| Funding local journalism | Wednesday, 18 March 202075 CENTS Funding local journalismWednesday, 18 March 2020 Hotels to close but continue paying staff Page 2 Negative COVID-19 tested visitor says he’s ‘lucky to be alive’ Page 4 ‘Flattening the curve’ saves lives Page 6 caymannational.com More branches. More ATMs. More smiles. cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 20 coronavirus tests negative 40 more outstanding, results expected in next few days. Page 3 Checkout staff at Hurley’s wear masks while serving customers Tuesday. - Photo: Stephen Clarke Temporarily closed until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Cayman Compass Ltd. Compass Centre, Shedden Road, George Town, Cayman Islands SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@compassmedia.ky ADVERTISE WITH US: T: (345) 949-5111 E: sales@compassmedia.ky W: caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KEVIN MORALES Partly cloudy skies with a 20% chance of showers. weather Forecast today Cayman Islands 85°F 74°F HIGH LOW WINDS Easterly 15 to 20 knots. SEA STATE Rough with wave heights of 6 to 8 feet. A small craft warning is in effect. Ray of hope for industry workers amid downturn JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Cayman’s major hotels are shutting their doors, mirroring the three- week closure of the airport to passenger travel. Several hotels, including The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman; Kimpton Seafire; Westin Grand Cayman; and Grand Cayman Marriott Beach, confirmed they would shut once air travel in and out of the Cayman Islands ceases on Sunday night, 22 March. The move impacts hundreds, if not thousands, of workers throughout the industry. However, most of the major hotels have agreed to continue paying their staff base wages through the closure. Dart Enterprises announced Tuesday that it would be closing all three hotels in its hospitality portfolio – the Kimpton, Ritz- Carlton and Comfort Suites – for three weeks. Collectively, the three hotels employ more than 1,400 people. Dart will continue to pay all employees during the closure and will make “financial provisions” for staff unable to work in the weeks to come, the company said in a statement to the Cayman Compass. Work permit holders have been offered the option of voluntary severance packages, including financial assistance with airfares to return to their home countries. Dart Enterprises CEO Mark VanDevelde said the company had made a substantial investment across the tourism industry and was determined to play its part in surviving the crisis and helping the country rebuild. “We appreciate the human and economic hardship our islands are experiencing. We will always put our people and community first,” he said. “Hotels are economic engines and large employers, contributing to the Cayman Islands’ success and growth over the past few years. As we have been for over 25 years, Dart remains committed, through good times and bad, to the continued health and prosperity of our islands. We are in this together.” Guests have been notified of the closures and staff are supporting visitors on-island with travel arrangements. The hotels will be making preparations to reopen once international airlift resumes, the statement said. Dart added that it was in full agreement with government’s decision. Jim Mauer, managing director of the Westin and Sunshine Suites, said both venues would close Sunday and reopen a few days after the airport is scheduled to accept incoming passenger flights. “Our first priority is our staff,” he said. “They are the best asset that we have.” He said all staff would be paid at close to full rate while the hotel was closed. He said Cayman’s “unprecedented success” over the past 28 months enabled the hotel to look after its staff during the closure – even without any passengers coming in. With 14-day isolation rules in place for arriving travellers in Cayman and in many of their home countries, he said it was not an option for overseas staff to return home and wait for normalcy to resume. Mauer backed Premier Alden McLaughlin’s decision to shut down travel and said it was vital that Cayman contained the virus and came back stronger than ever. He said the hotel would be refunding all guests that had vacations cancelled, though he noted many were opting to rebook for later in the summer. He added that it was important to do the right thing by guests who had lost vacations in order to protect the reputation of the destination. McLaughlin made similar comments as he announced the air travel closure Monday. “Refund those deposits,” he said. “This will not last forever.” The Marriott will close for 28 days from Sunday. “As the airport closure has a direct impact on our business and in the interest and wellbeing of our staff members, international guests and local clientele, we feel that this decision is the best approach. We have informed our staff members and continue to communicate to our guests in regards to this fluid situation,” the resort said in an emailed response to the Compass. The Cayman Turtle Centre is also closing its doors to the public. Renee Howell, chief marketing and merchandising officer, said, “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to spruce up the centre, take inventory and get a lot of our ‘to- do’ list items checked off that we can’t normally get done in the busy season when guests are present. We will endeavour to keep all our staff employed and fully occupied during this time.” Red Sail Sports, which has watersports outlets across the island, also announced an initial 30-day closure via its social media page. Hotels to close but continue paying staff Deckchairs lie empty at the Kimpton Seafire. The hotel, along with several others, will be shutting down temporarily from Sunday, once the airports are closed. 2cayman compass 3 WEDNESDAY, 18 MARCH 2020 Bars to close from Sunday The Cayman Islands has no new cases of coronavirus with 20 tests, including 19 from Health City staff, coming back negative. Public health officials said a further 40 tests are outstanding, with results coming in the next few days. The negative results are preliminary and will be confirmed by the Caribbean Public Health Agency. Those patients remain in isolation in the interim and are being contacted daily by medical staff. Cayman’s first and, so far, only coronavirus case was confirmed last Thursday. The victim, a 68-year-old Italian man who was initially taken to Health City from a cruise ship after suffering a heart attack, died from complications associated with the virus on Saturday. Multiple staff members who came into contact with the patient were tested for the virus. Since the tests were performed for the first time in the Cayman Islands, the samples are also being sent to CARPHA as a quality-control measure, and confirmation of the initial results should be received in the next few days, Health City said in a press release. The samples are being tested in batches and more information on others tested will be available soon, Dr. John Lee, Cayman’s chief medical officer, confirmed. Sixteen of the outstanding 40 were sent from private medical practitioners and the Health Services Authority on Sunday and Monday. Lee said it was normal practice to get the tests confirmed by another institution – in this case, CARPHA. “Because this is a new test we are doing due diligence,” he said. Bar closures Despite the positive news, Premier Alden McLaughlin said Cayman’s efforts to contain the virus would continue. As of Sunday night, bars will be closed, and restaurants will be restricted to takeout only. Gyms will also be ordered to shut their doors. This follows the decision announced yesterday to close the airports on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac to passenger travel for three weeks from Sunday night. He said the measures would help prevent or slow the spread of the virus. He added that government was not ready to “ratchet up” to a full curfew at this point. “We are trying to be rational and proportionate … As of now, we have one COVID-19 case confirmed and, unfortunately, that has resulted in a death, but we don’t have any other evidence of any local transmission,” he added. He said government believed it was inevitable that Cayman would have to deal with that at some point and all efforts were focussed on slowing transmission and ramping up hospital readiness. Lee said four new ventilators – used to help people with severe breathing difficulties – were being brought to the island. Once Health City reopens, there will be 32 “ventilated beds” in the Cayman Islands, which he said was sufficient compared to other countries. However, with the potential for the crisis to escalate, Lee said health officials were scouting locations for possible emergency field clinics. “We are looking for buildings, that ... we can designate as emergency medical facilities, should that need arise,” he said. “If we can flatten the curve enough or manage to stop [coronavirus from spreading], I hope we never need that.” Financial stipend McLaughlin said government would be distributing a one-time financial stipend of $425 to those on financial assistance who are struggling in these times. He said other measures were also being worked out to help those who will lose income as the tourism industry crashes. The premier added that, following the closure of the airports, hundreds of students would be returning home to the islands from the US or the UK. He urged them not to treat the situation as a “spring break”, and said they should put themselves and their families into isolation for 14 days. He said isolation has to be self- enforced. “We don’t have the legal force or the resources to enforce self-isolation,” he said. “We appeal to people to do what is right by themselves, their communities and their families, because they put everyone at risk by not doing so.” The premier said the police could not enforce isolation because it was not illegal. “It is a crime against morality,” he added. Health officials stated that anyone returning to the island would need to isolate along with their families for the process to be effective. Governor Martyn Roper said the country needed to create a culture of self-enforcement through positive peer pressure. “This is a really difficult situation,” he said. “If we are going to get through it, we need everyone to step up and support everyone else.” The premier said government’s immediate priority in terms of the economic impact was to ensure that everyone had access to food, utilities and healthcare and had a roof over their head. He added, “We need to focus on how we keep as many businesses running as possible so the whole country is not flat on its face. We can’t do this long term. We have to keep this period as short as possible.” Reporting by James Whittaker, Reshma Ragoonath and Kevin Morales 20 coronavirus tests come back negativeYesterdaY's sOLUtIONs 1234567 8 910 1112 131415 1617 18192021 2223 2425 1234567 8 910 1112 131415 1617 18192021 2223 2425 Puzzle 16328 ACROSS: 1 Reputed, 5 Group, 8 Lick into shape, 9 Crank, 10 Clothes, 11 Sadden, 12 Ascend, 15 Achieve, 17 Alter, 19 Thoroughgoing, 20 Every, 21 Enraged. DOWN: 1 Relic, 2 Pick and choose, 3 Trickle, 4 Detect, 5 Gusto, 6 On a shoestring, 7 Pleased, 11 Startle, 13 Stagger, 14 League, 16 Ebony, 18 Rigid. aCrOss 1 Ancient Greek mathematician (6) 4 Correct (6) 9 Orange-flavoured liqueur (7) 10 A culinary herb (5) 11 Glossy silken fabric (5) 12 Certainly (2,5) 13 Great enthusiast (5,6) 18 Guilty party (7) 20 Assign to a category (5) 22 Spiny plant (5) 23 Previous (7) 24 Secret (6) 25 Time of greatest vigour (6) dOWN 1 Intemperance (6) 2 Unit of gem weight (5) 3 To anger (7) 5 Fanatical (5) 6 Grazing land (7) 7 Tell (6) 8 Outdo another person (2,3,6) 14 Including everything (3,4) 15 In general (2,5) 16 Put an end to (6) 17 Brief commotion (6) 19 Wash in clean water (5) 21 Physique (5) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16329 The numbers in the black cells are clues. Numbers above the slash are across clues. Number below the slash are down clues. The goal is to enter digits 1 - 9 in the white cells to add up to the number clues. You cannot enter any digit more than once when adding up to clue. Cruise tourist treated at Health City leaves island ahead of airport closure CAROLINA LOPEZ clopez@compassmedia.ky A cruise ship passenger who was transported to Health City Cayman Islands for emergency treatment early last week and was one of the four original people who tested negative for coronavirus, said he felt “lucky to be alive” before boarding a plane for the US on Monday. Kevin Kulich was one of two critically ill passengers who were offloaded in George Town from the Caribbean Princess cruise ship on 9 March. He spent most of the days since in isolation at Health City. Prior to that, he had also been in isolation on board the ship. Kulich was treated for life- threatening internal bleeding, but as he was also suffering from pneumonia and flu, he was tested for coronavirus and placed in isolation, which lengthened his stay at the hospital. His test results came back late last week confirming he had not contracted coronavirus. The visitor, from St. Louis, Missouri, told the Cayman Compass, “Our five-day trip turned into three weeks.” He fell sick on board the cruise ship, which arrived in Cayman but did not disembark any other passengers, apart from Kulich and the second ill visitor, who was transported by ambulance from the ship to Owen Roberts International Airport, and airlifted to the US. Kulich was sitting outside the departures terminal at the airport with his wife on Monday when news broke that Cayman’s international airports would close on Sunday. He sid it seemed he and his wife were getting out just in time. He said of his stay at Health City, “They told me it was pneumonia and the flu, but not coronavirus. They checked me for everything and they pumped me with so many antibiotics that it was like, well, if I did have anything, I don’t have anything now.” Kulich added, “I felt like I was a lab project, because everybody had a space suit on except for me, and my wife could only come in for 10 minutes a day for three days,” Kulich said. “I got stuck inside a 12-by-12 room for five days. I mean they are real nice and everything; they got all the food and all the stuff, but no TV, no radio, no phone, no outside communication with anybody. I was so bored to tears, but I was like, ‘Oh well, it’s got to get better’.” Kulich said medical staff consistently checked on him and even made him stay at the hospital longer when he felt better. “They said I could go, but I couldn’t leave the island ... After taking two more tests, they checked me out and we’re good. Now, we are on to another adventure,” Kulich said. Although he was sick for more than half his cruise vacation, he acknowledged that he was fortunate. “My boss told me, ‘If you’re going to be stuck somewhere, you’re at the right place’,” Kulich said, before entering the airport to leave. ‘Lucky to be alive’ cartoon No 15% By Caymanman Cruise ship tourist Kevin Kulich tested negative for coronavirus after being treated for life-threatening internal bleeding at Health City. “Our five-day trip turned into three weeks .” Kevin Kulich cayman compass 4 news N news WEDNESDAY, 18 MARCH 2020Dear Valued CINICO Member, Like you, we have been monitoring the developments surrounding the threat of Coronavirus, “COVID 19”. On Thursday March 12, 2020, our Premier announced the confirmation of the first case in the Cayman Islands and the country is now in a heightened state of preparation, as our Government and medical professionals work to contain the spread of the virus. CINICO’s priority is to ensure the safety and welfare of you, our valued members, our members of staff, and their families. We have put in place a task force who are focusing on our response and have formulated strategies to address this potential crisis. One of the primary means of controlling the spread is to limit person to person interactions, and as a result, we will be implementing changes in our customer service and payment procedures. With effect from Wednesday March 18, our offices will be closed to the public and as such, we will no longer be accepting payments at our offices. Payments which are being made by cheque can be deposited in the dropbox outside of our office. Claim forms can also be deposited at the office. Cash payments must be made at Cayman National Bank (CNB): You will need to provide the bank with your Name and Member ID #.. Payments can also be made online at CNB, RBC and Bank of Butterfield. Should you have any queries, you can call us on 345-949-8101 or email us at info@cinico.ky. For urgent assistance with medical case coordination matters, members may call the respective number listed below based on first letter of the member’s last name. Kind Regards Michael Gayle CEO After-hours For members receiving care in the USA, call 345 - 949-8101. Selecting Option 3 will direct after hours calls to 1-888-543-1328, our US network provider’s call centre and Option #1 should be selected. You may also email: casemanagment@cinico.ky for assistance. For members receiving care in the Jamaica, call 1-868-798-9627 or 1-876-406-8479 or email casemanagment@cinico.ky For members in the Cayman Islands or other jurisdictions requiring urgent assistance, call 345 - 949-8101 or email casemanagment@cinico.ky We do not believe that there is any reason to panic, but we believe that we need to treat this potential outbreak with the level of seriousness that it deserves. We encourage you to follow guidelines set out by the Government, some of which can be viewed on www.hsa.ky. We will provide further updates as the situation unfolds. Member Distribution by First Letter of Last NameAssigned Phone Contact H, L, P, R, V, Y(345) 815-7316 M, W, X(345) 815-7312 B, C, F(345) 815-7311 A, D, E, I, K, N, O, Q, U, Z (345) 815-7315 G, J, S, T(345) 815-7317 A message from the Chief Executive Officer – COVID – 19 Update cayman compass 5 WEDNESDAY, 18 MARCH 2020Go to www.cics.ky for ideas on what you can do. For more information call the CI Cancer Society at 949 7618 # # C A N C E R S O C I E T Y C A Y M A N IS L A N D S 25 ANNIVERSARY th ad sponsored by: “To those fighting, we see you, we fight with you”. All Gynecologic Cancers Ovarian Cancer Uterine/ Endometrial Cancer Cervical Cancer Vulvar Cancer Vaginal Cancer Social distancing can slow spread of disease KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@compassmedia.ky For healthy people, it may seem unnecessary to stay home and disrupt their regular routines to avoid a virus that, so far, has affected few people on island. Ignoring advisories to avoid crowded places, like bars, parties or church, however, can cost lives in the long run. Epidemiologists, experts who study the spread of infectious disease, explain that social distancing is not only meant to protect ourselves but also to protect others. When individuals avoid social contact during pandemic situations, they also avoid being inadvertent carriers of disease. The idea is to ‘flatten the curve’. In other words, the public can help slow the pace of new infections and ease stress on hospitals by following health advisories. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explain that when a pandemic disease is new, the human population has little to no immunity to it, which enables person-to-person transmission. If a disease spreads too quickly, it can overwhelm healthcare infrastructure. “Widespread transmission of COVID-19 could translate into large numbers of people needing medical care at the same time,” the CDC explains. “Public health and healthcare systems may become overloaded, with elevated rates of hospitalizations and deaths. Other critical infrastructure, such [;as law enforcement, emergency medical services, and sectors of the transportation industry may also be affected. Healthcare providers and hospitals may be overwhelmed.” In the coming months, the CDC anticipates most of the US population will be exposed to the virus. To stem the spread here in Cayman, officials have emphasised the importance of respecting the temporary ban on public gatherings of 50 people or more. This ban, announced by Premier Alden McLaughlin on Friday, 13 March, includes sporting events, churches, cinemas, bars and restaurants. It excludes hospitals, pharmacies, supermarkets and work spaces, although avoiding any crowded area is advised. While this announcement will mean cancellation or postponement of many events, it is for the good of public health and for the protection of society’s most vulnerable, including the elderly, those with respiratory and cardiac conditions, and individuals who are immuno-suppressed. “Coming into close contact with someone who has coronavirus increases the chances of a healthy person catching the disease. Advice from the Ministry of Health is that limiting opportunities for large groups to congregate is one way to halt the spread of the virus,” explained Hazard Management Cayman Islands. “The strategy aims to delay the peak of confirmed cases in order to lessen the strain on the health sector. A sudden increase in the number of people who need to be hospitalised will add additional pressure to hospitals to respond.” Evidence has shown that communities which have respected social-isolation advisories have succeeded in slowing the spread of infectious diseases. McLaughlin has encouraged residents of the Cayman Islands to adjust their social habits, although it may be difficult. “The Cayman Islands is known to be a very close community. Visiting church or attending one of our many community events is an important part of our culture. We all need to change this behaviour in the face of a virus that knows no borders or cultural boundaries,” McLaughlin said. “I want to emphasise to the public that these measures have been put in place for everyone’s protection. I encourage all church-goers to instead worship at home and keep in touch with friends and family via telephone or social media.” COVID-19 has now spread to most countries worldwide and the World Health Organization declared it a global pandemic on 11 March. But WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus advised in a public statement that not all hope is lost. “We cannot say this loudly enough, or clearly enough, or often enough: all countries can still change the course of this pandemic,” he said. To change the course in Cayman, everyone needs to respect best practices. ‘Flattening the curve’ saves lives cayman compass 6 news N news WEDNESDAY, 18 MARCH 2020dartscholar.ky Beyond prestige and financial support for both high school and university students, the Dart Scholarship provides young Caymanians with life-changing experience in the real world of industry. If you’re a high achieving Caymanian student with aspirations to be a future leader and innovator, we invite you to apply for the 2020 programme. A whole new world of possibilities. It begins with a simple application. The William A Dart University Scholarship Submit your application by 15 May 2020 Says financial services more important than ever RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Cayman’s closure of its borders has sent the tourism industry into “free fall,” according to Premier Alden McLaughlin, who said at a press conference Monday that it is now up to the financial services industry to see the country through the upcoming months. The premier’s statement comes as Cayman introduced restrictions on the size of public gatherings and banned international flights and cruise ships coming to the island. The air-traffic closure measures will start from 11:59pm on Sunday, 22 March, and covers both the Owen Roberts International Airport in Grand Cayman and the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport on Cayman Brac. McLaughlin said, with those restrictions, now more than ever, the financial services industry is needed and he believes it is in a position to see the country through the anticipated hard times ahead. “The financial services industry is in really, really good shape,” he said, based on “extensive” discussions with Cayman Finance. McLaughlin said he was told companies within the industry have sent staff home and they have been able to work remotely. “Financial services is even more important now than it was because the tourism industry, at least for the time being, has collapsed and so we need to ensure that they [financial services staff] stay healthy and they stay strong and continue to provide business as usual; perhaps I shouldn’t say business as usual, but business as unusual,” he said. All areas of the industry, he said, have supported the measures that the government has put in place. “I think, collectively, we are all of the view that if Cayman can come through this with minimal loss of life and without too many people becoming sick and certainly not having the sort of meltdowns we are seeing in other parts of the world, when the crisis is over, we will be very well placed to get back into the business faster than most other places, and that’s what we are aiming to do,” the premier said. The coronavirus situation, he said, has thrown the tourism industry into “crisis” as, by Monday, hospitality workers already were being dismissed and bookings had been cancelled. “The tourism industry has absolutely collapsed,” he said. He said, within a week, The Ritz-Carlton went from being fully booked to having under 50% reservations. “I think whether the airport was closed or not, you wouldn’t have many tourists continuing to come here, and this is not just true for Cayman, this is true for all over the world,” he said. On Tuesday, several hotels announced that they would close temporarily from Sunday. There have been reports to the Cayman Compass that some tourists are not being refunded their deposits. The premier said visitors have been emailing him directly on the issue as well. “My strong advice to the hospitality industry is to refund those deposits,” he said. “This crisis will not last forever; we want that business to return to Cayman. We want people to feel good about the Cayman Islands, on the way we treat people, that’s what Caymankind is about… refund the deposits,” he said. With many employees having to resort to working from home, concerns about the communication capacity of local telecom providers has also come into question. The premier said that topic was discussed and “the telecom providers are confident they will be able to cope”. Security plans With the downturn in the economy and many facing joblessness, an uptick in crime is a concern and Governor Martyn Roper said it is an issue being discussed. “It is something we are thinking actively about and discussing contingency planning arrangements with the commissioner of police,” Roper said. He also said officers from the new Cayman Islands Regiment have been deployed to support staff in Hazard Management Cayman Islands. The officers recently returned from training in Bermuda, according to a government statement Tuesday. They are assisting with logistical planning and support. “Although the COVID-19 emergency has come before we have been able to recruit reservists for the Cayman Regiment, it is great that the officers that were recently trained in Bermuda are able to support the planning work that is going on,” Roper said in the statement. Plans are also being drawn up to bring forward the recruitment of the first 50 volunteer reservists for the Regiment. With the tourism industry in free fall, financial services will be relied on to see Cayman through upcoming lean times, Premier Alden McLaughlin has said. • Starts from 11:59pm on Sunday, 22 March. • Covers Owen Roberts International Airport and Charles Kirkconnell International Airport. • Inter-island travel will be restricted to essential movement only. • Cargo and courier flights will continue. • Outbound flights will operate until 22 March. • Anyone arriving on island will be required to be isolated for 14 days. Air traffic restrictions Premier: Tourism industry has collapsed 7 news N newsGet the Cayman Compass delivered to your door. Starting Sunday, 15 March Subscriptions: $10 per week or $35 per month. Email Demi Bush at dbush@compassmedia.ky or visit caymancompass.com to sign up today. FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass Working from home? Don’t want to leave your house? cayman compass 8 WEDNESDAY, 18 MARCH 2020TAP WATER IS THE MORE AFFORDABLE, SAFER AND GREENER CHOICE! • 1gallonoftapwatercost 3¢ • TapwaterproducedbytheWater Authorityundergoesdailytestingto ensureitsqualityandsafety • Tapwaterispurifiedthrougha desalinationprocesscalledreverse osmosis.Itisoneofthemosteffective filtrationsystemsandremoves99.5%of dissolvedsalts • Tomaintainitssafetyandquality,the WaterAuthorityaddsthreechemicals toitswater,includingchlorinewhichis usedto eliminatebacteria. • Allchemicalsaddedare NationalSanitationFoundation(NSF) approvedfordrinkingwateruse. Customerswhodon’tlikethechlorine tastecanuseabasichomewaterfilter orusefruitandherbstoinfusetheir water • WaterproducedbytheWater AuthorityexceedstheWorldHealth Organization’sguidelineforsafe drinkingwater • Tapwatercanbeenjoyedon-the-go,in asustainablereusablewaterbottlethat willnotendupinthelandfillorocean • One16.9oz(1/2liter)single-use plasticwaterbottlecostonaverage $1.50.Youwouldhavetobuy7-8 bottlestohave1gallonofwater,which wouldcost$12 • Bottledwatercompaniesarenot subjecttothesamerigorousquality control standardsasmunicipalwater • BottledwatercompaniesareNOT requiredtodisclosewhatisaddedto thewater • AccordingtoaWorldHealth Organizationstudy, microorganisms maygrowinhigherlevelsinbottled water • Onaveragebottledwatercompanies use4billionpoundsofplastictomake single-useplasticwaterbottleseach year.Ittakes64millionbarrelsofoilto haveenoughenergytomanufacture thosewaterbottle • Lessthan30%ofsingle-useplastic waterbottlesarerecycled.Therest endupinourlandfillorinouroceans andbeaches VS TAP WATERBOTTED WATER cayman compass 9 WEDNESDAY, 18 MARCH 2020Next >