Covid-19 and Cayman travel...

[caydiver]

Unfortunately with the events currently unfolding there are many changes happening here right now. As much as I hate to say it, I would not come on holiday right now. The grocery stores are a mess. I met a man from Savannah in the Fosters in West Bay looking for a specific item for their baby yesterday. He went to every market and grocery store along the way. Since yesterday’s announcements we have had and are still receiving emails about limits in workforce at CUC, Flow, etc, cancellations across the board and reservations at hotels are flying in. If more cases are confirmed Monday/Tuesday, gov officials have already said “drastic” measures may be put in place. I am not one to get all worked up events, but will say that almost overnight life on our little island is changing dramatically. I would not come on holiday right now. If you ask me last Wednesday I would have said come on down. Restaurants are already scrambling to find a way to work within the 50 guest limit. Businesses in the service industry are already cutting back staff hours. Just not a great time to enjoy the best we have to offer.

 

[caydiver]

Sadly the outcome for the gentleman who was allowed in and brought to Health City was not Good. He passed away yesterday.

 

[markmud]

My concern with any traveling right now is the getting back part. There is so much over reaction right now that I'm worried if I go anywhere the day after I arrive it will be announced that incoming is banned from there now. But thankfully I live close enough to the ocean I can still dive.

The presser at the White House yesterday did touch on a possible inclusion into the travel ban for the UK. I don't know how that would affect GC. Please remember, media stories aside regarding US citizens paying up to 20 K in Paris for tickets home to beat the ban, that US citizens are allowed back to the US after such a travel ban is in place, but they must be screened upon reentry. You should be able to get home, but you may have to self-quarantine. Hopefully, there will be planes available to take you home. Swimming that far would suck.

Some of us have received notifications that the ACs are being fumigated on a regular basis. Where I work, the smell of diluted chlorine is rampant.

I know uncfnp is a NP in an Urgent Care. I don't know how a "self-quarantine" would work in such a situation. She would probably be in contact with Wuhan Corona anyways if the bug goes "viral" here.

All that most of us have to offer is speculation!

I am jobless for at least 3 weeks because of COVID-19.

I will travel; grass will not grow under my shoes. For sixty years people have given me reasons why I should not do things and go places. I have ignored them and done things. Their fears have proven to be overblown. I have always been cautious and prepared though.

I say, just go damnit!

Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida here we come!

cheers,
m

 

[mi000ke]

Well, as of today there is a ban on public gatherings of more than 50 people plus a ban on all cruise ships for the next 60 days, and travel from European Union countries, Japan, Korea and Iran. UK, US and Jamaica are not impacted for now. Most of the restaurants (seating more than 50) will have to close (Chicken! Chicken! here we come!). Supermarkets and pharmacies remain open.

 

[caydiver]

Some are saying that U.K. and Ireland may be added to our list on Monday. That said rumors abound.

 

[jonhall]

Thanks to you guys that are there reporting in. Appreciate any further updates as you receive them.

 

[BrackaFish]

We fl

Thanks to you guys that are there reporting in. Appreciate any further updates as you receive them.

Flew into Cayman Brac today from MIA without any issues. MIA was very quiet, eating area in Terminal F normally has several hundred people, today there was maybe 20. The plane was half full. Immigration and customs in the Brac asked questions about travel and if you were sick, but overall the process was low key and quick. The stores here in the Brac are limiting people when they buy Some items, but there doesn’t appear to be shortages. There is talk about travel restrictions in the future but overall the people seem calm but worried about the loss of tourism money.

 

[mi000ke]

Went shopping this evening at the big Fosters in Camana Bay and it was pretty calm for a Saturday (supermarkets are closed here on Sunday, so Saturday afternoons and evenings are usually a zoo). We found everything we needed except for limes for our G&Ts. Had to by a bottle of lime juice instead. Ah, the sacrifices we have to make. Plenty of fish and fresh produce. Plenty of frozen foods for stocking up.

We went to a popular restaurant on SMB for dinner and they said they are just going to limit the number of diners to 50 at any one time, and I assume that's what all the larger restaurants will do. With the number of travel cancellations we're seeing (e.g., 7 of 12 rental reservations for the upcoming week in our building were cancelled this week), that won't be a problem.

The dive ops I go with are all still planning to go out, and I and my current visitors are already booked for a few dives next week. One of the ops said the good news/worst case is that we might be the only ones on the boat but they'll still be going out.

And so far, my visitors are still scheduled to fly back to the states next Wednesday with no problem (yet).

 

[DougieG]

With the UK travel ban to the USA, will this affect the Cayman Islands since it is a British Overseas Territory?

 

[caydiver]

Currently the word is that visitors from U.K. and Ireland may be banned in an announcement expected to come tomorrow. Bigger restaurants have started to cancel events and may hit snags meeting payrolls. Time will tell. We had a heck of a time finding toilet paper yesterday. I wasn’t hoarding but people are. Perhaps I should be. Paper goods and cleaning supplies are hard to come by. Occupancy at the hotels is in free fall. Have seen numbers for two both before and after Friday’s announcement. Expecting more restrictions to be put in place tomorrow. Airfares to Florida are cheaper than I have ever seen them .