Topic: coronavirus
Overstayers amnesty granted
Government has instituted an amnesty against prosecution for overstayers with immediate effect.
Changes to work-permit process approved
Changes to Cayman’s immigration laws will allow employers to file work-permit renewal applications online, without the need for new police clearance and medical certificates
Legislative change will allow drivers to remain street legal
Motorists will soon be able to renew their vehicle licence without the need for a new certificate of roadworthiness.
Average age of Cayman COVID-19 patients is 43
COVID-19 has affected residents of all ages in the Cayman Islands, with confirmed cases so far impacting individuals ages 14-84, a group of local doctors from Cayman’s three major hospitals told the press Thursday morning.
No new cases of the coronavirus, new Miami flight planned
There were no new cases of the coronavirus from the latest batch of tests, Cayman's Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee said Wednesday.
Water Authority waives April penalty fees
The Water Authority-Cayman is waiving penalty fees for failure to pay water bills for the month of April, the company has announced.
Rule change paves way for virtual Legislative Assembly session
Legislators voted Wednesday to change the rules of the Cayman Islands parliament to allow them to meet via ‘electronic means’ in times of crisis.
Police: Man who claimed to be ‘infected’ spat in officer’s face
A 21-year-old man who allegedly spat in the face of a Royal Cayman Islands Police Service officer and claimed to be "infected" appeared in court Monday and was remanded in custody.
Thousands to be tested in new COVID-19 strategy
More than 1,000 people will be tested for coronavirus in the next two weeks as public health officials try to gauge the spread of COVID-19 throughout the community.
UK military team to support logistics
The UK military team arriving on island next week will include medical planners, logistics experts and security advisors, Governor Martyn Roper said Tuesday.
Tailor makes designer COVID-19 masks
Larry Maxwell, a tailor whose creations have been featured in local, regional and international beauty pageants, is on a mission to ensure essential workers have an adequate supply of masks by providing a 'trendy’ reusable solution for the general public.
Chamber supports curfew extension
The Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce has issued a statements in support of government's decision to extend the curfew restrictions and urged everyone to follow them.
Dart CEO: We’re here to stay
Cayman’s largest investor, Dart Enterprises, issued a statement Tuesday emphasising its long-term commitment to the Cayman Islands.
More inmates released but prison crowding persists
Four foreign nationals were released from Northward prison by Governor Martyn Roper and deported on Friday, in an effort to reduce crowding at the men’s prison and alleviate COVID-19 risk.
Don Foster’s dive shop goes out of business
Don Foster’s dive shop - an institution of the Cayman Islands tourism industry for more than three decades - has become the latest victim of the coronavirus crisis.
Recovered nurse shares COVID-19 experience
A Health City Cayman Islands nurse talks about her battle with and recovery from coronavirus.
More evacuation flights needed for Europeans
I’m an Italian guy that lost his job on the island because of the COVID-19 emergency.
I would like to report that, according to what...
Deep-sleep meditations coming to Facebook Live
To help Cayman’s residents breath and rest easier, yoga teacher Mirabelle D’Cunha will offer weekly, guided mediations for deep rest and relaxation on the Cayman Compass Facebook page.
Make it easier for people to exercise
The new exercise restrictions will negatively impact the health of Caymanians as many will be unable to exercise outdoors.
My disabled relative, who swims in...
Defence attorneys should be considered essential
I am absolutely shocked when I still see groups of individuals still together, when I see individuals grouping for a barbecue, or all the...
Pension access could pump ‘half-a-billion dollars’ into economy
Cayman Islands pension account holders will be allowed to withdraw a lump sum of $10,000 from their funds under proposed new legislation to help them get through the coronavirus crisis.
Family law Q&A roundup
Shaun McCann and Louise Desrosiers, from Travers, Thorp, Alberga, recently joined the Cayman Compass for an Ask the Experts question-and-answer event focussed on family...
Small island nations lead the way in COVID-19 testing
A new COVID-19 report by the Caribbean Development Bank shows that Montserrat and the Cayman Islands have by far the highest number of coronavirus cases on a per capita basis in the Caribbean, largely due to the amount of testing done in the islands.
Trade and business licensing fees temporarily waived
Commerce Minister Joey Hew announced that government has approved regulations that will waive the payment of trade and business licensing application fees from 1 May to 31 July. In addition, late fees from 1 March to 31 July will be waived for all applicants.
CayBot-19 answers Cayman’s coronavirus questions over WhatsApp
To assist Cayman Islands residents in navigating the sea of COVID-19 news, Code Cayman has developed a chat bot that can answer basic coronavirus inquiries via WhatsApp.
Coronavirus could have left 4,000-plus in hospital
Without suppression measures, more than 4,000 people could have been hospitalised because of coronavirus in Cayman, and more lockdowns may be required later in the year to prevent a 'bounce-back' of the epidemic, according to analysis by public health officials.
Homeless, jobless and hungry, Nicaraguans stranded after flight cancellations
The eleventh-hour cancellation of two repatriation flights bound for Managua, Nicaragua, has left at least 160 people stranded in Cayman, homeless, unemployed and swiftly running out of food and money.
Social distancing could be here to stay
When Cayman comes out of lockdown, it will be into a new world of heightened sanitation, continued social distancing and ongoing monitoring of public health.
Cayman Finance programme supports healthcare workers
Cayman Finance’s ‘Feeding the Frontline’ initiative served more than 450 meals to workers at the Health Services Authority over the Easter weekend. Supported by...
Residents speak out after near miss with COVID-19
Residents of a George Town apartment complex describe what it was like awaiting COVID-19 tests after a neighbour who tested positive failed to self-isolate.
Communicating COVID-19 to Cayman’s most vulnerable
Zoom, WhatsApp and personalised videos by staff have helped keep the Sunrise community connected during a time that can be especially difficult to process for individuals with neurological or intellectual differences.
Telemedicine barriers increase burden on special needs community
Access to therapeutic services plays an especially important role in maintaining quality of life for many people with specials needs, and the islands’ clinicians are fighting to maintain continuity of services.
New COVID-19 testing lab to open next week
Cayman’s second coronavirus test lab at CTMH Doctors Hospital is expected to be operational next week. The lab was made possible through a partnership with an Australian genetics firm that has a presence in the Special Economic Zone.
Curfew cooks could help feed hundreds
As the economic consequences of the coronavirus crisis deepen, a Cayman Islands charity is harnessing an untapped resource – people stuck at home with an excess of free time and good will.
In face of COVID-19 crisis, we are ‘too big to fail’
Caribbean economies and workers must adapt in the face of the coronavirus crisis but can overcome the challenges of the post COVID-19 world, writes guest columnist Thomas Christopher Famous.
Call for fellow tourists to help Grand Cayman
To the tourists who regularly visit Grand Cayman on vacation:
As the pandemic continues to spread, how about those of us who frequent this beautiful...
No new coronavirus cases, drive-through testing considered
The Cayman Islands has no new cases of the coronavirus, Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee said Friday at the COVID-19 briefing.
Evacuation flights to Nicaragua cancelled
Two evacuation flights scheduled to leave Cayman for Managua, Nicaragua, on Saturday have been cancelled, Cayman Airways announced Friday, attributing the changes to the sudden closure of Nicaragua’s borders.
NAU records 165% increase in food voucher requests
The number of people seeking help to feed themselves and their families has jumped by 165 per cent, according to the latest data from the Needs Assessment Unit.
Roadblocks to continue
All across Cayman, residents who venture out on their assigned shopping days are almost certainly going to encounter police checkpoints and roadblocks.
Parents question paying school fees during school closures
While parents of students in private schools question why they need to pay full fees during school closures, the association representing the schools say, without fees, the schools may have to close permanently.
Curfew measures extended for 2 weeks
The hard and soft curfew measures have been extended for two weeks in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the Cayman Islands.
Premier: Cruise referendum no longer on government’s agenda
Government has no plans to proceed with a referendum on the cruise port project, despite its decision to continue with a legal appeal connected to the proposed $200 million development.
Legislative Assembly sittings planned for next week
Lawmakers are set to meet next week to discuss changes to local legislation which would allow private sector employees access to their pension funds.
Lee: Systems being put in place to expand testing
Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee has said work in ongoing to begin expanding COVID-19 testing in Cayman.
Evacuation flights confirmed
A series of evacuation flights have been organised to help work-permit holders who have lost their jobs to leave the Cayman Islands.
Cruise referendum appeal set to go ahead via video-link
The court battle over plans for a referendum on a planned cruise port in Cayman is set to go ahead via video-link on 6 May.
HSA lab under COVID-19 testing pressure
With limited numbers of laboratory technicians on islands those working daily to churn out COVID-19 test results are starting to feel the pressure from testing for the virus on local shores.
UPDATED: 40 samples from George Town apartment complex negative for virus
The 40 samples taken from residents at a George Town apartment complex where a coronavirus patient was said to have failed to isolate all came back negative for the virus.
Bank assists with food security in the Caribbean
RBC Royal Bank announced a US$330,000 donation to several non-profit organisations in the Caribbean, who are supporting food security for at-risk families and those in need during the coronavirus pandemic.
Premier targets total eradication of coronavirus in Cayman
Premier Alden McLaughlin said Tuesday he believes it is possible to completely eradicate the coronavirus from the Cayman Islands.
Easter clampdown takes total curfew violations to 246
Record numbers of people were caught in breach of curfew over the long Easter weekend as a ban on all activity on public beaches came into effect.
US authorities halt cruise travel for another 100 days
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have extended a 'no-sail order' for cruise ships by 100 days or until COVID-19 is no longer considered a public health emergency.
Applauding Cayman’s deal with South Korea
The story about the test kits from South Korea, is so inspiring, so Caymanian.
I’m not sure that this sort of dealing in good...
Requests for Cayman test kits grows
Premier Alden McLaughlin has said Cayman has fielded requests for test kits from at least six different countries within the region.
Cayman Brac Power: No disconnections on Sister Islands
Cayman Brac Power General Manager Jonathan Tibbetts has assured that the sister island power supplier is not engaging in any disconnections.
1 new coronavirus case reported, beaches to close until Friday
Cayman's beaches will be closed until 5am Friday, 17 April, Police Commissioner Derek Byrne announced Monday.
Frontline staff to be tested next week
Frontline staff across the Cayman Islands will undergo coronavirus testing "early next week", said Premier Alden McLaughlin as he addressed online criticism of his government's handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
Public, COVID-19 patients urged to secure waste properly
Health Minister Dwayne Seymour has issued a warning to the public to properly secure its garbage to protect essential staff at the Department of Environmental Health.
‘A wing and a prayer’ – The inside story of Cayman’s Korea deal
The story behind how the deal to bring 165,000 test kits from South Korea to Cayman came together is both international and uniquely Caymanian. It involves the initiative and family connections of a local businessman, a little ‘Caymanian sweet talk’ from a former Olympic cyclist and access, through the UK, to one of the largest diplomatic networks in the world.
40 people breach Easter Sunday hard curfew
A total of 40 people was warned for prosecution on Sunday after they were found in breach of Cayman’s hard curfew, Police Commissioner Derek Byrne confirmed.
A glimpse of the world without us
The coronavirus crisis is causing turmoil for people across the globe, including in the Cayman Islands, but for the planet, the temporary lapse in human activity is providing much-needed respite.
From Vietnam to Cayman, fighting the virus is a daily struggle
Former Cayman journalist Paul Kennedy gives a perspective on the coronavirus crisis from his new home in Việt Nam.
Public beaches to be closed Monday as 8 new COVID cases confirmed
Premier Alden McLaughlin said government is planning to close public beaches Easter Monday and possibly beyond amid concerns of people congregating in large numbers. His comments came as eight new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the Cayman Islands.
Dart helps launch COVID recovery fund
The Dart group has donated $1 million as the first contribution to a new private-sector coronavirus recovery fund.
Cayman sells 20,000 COVID test kits to Barbados
Cayman has sold 20,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test kits for COVID-19 to the Government of Barbados.
Department of Tourism releases Cayman video
In response to outreach from both past and future visitors, the Department of Tourism has released a new promotional video on the Cayman Islands.
Cayman community answers call for protective masks
Many Cayman residents and organisations have stepped up in response to the international shortage of medical-grade masks by making their own. The Red Cross of the Cayman Islands is mobilising the islands’ seamstresses and tailors to sew up to 4,000 masks, as part of an initial batch, to serve essential workers.
Easter traditions set aside to fight coronavirus
Although this year’s Good Friday was marked by empty pews, hidden behind closed church doors, Cayman’s Christian community were still able to come together to the religious holiday, thanks to help from modern technology.
Restaurants helping feed laid-off tourism workers
The Grand Old House and The Wharf restaurants may be closed, but their chefs are busier than ever. The restaurants, under joint ownership, have set up an initiative to support laid-off workers in the tourism industry by providing a meal a day.
Businesses face grim reality of life without tourists
Business and tourism leaders are preparing for the possibility that Cayman could be closed to visitors until next year.
Premier urges sacrifice to ensure we ‘live to see a brighter Easter’
Premier Alden McLaughlin has urged Caymanians to sacrifice their usual Easter celebrations and services and have a quiet holiday at home.
