Phase 4 of opening plan on shaky ground
(CNS): Premier Wayne Panton has said that government will not hesitate to put plans to lift quarantine protocols for COVID-19 on hold if concerns, circumstances and data indicates that the situation isn’t safe. Government has committed to supporting those who are suffering economically from the shutdown of tourism if the plan has to be changed, but tomorrow, 9 September, the move to Phase 3 of the reopening plan will come into effect. In this phase restrictions on who can travel to and from the Cayman Islands will be lifted and the islands will open up to commercial flights.
Speaking at Wednesday’s press briefing, Panton said there will now be a government press briefing every week to keep the public informed about the circumstances as we approach 14 October, which is the date when the isolation requirements are scheduled to be removed for those who are fully vaccinated with a verifiable and approved shot.
The premier said that the next five weeks will act as an observation period ahead of that key date. “Whether or not we move to Phase 4 will depend heavily on what we observe over the next few weeks,” Panton said.
He also made it clear that the target of 80% for the national vaccination rate was no longer a significant factor in the decision to open the borders. He said the government simply wants as many people as possible to get vaccinated to protect themselves from getting very ill and reduce the potential level of transmission to others.
Panton said the target was “becoming increasingly meaningless”, and while the vaccination rate was one consideration, there were many others that were informing government decisions. These include the increase in positive cases of the virus among people in isolation, which Panton said was “unsettling”.
So far this week there have been 32 positive cases of the virus among those tested as they reach the end of their quarantine period and at least 12 of them were fully vaccinated individuals.
Panton said that since February, 325 travellers have tested positive and only 62 of those were vaccinated. But the breakthrough rate has increased significantly in the last few months since the Delta variant became the dominant strain.
But he said that the government still had to balance valid concerns about protecting children who cannot be vaccinated with the need to reopen the border and begin to redevelop Cayman’s once successful tourism business.
As he opened the press briefing Wednesday, Panton said that government was listening to people’s concerns and recognised the anxiety out there as we get closer to lifting isolation requirements. He said people were worrying about the unknown, about children and other vulnerable loved ones, while others were worrying about their loss of savings, their businesses and jobs and when they would be able to go back to work.
He made it clear that the 14 October was not set in stone but also implied that government was still hopeful that the borders could begin to reopen if it was safe to do so. But he said Cayman had to begin lifting quarantine requirements at some point as the current situation was unsustainable.
The premier pointed to the terrible impact the spread of the virus is having on Jamaica’s healthcare system, the increasing death toll in the UK and the current infection levels all over the world, as new lockdowns are reintroduced in country after country.
Panton said the Delta variant and its rate of infection was a “game changer” because its impact on children was still not well known, but the government and its team of experts were following the research.
While the vaccine is not preventing the spread of the Delta variant as well as had been hoped and breakthrough infections are increasing, the vaccine is still very effective at preventing serious illness or death, the premier said, as he continued to urge more people to come forward for the vaccine.
He said that the vaccine remains the best protection there is, but when Cayman opens other safety protocols, such as mask mandates and social distancing, were very much on the table.
Throughout this pandemic Cayman has had the advantage of watching and learning what is happening in other countries and not having to fight the virus at home. Panton said that would continue to happen and the international situation would inform the decisions, as government remained focused on a safe reopening of borders.
Government continues to weigh vaccine mandates for some workers, new testing protocols and even reintroducing the electronic tagging this month for all travellers. However, it is now apparent that the October target date to begin the phase out of quarantine is shakier than at any time to date.
Panton explained that government would do its best to keep people up to date about the data informing decisions and let people know with certainty one way or the other when ‘C-Day’ would actually be.
“Government will continue to provide you with information on what to expect,” Panton said, as well as how everyone can help mitigate the increased risk of transmission. “But if data or other concerns makes the plan untenable, we will respond accordingly,” he added.
See links to the reopening plan in the CNS Library.
See Wednesday’s press briefing on CIGTV below:
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Category: Health, Medical Health, Policy, Politics
Trying to get back home. Flight from MIA to GCM for Friday cancelled. No reason given.
Fingers crossed the Monday flight will not be canceled or I may lose my job.
I am Caymanian and I did not go away for holiday…
Thank the Jamaican flight last night
Why the hell is there a flight from Jamaica, when the rest of the world is banning flights to and from a COVID ridden cess pit?.
This was based on a policy decision of Panton and his clan. Trust them, they have it all under control.
(Yeah… riiiight!)
Facts:
1- The Covid is not going away and once we open, cases will go up, people might even get sick.
2- This woke government is incompetent and has no spine
3- This already decimated economy can’t afford another lockdown
4- This goverment have their shaky hands on the lockdown button and can’t wait to have an excuse to use it to show just how caring they are
5- Let’s not open with a goverment that does not have to competency, intelligence or stomach to open
I agree with PACT, don’t open, they’re too incompetent to handle it.
Medical reports show: 1 positive covid case out of every 5,000 vaccinated person per day reported in the US. It is proven those who are dying and being hospitalized are those that are unvaccinated.
Fines will be doubled for air travelers who refuse to wear a mask on planes.
Companies with 100+ employees will have to get vaccines or get weekly testing.
All medical employees must be vaccinated.
Currently 90% of teachers & staff are vaccinated, but now all must be vaccinated or tested weekly.
Keeping schools open, keeping the economy open, get vaccinated.
President Biden speech tonight.
Attacking anti-vaxxers, Biden mandates widespread COVID shots, tests
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-deliver-six-step-plan-covid-19-pandemic-2021-09-09/
Need to test the vaccinated for antibodies
Woke, non leadership.
If we are going to de-bias the deeply emboldened political-pharmaceutical agendas of the western world that asserts that only fully vaccinated are protected: a positive antibody test (confirming an earlier exposure and recovery) ought to carry the same policy weighting and clinical affirmation as a full vaccination, as both vaccination and/or recovery prepare the immune system’s T and B cells for a future re-encounter.
One could argue that those now falsely-emboldened vaccinated (myself included), prepped months ago, against the Covid-classic strain of spring 2020, are at even greater risk down the road, than those “morons” who have more recently survived the mutated and advanced spike protein variants of concern.
We should accept and count both towards our 80%, or at least give our good citizens the tools and options to demonstrate they are rightly or wrongly confident in their temporary immune system memory, and continue to offer vaccination to those who are weakened and interested in full FDA-approved immunity boosters. It would be cheaper than filling our hospital beds.
Wow – de-bias the deeply emboldened political-pharmaceutical agendas of the western world – big words – too bad about the lack of scientific understanding and logic.
If you want to intelligently discuss science-based policy regarding our Government’s plans to poen the borders, digest this:
The 80% formerly touted by our Government falls well below a reasonably protective number based on the R0 of the Delta variant and the actual real world effectiveness (NOT Clinical Efficacy) of the Pfizer mRNA vax. Thus far, our government has yet to share the projected numbers relative to anticipated infection rates, critical care numbers, and mortality numbers. I must wonder what modeling system is being used to plan policy, who is doing the modeling and on what inputs and variables is the modeling based? Following science mandates projections based on robust and continually updated modeling. Anything less is a white cane approach.
Meanwhile in BVI;
“”We had twelve deaths in the last week and a half,” said Mrs. Malone-Smith, who also stated that eleven patients have been discharged since the surge. Of the twelve individuals who died, none were vaccinated, and none of the 27 patients currently in the Covid ward at the hospital are vaccinated, she said. ”
Get vaccinated!
We have infected people from both groups, let’s observe, analyze the data and report the results. Let’s see if any within the group will require hospitalization or even die.
Were they vaccinated? When did they get vaccinated? Important questions.
Meanwhile in Bermuda:
“There are ten people in hospital including two in Intensive Care – all of whom are unvaccinated.”
https://www.royalgazette.com/health/news/article/20210907/covid-19-death-toll-rises-to-five-225-new-cases-identified/
shaky ground????
would you expect anything else from the pact clown show?
Me thinks PACT is on the same ground as phase 4. Shaky😵💫
What Wayne Panton needs to explain to us when the hypocritical CDC adds Cayman to no travel list because of a surge in Covid 19 cases like they currently doing to Jamaica and Sri Lanka and others who will be travelling on the Corona Express flights coming and leaving here?? This make absolutely no sense or is this just what we think it is because the chosen few are merely inconvenience and want to travel and spread this virus. Leave Quarantine measures in place to protect the vaccinated .Keep Cayman Safe we have enough threats and difficulties now as it is why add more for sake of a few inconsiderate minions.
The express has been leaving there all thru the pandemic. There has been 52 quarantine breaches just in the month of August. NOW there is community spread. Isn’t that convenient? Hmmmmm. Supposedly (wink, wink) no community spread for 12 months, but one day after the press briefing when phase 3 is starting there is all of a sudden community spread. What were all those colds thru the summer?
just curious…but anybody know of any other place in the world with a 5 day quarantine system????
North Korea?
Nope.
It’s the UK’s test to release system (Cayman is a UK Territory):
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-test-to-release-for-international-travel
Check Australia. Can be 14 days. And can have quarantine when moving around within Australia.
Or are you suggesting 5 days is not long enough? USA, vaccinated, is no quarantine but test 3-5 days after travel. Unvaccinated is 7 day quarantine (plus test at day 3-5, etc.) So a flat 5 day quarantine would be in the same range as the US travel rules.
INSTEAD of another speech Patton should play Ol Dirty Bastard’s song Baby I Got Your Money as he announces cash payment incentive to get people vaccinated. Hey hey hey baby I got your money don’t you worry I say hey baby I got money….
yep and he will be long gone as premier when its time to start paying back the huge iou’s…..
Wayne clearly pointed out that if we did not drop quarantine on 14 October then it would be necessary to economically assist those affected by any continuation of quarantine. What Wayne did not mention at all was the economic costs to those on the other side of his balancing risks equation, those that will be injured and suffer loss as a result of any dropping of quarantine with or without the inevitable lockdown when the Delta variant spreads in our country. Neither did Wayne mention that no country has dropped quarantine without illness and death. Even Gibraltar with a more than 90% vax rate and a populaton smaller than ours has had many ill and some dead after opening its borders.
PACT needs to state what the will do about the economic costs falling on those who contract Covid as a direct result of removing quarantine. Some will have prolonged illness and will miss days, weeks, or months of employment as a direct result of releasing Covid into our Islands. Some will die and their families will be permanently missing a breadwinner in addition to the emotional toll these deaths will produce.
Is government planning to compensate those who are injured or die as a direct result of dropping quarantine in the same way that they are prepared to compensate businesses affected by the current quarantine rules? Is business revenue more important? Will government compensate children for damage to their education when the end of quarantine brings lockdown and school closure? Will the government compensate business that lose business when the inevitable lockdown occurs? Hopefully they will address this issue.
We still don’t know what our Health service and providers can cope with in terms of Hospitalization.the truth is maybe only 5 or 6 people in need of ICU treatment and they will be totally stretched . All Health services world wide have learnt lessons on how to treat and care for Covid patients and they change techniques all the time .
Can we afford not to open is the question , cayman airways must be on its knees if we don’t .The Government will have to decide what it saves from going under and what it let’s go to the wall .in the UK 50 high street shops a day are closing down due to the long term uncertainty of the economy.The government must act quick to find a solution that will work they need to find out what levels of visitors in terms of numbers are we talking about 2 fights a day or whatever …I just can’t see it happening but I think the long term damage will be immense to the economy
Why do some people think that the Government should compensate them every time they are put out? The Government should provide a safety net for the hopeless that cannot look after themselves – everyone else should .. look after themselves.
If you are vaccinated then you can expect a case of bad flu lasting a week or so at the worst. Vaccinated people are relatively safe from the virus and have more chance of being hit by a bus than being killed by the virus.
Did you know that Covid was the ninth leading cause of death last month in the UK, well behind Influenza and Pneumonia? In January is was the leading cause of death – the difference is the vaccine.
The vaccinated will be spreading this to other vaccinated. Its a leaky vaccine. The risk is in immuno deficient, obese and elderly.
1. Save the vaccines for the people that need it the most.
2. Make repurpose drugs and monoclonal antibody cocktails to treat early and rigorously. Easy access to ivermectin.
3. Make cheap testing available that are home based- there was a saliva test that was more accurate than the nasal one for negative covid.
325 travellers have tested positive and only 62 of those were vaccinated. Should be 1-2 if it really worked
That’s better than 1-2. A total of 387 tested positive and 62 were vaccinated. That’s 16% vaccinated positives and 84% unvaccinated positives. The vaccine is clearly working.
Incredible that people still do not understand how this vaccine works. The vaccine reduces the risk of catching the virus as the viral load is lower. It also drastically reduces hospitalisations as a result of infection.
Dear I say I wonder if these medical professionals / representatives making that statement, alluding to the clear cut case of unvaccinated vs. vaccinated infections, have taken into consideration how many vaccinated people are actually amongst the 325 who travelled?
Its not a balanced assessment if the predominant travelers were unvaccinated, then the likely hood of that number being higher is a no brainer. It is only balanced if there was an even number or close to even number of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated travelers. Need more information and statistics recorded health ministry and eso.
And this is an unbiased perspective as I am happily vaxed up and it is your business if you choose not to be but the way the Government is moving, One has to ask.
Dear god. The vaccine is highly effective at stopping you getting sick and dying, it doesn’t stop you catching or transmitting the virus. How? How after all this time do you not understand this yet?
Think about it as – the vaccine stops you dying.
Nothing stops you from dying though, does it?
When did these people get vaccinated? Did they get vaccinated and hop on the plane? Did they have both jabs? Did they wait the 2 weeks after their double jab to make sure their protection was at the highest rate? This all needs to be taken into consideration.
Quite a few people take one jab and say they are vaccinated, but the rate is still low. ( but higher than before you were vaccinated, of course) You need the two jabs and wait the 2 weeks after the second jab to have to highest protection.
Great yo hear them discussing potential for vaccine passports and mandating vaccinations but these decisions need to be made now. Implement the work permit vaccine rule NOW, extend it to any caymanian working in an office or other venue that is not their own home, and now we have the new app make a rule that the app has to be scanned to prove vaccination for people to enter bars, restaurants, fosters, banks, cinema etc.
If everyone is vaccinated then all deaths are preventable, the hospitals will easily manage demand, and we cayman can safely open. 99 per cent of deaths worldwide are in unvaccinated – the vaccines we have offer great protection against dying from the delta variant so we will be fine.
And if someone gets myocarditis or bell’s palsy who pays? Who pays if they die from clotting? Cayman had a good batch of the vaccine but the boosters you will need to take might be a bad batch.
Capitalism will be the death of our home, one way or another
Amazing how ungrateful some folks are. Every one of your comforts are likely a product of capitalism including the device you used to type our your infantile comment.
32 positives. 12 fully vaccinated.
Of the remaining 20, how many are children under 12?
I know of 3 children in that batch of 20, which already brings the total down to 17 eligible but unvaccinated people when properly comparing the group to the 12 vaccinated individuals.
I believe the split is more like 50/50 for vaccinated vs vaccinated people who have tested positive in that batch of 32.
Also, we should better understand how many children are included because it seems to me that 100% of the children exposed to a vaccinated or unvaccinated person carrying COVID then tested positive themselves.
Think I’m a conspiracy theorist? Then release all the relevant numbers. Give the people a full picture. Let’s go from there…
Reopening without quarantine would be madness. They are doing the right thing. Long may that last.
Trouble is the idiots don’t think they should be in quarantine so community transmission is inevitable.
Not if they are in Northward. The abject and continuing failure to robustly and quickly investigate and prosecute breaches, dating back to trainergate, places us all at risk.
Pantin said that of the 325 cases reported since February this year, 263 were unvaccinated, and 62 were vaccinated. Also none in hospital. Open up and offer everyone a booster – Pfizer is very very effective against delta in preventing serious illness or death.
Panton also said he will not hesitate to put on the brakes, and we will do so unapologetically – not a very good comment! He should be apologizing for the way cayman have locked us in on the island for so long.
Like comparing an iron rod to a piece of limp spaghetti 🤣
You are not locked anywhere so stop being so dramatic. Fly off the island and quarantine when you get back. Simple
You mean visit other countries you don’t want visiting you? That’s what I keep reading…….
You’re a prisoner of your own imagination if you think anyone is “locked” on the island. Many are coming and going without incident. You can go to Cayman Airways website and book a flight without giving any travel reason, and long before you file any kind of return travel plan or vet any quarantine spot. The only part of travel that anyone could take issue with is the inbound quarantine for fully vaccinated. I think 5 days is worth the tradeoff of not being in a turbulent quasi-lockdown, and having to wear masks. Going to schools/restaurants, hugging and kissing = 5 days.
Every parent I know is terrified of an overreaction by PACT to community cases whereby they immediately shut all the schools. If workplaces, bars, restaurants are open but the kids are forced into remote learning, parents will lose their minds. What is the plan????? I am beyond disappointed with the lack of info and leadership. Such a stupid time to reduce quarantine and open up.
Do you have a suggestion?
How about wait for a couple more years and see how things play out?
Works for me (and for a Cayman if only government would stop wasting money including by giving foreigners work permits to drive school busses while taxi drivers are paid to stay home).
Therein lies the problem. If the taxi drivers weren’t getting paid to stay at home, then they wouldn’t hesitate to drive the school busses.
What about trying to shorten the quarantine period again? 5 days seems to catch everyone without any outbreaks. Maybe try 2 or 3 days?
The incubation period of the virus is 14 days for both vaxxed and unvaxxed. Even shortening to 5 days creates risk. 2 or 3 would be useless.
Sure! and while you’re at it…How about shortening the my wife’s and I pregnancy period to just 9 weeks?
Apparently everyone can now change objective reality.
Open the borders. Our generally obese, unfit, fast-food eating population needs this wakeup call.
If we made better health and lifestyle choices, which is a sum of small decisions made hourly and daily, we wouldn’t be so afraid of this thing. When I say we I’m not including myself. My health is exemplary, and I look forward to contracting the virus so that my immune system can destroy it in a few minutes and develop the antibodies.
Don’t get mad, get healthy. Put down the burger, pick up the vegetable. Covid-19 is coming for you.
thank goodness you’re here, the best of the best, a top candidate for an intergalactic voyage to meet and present earthlings to alternative lifeforms
When most of the rule makers have a BMI of 40+ healthy people will not be tolerated in the debate.
Good luck.
My 19yr old nephew, a healthy, active, fit young man who competed at almost Olympic levels in Judo, contracted Covid a year ago, and still has long covid, and suffered severe organ damage, leaving him with a colostomy bag for the rest of his life.
Vaccinate.
Sorry but that scenario is a statistically zero outlier found in many diseases with treatments.
@5.11am Covid doesn’t care if you are fat or thin. Best defence is the vaccine.
not true…obese will suffer worse effects.
Poor Brute. Ole sufferer. Narcissistic much? I suppose, if you did care about anyone or had any friends they too are in exemplary health ehh? I suppose if you did care about anyone they are all without autoimmune deficiencies, underlying conditions and all over the age of 12 ehh?
Your inner ugly is showing. Not only does it show how shallow and disconnected you and those who share this opinion are, your lack of value for life, loss of life and how that loss will not impact just that “generally obese” population but perhaps those in their LIFE that may depend on them. How ignorant you are, Covid DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE. Many healthy people have died all to the shock and dismay of assuming idiots such as yourself. You sound hangry, please eat a snickers or a protein bar and carry on watching Trumps One America News if you even dear to participate even at that level of perspective.
Cayman version of D-Day coming soon. No they are not foreign invaders jumping out of airplanes – they are foreign visitors walking off planes to bring us the Delta variant.
Ready for lockdown – got my lysol spray, rubbing alcohol, tons of disposal masks and have saved up a few $$$ during Covid so when I cannot work I will still have something.
Panic any? Calm down before you have heart attack.
Please get help…..
Lil Wayne needs to get the economy healthy again, while keeping people safe (especially children), because we need to kickstart making that Cash Money.
Very glad to note open mindedness of Hon premier by not sticking to unachievable 80 percent of imaginary pop as some of them dont exist and in agreement to amend phase IV oct 14 if necessary based on Covid behaviour.I think it is good to hear from CMO and Public Health on medical facts and possible scenarios.
It’s time to just open, yes there are a few countries that have had to go back into lockdown and thats because their vaccination programs suck but we’ve done a good job here.
I don’t see why those of us have to be held hostage by those idiots that dont want to take the vaccination.
Yes we are going to have death’s, however are we remaining locked away from the rest of the world for the rest of our lives? This virus isn’t going away anytime soon. Its just a flu!
Unfortunately once we have one death, we’ll be forced to lock down in our homes again, let’s just get on with life, we’re all going to die sometime.
You win the silly comment of thw day!
Vaccines, what’s the point? It’s much better not to take the vaccine so you can put yourself in hospital with an opportunity of dying and as you slowly suffocate in pulmonary fluid you can see the hurt and stress you’ve caused your family. And also you get to take up valuable hospital resources away from those with cancer and other life threatening ailments, possibly family members of friends. Not taking the vaccine is pure selfishness.
Right, and as you stuff your face with cheese burgers for 30 years and wash it down with bacon grease you can have the same look when you are taking up hospital space for your triple by-pass surgery. All because of your selfishness.
You had me at cheese burgers.
What everyone with half a brain knew from Day 1…..
“Panton said the target was “becoming increasingly meaningless”,
Transparency ?
The Pact knew the 80% could never be met from the get go.
The figure itself was a LIE
Different government …….. same nonsense
Has PACT ever heard of how easy fake vaccination cards can be bought in the USA, like everything else, available with a click on your keyboard?
Phase 3 should be stopped as well
The 300lb antivax brigade are really an unlikely health-nut paradox. No proportionate concerns about what’s in their daily meat pattie, cheesey crust, or “chicken” fingers…but keep those FDA approved, Billions-served vaccines away! Sigh.
It is not the unvaccinated traveler that pose the risk of community transmission here, because they would need to go through the mandatory 14 days of quarantine at the minimum upon arrival. It is those verifiable vaccinated individuals who may be allowed to roam free without any requirement for quarantine from October 14, if the planned Phase 4 goes ahead, that pose the greatest threat of community transmission. The 15 of 24 cases which were recently reported to be among unvaccinated travelers would not have gone out in the community after 5 or 10 days anyways, and were under monitored isolation, so they don’t pose a risk to the community.
As the winter approaches in USA and UK, it could be a good time to open the borders to long term tourists, with quarantine protocols, who wouldn’t mind being in quarantine for 5 or 10 days and then spending the entire time of their winter (3-4 or more months) to enjoy the sea and sand and sunshine here. Air BnB could be opened for such tourists in addition to hotel and condo rooms at monthly rates. For such long term visitors, government could consider even the unvaccinated tourists with 14 days of minimum quarantine and PCR test upon arrival.
Step one…DO NOT REMOVE the quarantine periods
Step two…add flights and remove restrictions for who can travel
Step three…charge an administrative fee US$100 p/p for arrivals via Travel Cayman
Step three…let people fly as they wish and quarantine at their expense at private residences (Hotels/ Condos etc)
Have a great day.
Simple, effective, and helpful to those on both sides of the debate.
Thank you.
WHY should anyone pay an additional $100p/p to come???
Greedy. ALL of you so greedy.
Step 1- Have all CI residents quarantine in the US and UK for 14 days. (Why do we want their covid)
Step 2- close the borders to any place that will not accept us
Step 3- charge a $200 administrative fee p/p for arrivals just because we should double the price they want to charge us
Have a great day.
Do not open up. When the first child, grandparent or person with special needs dies, we will be back in lock down for 6 months – it will have all been for nothing.
Too much uncertainty with Delta, Mu, lambda and way too many BoBos unvaccinated – this is not rocket science.
Open up – ICU admissions up, not enough ventilators and trained staff and nowhere to go……
“But he said Cayman had to begin lifting quarantine requirements at some point as the current situation was unsustainable.”
There’s the rub. When will “some point” be? If tourists started pouring into the island tomorrow with no quarantine then you’ll undoubtedly have local transmission. The majority won’t even notice if they catch covid. A minority of people might lose their sense of smell for a bit. A small minority of people will get ill. An even smaller minority will get seriously ill. An even smaller minority will require hospitalisation. An even smaller minority will die. This is true whether the border opens tomorrow, on the 14th of October or any other point in the future unless the country is content to sit around and wait for covid to disappear from the face of the earth.
It’s abundantly clear that covid isn’t going anywhere so the opening date is immaterial. The same outcome of illness and death in a tiny minority will eventually come to pass regardless. Keeping the border closed simply delays the inevitable and costs another however many million dollars a month that we’ll all be paying back through increased taxation or decreased government spending for years into the future.
It’s abundantly clear that covid constitutes virtually zero risk to children. There are 12 million children under the age of 18 in the UK. 3,105 of them died of all causes between march 2020 and February 2021. Of those, 25 were attributable to covid and “About half of those deaths were in individuals with an underlying complex disability with high health-care needs, such as tube feeding or assistance with breathing”. That’s 25 out of 12 million and my calculator doesn’t even give me a proper percentage if I divide one by the other, that’s how small it is. It’s the equivalent of one under 18 person in Cayman dying from corona virus every 39 years.
Source – https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01897-w
It’s abundantly clear that being vaccinated decreases the likelihood of contracting covid and decreases the chance of you developing serious illness if you do catch it. This has been known for months. It’s still not completely clear how much the efficacy wanes over time but it’s now clear that you’re better off being jabbed than not. If you still choose not to get jabbed then I have absolutely no problem with that whatsoever as long as your abstinence is not used as an excuse to keep the border closed. Let the cards fall where they may and best of luck to you. You’re almost certainly going to be fine.
Open the border. Today.
Pastor Alfredo
https://www.mississippifreepress.org/15681/mississippi-baby-dies-of-covid-child-deaths-in-past-45-days-exceed-prior-17-months/
Open the border today
Pastor Alfredo doesn’t care if a few people get sick or die including, our children.
Open the border. It’s worth the risk of our children for the almighty dollar according to the pastor.
Open the border some will get sick and not even know it. The ones who do become ill will just have to “learn to live it”.
Open the bordee they say because money is worth more than life.
I agree with everything you stated, except the risk to younger students. In the US that cohort has seen a rapid increase of infections and hospitalizations. In my local school district, several entire grades (grade 5 and 3) have gone into quarantine. Another local elementary school has 238 of 539 students exposed through contract tracing from 43 symptomatic students/staff.
Link please? Also, thank you Teacher Union for not requiring your members get vaccinated to continue safely teaching kids in the classroom. It’s all about the children unless I get to hang out at home and get paid.
Are you prepared for covid death to happen to you or to the ones you love? Would you just shrug your shoulders and say never mind, at least the hotels are full? The loss of your life was a price worth paying so a hotel owner could buy another yacht?
Please tell me Pastor, how many deaths in our community are you comfortable with? 5, 20, 50? Because as you said, there will be deaths, even if it is a small percentage. I guess tourism dollars require some sacrifice? Going by the death rate in other parts of the world we could be having one person die every 4 days.
Other countries are forced to live with Covid, but we are not (yet). Let’s keep watching the rest of the world, and not rush to welcome death, even a little of it, to our shores just yet.
Mr Premier you are one day late – see Mackkeva’s social media posts.
It’s abundantly clear who is running and ruining this shyte show.
Which commercial airlines will be flying to the island?
At least, they seemed to have kept “smooch-fest Kenny” outta the limelight, for now.
Guess he will have his press conference tomorrow.
It’s so obvious how much he needs to hear himself speak.
Kenny…remember “less is more”
He in a time out.
Can we please wait a few more months before opening our boarder, until our children are vaccinated. The vaccine for 5-12 year olds is nearly finished testing and a few short months from being administered. Having our kids vaccinated will put us above the 85% mark and keep them safe.
and then what about he under 5’s?????
somebody please think of the children!!!!!
What about the fetuses? Does nobody think about the fetuses?
‘Nothing has really changed but things might change in a changing situation upon which we would consider the possibility of change itself. Every week we will discuss these potential changes so you will better understand phase 3 and the changes that may occur should we change to phase 4. Please know this entire plan is subject to change. Thank you.’
Quite understandably, no Govt, politician or civil servant is going to assume responsibility for the community transfer and people dying in the ICU that will inevitably come with allowing large numbers of people in from the Covid afflicted outside world.
And there is absolutely no reason to go out on that precarious limb for the benefit of a few families and businesses who happen to be in the tourism industry.
Mr. Panton please advise what protocols will be put in place for the vulnerable persons that are unable to get the vaccine? So far all I keep hearing are plans to reopening the borders but nothing to protect the vulnerable.
cita and chamber need to let government know that its members
will not accept and can’t survive reintroduction of lockdown measures.
Waiting for what? Covid not going anywhere. Gotta start learning to learn with it. Set a firm date without a quarantine period for those vaccinated on Oct. 14 and open so visitors can firmly book travel plans. Unvaccinated must quarantine anyhow. Accept the CDC card as digital verification not available for most of the US.
52 quarantine breaches in one month. Nothing changed in the community. More breaches happened, but weren’t caught. People been traveling in & out thru the whole pandemic. What has happened in the community? Any need to lockdown? Do you think Covid is just a tourist thing? 52 breaches- think about it. # stop the panic
Get vaccinated & follow Covid protocols.
How would this help? Vaccinated can still spread and catch the virus and its efficacy is waning as we are seeing with the current cases on island. It doesn’t take much to work out that if quarantine was lifted for vaccinated, community spread would happen, which would then lead to strict lockdown measures which no one wants.
no mention of mandated vaccine for hsa staff or teachers
still ‘working’ on vaccine mandate for permit holders
no mention of scoial restrictions for the unvaxxed….a core feature of all other first world countries policies on covid prevention.
dismal performance all round again.
80% is the target…now it doesn’t matter….classic pact nonsense.
governor is the only one who talked sense and factually:
‘chance of someone under 18 dying is 1 in 500,000’.
so will ask again:
if we open up, who and how many will need hospitalisation?
its the only question to be asked.
BS – provide a reference for the non-sense 1 in 500,000 number.
i did. the governor said it and is easily verifiable online.
No plan PACT should really just open a Waffle House and done.
I wish Wayne would end his childish attempt at scoring points by blaming the previous government for all kinds of things at every opportunity.
He doesn’t need to, and it damages his standing as a decent Caymanian leader.
They have a plan, they have a plan…they clearly didnt think that plan through.
He sounded so unprepared for the questions that many have long considered but it seems this plan of theirs, full steam ahead, has missed some basic and important considerations…what of the public safety requirements that go along with this reopening? Mandates? Which public spaces will require what? Employer/Employee rights? Besides the higher level tier of this plan to reopen, who can come, how long to quarantine, and VACCINATION, VACCINATION, VACCINATION,they seem to be winging it or dealing with it as questions arise.
The previous government planned down to the very things you could and could not do, who could do it and on what days during the LOCK DOWN. We are REOPENING acknowledging the surety of exposure in ONE MONTH, ok good, may we PLEASE have guidance and parameters please???
Waffles sound a hell of a lot better than a covid house.