New rules rolled out to curb social mixing
(CNS): Just one week before Christmas, when the hospitality sector was hoping to scrape up a little bit of the business that has been over the last 20 months, Cabinet rolled out more COVID-19 related regulations Friday evening that curb social gathering numbers again and force bars, clubs and restaurants to close at midnight until New Year’s Eve.
The government has said the new rules are a response to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, which is now known to be in the Cayman Islands after four cases were confirmed and at least another seven suspected cases are being sequenced. The regulations include changes to testing protocols, public gathering limits and bar operating hours.
The additional quarantine requirement for travellers from restricted countries has been lifted in light of the current rate of Omicron transmission globally, officials said in a release about the regulations, following news Saturday that the variant has been confirmed in at least 88 countries around the world.
The new regulations also update the terms “departure of the person’s flight to the Islands” to allow travellers with a direct air-side transit visa 24 hours in between their connecting flights to enter the Cayman Islands.
Travellers that have these visas are not allowed to leave the airport. Public Health now requires people who receive a positive lateral flow test (LFT) result for COVID-19 to also be tested using the PCR method. Those who test positive, whether via a self-reported LFT or a certified LFT, must take a PCR test at the next available opportunity. Testing takes place daily from 1-2pm at the South Sound Community Centre.
It is mandatory to report a positive LFT result and to follow Public Health’s guidance on isolation. Anyone who fail to report their positive LFTs are guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction to a fine. Households of people who have tested positive for the Omicron variant must isolate for a minimum of fourteen days regardless of their vaccination status.
Social mixing is also being curtailed. Large events with more than 250 people, made possible by partitioned venues, will no longer be permitted. Events must be limited to 100 people for indoor venues and 250 for outdoor venues.
Exemption to exceed the numbers based on testing has also been dropped. In addition, closing hours at bars and nightclubs will be reduced to midnight until 30 December, starting Friday, 17 December.
But the biggest blow of all for the hospitality sector is that bars and nightclubs must close at midnight, effectively putting an end to the late-night entertainment sector over the holidays. This began on Friday, 17 December and is in place until 30 December.
Anyone visiting a patient in a healthcare, home care or prison facility must either provide proof of a negative approved test, taken on the day of visit, or have taken an approved test on arrival before admission.
Public Health has also developed new isolation guidelines due to the discovery of the Omicron variant in the community. Anyone who is suspected to have the Omicron variant and their primary contacts will be isolated or quarantined for fourteen days under a Public Health order. They are also expected to follow all Omicron-related guidelines until genomic sequencing confirms their status.
Omicron positive people and their contacts who received their booster of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine at least two weeks before infection may be allowed to exit isolation or quarantine on day 11 if they all receive a negative PCR test result.
See the latest regulations below:
Control of Covid-19 (Travel) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations, 2021
Control and Management of Covid-19 (No. 2)(Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 2021
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Category: Health, Local News, Medical Health
Witnessed at a Cayman Brac outdoor holiday event: little or no social distancing, several seen not wearing masks, chairs jammed together. Little or no social distancing inside the building. All it takes is one Omicron-infected person to turn such an occasion into a super-spreader event.
Cases don’t matter. Lockdowns don’t work. Hospitalizations of the vaccinated might matter.
The great Christmas Covid freak-out will soon run aground on the shoals of the reality that this is a milder variant. Recent studies from South Africa and now Denmark support “milder but faster spreading” conclusion. But the lock down “we must do more” lunatics will ignore the science because that’s what they do. Relax, enjoy Christmas.
And your point is?
That’s most of the time on the Brack, or at least in several common locations.
Going by the comments, PACS has managed to somehow upset their base of hysterical keep the place locked down doomsday idiots as well as the reopen crowd. That’s a special breed of incompetence.
Stop the cruise ships Wayne. Go back to having drinks at bars and restaurants outside. Closing at midnight does not help the fact.
New regulations:
“It is mandatory to report a positive LFT result and to follow Public Health’s guidance on isolation. Anyone who fail to report their positive LFTs are guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction to a fine.”
Right, right, right, old chap! If I FLT test positive I will not report it. After some time I then will call and rat myself out. After my arrest, I will freely confess my crime when questioned so I can go to jail. Yeah, Wayne, hold your breath and wait for it…please!
LOL
How many free cruises have been dispensed to Caymanians since the Dec cruiseship arrival was authorised?.
Incompetent, clueless, hopeless.
and that is the most positive view of this government’s handling of omicron.
Just waiting to hear confirmation that Omicron Kenny has authorized another 10 floating petri dishes to visit the first week of 2022!
Kenny is being very selective. I hear Symphony of the Seas is on his invitation list.
Something about a couch
Let’s face it folks, we are likely headed toward more restrictions and possibly even lockdowns in the next month or so. Whatever your view of Covid, this may be unavoidable if the hospitals become stretched to capacity.
That said, if that happens and they don’t cancel the cruise ship, the government will have a lot to answer for.
I don’t know what special interests the government is seeking to appease here, but even Mr. Bryan must realise that he will lose a lot of credibility and support if he is locking down his constituents while at the same time letting cruisers roam free. One ship doesn’t even move the needle from an economic perspective so there can’t be a downside in canceling it.
Your comment suggests Mr Bryan has some credibility to lose.
He does not.
He might not with you or with anyone with sense.
But he fact that he wins his constituency handily, and that he’s a power broker in PACT would seem to suggest otherwise.
Stupid voters, for sure what else could it be? A Turkey or ham? Still stupid
Big problem in Cayman , too many foolish stupid voters and GTC takes the cake
WBW resembles that remark.
Winner!
Does not matter how you vote, candidates just flip to winning side. So democratic process makes no sense.
Yes gambling a money card. This one comes in ok, he can bring the rest. Screw us, he is just pandering to them, and no doubt getting richly rewarded. Nothing would please me more than for this ship to be riddled with the virus and cause a panic that shuts these floating cesspits from visiting us for many years to come.
Meanwhile the rest of the Caribbean taking out cruise tourism and laughing at our hysterical idiocy.
We are not “the rest of the Caribbean”!… If another cruise never comes to these shores we will thrive just the same. My guess, we’ll do a lot better pivoting our tourism model away from the stampeding herds.
11.34am – how is rejecting tens of millions of dollars in revenue from cruise ships going to help our economy? you are just a buffoon who probably doesn’t even have a job in the private sector.
Straight out of the same play book as bringing in a shipload, (spelled with either a ‘p’ or a ‘t’), of people without doing any testing on the 28th. Both moves are idiotic but is that not what we have come to expect from these clowns?
Agree. We are all sacrificing (or most of us),and yet there is a cruise ship slated to land and disgorge passengers on the 28th. Particularly in light of the immediately previous cruise by Norwegian, how can this be considered safe for us??
In London a lot of bars and restaurants are closing themselves down out of concern for both staff and customers. What are the odds that will happen here?
I believe there are very low odds that bars, pubs, clubs and restaurants will elect to close themselves down.
That’s not true. Many bars have been decimated by cancellations because of the over reaction to Omicron. Owners are not closing for the good of their staff or clients, they are closing because they are going under.
The same thing will happen here if politicians don’t calm down and think about the harm more restrictions will cause.
10.47am They’re closing not out of concern but rather with the ever changing rules they have no customers and therefore can’t afford staff.
The UK has gone from 2 cases 3 weeks ago to 12,000 new Omicron cases yesterday alone. Wayne, stop bowing down to Omicron Kenny and take appropriate measures now.
It is certainly more transmissible, that is true. But the only reported deaths, (and they are very few) have only been confirmed as dying with Omicron, not because of it.
In fact most people suffer an extremely mild infection similar to a cold or mild flu.
The real truth is that if your not vaccinated and you catch Covid, you will bed block a person who is in need of emergency care through your own ignorance and stupidity.
If our government had any idea what was coming they would be looking to follow the examples set by Ireland, the Netherlands and Denmark that are all about 2 weeks ahead of us in the coming Omicron tsunami.
It’s five o’clock somewhere🍺
Good to hear that the function at the Lion’s Centre was cancelled yesterday. That would have taken us to 1000+ Omicron cases in no time. Now if only government could look at what other governments around the world are doing and try to learn something.
Saw a big boatload of people dock at Yacht Club yesterday about 5pm, must have been about 50-60 people all within one foot of each other. They all looked like they are from an island to our East.
Cayman Brac?
10.13am Why was that function cancelled yet the North Side one allowed to go ahead?
In comparison with what other countries with competent leaders are doing to slow the spread of Omicron, these measures are completely inadequate. Add to that the arrival of Omicron cruise line from Florida where Omicron is spreading rapidly, with hundreds of potentially Omicron infected people mixing with the local population and we have the recipe for a massive Omicron surge. Thank you Omicron Kenny.
Omicron Kenny is but one occupant of the Panton/PACT Clown Car. Wayne the Driver and Clown-in-Chief is the most feckless and useless leader Cayman has ever known. He makes even Makeewah look like a stable genius. I have been told that bringing in the cruise ship was Clown Wayne’s idea.
Pact was warned but they failed to listen yet again first they blamed a northsider who didn’t even leave north side then those playing dominoes and then those Drug Canoes now yet again According to their media mouthpiece it’s” Caymanians “who brought it back to Cayman yet the variant came from South Africa . No one is to blame but this Government’s idiotic Covid 19 policies of letting people come in here without quarantining properly before they spread it to others. That is all that happen and their elitist hoard of advisors little herd immunity hocus pocus theory keeps getting thrashed and dismissed again and again .
I wonder what CITA and reopen Cayman have to say?
We dropped quarantine at their insistence.
This is not safe. We are not ready.
It is not the tourists who would have been put in government quarantine who brought this in and spread it around the community and most likely never will be. It will be the traveler who is Caymanian or with Cayman ties who lands and would either breach quarantine (home quarantine) or lands and goes among the community to parties, dominoe games, etc. Most tourists may hit the grocery store, but are not in close contact with someone for 15 minutes and then are off to the beach. They are not in large crowds within close contact for long periods of time.
These restrictions are a joke. They don’t go anywhere near far enough. Many countries are hitting record numbers of cases and seeing exponential rises in infections. Countries all around the world are entering various stages of lockdowns, non-essential shops and venues closed, homes restricted to 2-4 guests maximum, travel bans etc. London reported yesterday that the emergency services have so many people sick that they were unable to provide their usual level of service, i.e. if your house is on fire we might not be able to send a fire engine, or you might wait 8 hours for an ambulance.
And what are we doing? Asking people to go please home after midnight. Crazy.
Everyone here saying Omicron is a good thing, it’s only a mild cold, stop panicking, live life as normal. I really hope we are right but I suspect not.
If the new regulations took effect Friday why was it necessary to issue an emergency order to shut down the Rub a dub party on Saturday? If the party was in breach or the regulations that shouldn’t have been necessary. If it was in compliance with the new regulations that means government is just making it up as they go along.
Air side transit visas – so you can fly in through the UK, but not through the US, where transit passengers are required to clear immigration and customs even if they don’t leave the airport.
Dear PACT,
Do you want us to live with Covid or not?
Because you never listened to your people about delaying the boarder opening until AFTER the new year to avoid this same Christmas fiasco/scenario. You said the island was prepared to handle whatever as Covid is here to stay and we just have to accept it, move on and try to get back to our normal lives.
Is this the norm for PACT to say one thing and mean something else because it seems to be an ongoing trend…
Just imagine if we had stuck to what the premier said about closed for the remainder of the year how much better off we would be, but oh no he had to cave to the lobbyists, just one month more and we would have avoided this. Everyone knows new variants spawn.
You forgot to mention thet the lft at hospitals cost 25$.
Good luck if you have a sick relative you would like to visit daily for a month
Not many can afford that.
I had a sick relative in the ICU in a city hospital in the US for 75 days. I had to pay $35 US to park each day. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do if you want to get in to visit someone who is ill.
All will now hide indoors so we the chosen one’s don’t have to worry about catching it. We get it. Your scared of us. Remember the “do unto others” quote? Bust out that dusty Bible and reread the whole thing then prepare for the “others will do unto you” part.
So logic would dictate that if 100 people are only aloud at an indoor venue at any given time, then all grocery stores will have to be limited to 100 people (including staff) at any given time. So, if there are 40 staff working, only 60 patrons will be aloud to shop. There will be lines for hours to get your basics. Nonsense!
“Aloud”? Really?
If i test positive on an LFT i will be quietly staying at home until i have two days of negative tests.
Why can’t the traveller’s do that? Lock them down if they test positive, but not everyone else?
Can a anyone confirm if a person can be given a ticket and be fined for not wearing face masks (shoppers and workers) inside shopping stores and Deli’s ????
The tickets are a joke now. See page 23. KYD$250 or 500 fines for each breach (when/if the RCIPS decide to show up and decide in their discretion to serve their duties):
https://www.caymancompass.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/CONTROL-AND-MANAGEMENT-OF-COVID-19-NO.-2-REGULATIONS-2021.pdf
Settle down and just mind your own business.
2:46 pm, if sone one doing doing unlawful things then its our business you are big Idiot .
All these rules and people will NOT abide by them and no one will be fined.
Take it easy, with Cadbury’s Caramel.
If we had just waited till the new year but the elite and their foreign hoard just could not wait and now they going to have to do the very same things we were told would not happen. Well Wayn o and Ken Ken you don’t dictate what happens Covid 19 does and that BA flight has now become the main conduit for this virus and these variants to get to our shores but not one of you have the balls to Confront Roper about this terrible situation. Pact needs to pack it in and get out of Government.
2.43am OK give us the facts on the percentage of those flying in on BA that test positive along with comparative info on the flights from Kingston, Miami and other U.S locations.
You are wrong with your assumptions. Dr Williams stated that the Omicron cases were found in travelers from the USA, Canada , Mexico and one was from the UK.
The BA flight is the main conduit for your free vaccines and yummy UK goodies.
This government does not have a clue what they are doing or how to appropriately respond to the ongoing and unfolding pandemic. They release regulations and restrictions that will have little impact on the spread of the new COVID variant while still allowing high risk cruise tourism to resume. They suggest that people should be working remotely knowing fully well that no employer is going to follow their suggestion unless it is mandated. All of this while at the same time still allowing travel from and to high risk locations. At the end of the day the government just needs to come out and tell the public that the economic interests of local and international entities is their one and only priority at this point in time.
People need to march against the cruise ship coming on Dec 28. Show Kenneth he isn’t God that can do as he likes, he didn’t even have a full time job before the foolish voters voted him in office
We will be blocking the port.
11:50 am, good, good,good wish i could be there , but i am in the Bace and too old to come to Grand to help block the port on the 28th Dec. But I hope plenty able people will join to block the Port on the 28th. Dec
Who in their right mind is going to report a home taken positive LFT to government so they can possibly be locked up for at least 14 days? No thanks. I’ll stay home until I test negative and be on my thank you.
Finally, a sensible person and approach.
But why a PCR test when the LFT test is 95% accurate? PCR test is known to give false readings too. But the LFT is more convenient. The double testing is what I don’t like, and then whilst you are in lines waiting for a PCR testing, you could get infected by someone who has Delta or Omicron. I find lining up and waiting to get these test is very inconvenient. Can we please just get rid of them?! I’m also concern about the constant exposure of ethilyn oxide. I am losing alot of patience with these unnecessaries. So much of the unknown scares me. :/
Because LFT are not diagnostic, they are an indicator. That’s why you must have a PCR test to confirm in Covid is actually present.
Sounds like you may have already had too much exposure to ?ethylin oxide? 🤣. Quit sniffing that glue and get some fresh air.
Lft positive. Then pcr test positive– so what
Lft positive. Then PCzr negative–so what
If public is given full info they will understand and follow guidelines, if not trust is lost.
This preoccupation with who pours drinks during a global health pandemic is embarrassing. We need to get our priorities in order. While our government shrugs at Omicron, parts of Europe and North America are going back into hard lockdowns with strict curfews for Christmas. Things like no more than four households cohorting, everything closed and canceled and home by 10pm. They see a tsunami of cases they actually can’t live with, and are trying to “starve the virus” of new hosts. Wonder where we have we heard that before?
Who pours my drink and serves my meal is a big deal. I am insulted to the point of requesting a different server if I see them pulling up or adjusting their filthy germ ridden who knows when last washed face mask. No one would accept a waiter picking their nose or licking their fingers before touching your food. In my humble opinion I think that you have far less chance of contracting diseases with a unmasked waiter.
Prefer to sanitize internally cleanly.
This must be the Disney Land island. Did I miss the part that from New years eve on the virus will be taking a holiday. What a wonderful world our MPs live in.
Do any of our leaders in charge of “public health” actually get out in the community and see what is happening? Today anyone who wanted the vaccine or booster or needed a COVID test at the new HSA facility on McClendon drive encountered a mass of humanity jammed outside…with little or no social distancing and improper mask wearing! Pure insanity. NO wonder the virus is spreading.
Happy new year lol.
Can you do the lateral flow test to travel to the sister islands??
Thought you only needed a LFT to travel into cayman or to sister islands. No longer need a PCR.
So Omicron only comes out at midnight?
Can’t we just have alphabet days at the bars and clubs instead?
I feel sick for the restaurant/bar industry!
What was the point of getting the jab? Wasn’t that a “vaccine”?
Completely draconian and, frankly, gd alarming.
Way too much control in a few people’s hands. Way too much.
Makes me think all of this jab nonsense was just that…
Nice that the cruise ship is still allowed to come on Dec 28.
Cayman gone to the dogs!!
What a joke. so you gonna say covid won’t bother them in the clubs till 12a? wtf
Hey King Kong, absolutely the opposite. Cayman not going to the dogs. Intead, we will celebrate Christmas the way we used to? Small groups of family and friends instead of Midnight madness at wild bars and ballrooms full of brunches.
Try to see the good inside? Maybe this is the year to be more charitable and less selfish. Less beer and more homecooked meals? Even being on your own is ok.
I’m cool with a quiet Cayman Christmas. Hope yours finds some small joy too.
wow…great…enjoy ur smoke pots and sand sammiches…
Will enjoy smoking pot thanks
A pact of wolves.
Or clowns in sheeps clothing.
If you test positive on an LFT you must go to South Sound Community Centre for a PCR? I cannot imagine a more effective way to ensure a rapid spread of Omicron including to others who are just having regular PCR testing. Why is this not outdoors?
Not reporting any positive LFT, we are smarter than that.
I hope they take your sugestion of not mixing lft positives with those coming for pcr for travel oe asymptomatic
Test sites have different hours for exiting travellers, exiting community cases and incoming travellers. They don’t mix unless someone who can’t follow rules decides to go when and where they feel like.
Government is responding to those who are saying that everyone should get Omicron quickly so that the survivors can get on with things.
The levels of negligence are insane. They appear criminal and will very likely cost lives.