Governor lauds management of COVID-19
(CNS): The governor praised the PACT Government for its management over the last few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, as he delivered a short Throne Speech to Parliament on Friday. Martyn Roper said that his third such speech, just like his first two, would not be a traditional Throne Speech setting out the government’s agenda, as that was “properly a matter for the elected government”.
Instead, he focused on the pandemic and praised many of those involved. He lauded the outgoing Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee, Travel Cayman and Premier Wayne Panton, who had ably steered Cayman through the challenges and set the jurisdiction on the road to recovery, he said.
“Every government in the world has found this an incredibly difficult time in which to govern. In recent weeks we have had to deal with widespread cases of community transmission of COVID,” he said, adding his prayers were with those in hospital and paid tribute to the healthcare workers.
“I understand why the spike in cases feels unsettling for our community that had lived for so long in one of the safest bubbles anywhere in the world.” But he said the outstandingly high vaccination take-up was a major achievement of the government, which, together with lateral flow testing, was enabling people to live safely.
He commended the tireless work of the civil service and the efforts to open the borders, which he said had been a difficult decision for government but the right decision “as we learn to live with COVID”. Roper also offered his support to the one-off cruise ship visit, which has received broad criticism from the public across social media over the last few days.
The governor said the news regarding a new variant of the coronavirus “was a matter of great concern” but it was not yet a matter for undue alarm.
He said the UK’s commitment to the overseas territories remained steadfast, and the vaccines would keep coming so that the booster programme could be rolled out for all adults. He said that epidemiologists would soon be coming here from the UK for two weeks to help with data, and that we would also be getting access to the UK’s limited supplies of the latest COVID therapeutic and anti-viral medicine.
Roper also announced that a temporary replacement had been found for Dr Lee, who will leave at the end of the year. He said that he had supported Cayman in recruiting the UK Health Security Agency’s former overseas territories advisor, Dr Autilia Newton, to take on the role temporarily.
The governor also spoke about COP26, the JMC in London and the ongoing partnership between Britain and the territories, and various forthcoming initiatives especially around climate change.
Read the governor’s full address in the CNS Library.
Watch the governor’s full address on CIGTV below:
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Category: Politics
#freeanwar
This man has the hardest job in Government. The UK is going to owe him a big vacation when he is released from here.
Because we couldn’t be critical of the Government.
Mr. Roper , Sir, goodbye.
As with everything Covid related in cayman, far too much premature over the top panic about omicron variant on these threads. Watched an interview with a top medic in South Africa in bbc news today,,, al the vaccinated cases with it are being treated at home and no worse than delta and mild symptoms. For the unvaccinated it is obviously potentially lethal. Nothing to get so worried about for cayman and there will be many more new variants over the next decade. Just get your booster, that is your best defense.
7:16, You do realize that we have had a lot of people arrive here from South Africa this month?
What is your point sir?
People have problems with reading comprehension. The front line South African doctor said under half the omnicorn patients were unvaccinated but in South Africa unvaccinated account for 75 percent of the population, so the proportion showing up with symptoms is higher among the vaccinated. The quarantine infection in Hong Kong was two vaccinated people. And you’re encouraging people to shoot up more of the vax because of this variant?
Wasn’t there a governor that once praised the then CoP for his outstanding performance only to find out later on that many sexual assault type offenses were never properly investigated and taken seriously by the police officers under his control and command? Am I remembering this correctly? Also, it’s not clear why the governor would think that his endorsement of the PACT administration would carry any weight in the community. I suspect that past experiences have left most people somewhat skeptical of these types of endorsements.
What assholes! All they do is put a spin on their recklessness.
Very sad that the Governor did not show real leadership and mandate that all Caymanian health care workers be vaccinated like in the United Kingdom.
It is insanity that tourists who are fully vaccinated are required to receive tests from Caymanian health care workers, many who are not vaccinated.
What is even more crazy is workers in the hospitals who are still not vaccinated.
The Governor is missing something.
Agreed.
The Governor knows to tow the line and stay in his lane. It was inevitable after the last dude.
3:02, Real leadership requires one to step out of line in times of crisis.
The current state we are in related to the lack of vaccination mandates for health care workers is directly due to the fact that no politician had the cojones to step out of his / her lane.
Total fear of the Caymanian woters.
A problem we have in the Cayman Islands in so many areas.
The Governor can show leadership but sits on the sidelines.
“tow the line”? What does that mean?
What is wrong with people?
Toe the line.
We’re being gaslighted
Explain clearly please.
and that is putting things politely.
Welcome back from your vacay Gov, hope you had a great time.
Somebody must have dug a deep deep hole in the ground to set the ‘laud’ bar so low.
People need to understand that, like the Queen in the UK, the Governor just reads the Throne Speech. It is actually written by the elected government. In this case the Throne Speech was written by PACT and fortunately for us no one from PACT has ever spoken an untrue work to us about cruise ships or anything else.
Wow, it is truly amazing that you could spout such misinformation..Can you prove that PACT wrote this for the Governor? Stop telling lies, it never lets you or anyone else look good.
I can understand how you might be confused. The speech was more literate than would be expected from PACT, but the fact remains that ‘the Speech’ from the Throne or in our case the Governor’s Speech is written by the politicians in power and is just read by the representative of the Crown. Read the following if you are not averse to learning.
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/queen-speech
Wrong again. Perhaps you should ask the Governor where his speech came from.
Idiot. Same as how the queen reads the government business at the state opening of parliament. The queen never writes it, same here – the governemnt reads PACT speech. Are you living in a cave?
Her Government serves her
It is vice-versa, bredren. Please try to keep up.
It’s too early to call, but if more premature pats on the back make you feel warm and fuzzy, good luck with that. Short of implementing vaccination mandates for all healthcare staff, prison staff, service worker staff and children then all of us will have a tough time dealing with what’s coming and worse that may come. And it’s flu season for Pete’s sake!
Regarding forthcoming changes brought about by COP26 talks then are you hinting at any of this is in no specific order of priority:
▪️The NCC will have absolute veto power over the CPA
▪️All sea walls built outside of setback limits will be demolished and beach lands rewilded
▪️Hardwoods and mangrove island wide replanting program
▪️The new waste to energy facility will be opening soon
▪️Significant importation reductions and or implementation of tariffs for plastics that cannot be recycled and or reused
▪️A complete ban on single use styrofoam containers
▪️Busting up the CUC/OfReg cartel so that solar is affordable to the masses
▪️ Developers receive bankrupting penalties for funny business instead of after the fact permission
No didn’t think so…
You’re just a little spark of sunshine, aren’t you?
Big Beau, It would be a spark of sunshine if all Caymanian health workers were fully vaccinated. Can you see the sun?
Sure can, every day rain or shine. Meanwhile, I am responding to an empty cup that sees no good, and you want me to join him. No thanks.
I don’t think this is a post worthy of naming all the things that we think is wrong with government, but your buddy sure thought so.
I am actually starting to miss the “fix the dump” guy. 😀 😀
I prefer to just leave it at ⚡️
trying to maintain respectful dialogue but honestly Mr Roper you’re becoming surplus to requirements, – next you’ll be telling us what we’re seeing isn’t actually what’s happening.
Your Excellency, you forgot to thank the previous government for protecting us until this crowd of amateurs took over.
You mean for locking us up with no plan to get us out? Gee thanks PPM!
Cayman wasn’t still under lock down when the PPM left power so that’s a lie. If you are referring to opening the borders, they had a plan for that. I saw it so I know it was there. I don’t know what happened to it but I know what my eyes saw.
Yes it was open in April
Then it was Open in June
Then it was close in September
And finally Close in October.
PPM kept us in a safe bubble until we got to the requisite level of vaccination! Anyone who denies this is living in PACT world
Agree.
I respectfully beg to differ…