The kids conundrum
Susanna de Saram writes: Since the pandemic began, children have been misrepresented, overlooked or disregarded in Cayman’s management of COVID-19. There are more than 11,000 children under 15 in the Cayman Islands, and yet their perspective is rarely considered beyond school protocols.
As our children don’t have their own voice, we parents have an obligation to speak up on their behalf. Here’s what our country’s decision-makers need to hear:
- Please do not describe our children as ‘vulnerable’ when the silver-lining of the COVID-19 virus is that very few children get sick. The vast majority of children suffer no more than mild symptoms.
- Let’s be honest. We are subjecting our children to daily tests not for their own safety, but to protect a group that is vulnerable to COVID-19 — unvaccinated adults.
- If a child tests positive, why keep them isolated for 14 days when the contagious period is only ten and a PCR test can test positive for 90 days? Let them back to school as soon as they receive two negative LFTs 24 hours apart, or after ten days without testing.
- The ‘pandemic of fear’ is worse than the virus for our children’s well-being. Time out of school (remember they already missed 14 weeks last year) and the impact on mental health could take its toll for years to come.
- Children are still missing from our border reopening plans, considered only as ‘unvaccinated’ and no date on the horizon for phase 5. Too much focus is on tourists coming here, not enough on residents who have been separated from family overseas for two years.
- Where is the logic in banning children from travelling when people with a positive household member can go out and about in the community if they test daily? Why not allow children arriving with negative PCR tests to do the same? Or better yet, follow US and UK rules that allow children under 18 to travel with vaccinated parents.
- As things stand, you need to be vaccinated to travel, yet vaccines are not available for 5-11 year olds pending UK approval. Our protocols are based on conditions that do not yet exist.
- The UK is currently vaccinating children over 12 for reasons other than health, to minimise disruptions to school and daily life. If vaccinations for 5-11 year-olds are approved, we are back to asking our children to protect unvaccinated adults.
- And finally, if children jabbed in the UK are approved to travel with one vaccine, why must children from the US have two? Are we following the science or the regulations in that jurisdiction? If it’s the regulations, then let’s follow through and adopt the same sensible regulations that permit children under 18 to travel with vaccinated parents.
The borders reopen on Saturday, but remain effectively closed for 15% of our community (double that if you count their parents as well). We all want reopening to be done safely, but I feel sure I’m not the only parent feeling frustrated and powerless about these prolonged restrictions on our freedom to travel to and from our home country.
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Category: Local News, Viewpoint
Protect the unvaccinated. Oh Please can the parents of John Gray students who receive a call at 10 am to collect their child because they tested positive–collect them with in an hours and not at 5:30 pm cuz they could not get on the BUS. Grow up people. You want to have a baby at 20, go head, you want your Civil Servant joy, go ahead–Look here Mr. Manderson tell you folks to grow up an be responsible parents and collect their infected kids pronto!!! no 8 hours later.
And so the bullying of the unvax continues.
Self-inflicted
Bullying. That’s all it is. Just because you made a bad decision, you expect us to follow you?
You made your own bed, lie in it.
Not bullying people who refuse to be vaccinated. Just objecting to our children being locked up indefinitely to pander to them
The View Point is about CHILDREN, the majority of comments is about old same old same, vaccinations, transmission, in other words Covid related. Madness.
Last we checked, children are also human beings that can spread this virus. In fact, our primary schools were the vector of our pre-opening first wave that lead to over 5% viral load in the community. Parents are supposed to be the adults that explain what’s going on to their kids, keep them safe, explain rules, and teach them to follow them. Pity that global realities necessitate a 14 day inbound quarantine for unvaccinated – including those ineligible. But that logistical inconvenience only applies to those households on their return leg from their European ski vacations. Frankly, we can’t feel too sorry for the 1% partnership spouses, whose vacations with their first world nanny entourage, have hit a predictable mogul. Tough luck they’ll need to stay 14 days in their pool house. Perhaps seeing Austria going into full lockdown will help bring them back into reality.
This is unreal and if people can’t see through the bs then there is no hope for us or the vulnerable. There will always be vulnerable people. This includes adults who are both vaccinated and unvaccinated. Each adult has done what they think is best for them.
There are vulnerable children as well. They are most vulnerable to both physical and mental damage at the moment. Not Covid – the science is clear on this.
Take care of your kids, they are your responsibility, not the Gov nor the media. We will regret doing otherwise.
The moment we are born we become vulnerable to all kind of things that can and do kill us
All in agreement regarding the children but lay off the blame game of the unvaccinated. Soon only those with 3 jabs will be deemed vaccinated. Then the real mess begins. Then who are you going to blame? The government yes but your biased dig at the unvaccinated was unnecessary in this piece.
Unna anti vaxxers taking up too much space smh.
Why does this person make the assumption that children are testing due to unvaccinated people? This is just made up nonsense. Stop adding to the divide. This part is scientifically wrong. All people who have underlying issues are at risk, of all ages but mainly the elderly. This we know and have done for a long while.
Why make this unfounded assumption, it is careless and weighted.
Other than that – yes, leave the kids alone. But leave the unvaccinated rhetoric out of it. It is unhelpful and factually wrong.
Anyone aware online petitions with regards to this in Cayman?
ie.no pcr testing if not symptomatic after 10 days in quarantine.
Clearly our government is not taking mental health seriously.
I started isolating with my kids at the end of October when they had positive LFTs. I then caught Covid shortly after and am now on day 20 of isolation because when I was told to retest with my kids, I was of course, still positive.
I had another exit test today and am waiting, waiting, waiting. If I get my results tomorrow, I’ll have isolated for 21 days. I’ve been asymptomatic for over a week.
I wouldn’t mind if you could test on day 11 and then were allowed to retest every 3 days after an additional positive, but the exit test dates are arbitrary depending on whom you speak with.
My mental health is very much on the verge of breaking. I commend the HSA personnel I’ve dealt with, as they’ve been wonderful, but 3 full weeks at home has taken its toll.
I am so sorry that you’re experiencing this. It isn’t right or kind. It isn’t following the science. It’s cruel. I feel for every adult and child experiencing isolation beyond what is reasonable.
– 1.18. All good in theory but online petitions won’t work. We are WAY past that point. If people want change they simply need to stop compiling. It’s unquestioned acceptance of the rules which have got us here. Take your children out of school. MAKE A STAND. Parents come together and say enough is enough. STAND UP FOR YOUR CHILDREN. We are way past talk and “Viewpoints” at this stage, no matter how well intentioned. It is time for action. Stop testing your children. Stop sticking masks on children. Stop blindly following the rules. Regain your power as parents and protect your children, take ownership and simply say NO. Yes schools may hurt, but that’s how change is made. Hit businesses where it hurts (in their pockets), it’s not personal, it is for the sake of our children. Just do what you can to say NO more. Things would soon turn around, they will be forced to as schools will then make a stand against the government as would be the same for other businesses demanding nonsensical requirements. This could have been stopped a long time ago. The trickle effect will be huge especially on a small island. The blind acceptance and going along with what ever is asked is frightening, especially at the KNOWN detriment to our children. What are we doing.
I particularly enjoyed typical Dutch bluntness as it pertains to children. “Children are virus factories and infect adults as well as each other.” -Ger Rijkers (immunologist)
While a lot of the frustration expressed by this viewpoint is understandable, and there will absolutely be negative externalities as a result of public health measures, we still must recognize that children are and will be a significant driver of infection and transmission in this pandemic. It therefore makes logical sense and is absolutely appropriate to undertake screening, quarantine, and other PUBLIC health measures in relation to children, particularly given their capacity and likelihood to be infectious while asymptomatic.
whatever your view on children, there is no benefit in making children travelling quarantine when they test negative and are more likely to be infectious on island due to our level of community transmission.
“Please do not describe our children as ‘vulnerable’ when the silver-lining of the COVID-19 virus is that very few children get sick.”
Please apply this same logic to healthy adults. Healthy adults have the same silver lining with Covid. Don’t lose sight of this fact.
I think the author of the article is coming from a good, concerned place but it fell into a lot of emotional waffle based on drinking 2 years of fear.
For example, we’re not vaccinating kids to protect unvaccinated adults. We’re vaccinating kids because we’re being told they need to be vaccinated despite a near statistically zero chance of them being sick from this. So no, we are vaccinating kids because we’re sheep and very good at doing what we are told.
Lets follow the authors thought process to the max – why should we be vaccinating kids when they’re not vulnerable? Well, that’s exactly the thought process that we should apply to anyone not vulnerable.
Just vaccinate and protect the vulnerable (kids/old/etc). And leave the rest of us alone.
Remember 3 weeks to flatten the curve? Remember the vaccines were 100% effective? Remember 2 jabs to freedom?
Well my friends, its now 3 jabs to be fully vaccinated. Then it will be 4. Then 5. 6. 7. 8.
At what stage will we realize as a group that something isn’t making sense – there are 8Billion folks on this planet…5.1 million died in near 2 years attributed to covid19. That’s it. Just last year 9 million died from hunger.
What in the lords name are we doing?
… we’re being told… 🤦♂️🤯
2.”Let’s be honest. We are subjecting our children to daily tests not for their own safety, but to protect a group that is vulnerable to COVID-19 — unvaccinated adults.”
First of all, our children are not subjected to daily testing. It is 2x a week and it’s not mandatory. My child doesn’t want to do it so I don’t force him.
As for some of the other things you wrote: it’s quite an emotional waffle. I’m tired of complaints from everyone. It’s just complaining complaining no matter what the government does people find fault. We have very vulnerable children on these island. It’s not just adults. We are waiting on the okay for the 5-11 year group. Hopefully, we will have it soon.
We are NOT waiting on the okay for the 5-11 year group. Hopefully, we will NOT have it soon.
Your comment is wrong on all accounts. The View Point, which unfortunately will be dismissed by Cayman so called leaders and people like you, is not a complaint. It is stating the facts-children are being sacrificed to insanity.
Point 2 and Point 8 are simply not true.
They are just the writers opinion.
Many unvaccinated are not by any means, vulnerable. This is nonsensical and illogical. With a 99.+ % survival rate most unvaccinated will be just fine. Just like children. If you have co-morbidities, different story. This is pure spin on the authors part. Many have not taken the vaccine because they simply do not need it. Please do not equate children and their testing to anything to do with the unvaccinated. It is misleading at best.
Incorrect. They are subject to daily testing if the class they are has a positive for 10 days. If you are not testing them because they don’t want to tested then you are in breach of protocol. You are basically making the authors point — don’t subject the children to these draconian rules.
Bullshit, my kids need to be tested everyday and it is mandatory if they are to attend school.
Yeah, just stick it in their ear then dip it in the solution like the rest of us.
It’s also to protect immune compromised people of all ages including children. If this category doesn’t pertain to your family or loved ones, lucky you.
I agree with this wholeheartedly.
The loss of sports has had an incredibly negative impact on my children. They played indoor sports like squash and basketball and the regulations for young children have stripped them of this important part of their lives.
Wife and I just returned to the island after three years stuck in UK largely because of pandemic. We were looking forward to first Christmas for years with our four children, and grandchildren. Now we will miss a son, his wife and two grandchildren because if they travel here, they do not have the time for quarantine, now required because their children are unvaccinated. Thanks CIG – we are of an age which does not allow many more opportunities to get together for Christmas with our whole family.
@1:25 I’m sorry you won’t have everyone together for Christmas 😥
Why don’t you go back to the UK then?
What an ignorant oaf .
It’s such a complicated situation. My 10 year old daughter is in quarantine at the moment and was probably in school for quite a while before we found out she was positive. The only reason we knew she was positive was that we were testing ourselves per work policy and she wanted to see how the LFT test felt so we all did it together. Lo and behold she was positive without any symptoms whatsoever. Since we both work not only has she missed school but someone has to miss work.
Moral of the story? Voluntary testing is just plain stupid.
Exactly!
yep… kids have been thrown under the bus…. and will have to adapt to their own herd immunity.
but they will be fine….trust in stats.
1 in 500k kids will die from covid. less than normal seasonal risks.
stop the hysteria.
Well I hope it’s your kid over mine
👏
Susanna de Saram – Well said.
Absolutely spot on, well don’t for representing the voice of the silent perfectly
Excellent piece Susanna. You are absolutely 100% correct
Unfortunately not correct. 100% with regards to children and the unnecessary damage being done. However, children doing tests for the unvaccinated is pure fabrication. Scapegoating at its best.
Its sad but we are looking at boarding up (Caymanian heritage) so houses not going up for sale and moving to the US where we can be around family etc. When things return to normal, we’ll be back that is if the kiddos want to come back. Sad but we use to travel 6x a year and we missing out on too much. Rare that Caymanians don’t talk about the diaspora but it’s big, real big.
We will be doing them same thing and moving to the US so our children can see their Caymanian family. Enough is enough.
Thank you for your view point and highlighting real issues & offering viable solutions. I am confident other parents and their kids wholeheartedly agree with your commentary.
Best regards
Johann Moxam
Completely agree with all points listed.
Yes, the separation between our children and overseas based family/grandparents is cruel, harmful and terrifying. If we don’t stop forcing quarantine on our innocent unvaccinated children (not their choice), some grandparents will die without ever seeing their grandkids again. This is the reality some of us are facing right now. Heart broken 💔
Heading off to NYC over the holidays to have my kids under 11 jabbed, given it looks like this will not happen anytime soon in Cayman.
Three weeks minimum plus two weeks+ one you get home. Ain’t exactly simple logistics.
But yeah I’m looking into it too. Many will…
Original poster – I agree we are taking 5 weeks plus a couple of days so the kids return fully vaxxed with no quarantine. I had some hope before today’s press conference that we would get some clarity on the vaccination program for 5-11 year olds but there was less than nothing, an embarrassment that you can’t provide any information to concerned parents.
sorry to disappoint you, but concerned parents do NOT subject their kids to experiments.
How can anyone dislike this comment? This is a pro active parent taking their children to the USA to get vaccinated. It is their right and responsibility to want to protect their children. The chances of getting COVID in Cayman are now a lot higher than that in the USA, so don’t even suggest that these parents are risking their children’s lives by taking them there. I am also a parent and will be doing the same thing, protecting my child, his mental health and his rights to see his family again. Life goes on, get vaccinated, wear a mask, stay safe and be sensible.
pro active parent ? You lost your mind
Q. 🤷♀️ Why is Tromethamine being added to the kids jab in place of the saline solution? It appears they changed the formulation for children because they anticipate many children to experience cardiac events after receiving the shot?
A. 🧑⚕️ Tromethamine in the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children acts to improve the stability of the vaccine; it isn’t in the vaccine as a heart medication.
https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSL1N2S31ML
XXX
CNS: Another good fact check of social media BS here – Tromethamine in the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children acts to improve the stability of the vaccine; it isn’t in the vaccine as a heart medication
Massive risk. Hope it goes well
CIG’s policy towards children is child abuse. It is that simple.
Subjecting them to fear and paranoia and endless testing and separating them from their wider families – it is barbaric, unchristian and evil, and must stop right now.
You obviously have not experienced true child abuse! What a misplaced sentiment, seriously. I am reading an awful lot of comments from people who are so very spoilt to have too much in life, and too little gratefulness.
Bitter much?
Interesting to see your crab’s-eye-view from inside the bucket.
Thank you Susanna for the article but more importantly for bringing a broad show of empathy for the children and their future. If the empathy truly exists as demonstrated in the comments, let’s pursue the much bigger picture of preserving our environment for the children which I would argue is a much more important priority, – but sure baby steps first
Baby boomers cannot imagine the world existing without them. They can’t even conceive of the existence of anyone but themselves.
Even after being double-triple vaccinated they wish there was something else they could demand from others, children in particular, to protect themselves from Covid.
It is representative of this most selfish generation. Boomers really are the worst.
Boomers biggest fault was raising entitled, spoilt and ungrateful off-spring. FULL STOP.
With regards to number 3:
If a child tests positive, why keep them isolated for 14 days when the contagious period is only ten and a PCR test can test positive for 90 days? Let them back to school as soon as they receive two negative LFTs 24 hours apart, or after ten days without testing.
I would add – if we are closely following the UK guidelines and protocols why are we burdening our health services personnel with the need to test all quarantining or isolating people so they can be released? If you isolate (10 days from when you test positive) or quarantine (14 days from your exposure) then at the end of that time period you should be free to return to school, work, life … no negative test required.
Wholeheartedly agree with this View Point.
There is total refusal to classify and treat populations according to age-related risk.
Policymakers pretend that there is no difference between a child and a seventy-year-old. Mask mandates should be totally unnecessary unless children are in the presence of old people.
Anchorage School District, Alaska for example, revises COVID-19 protocols regarding asymptomatic close contacts- those who are considered close contacts to someone who tests positive for the virus that are not experiencing symptoms will no longer need to quarantine.
They require students and staff experiencing symptoms to stay home until they receive a negative test result, note from a doctor or isolate for 10 days. The district will continue to require anyone who tests positive to isolate.
Why treat tourist children better than our own?
I will not look forward to welcoming vaccinated and half-vaccinated tourist children who can enter and leave our island as they please when our own children have been treated as above.
Can you imagine the heartbreaking comments we would read if children were allowed to share their views? To tell us the stories of how they have been impacted?
PACT has taken a disease that has low risk to children and has ensured that children are negatively impacted with repercussions that will be felt for years to come.
About time someone said something like this. The kids are the long term victims with this policy. The Government doesn’t advocate for kids neither do the schools. Unless they have symptoms they shouldn’t be out of school. Keeping them locked up is morally wrong..
Sadly the schools have to do what the government tells them – they have no choice, including private schools. I totally agree with you and I am also a teacher.
You think asymptomatic Covid positive kids should go at school? How many grandparents are you willing to sacrifice?
Have you noticed that Covid is already endemic in our society? Everyone is going to catch it. The 0.01% of people who are going to become seriously ill as a result can’t be protected. Meanwhile we putting children and families through misery for no good reason.
Not to mention their teachers.
This viewpoint is the best thing I’ve seen written on Covid in Cayman!!!!
Our policies are not following the science and are contradictory! Kids (and their families) are bearing the burden of grown-ass adults that chose to be unvaccinated.
What right minded parent would expect children to protect adults? It’s morally obscene. We are creating policies without any consideration on the impact of children. We are letting down this generation of kids.
We are the Global hotspot..
it would be safer for all residents if our children are off island. They have a far higher chance of catching it here and increasing local transmission than literally anywhere else on planet earth right now. From a covid perspective We should be encouraging families to get off the island….
Call me cynic but I don’t suppose a mass exodus over Christmas would be great great for the economy even if it helped reduce local transmission..
Global hotspot because we are the last to open up muppet. What did you think would happen? Have you watched any news for the last 2 years?
Not sure what your point is? We are the global hotpot as we waited so long for the last 5% to get vaccinated the efficacy of the critical mass wained and is why we have so many positives in our double vaxed. We would have had less of a surge if we opened 6 months ago allowing for natural immunity to build whilst the majority had maximum protection from their vaccines.
My point still stands that as we have more infections per head than anywhere else we should be encouraging families to get of the island rather than prevent them leaving. My kids have a higher chance of catching it here than anywhere else so why on earth are we making it almost impossible for them to leave.
And every other country is locking down again.
@8:22 every other country IS NOT locking down again.
We are global hotspot due to collective non-compliance which preceded the planned reopening by weeks. There are still businesses, bars, restaurants, pharmacies, grocery stores not distancing or masking properly.
We didn’t even have to open up to reach global hotspot status. Opening date is tomorrow.
Leave them kids alone
Why vaccinate a child against a virus that is very unlikely to harm them? To protect the unvaccinated but… a child can carry and pass on the virus if the are vaccinated or not! So what is the point?
Vulnerable folks and all responsible adults, get your shots and your boosters, kids, don’t take the shot.
And me? After two shots and a booster if i feel unwell i will take an LTF and if it’s positive, i will isolate up to 14 days or until two consecutive LFT’s show negative.
I wont be reporting my positive result to the HSA and risk being looked up for a month.
We need to be saying this loudly and clearly, enough punishing children and their families for not taking a vaccine that is not approved for them, for the reason that they don’t need it! Allow families with children to travel without any days of quarantine. There is no logical or medical reason for it and therefore it is abusive to children and their families to subject them to it!
Im vaccinated but some of the hospitalizations are vaccinated as well. Dont be stupid.
Very well put, it would be great if the PACT Government could be challenged at the press conference today on this very topic.
They can no longer get away with this travesty, where is the empathy? where is the compassion? Children deserve their childhood back.
Well said could not agree more.
I have talked to young children here that have been separated from parents for almost a year because of the border closure, that is way more of a problem than Covid for these children that are missing family.
Well said Susanna. Thanks for highlighting the points that are concerning to all parents in a clear list.
I strongly disagree, as a parent, with the idea that parents do not want their children to be offered the vaccine. I absolutely do want my under 12s to be offered the vaccine and they are eager to take it. As a society we vaccinate children against many illnesses which are less dangerous than Covid. Rubella, for example, is as contagious as Delta, causes minor symptoms in kids and many have no symptoms at all – but is extremely dangerous to pregnant women and foetuses. So we vaccinate all against it, to protect a vulnerable group, even though Rubella doesn’t cause children problems if they are infected with the virus. We now use the MMR vaccine which is measles mumps and rubella combined.
Covid actually has killed children, hospitalised children (8th leading cause of death in 5-11 years and over 8500 5-11 year olds have been hospitalised in the USA, 30% of whom had no underlying conditions). And as a novel virus, long Covid and immediate Covid is still being understood but it is clear that it has multiple effects on the body some of which are only felt after the initial infection.
We simply do not know what the long term effects of a “mild” Covid infection are on children but we do know that the mRNA vaccine has been extremely successful and is well tolerated and safe in adults and adolescents worldwide.we need to think behind individual level risk/benefit and consider population-level benefit. The vaccines prevent serious illness infection and death in the majority and make serious Covid a vaccine preventable disease.
We vaccinate kids for far less. We spend a lot of time and effort trying to mitigate avoidable risks to children, we withdraw products which cause a few deaths or injuries annually, we have strict laws about car seats and play equipment and so on.
Offering the vaccine to children is the right thing to do. Not all will take it but many will do so gladly, as evidenced by 10% of the USA’s 5-11 year old children taking it up in the first two weeks of the roll out.
As to wanting to bring unvaccinated children in to enjoy holidays, or for off island trips to see family or just take a break, can sympathise hugely. We haven’t seen our family in two years. But the LFT a testing is to allow kids to access in-person education, a fundamental right. Waiting until we have got through this surge before allowing in unvaccinated small people is prudent since children can and do spread the virus to each other and those adults in their lives, especially those who are unvaccinated or vulnerable. Such as grandparents.
We will get through this together with kindness and yes, please put the children at the heart of community decisions about well being
This all made sense when we did not have community transmission. It now makes no sense as kids are more likely to catch covid on island than almost anywhere else in the world. Any kids coming in would be tested before they come.
Allowing our children to leave Cayman is prudent as our infection rate is higher than almost anywhere else.
While there is merit to the emotional issues with testing etc., this original viewpoint ignores children that are high risk and need to have the vaccine, need to be protected and there is no guarantee of the long covid effects on such children. I would prefer that my asthmatic child is not exposed and can be protected. Make the vaccine accessible and available and parents can chose. But dont think that every child is the same or will react the same.
The total number of covid deaths* of children under 18 in the US is 930, out of 645,000 total deaths and 39 million cases. Statistically speaking, that is 0%.
* Bear in mind ‘covid deaths’ is a very wide category. See for example our own island, where of the 4 reported ‘covid deaths’ precisely none actually died as a result of covid.
I feel your pain and want to remind you that some of us are concerned about the well being off the vunerable unvaxxed children. Don’t actually give a crap about unvaxxed adults as they made up their own mind.
You missed the point. Children aren’t vulnerable.
UMM, yes some are.
Our children are sacred.
Please, let us not hurt them.
Your aren’t clear. You mean stop emotionally and developmentally damaging them with the current blind polices? Or something else… I hope it’s the former.