Cayman updates - COVID-19

[shrop3483]

Cayman updates are done daily by the CI Gov’t (CIG), 2PM CST. You can view at:
* Facebook - HMCI page
* Cayman Compass also broadcast it

The format for the meeting is a prayer by a local pastor, and then Dr. John Lee gives an update on C-19 cases. Head of police, Derek Byrne then is next to speak and gives a report of the curfew (more on this to follow), Premier Alden McLaughlin follows with C-19 from certain countries and global totals; general comments are also given. Governor Martyn Roper is next with his comments and lastly, Chief Medical Officer, Dwene Seymour. Questions from the press (remotely by ZOOM follow each individual and the group as a whole).

The airport/port (cargo permitted) is closed until 30MAY.

Our curfews are two (2) fold:
* soft curfew - 5A-7P daily through 17APR
* hard curfew - 7P-5A nightly through 17APR)
* all public beaches closed till 17APR too

Most believe these “curfews” will be extended.

Personally speaking, our gov’t has done a great job with keeping us safe, and doing what most of us believe is the right thing. Locking us down (so-to-speak), social-distancing, and no more than two (2) persons together.

The biggest issue that faces the Cayman Islands is tourism is our #1 or #2 source of income. Our #1 tourist is from the USA. Most believe the gov’t will not open the borders here until a vaccine/tablet is develop to defeat C-19. Then, we are faced with how do we confirm an individuals “C-19 status”. Are they safe?

In the meeting on Saturday, April 11th, the Premier indicated tourism-related businesses should reconsider their business plan. These business include tours, diving, hotels/condos, etc. Our Premier made the suggestion to get all non-essential employees off the island, as flights become available.

A BA flight came in from the UK on Saturday, April 4th with returning residents (it stopped in Bermuda first), and returned on Sunday, April 5th, with a stop in Nassau (refuel). Those returning students were quarantined at a local property for 14 days. There is hope that another flight will be brought in within 10 days to take others back to the UK.

Medical supplies: the country has purchased 200K test kits from Korea and they arrived last week. Only 165K were on the 1st ship (a G-5 charter from Korea-Anchorage-Cayman). Of these 165K kits, a number have been sold to Bermuda and other requests from other islands have been made. No final decision as of today. (Our minimum order was to be 500K kits but the deal was negotiated).

We look forward to having everyone back when the time is right. It may be June/July/Aug......it may not be till Oct/Nov/Dec.....time will tell.

Stay Safe - Stay Well - Stay Home

 

[tkaelin]

Thanks Tom. Be well.

 

[mi000ke]

Thanks for the update. The daily briefing is our favorite TV show these days. The briefings are also viewable live on youtube, and the previous briefings are available there as well.

CIG television


FYI, there is a similar discussion that has been going on for a while over at Covid-19 and Cayman travel...

 

[shrop3483]

15APR20: 6 new C19 cases revealed into today’s press conference.
Evacuation flights by KX (Cayman Air) are to start Friday, April 17.

 

[caydiver]

For guests that are here and want to go home, contact the Governor’s Office. They don’t just help Brits. When they get enough people interested to fly to a specific location, they start the process. Ran into someone yesterday who wants to get as far as Chicago not Miami. They have been getting no where with The State Dept but hopefully now will contact the folks here who can hopefully start the ball rolling.

 

[mi000ke]

For guests that are here and want to go home, contact the Governor’s Office. They don’t just help Brits. When they get enough people interested to fly to a specific location, they start the process. Ran into someone yesterday who wants to get as far as Chicago not Miami. They have been getting no where with The State Dept but hopefully now will contact the folks here who can hopefully start the ball rolling.

The Cayman government travel hotline number is (345) 244-3333. You will be entered into a database where they are tracking demand by destination, and using that to negotiate flights out. (Btw, this has been very well publicized by the government who has been encouraging people who want to leave to register.) That said, we registered last week to go anywhere in the US (Miami was the only location being considered at the time, which was perfect for us). When two flights leaving today were announced Wednesday afternoon I talked to the hotline office and was told we would be called if we qualified for the flights (I believe priority was given to those whose work visas expired). We never heard back, and by the time I got through to Cayman Air, which took two days, the flights were booked. We're actually OK with that as it gives us a reason to have our visa extended (or more accurately, our overstay on an expired visa ignored). Now hopefully they will open the beaches after the ban expires on May 1.

 

[caydiver]

Well there is someone working on getting a Chicago flight if there is enough interest. They are even looking at a NetJet. Not sure of which number is which, but the arrangements for the flights is largely coordinated through the Govs office as this is a U.K. territory. No harm in contacting them as well if it is a different number. Good luck and yes WP holders without jobs will likely get first dibs on gov arranged charters but if NetJet is allowed, they may not swing for that. There are Caymanians and Residents in Miami and the U.K. who want to comeback so flights to those places are dual purpose.

 

[cgills]

So, I have called the travel hotline several times. , No response. left message. I have also sent an email. to which there has been no response.
BUT, I totally understand at this point they have their hands full with many work permit holders that have lost jobs, are unable to pay rent and whose funds are running out. These folks definitely take priority over our situation. I stated as such in my correspondence, that owning our own place and having the means available, we were not desperate to leave. Our initial plans called for us to be on island until the first week of May any way.

I did call American Airlines to formally cancel our reservation for that May 5 flight, stating that although they still had me booked from Charlotte to Detroit on that day , that I needed to get to Charlotte first, given that portion of the trip was absent from the reservation. The agent offered to put me on a flight out of GC to either Charlotte or Miami on the 8th of May. Told him I didn't believe that was possible given the airport here was closed at least until May the 30th. After further discussion going no where, told him I would call back next week when perhaps their system had been updated.

 

[mi000ke]

So, I have called the travel hotline several times. , No response. left message. I have also sent an email. to which there has been no response.
BUT, I totally understand at this point they have their hands full with many work permit holders that have lost jobs, are unable to pay rent and whose funds are running out. These folks definitely take priority over our situation. I stated as such in my correspondence, that owning our own place and having the means available, we were not desperate to leave. Our initial plans called for us to be on island until the first week of May any way.

I did call American Airlines to formally cancel our reservation for that May 5 flight, stating that although they still had me booked from Charlotte to Detroit on that day , that I needed to get to Charlotte first, given that portion of the trip was absent from the reservation. The agent offered to put me on a flight out of GC to either Charlotte or Miami on the 8th of May. Told him I didn't believe that was possible given the airport here was closed at least until May the 30th. After further discussion going no where, told him I would call back next week when perhaps their system had been updated.

We had a 4/25 connecting flight out of Charlotte to Boston, with our GC to CLT leg cancelled by AA. My wife was able (after many phone calls) to get them to issue a refund, though we have not see the funds yet.

Regarding the hotline, sorry to hear you could not get through. I had no problem getting through Wednesday afternoon just after the Friday US flight was announced, and again on Thursday morning. Probably was the result of chaos caused by the cancelled Nicaraguan flights.

Stay safe!

 

[caydiver]

Feel so sorry for those who hoped to be on the flight to Nicaragua. They must be devastated. No income in many cases, separated from family and given an out to have the rug pulled from under their feet. The timing was awful. What a shame the Nicaraguan gov could not have made an exception for their returning citizens.