your cough/spit won’t possibly infect me . Yeah, yeah, we can both get covid, but to me, you can get sicker and I really don’t want anything you will be spreading.
Ah yes but the rule is get vaccinated AND mask up, which of course makes no sense
If you also feel it it not right to mask little kids please signed this:
https://chng.it/jpwMc2KVtM
Ok I feel like I’m in a time machine here. If the new regulations (reasonable or not) are basically what we were dealing with about a year ago when they started loosening things up…so why did we keep the border closed so long just get back to this point?
It was a nice vacation in a safety bubble I suppose. But businesses are gone, people are really struggling from a mental health standpoint to come and go freely, and everything is frankly a mess. We have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, and have just tested about 15% of our population and found no new spread, but we’re continuing to delay the reopening?
This is NOT “living with Covid” this is just loosing our minds at the first sign of things.
The press conference yesterday was the worst one ever! Full of lies. They said the reaction was not out of fear but we all know it absolutely 100% was. We know there is no plan. Everyone who works in the schools will tell you: the ministry has no plan, principals have no plan, management has no plan! Ask someone you know who works there what the plan is. It does not exist.
Here’s the cold hard truth: whoever is in power in government when the borders reopen will not win elections in a few years. The virus will come back, someone will get sick, someone will die and that will be blamed by the opposition on the current government. That’s it. They need to stay in power.
If they really cared about the country they would bite the bullet, do what’s right and get ready to suck it up and fight for re-election. But all they really care about is staying in power, and putting their friends on boards to do the same thing the friends of the PPM did on boards a year ago.
One big lie.
“Here’s the cold hard truth: whoever is in power in government when the borders reopen will not win elections in a few years. The virus will come back, someone will get sick, someone will die and that will be blamed by the opposition on the current government. That’s it. They need to stay in power.”
From a purely political perspective: That’s exactly why they should get it over with sooner rather than later, so that by the time elections come around, such results will be old news.
Time for these clowns to pact it up and pact it in and let our lives begin.
Good work on the petition re no student masks in school.
Can someone with some social media skills please organize a protest, big march down West Bay rd or something, these clowns need to understand this is not OK
only 100 people marching at one time though please. lol
I’ll go
Social distancing! Too hot to wear mask on march!
Proof of vaccine required to enter a gym. No proof of vaccine to enter a crowded indoor night club.
Next up, mask mandate also included for those interacting via social media or messaging apps.
As the general opinion is that COVID vaccines give immunity for about 6 months (I guess no one knows for sure whether it is more or less period), when the Cayman Islands government decides to open the borders without quarantine, any possibility they could open it only to those fully vaccinated in the last 6 months, in order to reduce the transmission?
CNS, could you please ask this question at the next press briefing?
Here is my problem, “opinion”, “about”, ‘guess”, “no one knows’, “for sure”, “possibility”, “could”.
As an engineer, I am not at liberty to pepper my theses with such nebulous implications.
I go by science which seems to be sorely lacking in this sorry scenario.
Good grief what are you on about. This is not the general opinion.
Folks, relax, Cayman Doctors have said They Are Ready…a lot was said without saying anything…the only thing I understood is that they will be using WatsApp to treat you…I guess it counts for being ready, don’t you think?
I think it’s pretty safe to say these guys don’t have a clue what they’re doing.
This is ridiculous. 90% get vaccinated but now we’re having our liberties restricted for the 10%??
They should be the ones having their freedom removed, not those that did their part to try and return to some degree of normality.
Complete load of backward bullshit.
you did not mention the exemptions…..literally every establishment on island is exempt.
anyways…lets live with thing and be resposible and careful. won’t be wasting any more time listening to this joke of a government and their nonsensical press briefings…
From the gathering restriction of 100 persons. Exempted premises (that allow access to customers/the public) must restrict access such that customers are able to be physically distanced or the owners commit an offense.
nope, won’t be doing any of this.
i will not have my freedoms restricted because of anti-vaxxers. bring in restrictions for them…not the people who have done everything by the book.
Exactly. The only restriction for anti-vaxxers is not going to the gym. Keep them out of places rather than have everyone wear masks.
guess you’ve booked your ticket?
We need 90 day lock down now! Panic! Run for your lives!
Could this government please update what CDC vaccination records they will accept as “securely verified”???!!! Right now most of those from the USA don’t qualify. Even CVS Health website doesn’t provide the verification QR code needed.
It’s been my Nths since this was information was updated
Have asked over and over again. No answer. Please CNS can you ask at the next press briefing. ( CDC vaxx cards)
And no community transmission. Next up, Wayne wants you to wear a condom all the time, not juts when having sex, just in case. We need to learn to live with STDs – even if we don’t have them.
LOL..and floaties whenever we get within 50ft of a body of water larger than a sink. People drown, you know. Can’t be too safe.
3 days quarantine on scuba equipment has made my day…bring your own plates to a restaurant, just in case all theirs are being quarantined! And learn sign language to converse when you share a table or a desk.
umm..
seatbelts and biker helmets when we’re parked with the ignition turned off.
Just look at how in one month in Canada’s wealthiest Province, Alberta, the whole public health system collapsed so fast due to leniency with vaccinations, mask wearing and social gathering.
Yesterday, the Canadian Army was called in to Alberta.
If it can happen in Alberta it can happen in the Cayman Islands too.
Alberta had a much lower vaccination rate – 70% of the eligible population (so children weren’t included in the calculation) had received their first dose – and a quite a few cases of covid when they got rid of all restrictions three months ago. They also told people they didn’t need to quarantine if they were positive but asymptomatic. It’s not really the same situation as Cayman. Many provinces in Canada have reopened successfully and they have started allowing vaccinated tourists to enter the country. Also Alberta is not the wealthiest province.
Only 60% vaccinated in Alberta – and how many of those are in hospital?
Partial information again …
But you don’t know that your partner doesn’t have them. That’s the point of the condom, and the mask. You protect yourself and the person you care about.
Still don’t wear a condom when not actually having sex tho. Over 10000 tested, no sign of any more cases, so now we are mandating masks.
Classic: put in more restrictions after you decide no more testing and contact tracing are necessary. Much as I want the borders to open and tourism be gradually reintroduced, it is obvious this government is completely incapable of managing that task. Anything they attempt to do will end up as a mess. Would a new government be better? Who knows. Maybe we will need divine intervention.
We just need more canoes
If this is what we get after 10,000 PCR tests show no ongoing community transmission, imagine what he is going to do when we actually get another case. Name days at supermarkets and curfew, here we come.
We don’t need lessons on living with Covid, we need lessons on living with PACT. Who knows what they will do next. Exciting, but not in a good way.
Cayman you wanted Woke, you got Woke.
Zero science, Zero facts, Zero Data. All about feelings and optics. The illusions of leadership, when in fact, its pure pandering, weakness, inability to make tough decisions and stick to a plan. Total incompetence and we are going backwards kicking the can down the road, and just making it harder to open.
All you PPM trolls please stop posting dumb posts. They just make you look stupid.
Unlike your profound and in depth post.
Clever strategy this practice run – have everyone put on masks and put restrictions on businesses now that this round of local transmission has been declared over. Get everyone used to masks etc before quarantine is dropped and local people start dying. Such clever people in government.
Sarcasm?
Scare tactics again? Was Kenny involved?
https://chng.it/tSGnHyfg9D
Please sign this petition. Masks are completely unnecessary in schools. Children are not at risk. Unless you’re willing to mandate vaccination for staff and teachers, please do not start to affect the children’s learning.
My kids cannot wear them for medical reasons, and according to the regulations, I am not required to provide evidence of such.
and so you should, what makes you so special to say that they are exempt without proving it?
The gazettes regulations.
The regulations state that people don’t have to provide any proof that they have a medical exemption. Truly mind-boggling…..
I think that it is fantastic that government has negotiated a reduced incubation period of only 7 days with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Every other country on the planet has do deal with a 14 day incubation period. Good to know that we have such fantastic politicians and that nothing could possibly go wrong with our government’s approach. (Sarcasm)
good think you told me it was sarcasm – i could not tell.
Our diplomatic relations with the virus are the best. We have an understanding.
Hey Wayne. Why don’t you just quarantine the entire population and be done with it. That will stamp out the community transmission – that has already stopped. Or are we to now magically expect to see a few “weakly” positive tests or an increase in the number of testing cycles to justify the wholesale infliction of restrictions you have just imposed? You told us we have to learn to live with COVID, and that would enable reopening the border. Now apparently we still don’t get an open border and we get to learn to live with COVID even though we don’t have it.
If we don’t have it, why are some people testing positive?
This is getting ridiculous now… Enough is enough. COVID isn’t going away anytime soon.. we cant keep doing this indefinitely.
How can the new regulations last until at least November 22nd but also possibly be removed sooner?!
PACT don’t know what e mails they are gong to get or what social media posts they will see – how can they commit to firm date?
“These Regulations shall continue in force until 22nd November, 2021 or until such
other date as the Cabinet may specify by notice in the Gazette, in any other official
Government website or in any other official means of communication.”
Are you a dummy? With a stroke of a pen.
So, despite 1000 PCR tests and no further evidence of community transmission, and over 90% of our at risk population (or higher if you use ESO’s estimate of actual population rather than the edge of the probability envelope) we are now increasing restrictions? Can anyone explain why? Has PACT completely lost its mind? Explain how, given you are “following the science”, the evidence that the outbreak has been stopped necessitates increased restrictions to stop – what exactly?
The only thing I can think of is that this is PACT not reacting to an outbreak, but part of Wayne’s cunning plan to train us all in getting used to living with Covid. Even though we don’t have community transmission, we will learn to live with the restrictions that go alongside a response to an outbreak, so we will be used to it when he opens the border and community transmission restarts.
Dear Mr. Anonymous at 11:31 am : After analizing your post, it is obvious that you are a PPM troll. Please try to help Caymanians with something positive and hold off with the bull poop.
Its sad that you can’t focus on the meaning of the words from Anonymous at 11:31.
Instead you seem to be hurt that your favored political party has been criticized.
I think that his use of statistics really help to drive home his point that science is not being followed.
I found it hopeful that despite some transmissions no one became seriously ill. I thought it would give the country confidence to handle some cases and continue moving forward in our lives.
It’s sad that some people think that we should aim to live in a zero-covid world when everyone else has learned to live with it, as per Dr. Lee’s story.
The quick knee-jerk reaction by our government was worrying as it demonstrated how they are influenced.
The Pee Pee Emmers are trying hard to make PACT look bad!
Pretty sure that goal was self completed.
Pactman… the PACT are doing a very good job on their own with looking bad. They don’t need help. All PPM have to do is sit back in wonder/worry like the rest of the country.
Thats facts
PPM has some educated people trolling for them! I wish they would try to make things better for the people of Cayman instead of PPM.
The opaqueness of this government is an insult to the people.
Translucent is the new transparent, as if that really makes a difference.
THE opaqueness of ALL Cayman governments have been an insult to the people!!!
Yeah! Just like the other governments we’ve had!
What a bunch of arbitrary BS. What numbskull came up with these regulations.
This Government is a joke. No confidence whatsoever.
Masking Children at 5 is sick. Very sick. Psychopaths!
This Vaccine mandate is against Civil Rights.
Governments shouldn’t be able to control what goes in our(your) body.
Pandora’s Box. Once any government can force one to take any medication or vaccine, they can force them upon the individual for perpetuity. See taxes for proof of this.
This will not be the last pandemic we all face, so buckle up for more mandates globally, and we all still have climate change to face soon.
@11:15am – you do realize that there are already mandatory vaccines here and around the world. You have to be vaccinated to go to school here, you have to be vaccinated to enter certain countries.
Why are people acting as if vaccines are something new.
But selfish stupid people, who are willing to put others at risk, cannot expect to enjoy the same freedoms as those who put community and public safety first as well as their own health and well being.
OK. I’m vaccinayed and I’ll wear a mask. I’ll socially distance as required. And I’ll follow all other regu.
Now open the borders and get rid of quarantine for people who are vaccinated!!!!!
It has been long enough.
Time to learn how to co-exist with Covid and not cower in fear anymore.
You are still able to catch the disease and spread it. So no special treatment for you I’m afraid
Vaccinated people are less likely to catch, spread and become sick enough to use healthcare resources. They did their part for the community. All restrictions should be on the unvaccinated.
Vaccines were a waste of time then
That is what PACT is saying, yes.
I never heard them say that!
Figuratively, in essence that is exactly what they are saying.
Don’t know why I bothered really when the small percentage who didn’t seem to be the ones that are the protected species.
Having read through the new regulations I am appalled they were published. Did they not have a lawyer read through them??? Or an English teacher for that matter? The loopholes and contradictions are bordering on ridiculous!! Well the terrible grammar speaks for itself.
… world class CI Government schools….but hey, at least the buildings and sport facilities are spectacular!!!
All flash and no substance.
I noticed that! So many typos!! A little proofreading would have gone a long way. Also love the definition of public place: means any highway, street, public park or garden, any sea beach and any public bridge, road, lane, footway, square, court, alley or passage, whether a thoroughfare or not; and includes any open space and any premises to which, for the time being, the public have or are permitted to have access, whether on payment or otherwise.
So it mentions all manners of open air spaces but not even 1 enclosed space! Based on this I’m not actually sure what is a public space!
Ridiculous made-up nonsense rules for a country whose borders remain closed, and has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, especially for the age group that counts.
Also, no mention of it in the 2 hour press briefing the day it was released. Just slips through quietly in the night.
This government is a joke!
They were too embarrassed to mention it at the conference – or too frightened of what Wendy might say!. Yeah, lets just tell people they cant have more than a 100 people at an indoor funeral – that wont scare the horse too much – we ” just leave all the other stuff as a little pleasant surprise.
Can hardly wait for the videos that Sabrina pomised explaining there rules to us. How you need to put your mask on between bites whilst sharing lunch with a colleague, but only when actually talking, should be riveting stuff.
I also enjoy when she reads her script at me rather than to me during a press conference. Makes me feel so young again….
LOL
To hell with the science, let’s all panic irrationally.
Idiotic rules considering 70%+ vaccinated
It’s well over 90% in ages > 40 which makes it look even more idiotic.
https://caymannewsservice.com/2021/09/96-of-adults-over-50-have-had-at-least-one-shot/comment-page-1/