In any democracy it is the right of people to question leadership. While I am not Caymanian, I am a frequent visitor and have been visiting the islands for over 30 years.
While I am disappointed yet again with the comments of the leadership of the islands [see “Premier: ‘Not bothered’ by CDC advisory, hospitalisations low despite COVID spike”; 12 Nov. Cayman Compass], I must say I am not surprised. As we approach the two-year anniversary of the closing of the Islands I think it is fair to ask a simple question: What has the lockdown of business and tourism/shutdown and closure of borders of the island done to stem the tide of COVID-19?
As of this writing, the Cayman Islands have one of the highest per capita infection rates of COVID-19 in the world, which has resulted in the highest level of travel warning from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
All the hyperbole, the drama, the ‘We can’t open our borders to infected visitors’ nonsense, and… you have COVID-19 in your backyard, from your own people, and furthermore – as we’ve seen here in the US – COVID-19 now becomes a pandemic of the unvaccinated.
What would really gall me if I were a resident is the arrogance, and sheer lack of understanding that your elected leadership has for the detriment and hardship they’ve bought upon the people of the island.
Premier Wayne Panton’s knee-jerk reaction to a spike of community-grown COVID-19 in October has cost the tourism industry another high season, and likely more jobs. [As to] the ‘new’ planned reopening 37 days after the original 14 Oct. 2021 date – well, guess what – the US airline industry is not in the business of playing chicken, and make-work projects refunding customers, and getting angry calls from customers that want their money back because Panton isn’t sure what to do.
All this, while your businesses flounder or cease to exist, your bank account shrinks, and your place in the world of tourism continues to diminish. When elected leaders are forced to live by the same standard as the people things will change.
Remember Cayman Islands – elections have consequences – and you get the government you deserve – we are living that lesson now in the US – too bad you are too.
Phillip Hunter
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Mr. Hunter is exactly right. As I have noted in “Comments” to other articles, only Cayman Air, British Air, Air Canada and Jet Blue are allowed to schedule flights to Cayman. All other major airlines: American, United, Delta, Southwest, etc. have NO FLIGHTS available until the middle of February !!!
The government should have been working on this weeks, if not months, ago. My wife and I have a reservation to fly American from Chicago to Cayman on February 20. I dread opening my email every day waiting to find an email from American cancelling our flight because they have STILL not gotten clearance to fly into Cayman.
These politicians have sat back and let this get out of hand making decisions without any solid-backed medical reasoning.
Such arrogance. Such entitlement. Whining because your vacation plans were thwarted during a global pandemic.
Firstly, you don’t have a say in who votes as you’re not Caymanian, sir. You’re a Trump voter and your guy lost, get over it.
Secondly “ What has the lockdown of business and tourism/shutdown and closure of borders of the island done to stem the tide of COVID-19? ”. This should be obvious. It has resulted in 81% vaccination rate and time to ready the hospitals and healthcare system as much as possibly.
There is still work to be done and it is regrettable that a minority of hard-headed foolish unvaccinated people are now about to put the system under severe strain.
Still, we bought what time we could to protect ourselves. Your vacation was less of a priority than our peoples’ lives.
You can come visit now as long as you’re vaccinated.
I hope your manners are better in person than in print.