Cayman's March border reopening appears to be off the table, according to Premier Alden McLaughlin, who said government has no timeline when it comes to unlocking Cayman’s borders.

A new boutique hotel and luxury yachting marina are among a number of possible projects in the pipeline for Cayman Brac, according to Sister Islands MP Moses Kirkconnell.

As of this week, 54 people who have been approved to work remotely in the Cayman Islands under the Global Citizen Concierge Programme are currently residing on island.

Displaced tourism workers will have another opportunity to sign up for government's temporary stipend when a new round of registration begins Tuesday, 26 Jan., the Ministry of Tourism announced Friday.

Those travelling from the Cayman Islands to the United Kingdom will now be required to isolate as Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that the UK will be suspending its travel corridor initiative from Monday, 18 Jan.

Starting Thursday, Cayman will require a negative COVID-19 test from all travellers 72 hours prior to entry, a move that has triggered changes in travel plans for some and concern for others.

The Cayman Islands Tourism Association is urging all its members, particularly their frontline workers, to be vaccinated as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is rolled out locally.

In his annual New Year message, Premier Alden McLaughlin was optimistic that Cayman could reopen its borders in March.

While Cayman Islands Tourism Association president Marc Langevin welcomes the planned roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines in the Cayman Islands, he does not see it as a “silver bullet” for the reopening of local borders.

Although being vaccinated against COVID-19 will form part of Cayman's new border-entry protocols in the new year, the inoculation will not be mandatory.

John Hazard is calling it a day after five years at the helm of the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach resort, doing so with a heavy heart and some frustration fuelled by the continuing closure of Cayman’s borders.

Cayman will be rolling out a mass inoculation campaign starting early January once COVID-19 vaccines arrive on local shores, Premier Alden McLaughlin said.

The Westin resort has laid off just over half of its staff amid the continued impact of the coronavirus on tourism in the Cayman Islands.

Cayman’s tourism leaders believe the island could see around 25% of visitors return by Easter of next year - if the right policies are put in place.

Premier Alden McLaughlin on Wednesday described the UK’s approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine as “very good news”, adding it has significant implications for Cayman.

Dart and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts (IHG) announced Tuesday that they plan to build a 10-storey hotel by Seven Mile Beach.

Tourism leaders have launched a ‘Reopen Cayman’ campaign in an effort to convince the public and the government that a clear plan is needed to restart the industry.

In Cayman’s dive industry, where the vast majority of customers are tourists, operators now are depending on local residents for business and trying to keep their heads above water until the borders reopen.

Attributes of fewer crowds and more peace and tranquility have come back to haunt the eastern part of Grand Cayman, as the total absence of stayover visitors and cruise tourists is hitting businesses hard.

Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell has told representatives of the tourism industry that Cayman could have access to COVID-19 vaccines in December, which may enable the islands to reopen borders early next year.

Seventy people have applied to join Cayman's Global Citizen Concierge programme, which would allow them to live and work remotely here for up to two years. As of Wednesday, one application had been approved.

At a time of year when the tourism industry is usually gearing up for its busiest season, this year members of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association will be meeting to discuss how they can survive and re-emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.