SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 19-25 June 2020 Tributes pour in for Robert Hamaty Page 7 How Cayman’s seniors are surviving COVID-19 Page 10 Your money or your life? - A thought experiment Pages 12 and 13 Page 5 At curfew's end With the easing of regulations, from this weekend, people can dine out in larger groups, get their hair cut, dive, have their domestic helpers return to their homes, and go on boating trips.640-FILM (640-3456) Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 Camana Bay Cinema is currently closed. Stay home and stay safe Cayman. Follow us on social media for Movie Trivia Tuesdays. 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. FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass Open for outdoor dining CURBSIDE PICKUP • TAKE-OUT • DELIVERY cayman compass 2 news N news FRIDAY, 19 JUNE 2020 JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Elizabethan Square, one of the landmark office complexes in central George Town, has sold for $13.5 million in a deal that could provide fresh impetus for the revitalisation of Grand Cayman’s capital. The buildings, surrounding a courtyard just off Shedden Road, were home to the police headquarters and, until recently the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. Michael Binckes, of Re/Max Cayman Islands, who brokered the deal, said there was huge potential for the site. He said the buyer, who did not wish to be named, was a prominent real estate investor in Cayman. Binckes believes the property has potential to be re-invented as a mixed-use development that could set the standard for a new-look George Town. With the cruise development off the table, he said plans for the future of the capital are in need of a rethink. “The port is clearly not going to happen and it will be interesting to see what that means for George Town. If we don’t have those tourist facilities, what is going to go there?” Binckes said it was a good sign for the town that a major investor was coming in to take over a key building. “These guys have the wherewithal to do something really interesting,” he said. “I certainly believe there is going to be some redevelopment at that site," he added. Elizabethan Square was first built in the early 1980s. CIMA was a long-time tenant before moving to Cricket Square earlier this year. Re/Max was enlisted to find new tenants or a buyer for the property, culminating in the sale which went through earlier this month. Other tenants include the Thai House Restaurant, Himalaya Wellness, Chris Johnson and Associates, and Cayman Travel. Kim Lund, broker/owner of Re/Max Cayman Islands, said the sale was a sign of confidence in Cayman, even in the midst of the fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic. While many real estate transactions are on hold as buyers and sellers wait to see which way the market goes, he said the deal was positive for Cayman. “It is a landmark building in Cayman and one of those sales that only comes along every so often,” he added. Neither the buyer nor seller was willing to speak to the Cayman Compass for this article. Elizabethan Square sells for $13.5 million “I certainly believe there is going to be some redevelopment at that site.” Michael Binckes , Re/Max Cayman Islandscayman compass 3 FRIDAY, 19 JUNE 2020 CAMANABAY.COM where life blossoms1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Excess amount (7) 5 Fictitious statement (5) 8 Listen (4,2,3) 9 Person’s destiny (3) 10 Irritable (4) 12 Revealing (8) 14 Attractive (6) 15 To last (6) 17 No longer in fashion (8) 18 Operatic song (4) 21 Centre of activity (3) 22 Unanimous (2,3,4) 24 Behave towards (5) 25 Wealthy (7) DOWN 1 Find answer to (5) 2 Manage (3) 3 Burden (4) 4 Unit of Israeli currency (6) 5 Widely distributed (3-5) 6 Harass (9) 7 Going to great lengths (7) 11 Accessible (3-2-4) 13 Decisive gun battle (5-3) 14 Kind of needlework (7) 16 Change for the better (6) 19 Extra (5) 20 Average (4) 23 A climbing shrub (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16409 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. TODAY'S SOLUTIONS Puzzle 16409 ACROSS: 1 Surplus, 5 Fable, 8 Lend an ear, 9 Lot, 10 Edgy, 12 Telltale, 14 Catchy, 15 Endure, 17 Outmoded, 18 Aria, 21 Hub, 22 Of one mind, 24 Treat, 25 Moneyed. DOWN: 1 Solve, 2 Run, 3 Load, 4 Shekel, 5 Far-flung, 6 Beleaguer, 7 Extreme, 11 Get-at-able, 13 Shoot-out, 14 Crochet, 16 Reform, 19 Added, 20 Mean, 23 Ivy. cartoon Father's Day - By Caymanman 4 Could racial inequality exist on an island where #Caymankind is a growing motto, and the standard of living allows us to have comforts that many in the region around us may not have? How can a population with substantial mixed heritages have a divide between black and white? On the surface, these questions may seem trivial. However, how many Caymanians have heard the firm instruction from a parent, “Don’t play outside too long, you’ll get TOO dark.” Or how about the grandiose compliment of “You gah pretty hair”? Many remarks about hair, skin, facial features all tend to value a European aesthetic (straighter hair and noses, and lighter complexions) and criticise Afrocentric features (kinkier hair textures, broader noses and dark skin). Some Caymanians have grown up with these comments as conversational set-pieces. Have we ever thought twice about the origins of this type of thinking? Our subconscious ideals and preferences are fed by the enduring legacy of slavery and colonialism in our country and in the larger Caribbean region. Our society has an implicit bias towards how we look, how we sound, and who we value. Anti-blackness comes in different forms around the world, depending on the legacy of slavery, post-emancipation assimilation and societal development. We all are watching the events in the United States sparked by the long record of police brutality and systematic racism against Black Americans. Yet, protests have erupted around the world, many in solidarity with ‘Black Lives Matter’, but also protesters feel that the issue of racial inequality is present in all societies. Some of us have heard stories of our seafaring fathers and grandfathers forced to comply with the laws of Jim Crow segregation when they docked at ports in the southern US. In the same spectrum, many young Caymanians have travelled overseas and had experiences with discrimination and micro- aggressions in countries like the US and the UK. These stories tell us that we are not exempt from racism outside of our beloved isle. Personally, growing up in a melting pot, my identity was defined not specifically by my skin colour, but by my Caymanian heritage. It was only really when I attended university in Canada that I realised that my culture did not matter to others, in that people who were not privy to that history saw me as black, placing me into a broader racial category. We can compare ourselves to the outside world and think it may have nothing to do with us, but I believe it’s time to ask questions about the island we live in. Caymanians come in all different hues and shades, but are we all equal in the eyes of our community? Is giving someone a compliment about the texture of their hair just a compliment, or does it come from generational indoctrination to revere appearances that are far more mixed in presentation than aligned with the African features of our ancestors? Do we have divisions in our public and private school systems? Do we all have access to the same luxuries and live in the same neighbourhoods? Cayman may not have a history of systemic racism, but prejudices and colourism do impact our society. The anti-racism movement allows us to look at our history. It’s time for us to have open discussions of how we fit into the dialogue that is dominating conversations worldwide, harmful biases that we may have, and how we’d like to tell our story – the full story and not just the CliffsNotes. It is essential not only to acknowledge this history but also to call it out as it has plagued our society with toxic norms. Ultimately as a Caribbean island, we should stand in solidarity with our distant relatives in the African diaspora. Wouldn’t that truly be Caymankind? Kierstin Stewart Letters to the editor It’s time to talk about racism in Cayman Here in Pennsylvania, we can compost leaves, lawn grass cuttings, and other short greenery. We cannot easily compost long grass cuttings and any sticks. It seems similar in the Cayman Islands – seaweed from the beach is very compostable, whereas palm leaves and branches are not. Creating tons of compostable material could help Cayman become more food ‘independent’. What are the barriers? I don’t even know how many farms there are (or potential acreage for growing), or demand for soil improvement. I do have, however, a strong attitude about growing: It is all about the dirt. One comment regarding the recent article, “Report calls for ‘green stimulus’ to drive post- COVID-19 recovery”: While on a trip to Antarctica, we stopped at a hydroponic garden in the Falklands. On just a few acres, they grew all the vegetables for the Falklands, the Antarctic occupants, and the cruise ships that go between Argentina, Chile, South Georgia, and the Falklands. It was quite impressive, and all chemical driven (not about the dirt). Would hydroponics be practical for Cayman? I have no idea. Personally, my gardens continue to look to improve the dirt. Clyde Beers Use sargassum as compostcayman compass 5 N news FRIDAY, 19 JUNE 2020 Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservice.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page The Family of the Late Elizabeth R. Frederick regrets to announce her passing on Saturday, 13 June 2020. A private family service will be held 10:00 a.m. Sunday, 21 June, 2020 at North Side Seventh-Day Adven�st Church. Interment will follow in the Bodden Town Cemetery (New). As of 21 June, hard curfew and alphabet system end, scuba diving allowed KEVIN MORALES kmorales@compassmedia.ky As of this weekend, the hard curfew and alphabet system will be things of the past. Scuba diving and lounging on the beach will once again be allowed. Those are some of the changes slated for Sunday, 21 June, as the Cayman Islands moves into Level 2 of its COVID-19 suppression plan. Premier Alden McLaughlin on Wednesday outlined a series of plans to ease restrictions, which will be rolled out on three key dates: 21 June, 5 July and 19 July. Here are the plans by date: 21 June These changes to the current regulations come into place as of 4:30am on Sunday, 21 June: • Hard curfew on Grand Cayman will come to an end. • No more shelter-in-place restrictions in Grand Cayman. • The ‘alphabet day’ system will no longer be used. • People remain required to maintain social-distancing protocols and wear masks indoors in public places where they can’t social distance. • There is no longer a prohibition on people visiting others’ homes. • Domestic helpers and caregivers can return to work. • Up to 25 people can now meet or gather in Grand Cayman; that number stays at 25 in Cayman Brac. Social- distancing requirements continue to apply. There are no restrictions on gatherings in Little Cayman. • All festive ceremonies (carnivals, parties, dances and concerts) will continue to be banned in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, regardless of the number of people involved. • Most local establishments – including businesses, offices, churches, theatres, beauty salons, barbers, salons and spas, as well as medical and dental offices – will be able to fully operate. They must, however, observe social- distancing protocols and ensure masks are worn. These establishments are not subject to the 25-person-maximum restrictions. • Restaurants and bars will continue to be able to serve patrons on a patio or other outdoor area which forms a part of the premises. New regulations require each table remain at least eight feet apart, but there no longer will be limitations on how many people can sit together. However, those at a table must maintain six-feet separation. • In bars and restaurants, seating or service at an indoor counter or bar remains prohibited. • Restaurants and bars can operate within the hours stipulated in their licences. • Karaoke and dancing are still not permitted at this stage. • Up to 25 guests are allowed at weddings. • Up to 25 guests are allowed at funerals. • People can now exercise at any time while keeping social distancing. • Beach restrictions also fall away, save for adherence to social-distancing and hygiene protocols, as well as the 25-person cap on gatherings. • Pools and hot tubs can be used by people of different households. • Scuba diving will be allowed. However, customers cannot rent scuba or snorkel equipment other than tanks. • In Grand Cayman, boats can now be used for any purpose, but no more than 10 people are allowed onboard. • In Grand Cayman, boats are still not allowed to travel for pleasure to the Sister Islands. • Those on separate boats can gather together as long as the number of people between the boats does not exceed 10. • The sandbar, Stingray City, Rum Point and Starfish Point are still off limits. • Inter-island travel by boat remains prohibited, apart from freight. • Those in Grand Cayman wanting to travel to the Sister Islands by air can do so subject to the following: notify the medical officer of health, remain at a place of isolation for 14 days prior to travel, and receive a negative test result before travelling. • Staycations are permitted. 5 July The following restrictions come into place 5 July and remain until 19 July: • All education institutions COVID restrictions to be eased over next month and facilities – including camps, bible schools and preschools – can commence activities, including sports and social events. No contact sports are allowed at this stage. • Restaurants and bars will be able to offer both indoor and outdoor services, under the following restrictions: six feet between tables; three-feet social distance between people sitting together, with no limit on how many patrons are allowed to be at the same table. Front-of-house staff must continue to wear masks/cloth face coverings. • In Grand Cayman, exercise in strata and public gyms is permitted. • Those wishing to travel from Grand Cayman to the Sister Islands may do so subject to the following: notify the medical officer of health of the proposed travel and be tested for COVID-19. On receipt of a negative result, the individual must be transported directly to the airport for the flight. 19 July The following restrictions come into place 19 July and remain until 2 Aug.: • Dancing and karaoke at bars and restaurants will be allowed. • Night clubs can resume operation. • Contact sports will be permitted. • No more restrictions limiting the number of people gathering on a boat(s) to 10. • Restrictions and prohibition of boats and people accessing the sandbar, Stingray City, Starfish Point and Rum Point will also fall away. 25 The number of people who can gather together from 21 June Barbershops, hairdressers and beauty parlours will be reopening. From Sunday, people can go to the beach to sunbathe and relax, rather than only for exercise. Thursday marked the second consecutive day of no new positive COVID-19 cases being recorded in the Cayman Islands. Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee reported on Thursday afternoon that all 731 COVID tests which had been carried out since Wednesday had come back negative. Cayman has recorded a total of 193 positive cases since it began testing in March this year. Of those, 141 have recovered. Of the 51 active cases, only two are currently symptomatic and one person is being treated in hospital. As of Thursday, 19,336 people had been tested for the coronavirus across all three islands, and 362 individuals were self-isolating in their homes or at government facilities. No new COVID cases for two consecutive dayscayman compass N news FRIDAY, 19 JUNE 2020 6 BOOKING DEADLINE ISSUE Tuesday, 30 June Friday, 3 July Tuesday, 7 July Friday, 10 July AD BOOKING DEADLINE Monday, 6 July Public Holiday 949-5111 • sales@compassmedia.ky • classifieds@compassmedia.ky Booking Deadline: 10am | Artwork Deadline: 3pm Constitution Day Masks, gloves dumped across Cayman RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky With face masks now mandatory to use in many indoor areas during the COVID-19 crisis, the careless dumping of these disposable items has become the latest pollution threat across the globe, environmentalists say. Here in Cayman, local streets and drains are becoming dumping grounds for potential virus-carrying masks and gloves. “We want people to understand the importance of discarding the gloves [correctly] because obviously if they’re contaminated, we don’t want our staff to catch it. They have to help us, so we can help them by protecting each other,” Department of Environmental Health Director Richard Simms told the Cayman Compass this week. Simms said while his team has not reported widespread indiscriminate dumping, he has received reports from members of the public about masks being tossed at the sides of roads and in their neighbourhoods. “If you decide to throw your masks and COVID-19 brings new pollution challenge your gloves in the public space; first, it is littering and we want to discourage that.” In addition, he warned that people do not want to be caught littering because “we will certainly... prosecute them... for those types of actions”. Last month, regulations were amended to make the wearing of masks mandatory in indoor public places where social distancing could not be ensured. More action needed Under the Cayman Islands Litter Law, offenders can be fined up to $500 or face imprisonment for six months for littering in a public place. For Plastic Free Cayman’s Claire Hughes, enough action is not being taken to enforce that law, saying it’s now at the point where people are discarding their medical waste without fear of retribution. “I did a run from Fairbanks around Walkers Road as a loop and just on that three-and- a-half-mile stretch, I photographed at least 22 items of medical waste… gloves and masks, which is horrific. I think people are throwing them out of car windows and it’s unforgivable,” Hughes said. In France, the issue of medical waste has become such a challenge that, according to news agency AFP, the French government has doubled the fine for discarding masks. An article on the World Economic Forum website pointed out that “Coronavirus waste has become a new form of pollution as single- use personal protective equipment (PPE) floods our ocean. COVID-19 has had a number of unexpected impacts on the environment, curtailing recycling and increasing the use of plastic around the world.” According to a report by the London-based Plastic Waste Innovation Hub, “If every person in the UK used one single-use mask each day for a year, that would create 66,000 tonnes of contaminated plastic waste and create 10 times more climate change impact than using reusable masks.” The Hub, which is a multi-disciplinary team of researchers, scientists and engineers, pointed to the challenges of single-use masks, saying that is a growing threat to the environment. Here in Cayman, Hughes said policy- makers should ensure that enforcement of the litter laws is carried out and an education campaign launched to get buy-in from the community. “It’s a health risk, not only from a contamination point of view, but ... who did they expect is going to pick it up? We’ve not been able to promote our clean-ups because of the health and safety aspects of it. People have been going and doing their own clean-ups, but yes, the medical waste is an issue. People have been advised in the press briefings to not do this, but it’s still happening,” she said. At a 5 June press briefing, Health Minister Dwayne Seymour made a public appeal for people to stop dumping masks. He pointed to the dangers that action posed to the public and DEH personnel. “We are still dealing with the problem of people littering and illegally dumping waste materials in areas of our communities. Sadly, this includes masks, gloves and other types of PPE. Please do not put our community and our DEH staff at risk with this type of irresponsible behaviour,” he said. Simms said while wearing masks is important to help protect the community from the spread of the virus, so too is the need to properly dispose of all kinds of personal protective equipment. “We have to bear in mind that we all have responsibilities to take care of each other, especially during these times. We have responsibilities to protect you. We can’t allow room for people to go out there and discard things out in public so that others can be affected. We have to think carefully about our actions so that we don’t affect or infect others,” he said. The DEH is advising the public to place medical waste in separate bags from regular trash, double bag that waste, and tie off the bags. These can then be disposed of with the regular trash. “We’ll collect them as regular waste and take them to our incinerator and dispose [of them] like that,” Simms said, adding that DEH staff use PPE when conducting their duties. Hughes said the time has come for a national clean-up, one that could also be used to assist in providing employment for displaced Caymanians. “We definitely need better ways of disposing our waste… better enforcement, stronger littering laws, more signage up, as well. There should be signs to remind people not to litter, to take it home with them, whether it’s at the beach or whether it’s littering in the streets. As far as a message to DEH, we desperately need a national clean-up scheme,” she said. Types of COVID-19 medical waste being found on roadsides • Disposable masks • Plastic gloves • Bottles of santiser A face mask lies at the side of Boilers Road, in George Town. Another mask was found on North Church Street, just a few yards from a trash can. cayman compass 7 N news FRIDAY, 19 JUNE 2020 Robert Michael Hamaty will be remembered by many for his love of family, his adventurous spirit and for setting up a company that put Cayman on the map for rum cakes. He passed away at the Miami Baptist Health Center on Saturday, 13 June, following a brief illness. He was 72. His family said his wife Carlene, with whom he founded the Tortuga Rum Company in 1984, was by his bedside when he passed away “peacefully”. Hamaty was born in Westmoreland, Jamaica, on 12 Feb. 1948. He was educated at Jamaica College from 1958-1964, and trained to be a pilot at the Embry Riddle Aeronautical Institute in Daytona Beach, Florida, from 1965 to 1966. He was one of Air Jamaica’s first 12 commissioned pilots. He went on to become a captain at Cayman Airways, which he joined in 1978, at a time when the fledgling airline had only one aircraft, a BAC 1-11, and eight pilots. In the late 1980s, Captain Hamaty served as chief pilot and flew CAL’s first Boeing 737-200 aircraft. He was one of the founding members of the Cayman Airways Pilots Association, and was instrumental in setting up CAPA’s annual Cayman Airways Fishing Tournament. It was during his time as a Cayman Airways pilot that he met Carlene, who was a flight attendant. The couple married in 1988, and had two children, Monique and Basil. Both children have followed in their father’s footsteps. Monique Hamaty-Simmonds works at Tortuga Rum Company, and Basil Hamaty is a captain at Cayman Airways. When Basil took his first flight from Owen Roberts International Airport to Norman Manley International Airport after becoming a pilot with Cayman Airways in 2004, his father was in the jump seat. Even though he moved from Jamaica to his adopted home of Cayman in 1978, Hamaty considered both places home. He served as honorary Jamaican consul in Cayman from 1992 to 2009. Monique said her father was a fearless man. “Nothing scared him. He used to say, ‘I flew through thunder and lightning storms and have had a heart transplant’. He also said, ‘I go nowhere and do nothing without an alternate.’ Everything he applied to life, he learned as a pilot,” she said. Cayman Airways, in a tribute, said Hamaty had served an integral role in the growth and development of the airline. The airline’s president and CEO, Fabian Whorms, said, “Even after Captain Hamaty left Cayman Airways in the 1990’s for health reasons, he maintained a lifelong love and interest in Cayman Airways, and will always be remembered for continuously sharing industry tips and insights with our Senior Management Team over the years.” The Ministry of Tourism also paid tribute to Hamaty, saying he “held a deep and abiding love for the Cayman Islands, and his passion for people and spirit of Caymankindness were evident in every aspect of his life. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him, and by countless others who took inspiration from his courage, integrity and strength of character.” In 2010, in recognition of his outstanding service and accomplishments in the fields of tourism and hospitality, manufacturing and global brand building, Hamaty was conferred with the Order of Distinction, in the rank of officer. Throughout his life, helping others was very important to her father, Monique said, quoting her dad as often saying “It is in giving that you shall receive”. In one case, in 2011, he and other members of the community set up a fundraising drive to send the 4-year- old daughter of one of his employees to Narayana Multispeciality Hospital in Bangalore, India, for urgent surgery to repair two holes in her heart. The operation was a success. It was not surprising that Hamaty would help someone with heart issues – he had undergone a heart transplant in 1998. The donor was a 27-year-old pilot who had died in a sky-diving accident. In his office, for years, Hamaty proudly displayed a framed poem and photographs of that pilot, about whom he said, “In his final hours, that young man gave me a lifetime.” Hamaty was well known locally for his advocacy of organ transplants. He was a member of the Human Tissue Transplant Council and was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the Human Tissue Transplant Law in Cayman. In a statement issued on Saturday, Premier Alden McLaughlin said of Hamaty’s passing, “Today, sadly, Cayman has lost one of its captains of industry... Robbie Hamaty, though an aircraft pilot by training, was truly a visionary entrepreneur by nature. “Together with his wife, Carlene, they built from scratch the incredibly successful international enterprise that Tortuga Rum has become. He was never shy to express his opinion or to provide advice to government about commerce in general and in particular, how we could continue to improve Cayman’s tourism product. He has made an immense contribution to the development and success of these Islands and will be greatly missed.” For decades, Hamaty’s name has been synonymous with Tortuga Rum Cakes, which celebrated its 35th anniversary last year. In an interview with the Compass in 2019, Hamaty described getting the idea for Tortuga rum after noticing passengers boarding his planes carrying brands of rum from overseas. He recalled thinking, “Why can’t this island have its own rum?” His company went on to have major local and international success, with its rum and rum cakes being popular exports from Cayman among tourists looking to take a slice or a sip of the islands home with them. The Tortuga products are also distributed in many markets throughout the world and the company has expanded to Miami, Jamaica, Barbados and the Bahamas. His daughter tells a story of when the rum-cake sales got an unexpected boost when Morton Dean, former anchor for ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’, visited Cayman in the early 1990s and returned home with a Tortuga rum cake. “Morton shared the cake with the ABC team on live television one morning and proceeded to rave about it to both his co-presenters and viewers all across America. The 1-800 order line at Tortuga’s head office erupted with calls and as it did, Robbie, with his considerable business acumen, seized upon this opportunity and blasted news of Morton’s new favourite delicacy across the globe. “Later that day, Robbie received a call from Morton Dean himself, who diplomatically informed Robbie that he, Morton Dean, had found himself in considerable hot water after Robbie’s marketing blitz and that such marketing requires written authorisation from the network. With Robbie’s customary charm, it was only moments before Morton said that such a letter of authorisation would shortly be forthcoming. They formed a life- long friendship thereafter.” When he wasn’t working, Hamaty spent his time reading and collecting antiques. He also enjoyed fishing, boating, clay-pigeon shooting, driving his antique cars, and spending time with his family. A small family service is planned for July at St. Ignatius Catholic Church and Hamaty will be laid to rest at the Garden of Reflection, Prospect Point, Grand Cayman. In a statement, the family said they hope “there will be an opportunity for the wider family and friends to come together and celebrate Robbie’s blessed life in the coming months”. Tributes pour in for Robert Hamaty In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to charities Hamaty sup- ported. These include: Cayman Heart Fund (www.caymangiftcer- tificates.com/cayman- heart-fund); Jackson Memorial Miami Transplant Institute (https://jacksonhealth- foundation.org/donate); Cayman Islands Cancer Society (www.cics.ky/ways-to- help/donation/). Robert Hamaty and his daughter Monique. Robert Hamaty with his nephew Neil Hamaty, who worked with him at the Tortuga Rum Company. Robert Hamaty founded Tortuga Rum.8 news N news NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky Dive sites across Grand Cayman will be open for the first time in almost three months on Sunday, and the island’s dive operators are gearing up to welcome back customers. However, with stringent sanitation and social-distancing protocols that must be observed, it won’t be as simple as just taking a giant stride into the water. Among a wide range of restriction relaxations, Premier Alden McLaughlin announced on Wednesday that divers who use their own equipment could make their way underwater from Sunday morning. Renting gear is prohibited to ensure that equipment is not shared between divers, he said, adding that if coronavirus test results continue to be low, then renting regulators and other dive equipment may be allowed from early August. Operators throughout Cayman, in anticipation of reopening, have been drawing up and tweaking procedures and protocols for ensuring that their customers and staff are protected from the virus. Last week, the Ministry of Tourism released sanitation guidelines for a number of tourism and hospitality industries, including diving. The detailed document set out the requirements that dive shops will have to meet before being allowed to reopen. Jo Mikutowicz, owner of Divetech, said both the Cayman Islands Tourism Association and the Department of Tourism had been reaching out to operators to let them know what would be required. “Divetech has created new operating procedures for when we can reopen based off of the recommendations in that [sanitisation] document – from signing up customers, check-in procedures, boat diving, shore diving and teaching courses, and how to safely carry out all activities that we have always offered,” she said. One of the requirements is social distancing on boats – something that might prove difficult for operators with small boats and seriously curtail the number of divers they can cater to. “We are lucky in that we have large spacious boats,” Mikutowicz said. “We will give each customer a designated area to sit and keep all of their equipment/personal items in. We plan on keeping numbers at half capacity, ensuring everyone will be able to safely stay six feet away from the next customer while in their seat and transitioning in and out of the water.” Another dive operator that has been working on COVID-19 procedures is Ocean Frontiers in East End. Those protocols, drawn up by owner Steve Broadbelt, were so detailed and comprehensive that the Department of Tourism took them on board to help it draw up the sanitation and operation guidelines for the dive industry. Broadbelt took the Cayman Compass on a tour of his operation last week to highlight the myriad areas that need to be addressed to ensure that divers and staff remain safe while getting back underwater. Even previously simple things, like boarding a dive boat at a dock, will now require a few more steps. No shoes on board is already a fairly common rule on many dive boats, but now, getting on an Ocean Frontiers boat will entail first dunking your feet in a dish of cleansing liquid, followed by a spritz of hand sanitiser from a crew member, just before you board. Getting a drink of water between dives on the boat will also be a tad more complicated. It won’t be as easy as just grabbing a paper cup and filling up. It involves reuseable bottles, repeated use of sanitising spray to clean the water dispenser, and using a one-way system to get to and from the dispenser. A rope is strung up lengthways along the boat so that divers stick to the side to which they are assigned. Each has a designated seat, set up with air tanks ready to use. Behind each diver is also a personal mini dunk container to sanitise regulators and masks, already filled with a solution of water and Milton fluid (more commonly associated with sterilising babies’ bottles), as Broadbelt said using a bleach solution is not suitable for the rubber or silicon found in dive equipment. Divers from the same household can sit together, but other divers are required to sit at least six feet apart. Despite these measures, Broadbelt said he was confident that they would not change the customer’s diving experience significantly. “A lot of the responsibility falls on the shoulders of our staff and they’ll direct people. If you’ve got a big boat and plenty of room, it’s quite easy to space people around, certainly, at arm’s length away from everybody.” He added that as long as everyone follows the protocols, “you can go safely scuba diving with no more risk than going to the supermarket”. Broadbelt’s document outlines the many procedures his staff will be implementing on the boats and on land when dealing with customers, equipment and each other. “What I was seeing was lots of information out there,” he told the Compass, “but nothing really comprehensive that was a good fit and that covered all the different areas and aspects of our business. For example, Divers Alert Network, which is the authority on diver safety and is a fantastic resource, their recommendations have been included in what I’ve drafted and what other companies have drafted as well, so that’s been a baseline for certain safety protocols... “Beyond that, other organisations have released various recommendations and we’ve gone through those and compiled a comprehensive document that works for Ocean Frontiers and would work for operators of a similar size or those that use the same kind of boats that we do, or similar.” Ocean Frontiers uses 46-foot dive boats, which will run at half their usual passenger capacity to ensure safe social distancing. Broadbelt said the Cayman Islands Tourism Association had met with dive operators and had provided an “excellent framework” for what operators should do, but pointed out that each operation is unique; one size does not fit all. “Each needs to take the skeleton of a guideline and add to it the specifics that works for their business,” he said. Tourism Director Rosa Harris thanked Broadbelt for providing the information to her ministry, saying that it, along with other guidelines from CITA, had helped inform the tourism authorities about what protocols needed to be implemented to enable dive operations to reopen safely. She said having such procedures in place meant that the operators could begin servicing the local dive community and would be well placed, and well practised in the new routines, to welcome international customers once the borders reopen to tourists. She noted that the sanitation protocols issued by the Ministry of Tourism were guidelines and recommendations, rather than rules, because her ministry is governed by the Tourism Law, which covers accommodations licensing and inspections, but does not cover public- health issues. “So they’re guidelines, or suggestions. It is really a business tool,” she said. One area the sanitisation guidelines do not cover is shore diving, focussing instead on scuba diving from boats, an issue which operators say is causing some confusion. Also, as of Thursday, it was unclear if dive operators individually would be required to apply to government to reopen or to provide authorities with a copy of the protocols they were putting in place. To view the guidelines, visit www.visitcaymanislands.com/ en-us/ourcayman/sanitation- guidelines. Dive operators prepare to go back underwater Jo Mikutowicz, owner of Divetech, prepares to board one of the dive operator's distinctive pink boats. “You can go safely scuba diving with no more risk than going to the supermarket.” Steve Broadbelt , Ocean Frontiers Ocean Frontiers staff demonstrate how divers will be required to clean their feet and hands before stepping aboard a dive boat, under the new protocols that are being adopted as dive operations across Grand Cayman prepare to open on Sunday. See video at www.caymancompass.comcayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 19 JUNE 2020 FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass e: subscriptions@compassmedia.ky. or visit caymancompass.com to sign up today. t: (345) 949.5111 Have your Friday newspaper delivered straight to your door Only CI$10 a month Minimum sign-up of one month Keep up with the newsNext >