Businesses ramp up pressure to reopen
(CNS): A number of Cayman’s larger business owners and developers are joining forces to ramp up the pressure on government and the public to fully reopen the borders by embarking on a concerted campaign to convince people that it is time to live with COVID-19. Government has hinted that it may lift isolation restrictions for vaccinated visitors who have had a negative PCR test sometime next month, and these private sector leaders are pushing them to set the date now. In a press release about their efforts, these business leaders said they are preparing for “an operational and mindset shift” that will see the Cayman Islands adjust to coexisting with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
According to documents seen by CNS about the campaign, the strategy is being led by Dart but is supported by the Chamber of Commerce as well as real estate developers, the supermarket bosses, fast food franchisers and restaurant owners, who are all working on the plan to prepare their workforce and customers to learn to live with the virus in the community.
“Cayman has been in the fortunate position that, for more than a year, we were able to eliminate COVID from our shores,” said Woody Foster, Managing Director of Foster’s Supermarket and a member of the private sector group. “However, we always knew the day would come when elimination would no longer be possible.
“As a business owner, my job now is to adapt our operating practices so that safety remains our top priority, and to demonstrate to employees and customers how we can all still go about our daily business safely with COVID in our midst. As we have heard repeatedly, getting vaccinated remains our best defence against this virus – to protect ourselves, our families and the wider community,” he added in a press release from the group.
The group plans to launch a public education campaign about “getting ready” and what that means for employers and workers.
“We recognise and appreciate people have different perspectives and priorities,” Foster said. “Our intent is not to impose a single point of view, but to bring the community along with us on our journey toward readiness. The rest of the world is learning how to live with COVID, and I am confident we can too.”
Despite coming from a variety of industries, members of the group agree on the importance of reopening borders so that both visitors and residents can travel more freely.
The group is working with the Reopen Cayman campaign, which was made up of tourism stakeholders and had been pressing for the borders to reopen since last year. The new Ready2Reopen campaign, which is targeting 22 November as the date to reopen the borders, will be taking over the Reopen Cayman existing social media channels
“We were delighted to be approached by such a respected group of local business leaders and happy to offer our support,” said Kel Thompson of Century21, who originally launched Reopen Cayman with fellow businessman Michael Tibbetts of Clearly Cayman. “The negative impact of our borders remaining closed goes beyond the financial loss; it separates families and affects our mental well-being. As a community, it is essential we agree a path towards a safe and timely reopening of our borders,” he added.
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Category: Business, Food and Drink, Real Estate, Retail, Tourism
Trust makes no sense to try and talk sense to the people hashtagging “re-open”. They’re all a part of the Dart propaganda machine. He needs the return on investment on the renovations at the Ritz.
This crew of business owners coming out in public put pressure/lobby government to reopen are a bunch of jokers. Why would you put your name and face on a campaign spearheaded by a man who has been social distancing from the public eye since he landed on island? He wants to rent his office space in his “blossoming” town but does he actually has an office in Camana Bay? Dart is the King of social distancing. He doesn’t even drive on our roads. He wants helipads so he can fly over us to go for a bike ride. If Dart wants the island to open so bad, he should emerge from his castle and put his views out in the public. Instead, he uses Fosters and Thompson to be his puppets.
No you idiots are plebs and pawns. And these “independents” are lap dogs. And don’t get me started on the look-aid drinking voters.
I’ve taken to social distancing to protect my mental health by avoiding stupid people.
I loved this part – Foster said. “Our intent is not to impose a single point of view, but to bring the community along with us on our journey toward readiness.”
Sounds like imposing to me.
Fascism is in vogue globally, and now its reached our shores. Fascism is often cloaked in capitalism, but its easy to see past the disguise. Fascism is also aided by bootlickers for capitalism carrying their water, many of whom are in denial.
Closted fascists will deny these truths, using arguments that its for the sake of the economy, but what they really mean, its for the sake of their own propserity and personal economy.
The poor are nothing but useful idiots to fascist capitalists. Its a global emdemic. The oligarchy rules the world.
Rant much?
Snowflake?
Ranting is fine, particularly if sensible.
This guy actually has it correctly.
You, on the other hand, sound angry and disconnected.
You elitist liberals… always showing off your impressive knowledge of history, sociology and the humanities. Education? We don’t need no education. We don’t need no thought control! Hey! Libtard Leave our wealth alone! …../s
If you don’t eat your meat, you can’t have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat?
It has nothing to do with Dart. Closed for almost 2 years is insane. Keeping people from seeing family and friends. Covid is going to be around no matter when you choose to open. Learn to live with Covid. One of the highest vaccination rates in the world and one of the highest panic rates in the world. If you are not vaccinated- get vaccinated. Wear masks when you can’t social distance. Stop panicking. It is not good to have that much stress.
Did you miss this part?
“ According to documents seen by CNS about the campaign, the strategy is being led by Dart but is supported by the Chamber of Commerce as well as real estate developers, the supermarket bosses, fast food franchisers and restaurant owners, who are all working on the plan to prepare their workforce and customers to learn to live with the virus in the community.”
When we open up for Dart, he will be living with COVID while the rest of us will be dying of it.
How is PACT involved in this?
Just noticed Trip Advisor- repeat travelers are headed elsewhere after this latest go around. Be lucky if tourism will ever rebound. Only so many times visitors will rebook before heading elsewhere for good. Same with the airlines.
PACT clearly needs a Gantt chart setting out the tasks to be achieved in order re-open safely and avoid becoming the “Covid R Us” Islands. Here is a start:
Ensure the recruitment and retention of an adequate number of medical, nursing, and technical specialists with significant experience with treating Covid. If this is not done local residents will be left to the mercy of current staff, utterly exhausted and attempting to learn on the job. Keep in mind that hospital care for Covid patients is a very complex and demanding long-term 24/7 job that will require multiple shifts of appropriately trained and equipped staff.
Ensure that we have on an ongoing basis all the medical, nursing and technical supplies that are required to handle a full-blown Covid outbreak.
Modify the A/C systems in schools and other public buildings so that they are not simply spreading Covid in aerosol form. Ideally, government should put in heat pump systems to constantly refresh air in the buildings rather than re-circulating Covid aerosols. At the very least government needs to install hepa-filters of the quality used in airplanes to trap some of the virus particles and they need to change those filters often. As a previous comment noted, what we have now is schools that are essentially “Covid in a Box”
Ensure that Cayman has on hand on an ongoing basis sufficient supplies of Lateral Flow or other forms of rapid testing so that we can quickly identify whether contacts are potentially infectious rather than uninfected people who have merely been in the general vicinity of an infected person at some point.
Ensure that we have on hand an adequate supply of the new oral Covid treatments that can cut deaths and hospitalizations by half. They will be available shortly but will certainly be the subject of high demand coming from many countries.
Ensure that we have on hand an adequate supply of the new immunological therapies that are about to be approved. They will surely save the lives of some of our most at risk residents.
Develop detailed strategies for and ensure adequate human and other resources for times when the “sh!+ hits the fan” as has happened with every other country that has attempted to re-open, and also develop plans to alter course quickly when things go badly wrong.
Enact legislation to provide a clear route for employers and businesses to establish vaccine mandates while at the same time developing better strategies to encourage vaccination.
Develop communications skills. The current “keep them in the dark” approach of limiting the information that is provided to the community is not working and is facilitating mistrust.
You mean like a plan?
Is Randy speaking only on behalf of Hurleys or C3 as well? What about Marcus? Just Lobster Pot or C3 and Clean Gas as well? Eh Wayne?
I see Woody is Dart’s new spokesman.
Amazing what a little leverage can do. Dart is the master at creating and using leverage.
Who is Woody?
Pass a law to mandate that they contribute to a fund that can be used to cover the increased healthcare costs and to pay the families of any individual that loses their life or any form of income as a result of COVID-19.
It’s already there. It’s called all the work current fees and consumption taxes that expats and foreign businesses pay. Without that money this place would have a GDP per head more in line with Jamaica and living standards to match…
You mean the expat generated money that pays for caymanians, which is already there?
10:27 – You need to ask China for that.
Wow I cannot believe Woody is so involved with this initiative. I thought he truly cared about Cayman over profits. His father would be turning in his grave.
I don’t agree with 10:15 because it is easy to criticise when you don’t have the responsibility. This would be a thoroughly thought through tough decision trying to navigate rough seas that affect many no matter what side of the argument you come down on. Mr. David worked his ass off and took many along with him. Woody is doing the same.
Now we know who is actually running PACT. D A R T and money talks. So much for community creates country. Hot air.
Part of PACT’s mandate is to allow for people to earn income to survive. I’m not referring to the employers, but the employees. We need both and money for survival doesn’t just fall out of the sky, although it must seem to for many.
Judging by yesterday’s numbers about 20% of our cases of people getting Covid are fully vaccinated.
How many of them are sick? Not the equivalent of a cold sick, real sick.
The point is the majority of those testing positive can also spread the virus.
Another very interesting statistic was published by the Bermuda Government yesterday.
“Active cases by vaccination status, transmission, and type:
● Imported cases: 92% are fully vaccinated and 8% are not vaccinated
● Local/Under Investigation cases: 26% are fully vaccinated and 74% are not vaccinated”
The fact that 92% of imported cases were fully vaccinated sounds like the strongest argument yet for keeping quarantine.
https://www.gov.bm/articles/covid-19-update-4-october-2021
The fact that 92% of imported cases were fully vaccinated sounds like the strongest argument yet for keeping quarantine.
And 100% of the people walking off the plane were wearing shoes. If Bermuda, or Cayman for that matter, requires visitors to be vaccinated or spend 14 days in quarantine after arrival, then it’s only natural that more than 90% of the people who test positive were vaccinated.
You seem to miss the point that without quarantine that 92% would be in the community speading Covid – shoes or no shoes.
Then state your case for everyone to be quarantined without the meaningless statistics. Undoubtedly, it can only be passed on from someone who has it.
I do get frustrated by how people analyze these statistics. Of course as more people are vaccinated than unvaccinated, then that group wound showcase a higher % rate, as it makes up a much larger social proportion of society. It’s like the headline ‘more than the Spanish flue’ really how accurate were global records back then vs now, and what was the % difference in global population. Just the few billion extra. Just Open The Dam Borders and Stop Living In Purgatory.
You also miss the point that without quarantine that 92% would be in the community speading Covid.
You would expect imported cases to be close to 100% vaccinated, as unvaccinated would have to quarantine for two weeks, so unvaccinated just arent traveling to Bermuda.
A significant proportion of people flying to Bermuda who are not required to be vaccinated. Just like Cayman.
Has anyone noticed the Isle of Man reopened very successfully and cayman needs to get their head out of the sand.
This must be the news item you refer to
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-58679927
Here is the main news in Isle of Man from the BBC today – no covid stories on there at all.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/europe/isle_of_man
Your link shows 51 deaths over 21 months which includes the period before vaccinations. It also includes deaths of people who died of other causes but had positive COVID tests 28 days prior to their death which is about 30% of numbers now. So it looks like there were 2 people who died of COVID in September.
Why dont we reward the people who want to travel and have been vaccinated ! Allow them back in without any quarantine time !
Reward them??? A significant number will be carrying the virus. You want to reward them by allowing them in without quarantine so that they can infect others. Well thought through.
I thought Tibbetts had moved his dive boats to Turks & Caicos where the tourist are going. Does he want to bring his boats back? I’m sure there must be some out-of-work tourist stipend recipients who know how to drive dive boats that could make the trip with him.
Shocker.The oligarchy wins again.
No doubt the business leaders have a great deal of understanding related to making money. I don’t think that they should be the people advising government on how to keep ordinary residents safe and healthy.
I support the local businesses but definitely not the developers. Those guys suck.
Mr.Tibbetts: Clearly, becoming symptomatic with Covid-19 is very likely to affect you “mental well-being”, don’t you think?
I can’t believe all this time to prepare for the reopening, yet now there like a deer in headlights. Get your act together, absolutely pathetic!
As mentioned by many, set a date giving people time to prepare, and PLEASE! stick to it, lay out the reopening plan in detail. If not capable get a team of people who are.
This is very humiliating to Cayman, being closed all this time. How is it others around the world have begun to live with this virus and we’re still hoping it will miraculously disappear.
Re-open Cayman!
But… but…..but…… What if we all die?
These business people vote for increasing their wealth. The rest of us vote for preserving health. Lets see what PACT does.
We need to fix the aircon systems in schools to slow the spread of the virus. At the moment when an infected student exhales the virus is spread not only in that class but through the entire school.
Same is true in most public buildings.
The Civil Service has had 18 months to prepare. In true #worldclass fashion, they have done sweet f.a. Time to let the professionals take over.
Clearly these business owners have not considered health or lives. They have picked a date that neither takes into consideration booster delivery nor the oral treatments for Covid that will cut the death and hospitalization rates in half. Those medications are supposed to be available by the end of the year but waiting that time would cost them 6 weeks of profits.
The medications are actually already available. Time to live with it like the rest of the world.
Actually the new antivirals that reduce death and hospitalization by half are set to go to the FDA and the UK regulator in a few weeks.
Quarantine has kept us safe but decreased the profits of the rich. Of course they want to get rid of quarantine.
Quarantine has not kept you safe. 52 breaches reported in August. What kept you feeling safe was the lack of knowledge that Covid was there( how foolish) until the elderly lady tested positive. Then, it snowballed. Covid was there all along. No one really has been sick enough to need hospital ventilator care as you are not jammed inside or have millions on transportation systems.
Right – thousands of local people being tested every month for purposes of travel without any evidence of and as part of screening of front line workers with zero Covid detected. I guess that the virus but was hiding and watching local news reports and cleverly jumped out into view when quarantine was dropped – damn clever virus – or not a clever theory.
“Sadly, today I report that since our last update, Bermuda experienced seven more coronavirus-related deaths,” said Minister of Health, Kim Wilson, JP, MP. “I extend sincere condolences to the families and friends who lost a loved ones…
This business group is the same bunch thatnot long ago was saying that Cayman should drop quarantine like Bermuda.
One advantage for Pact is that if PACT gives in to this campaign to make the rich richer the aftermath will be a bit easier as they can simply cut and paste what Bermuda politicians have been stating about their people dying since they dropped quarantine.
What about Turks..Open longer than Bermuda and have been very successful.
I guess everyone posts the negatives and forgets the positives.
Turks is averaging about 1 death per week with 1/2 our population – I guess that is successful if you are an undertaker.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/turks-and-caicos-islands/
What a bunch of selfish pricks I bet if one of them catch covid and feel the affects of it I bet they won’t want the borders to open…
They have families too.
and lots of money to fly off to the best care money can buy while our hospitals can’t cope.
There is no one in our hospitals and we have had 18 month to prepare.
We should have prepared but apparently that was not done so preparations are starting soon.
Almost a thousand tested positive so far and maybe 20 felt the effects. I bet they would like the island to open especially because they have better immunity than the vaccinated. Selfish prick much?
CNS: Here’s a good overview of this ongoing debate – How good is natural immunity?
Who is going to benefit from dropping quarantine and allowing Covid in? It is not most of us.
Who is going to suffer if Bermuda is anything to go buy? It is certainly not the business elite. It is ordinary people.
Now ask yourself, how many votes do those wealthy businessmen have? How many do the rest of us have? I intend to remind my Member of Parliament of that and I am going to tell that if anybody in my family dies they will be mentioned in the death notice – and not in a good way.
Oral medications that cut the rate of hospitalization and death in half are set to be approved in the US and UK before the end of the year. That is irrelevant of course to the wealthy business elite who could become even richer in that time if Covid is left to explode.
The business community has a strategy.
We got into this mess because PACT gave in to business lobbyists and reduced quarantine to 5 days from 14. That is what let the virus into our community. Now those people are saying that the virus is in the community so it is time to increase the virus in the community by getting rid of quarantine all together. If your only objective is more money that makes sense. If you are an ordinary person the outcome is likely disease and for some death.
Bermuda’s government gave in to its wealthy business owners and dropped quarantine. Now they have thousands infected dozens dead, 20% of whom are vaccinated, schools closed, etc. But the business owners made a few dollars so they are happy.
You should also have mentioned that 29% of people hospitalized in Bermuda are fully vaccinated. Everything went to hell there after they dropped quarantine.
Bermuda’s situation is different. Their borders have been open for well over a year and until a few months ago, they didn’t even require unvaccinated people to quarantine.
Capitalism and classism is a global endemic. One must ask why this coalition has not been previously concerned and formed to eradicate mass poverty here.
Follow the money.
The CDC recognises that Covid disproportionately affects people of colour.
The Premier of Bermuda has stated that 94% of hospitalisations in Bermuda are within the black population.
Picture the people who are running the re-open campaign.
That is probably the most racist post I’ve ever read. I hope you find happiness someplace in your life.
Out of those hospitalizations, what is the percentage of unvaccinated?
The Bermuda government has published that 29% of their hospitalizations are fully vaccinated people. 20% of those dying are fully vaccinated people.
Ooof!
They are also the majority of the unvaccinated in Bermuda. Mostly Bermudians.
According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic_in_Bermuda, 56% of hospitalizations are black. That is in line with the population where 52% of the population is black. Show where you get 94%.
It is here as others have noted:
“Preliminary hospital figures show that 94% of persons who have been admitted during this outbreak are Black.
Because of the fact that we are not out of the woods, the Cabinet has accepted the recommendation from the Ministry of Health to extend the nighttime curfew for at least a further two weeks. That means that curfew which was due to end tomorrow will be extended for at least a further two weeks.”
https://www.gov.bm/articles/covid-19-briefing-premiers-remarks-30-september-2021
A story as old as time itself.
The CDC also recognizes that Covid disproportionately effects fat people with underlining conditions like diabetes(over 70%). Picture the people who are running the island now and it becomes clearer why fear is the driving factor in planning anything here.
Now we get to see whether PACT are in fact PUPPETS dancing to the tune of the rich.
WTH! One article in the compass says government will give a months notice to a reopening date hinting at a November date. This current article hits at a November date. THEN, another article in the compass says that American Airlines has cancelled all flights until February.
WTH is going on? Are you opening? Are you not? Is quarantine going? Or not? CDC cards being accepted since there is not a digital format for the US? How can any family book a holiday trip confidently? WHAT is going on?
By hook or by crook, the rich will get what they want
Do you suppose any of them will get covid?
Wealthy business owners get richer, ordinary Caymanians get sick and die.
It was predictable that wealthy business owners would push to re-open. They get the benefits and have the ability to fly off the island with their families if anyone gets sick. It is the average Caymanian that will suffer when Cayman succumbs to Covid the way that Bermuda has after giving in to the demands of their wealthy business owners.
Ordinary Caymanians won’t get sick and die if they got vaccinated, wear masks when they can’t social distance and wash hands. Follow the covid protocols like the rest of the world and stop the panic.
Cuz the reopening will bring in tourists and tourists are the only ones with covid, right? The headline before this is 128 new cases of covid and the border isn’t open. No one is in the hospital. No one dying. The vaccination rate is high. Calm down.
The border is open to Covid importation and has been ever since quarantine was reduced from 14 days. That is when this outbreak started and the reason it started.
Covid has been since people did home quarantine/ breaches
920 cases so far here on island because of testing. Maybe 20 felt ill. Do you still not understand that most businesses here are Caymanian owned? By Caymanians? That live here with their families? They are not being paid to vote like the Civil service so they must work to eat just like expats. Only CIG Caymanians couldn’t care less about Non Government fed Caymanians.
You can’t travel without a negative covid test so I doubt the evil elite are planning to escape with their families if they get sick from covid.
No such rule on private jets.
Money, Money, Money
Dart, Dart, Dart
Food, clothing, shelter, survival.
How about a sense of safety and well being? Money can’t buy everything.
But it can buy me a boat.
And hopefully enough gas to get you to your final destination
When will these businessmen understand that the Government is not going to take their advice on reopening. These guys are good businesses men but they have zero knowledge about reopening.
Gents leave this to the professionals who have gotten cayman to where we are today.
Ask yourself a question would you go to a eye doctor for a heart problem.
I hope that you are right. Money talks and fits into brown envelopes though.
Professionals? Lol. I think you need to check the education levels and background of the people in PACT and figure out where they are remotely qualified to reopen a country. Half of them aren’t qualified to be a bank teller.
So sexist.
PACT has voted and the Bill will become reality. Now set a date and open up. I agree with 30 day notice prior to allow unvaccinated a final offer. That said, pick a date and be done with it. It’s time to join the living again.
About time. Git ‘r dun!
Kudos to Woody. Education of those hesitant is crucial. They are not reading scholarly articles. They are reading Facebook garbage. They need someone to put the facts into a framework they can absorb.
Our Government has dropped the ball, and acted in such a foolish and reactionary manner that I am speechless. Really what the heck CIG? Locking down every family member of a positive kid for weeks? Are you flipping nuts? The incubation period for Covid to be detectable on PCR is 3 to 5 days. Not 14.
Not to mention that the R value of delta is approximately 6.5. I.e. one (unvaccinated) person infects an average of 6.5 persons. The spread is exponential. So, the genie is out of the bottle. No SMB seawall approach will work.
“Test and Stay” keeps more kids in schools. Schools should no longer be shutting down. Either should full classrooms. The “Test and Stay” also keeps parents working. Cayman look into this policy.
Need to do something to address the school situation. With the current isolation requirements, it is likely that most if not all schools will be substantially closed within a few weeks, with hundreds, if not thousands of families being forced to isolate for 14 days.
This will enter a rinse & repeat cycle as kids simply get the virus after they return to class and the whole isolation requirement kicks in again.
This will cause very substantial issues not limited to the schools – How will e.g fosters cope when all of their staff with school age children are forced to isolate for 14 days. Or the Port? Or Customs? Or the banks? Or RCIPS? Or the Civil Service?
It will effectively be another lockdown. Has CIG done any planning or modelling of this scenario? Has it thought about it all? Is Panton simply going to stumble through that minefield wearing his usual clown shoes?
@6:48 That is the problem. This mass lockdown and school closures stupidity is not sustainable. It is for the Mad!
I posted about 2 months ago. Schools without windows need to invest in HEPA portable filter systems that look like small ac units. A lot of schools in the Northeast have them in every classroom.
Schools are also using the “Test and Stay” to keep students in school instead of closing down schools every time there is a covid case.
It’s about time to open the border, get rid of quarantine and get the economy up and running.
Yes man. Money over everything, watch u dont catch it too
I’m vaccinated since March. I wear a mask when I can’t social distance. I wash my hands. I eat healthy. Do not smoke to keep my lungs healthy. I exercise daily. Thanks for worrying about me.
Perfectly healthy people die from Covid. Did you get your vaccine lately? If it’s more than 6 months, the efficacy has waned.
Did you take the vaccine to improve your chances of not contracting the virus and reducing the severity of symptoms should that happen?
All of the non-essential businesses who are a part of this should step up to the plate by requiring their customers to be vaccinated. That would have a greater impact than an educational campaign.
Are you talking about all the tourism businesses? If so READ! ONLY vaccinated tourists will be allowed into the Islands.
But hey it will be OK for Unvaccinated Caymanians to come in … To bad they will not be able to enter the USA from November if they don’t get the shot.
“the strategy is being led by Dart but is supported by the Chamber of Commerce as well as real estate developers, the supermarket bosses, fast food franchisers ….”
And some of you said I was unfairly persecuting Dart et al for wanting to trade their dollars for our resident’s lives. I don’t care where you are from. If you are here, you should have rights, and more and more I believe these very pivotal ideals should be decided by referendum, not by the influence of those who stand to make the most money.
Well written.
Of course many of those who you say should have rights because they are here would have no say in a referendum. I wonder how the referendum would work out if they did.
A referendum on what?
Dart should never have been allowed in Cayman! Belize was smart enough to reject him! Cayman leadership loved his shady activities! He fitted right in!!!
And this Cabal controls Cayman, so the path forward is clear.
Cayman, prepare!
As part of the “community” I reject the border opening debacle in light of the recent covid 19 transmissions across the Island mainly, within the circle of vulnerable unvaccinated children.
The children will be ok. I hope the adults are vaccinated.
It concerned about them to be honest. Life is full of choices.
*not concerned
Excellent!!! A November date would be perfect so that us from the North could start planning our winter destination travel, BUT…………
1. The reopening date has to be FIRM- it has to be set in stone and not be changed again.
2. There must not be any quarantine for anyone who is vaccinated.
3. The CDC vaccination card must be accepted as a digital format is not available. We may be able to get our vaccination records notarized from the state, but no possible way to have things digital. Even my booster shot from CVS they can not put it digital. My shot 1 & 2 (Phizer) was done at a state vaccination facility and only received the CDC vaccination card.
4. Over the holiday periods think of a 4 day PCR testing period. If one travels on Dec. 26 and gets a PCR test on the 23rd, the results may be delayed because of the holidays. That would put off traveling until the 27th or later. Then people traveling on that date, would they be able to get a PCR test on Christmas Day? People will decide not to travel if their vacations time is cut short over the PCR test. Just something to think about.
5. Welcome back hotel/airfare deals. Are the planes (besides CAL) flying in from the US before Feb.? I heard they have been canceled until then.
6. No more backing out, changing phases, etc.
7. So looking forward to a return to GCM.
Welcome to the Cayman Islands where nothing is set in stone and everything is written in pencil so that it can easily be erased. Do enjoy your frustration as we flip flop on a reopening date.
If you aren’t dropping quarantine, and you aren’t accepting the CDC vaccination card ( as 80% of your travel base can’t provide what you and no one else in the world won’t take) AND all the airlines have canceled flights due to the inconsistency on the reopening and you don’t want tourists…. Close the island down for good and stop pretending.
How about we receive the BA booster shipments mid month, make sure they are in good shape, and then ramp up the 3rd booster deployment program targeting a mid-late November soft-reopen? It’s not good for businesses to rush into being shuttered again, if they are thinking we can reopen tomorrow. That’s the “normal” business cycle playing out up north. Let’s be smarter. Applying Covid-19 vaccination logic to what is effectively Covid-21 now, on waning immunities gets a failing grade in basic observational comprehension. Even then, we will need to wear masks, wash hands, and distance 6ft from other non-household. Speaking of supermarkets, I’d like the RCIPS to start fining blasé owners, like Woody, for failing to train their employees or supervise observation of the public health law within the walls of these public facilities.
Businesses have been open for a year + up north and haven’t closed down. Not sure where you are getting the message that they are closed until booster shots arrive.
I agree that mid to late November after boosters for the oldies is a reasonable plan,
But if you are talking about blasé, Foster’s isn’t as bad as Kirk’s, where among other things, witnessed two unmasked guys walk in the exit door and no one said a word.
Have you seen the CDC does NOT recommend a 3rd booster shot!!!
It does for elderly and for people in high risk jobs
I hope it works, but it probably won’t. Too many people like having no tourism and no visitors. Too many people want to live in the bubble…oh wait the bubble burst.
Imagine that. Greed wins again. This coaltion overpowers the voices and needs of the people. Can you list businesses who don’t agree with this coalition?
well done to the private sector who are stepping up when cig are lost at sea.
all the business community now need to do is to introduce restrictions on the unvaccinated so they can’t enter their premises.