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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 to cloudy skies with a 30% chance of showers and some thunder. weather Forecast today Cayman Islands 90°F 80°F HIGH LOW WINDS East to southeast at 5 to 10 knots. SEA STATE Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@compassmedia.ky Governor Martyn Roper will use his powers under Section 81 of the Constitution to assent to the recently defeated Domestic Partnership Bill. Section 81 details the governor’s reserved power. The section specifically refers to cases where the governor believes new legislation is necessary in the interest of any matter for which the governor has responsibility but, at the same time, Cabinet is unwilling to bring a bill for that purpose or the Legislative Assembly is unlikely to pass such a bill. Section 55 of the Constitution defines the governor’s responsibilities in relation to such areas as defence, external affairs and international security, including the police and the appointment of certain public officials. Why now? The governor is taking action in response to a Court of Appeal judgment which overturned a Grand Court decision that granted same-sex couples the right to marry in the Cayman Islands. The Court of Appeal upheld the Constitution’s definition of marriage as a union between an “unmarried man and woman of marriageable age” as a de facto ban on same-sex marriages. However, the court also held that the petitioners, Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden Bush, were nevertheless entitled to legal protection in the Cayman Islands, “which is functionally equivalent to marriage”. It is this legal protection and right to a civil union alternative for same-sex couples that the Domestic Partnership Bill seeks to establish. After legislators failed to pass the bill last week, effectively leaving Cayman in breach of the rule of law, the governor used his reserved power to put the bill in play. A little background In 2015, the Cayman Islands Human Rights Commission, citing European Court of Human Rights case law, called on the government to introduce such legislation. The commission noted that, until it was passed, Cayman would be in breach of its obligations under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and equivalent statutes under Section 9 of Cayman’s Bill of Rights guaranteeing the right to privacy and family life. Because Cayman lawmakers had not acted since, the Court of Appeal noted in its judgment “the longstanding failure of the Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands to comply with its legal obligations under Section 9 of the Bill of Rights”. And the court highlighted “the Legislative Assembly’s longstanding and continuing violation of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights”. This non-adherence to an international convention puts the matter under the governor’s responsibility for external affairs. In its decision, the Court of Appeal judges said, “Any constitutional settlement requires the executive and the legislature to obey the law and to respect decisions of the court. It would be wholly unacceptable for this declaration to be ignored. Whether or not there is an appeal to the Privy Council in respect of same-sex marriages, there can be no further justification for further delay or prevarication.” Anticipating the rejection of the Domestic Partnership Bill by lawmakers on 29 July, the court added, “Moreover, in the absence of expeditious action by the Legislative Assembly, we would expect the United Kingdom Government, to recognise its legal responsibility and take action to bring this unsatisfactory state of affairs to an end.” How the governor can assent to Domestic Partnership Bill S ection 81 of the Cayman Islands Constitution, on 'Governor’s reserved power': "If the Governor considers that the enactment of legislation is necessary or desirable with respect to or in the interests of any matter for which he or she is responsible under section 55 but, after consultation with the Premier, it appears to the Governor that the Cabinet is unwilling to support the introduction into the Legislative Assembly of a Bill for the purpose or that the Assembly is unlikely to pass a Bill introduced into it for the purpose, the Governor may, with the prior approval of a Secretary of State, cause a Bill for the purpose to be published in a Government Notice and may (notwithstanding that the Bill has not been passed by the Assembly) assent to it on behalf of Her Majesty; but the Bill shall be so published for at least 21 days prior to assent unless the Governor certifies by writing under his or her hand that the matter is too urgent to permit such delay in the giving of assent and so informs a Secretary of State." Cayman Islands Constitution Governor Martyn Roper EXPLAINER: cayman compass 2 news N news FRIDAY, 7 AUGUST 2020Premier fears UK will now retain section 81 KEVIN MORALES kmorales@compassmedia.ky Governor Martyn Roper will use his powers under section 81 of the Constitution to assent to the recently defeated Domestic Partnership Bill and expects the law to be enacted by the beginning of next month, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Governor’s Office. “As Governor, this is not a position I would ever have wanted to be in,” Roper is quoted as saying in the release. “Since arriving in October 2018, I have fully respected Cayman’s extensive responsibility for dealing with domestic matters. But I cannot simply stand aside when it comes to upholding the rule of law." The Cayman Islands Court of Appeal last year overturned Chief Justice Anthony Smellie’s ruling granting Vickie Bodden Bush and Chantelle Day the right to marry, but also mandated Cayman’s government “act expeditiously” to create a legal equivalent of marriage for same-sex couples. The resulting Domestic Partnership Bill was defeated last week in the Legislative Assembly, 9-8. Premier Alden McLaughlin, in a statement issued Thursday, said he spoke to Opposition members about the potential consequences of not passing the bill, which he said satisfied the legal requirement. "Those members of the House who are now seeking to deflect responsibility by pretending that this declaration of the court is merely akin to a suggestion are woefully wrong," the premier's statement read. "The Grand Court of the Cayman Islands as well as the Court of Appeal of the Cayman Islands both ruled that the Cayman Islands and the Legislative Assembly are in breach of the Bill of Rights in our Constitution, and the European Convention on Human Rights." He says he fears the UK will now decide to retain section 81 despite previously agreeing to remove it. "The failure of the Legislative Assembly to do its duty last Wednesday has set back our efforts at increased autonomy immeasurably," he said. Deputy Opposition Leader and Newlands legislator Alva Suckoo – who voted against the bill – declined to comment Wednesday, saying the Opposition had not yet discussed the announcement. Roper plans to publish a version of the current bill on 10 Aug. and allow 21 days for consultation by the public and members of the Legislative Assembly, as required in the Cayman Islands Constitution. The Governor’s Office and Attorney General Samuel Bulgin will be available to consider additional comments on the provisions of the bill, according to the statement. The governor expects the bill to be gazetted and be implemented into law at the beginning of September. A number of consequential pieces of legislation will be amended at the same time to bring them into line with the new law. These will also be published for consultation on 10 Aug. Attorney Leonardo Raznovich, who provides legal counsel for local LGBTQ advocacy group Colours Cayman, celebrated the governor’s decision. “Let’s not lose sight that we are here because the legislators last week decided to take us into a path of anarchy,” Raznovich told the Compass. “To reject the DPB [Domestic Partnership Bill], as they did, they placed themselves above the law of the land." Raznovich and local LGBTQ advocacy group Colours Cayman both expressed their wishes the governor had gone a step farther and introduced legislation that would have provided marriage to same-sex couples. “While we remain disappointed that the bill provides a legal framework for ‘domestic partnerships’ rather than marriage, we should highlight once again that the Court of Appeal made it very clear that there is, contrary to popular belief, no prohibition in the Constitution preventing the legislator to extend marriage to same-sex couples,” Colours Cayman said in a press release issued late Wednesday. The current bill provides a framework for same-sex couples to enjoy benefits legally equivalent to those of married heterosexual couples, but allows for the legal definition of a marriage to only be between a man and a woman. Bodden Bush and Day have taken their legal battle to the UK Privy Council, and Raznovich hopes the case will result in the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the Cayman Islands. “Their case remains strong as a matter of equality under the Constitution and the [Privy Council] will almost certainly say that,” Raznovich said. “Let’s not lose sight that we are here because the legislators last week decided to take us into a path of anarchy.” Leonardo Raznovich, attorney Governor to push through Domestic Partnership Bill Governor Martyn Roper news N news 3 FRIDAY, 7 AUGUST 20201234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Insipid (5) 4 Unintelligent (7) 8 Zero (3) 9 Self-confidence (9) 10 Sense of slight (7) 11 Inundate (5) 13 Lethargy (6) 15 Shut (6) 18 Fashion (5) 19 Comprise (7) 21 Prepared for war (5,4) 23 Adhesive substance (3) 24 Money affairs (7) 25 Supply what is needed (5) DOWN 1 Elaborate feast (7) 2 Free (2,7) 3 Emotional situation (5) 4 Ship (6) 5 Thorough (7) 6 Acknowledge (3) 7 Use up (5) 12 Fierce attack (9) 14 Exceed limit of (7) 16 A visionary (7) 17 Stage in intensity (6) 18 Cram (5) 20 Fundamental (5) 22 Put on (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16451 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 16451 ACROSS: 1 Bland, 4 Vacuous, 8 Nil, 9 Assurance, 10 Umbrage, 11 Flood, 13 Torpor, 15 Closed, 18 Style, 19 Embrace, 21 Under arms, 23 Gum, 24 Finance, 25 Cater. DOWN: 1 Banquet, 2 At liberty, 3 Drama, 4 Vessel, 5 Careful, 6 Own, 7 Spend, 12 Onslaught, 14 Overrun, 16 Dreamer, 17 Degree, 18 Stuff, 20 Basic, 22 Don. cartoon Party Time - By Caymanman EDITORIAL BOARD Good governance is based on quality leadership – leaders who have a vision and drive to lead their country successfully into the future. Governor Martyn Roper, for instance, showed that type of leadership when he took the decision to push through the Domestic Partnership Bill, knowing backlash would be coming. As we reflect on the events that unfolded last week inside the Legislative Assembly – where the bill was shot down 9-8 by Cayman’s lawmakers – the Compass Editorial Board wonders whether some members of the assembly have that vision or are content serving as marionettes, allowing their constituents to act as puppeteers every time a difficult decision must be made. Several times during the debate we heard how some members went through painstaking efforts to consult their constituents on the controversial bill, which sought to provide a framework for same-sex couples to enjoy a legally recognised partnership providing the same benefits as marriage. We appreciate the members’ eagerness for input. We’re certainly not saying lawmakers should ignore their constituents. Good leaders listen, but they also have the ability to form their own opinions and stand by their convictions. Lawmakers are elected and the voters are their bosses. But bosses don’t expect their staff to consult them at every turn. The voters hired their representatives to do what’s in the best interests of this country. When considering topics like segregation or women’s suffrage, we contemplate what the world might look like had legislators of the past simply voted based on the wishes of a majority of their constituents. West Bay South legislator Tara Rivers used part of her contribution to talk about the deeper meaning of representation. “We are expected to lead in the good times and the bad times, in the difficult times and in the easy times,” she said. “Leadership often requires taking hugely unpopular decisions. Leadership often requires weighing up hugely complex situations and having to make decisions that, at times like this, may be at odds with our own personal beliefs. “Representation in this case is more than just voting based on a poll or a canvassing of constituents that you’ve heard from on this matter.” She’s right. Leadership in this case is about adhering to the law. It’s about moving the country in the right direction. We can’t help but wonder what role the upcoming elections played in certain members’ minds. If MLAs weren’t less than a year away from potentially losing their seats, would they have acted differently? Only they know that. We hope, going forward, that true leadership emerges. Leadership that doesn’t worry about getting back in the House to collect a paycheque. Leadership with conviction and a vision. Cayman needs leadership that’s concerned with improving Cayman – leadership with a spine. Governor to push through Domestic Partnership Bill This is by far the best govenor that the Cayman islands has ever had. He is fair, and goes with the law. – Sammie Erskine Wow, the discrimination here by some people is very real. You realise that for the majority of people, this won’t affect you in any way. But for some people, this will change their life in a big way. It is literally their life and just goddamn basic rights. – Dylan O’Connor All power belongs to God. He just give us some lead way till he’s ready and then he’ll deal with the case. – Joyceann Green Cayman’s location is in a very dangerous zone and we have done very well in recent time. This will cause the wrath of God, upon these Islands. FCO will not help us! The governor, I hope, will be far gone, never to return. Beware Cayman LGBTQ, what you ask for in the name of lifestyle and popularity. – Elizabeth Gaio And doesn’t God love all, no matter what, plus the fact he made us in his image? Hypocrisy reigns in organized religion. – Vicki Gowin Mr. Governor, you have my respect and support to proceed to equalize all rights in this country. – Benjie Bodden Well, that didn’t take long. Excellent news. – Christine Maltman This is not right! We all voted and the majority didn’t want it! Why is it forced? – Josue Luis Sanchez Ebanks I have no opinion on this issue. But what’s a democracy when votes will just be overturned when powers that be don’t like the outcome? – Lucas Anglin Why go through with an asinine vote then, wasting time voting when the governor is saying the legislators’ majority vote don’t count? Go ahead and do as you wish with these islands, England. – John Levy Nothing against who people want to be with. [It’s] their life to live. On that note: Now pass the law that people can buy numbers, build a casino, legalize marijuana, since Cayman is no longer a Christian colony. Bring back original Pirates Week and Batabano. – Iesha Valentina Powell That is what legislators get for not sitting down like adults to negotiate common ground on behalf of their constituents. – Everett Carter What they’re saying Online Editorial: For the sake of country, be a leader cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 7 AUGUST 2020Form must be completed online Tour bus operators: ‘We're in a very serious situation’ JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Around a month before the coronavirus hit the Cayman Islands, Errol Reid took delivery of a new 30-seat Toyota Coaster bus from Japan. Cayman was in the midst of another record high tourism season and he saw an opportunity to grow his business. Six months later, with the island closed to tourists and little prospect of cruise ships returning any time soon, he is wondering where his next dollar will come from. “Right now, I am planting trees,” he said. “Everything has gone, there is zero business.” Many tour operators are in the same position. Some took loans on their properties to fund new vehicles just before COVID hit and are struggling to meet those expenses, said Gerry-Mae Gould, president of the Cayman Islands Independent Tour Bus Association. Others are struggling to meet their basic living expenses. Gould is one of more than 2,000 tourism workers now pulling a monthly $1,000 stipend from government. She is grateful for the help but it only goes so far. “I got my stipend, I paid my light bill and that was it,” she said. As well as their living expenses, many drivers have to pay insurance and upkeep on their vehicles. Though they were doing well before lockdown, many had reinvested the money in their businesses. “I haven’t made a dollar for five months,” said William Powery, who drives a Coaster-style bus. “If you want a big surprise, stop earning for five months and see how long you can last.” There are around 80 drivers in the tour operators association, though the group also represents a wider pool of taxi drivers. The drivers rely almost exclusively on tourism, primarily cruise tourism, and have been among the hardest hit by the closure of Cayman’s borders. “We were effectively fired from our jobs without warning,” said Sonya Moya, secretary of the association. “It sounds jokey but it is not funny; this is reality. We don’t know where to turn or what we are going to do. We're in a very serious situation.” With no news on when cruise lines may come back, the short-term prospects for tour operators look bleak. Even in the longer term, there is little certainty about the future of the industry. Moya recognises she will likely have to carry half the number of passengers to meet social-distancing protocols. She believes drivers will also have to invest in plexiglass partitions to make their vehicles COVID safe. She said it has been hard to find other sources of income in the interim. She reached out to construction firms to see if she could get a contract to transport workers. She also applied for jobs as a delivery driver and even as a shop cashier, but received no reply. “It is a struggle,” she said. “No one wants to hire us, they want younger people.” The idea of retraining or switching careers to a different industry is easier said than done for many tour operators who have money tied up in their businesses, said Reid, who is also vice president of the association. “I am going to sell my bus, sell it to who? Do you want to buy it?” Reid said. For others, like Powery, who already had a career as a builder, the idea of learning a new trade is not really practical. “I am 70 years old,” he said, “I am not going to retrain. I can still drive, I can still talk to people. This is what I can do.” Despite the hardship, the tour operators are not encouraging government to rush to reopen the borders. “As much as we want to see tourism come back, we are still concerned about the wellbeing of the people on the island,” said Gould. Perhaps the toughest thing about the situation is that there are no clear solutions. There is no obvious policy to campaign for or advocate for. “We are living in the new abnormal,” said Moya. “It is a scary situation.” “I am 70 years old . I am not going to retrain. I can still drive, I can still talk to people. This is what I can do." William Powery, tour bus driver 5 news N newsKEVIN MORALES kmorales@compassmedia.ky ‘The worst day of our lives’ It was 3 June 2020 – a typical day for ‘Jane’, the mother of two toddlers and Otando’s local employer. But Otando’s relationship with Jane, her husband and two children felt more like family. The Cayman Compass is not using Jane’s real name for this story on her request. “She was amazing, actually,” Jane said. “And my children adored her.” Jane came home from work to find her 1-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter dressed to go swimming. Otando was set to take them to the pool. It was no different from what they might have done any other afternoon. For 20 minutes, Jane began to unwind after work. She started packing, as the family planned to travel to New York a few days later. Otando and the children had gone swimming together many times. Jane didn’t think twice about it. “In a matter of minutes, that day became the worst day of our lives,” she said. It began with a pounding at the door. A panicked neighbour screaming that Otando was at the bottom of the pool. A race down two floors where Otando was being pulled out by neighbours. Jane’s daughter, barely able to swim, hanging onto the wall in the deep end of the pool. “My (daughter) was saying, ‘Open your eyes’, and my (son) was just screaming,” Jane recalls with horror. “When she died, it was just pure mayhem and panic.” What happened? Over the course of the next four hours, Jane and her husband were left to wonder what happened in those 20 minutes. “Were my kids hanging on her? Why? Because I thought she could swim. So I was like, ‘Were they hanging on her? Did they jump on her to pull her under? Was she trying to save them?’ You know, did one of them fall in and she was trying to save them and that’s what had happened?” CCTV footage was viewed. Jane couldn’t watch. Her husband and neighbour saw the tape. The video showed Jane’s children and Otando in the pool. Her son sat on a shallow shelf, her daughter and Otando on the pool steps. The children didn’t have flotation ‘wings’ on. “Sheillah stands up from the steps and she goes out to what looks like she’s going to swim and I think she tries to swim and then puts her foot down and realises that she’s in the deep end and completely panics and starts, you know, flapping her arms and struggling and…” Jane chokes up. She has to stop. She’s told this story dozens of times over the last two months. This is the hardest part. “(My daughter) goes and she swims out to her.” A month earlier, Jane’s daughter could not swim. She was only just starting to take lessons. “She does a lap around [Otando] to sort of see what’s going on. She goes back to the wall to rest. Then she goes back out and she’s reaching for her. She tries to grab her hair. And then she goes back to the wall, and then she comes back out again.” This lasted nearly five minutes. At one point, the two hold hands as Otando is underwater. “I believe, in my heart, Sheillah let go as to not harm her. She had one of the kindest and most beautiful souls of anyone I’d ever met,” Jane said. She struggles with the fact that her children very easily could have drowned that day as well. “No one can understand how they’re alive,” she said. Not a day goes by that Jane’s family doesn’t miss Otando or that the children don’t ask for her. Her daughter continues to have nightmares. “My daughter’s in trauma counselling right now because [Otando is] all she talks about. And she blames herself. And she constantly tells me that she tried to save her and she tried to help her,” Jane said. She thought she could swim Jane has gone through every scenario possible over the past two months, consumed with questions of ‘what if?’ Otando said she could swim, but Jane never really questioned her or tested her abilities. It wasn’t a requirement for the job, so Jane took her at her word. “I truly, with all my heart and soul, believe that she thought she could swim,” Jane said. “Because I know that she wouldn’t have put herself in that danger. And I know she wouldn’t put the children in that danger. And had she been properly assessed, we would have all known that she just needed a little bit more training and I would have provided her with that, no questions asked.” As a result, Jane and her husband are seeking community support in hopes of making sure something like this doesn’t happen again. Making a difference Jane and her husband have partnered with Skyblue Aquatics to start a Nanny/Caregiver Water Safety Programme. Through it, Skyblue will offer free assessments to the helpers or their employers. The fund, which will rely on community support, will help Skyblue just cover costs. The aquatics instructors will evaluate the caregivers’ swimming abilities and understanding of water safety, and report back to the participants and their employers. If needed, they will work with both groups on how ‘We will not let her death go in vain’ “When she died, it was just pure mayhem and panic.” Jane , Otando’s employer Caregiver Water Safety Programme • Register for a free assessment at www.skyblueaquatics.com • To donate, call 916-0054 or deposit funds directly into Butterfield account (1361461100027) • For more information, email info@ skyblueaquatics.com ‘My children adored her,’ Jane said of Sheillah Otando, who drowned on 3 June. Now her Cayman ‘family’ is working with local swim instructors to assess helpers who may need more work on becoming strong swimmers and understanding water safety. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7» Sheillah Otando was 29 years old. She was born in Kenya and lived in the Cayman Islands, working as a domestic helper. She was loved by her ‘adopted’ family here, including the two toddlers for whom she cared. Otando thought she could swim, but a trip to the pool earlier this summer ended in her death. Now, her Cayman family is working to ensure a similar tragedy never happens again. cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 7 AUGUST 2020International requirements adopted, but not all implemented KEVIN MORALES kmorales@compassmedia.ky The Cayman Islands has adopted International Swimming Pool and Spa Code safety standards but is not currently implementing all of the requirements listed in the code, which is used primarily in the United States. Cayman appears to specifically fall short of the code’s requirements when it comes to swimming pool barriers. The ISPSC standards call for all outdoor swimming pools to be surrounded by a barrier that is at least four feet tall. It also details requirements for homes where doors or windows provide direct access to a pool, such as installing alarms if they’re opened. Cayman has not adopted these measures. “That’s correct,” Department of Environmental Health Director Richard Simms confirmed. “But it is something we will be looking into for possible implementation.” The DEH is the entity responsible for checking pool owners in Cayman – both private, residential pools and those at tourism-licensed facilities – are complying with requirements. Most of those specifications deal with design, testing and other construction and planning matters. When it comes to safety in the water, local pool owners are required only to have depth markings on the outside of the pool (for tourism accommodations only), safety and warning signs and lifesaving equipment, like a ring buoy or accessory pole for pulling people out of the water. Those requirements not only fall short of the ISPSC standards but are also not as stringent as in other jurisdictions. “I think Cayman should review their regulations in light of recent pool tragedies,” said Peter Hughes, who is responsible for first aid and aquatics programmes at the Cayman Islands Red Cross. “I think DEH would drive those changes.” In Bermuda, for example, the law requires barrier-safety features nearly identical to those listed in the ISPSC. Florida does as well, and even goes as far as listing certain requirements for door locks if those doors allow entry to a pool. The Australian government recently passed new laws requiring pool fencing. “I would support the idea of adding those things, but currently those are not things that we definitely require at the moment,” Simms said. “But we would... consider that. Any additional safety requirements that would save people’s lives, we should definitely consider those.” DEH representatives are responsible for checking that pools under construction meet Cayman’s standards and reporting back to the Department of Planning. Simms said the DEH works with the Department of Tourism on pool-safety standards. While he said the agency would consider additional safety requirements, he also points to the low number of pool drownings in Cayman as a sign that current requirements work. “It has proven to be working,” Simms said. “We make sure that all safety procedures are in place should anything happen.” ‘We will not let her death go in vain’ Tel: 640.6272 / 922.9711Email: carclinic.ky@gmail.com Oil & Filter Service + 26 POINT INSPECTION OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE Mon-Friday 7:30am - 5pm Saturday 9am -12pm. Auto Care Center diagnose the problem and fix it right the first time. We have certified licensed technicians. 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FREE DROP OFF SERVICE. 100% Customer Satisfaction Oil & Filter Service + 26 Point Inspection.............................. $49.95 2 or 4 wheel Alignment starting at .......................................... $80.00 Computer Scan Test..................................................................... $59.95 Full A/C Service.............................................................................. $85.00 Drop Off Service to your Home or Office in the George Town area............................................................ $FREE AUTOCARE CENTER CallServiceDrop Off ice O in the George Town area............................................................ $F WITHTHIS AD $ 49.95 best to get them up to speed. “It’s not meant to be a scare tactic,” Jane said. “It’s not meant to be something you will lose your job over. “It’s just to encourage families to just give 15 minutes of their day for Skyblue Aquatics to come out at no cost to them and just assess the nannies.” Cayman Islands Department of Sports swim coach Ryan Mushin has organised assessments to be held at Lions Pool. Mushin is familiar with taking action following similar tragedies. He was one of a handful of local swim instructors who started giving lessons specifically geared for nannies and caregivers after there was a handful of incidents where caregivers died jumping into pools after children. “I think it is important,” Mushin said. “It’s important because it gives them the tools they need to save them properly versus putting themselves in danger.” Jane and her husband are providing the initial funding to get the Skyblue programme running. “You never think it’s going to happen to you and you never think you’re going to be part of a drowning incident,” Jane said. “And it’s going to hit so close to home. It’s stuff that you only read about. But when it does happen to you, it’s too late.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 Cayman falls short of pool safety standards Cayman’s pool-safety requirements 1) Poolside depth markers (only for tourist accomodations) 2) Warning/safety signs 3) Lifesaving equipment (ring buoy/ accessory pole) ISPSC requirements 1) Pool fence and/or barriers with alarms (unless pool/spa has safety cover) 2) Handholds/handrails 3) Depth markers (public pools) 4) Lifesaving equipment (throwing device/accessory pole/first aid kit) Sheillah Otando cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 7 AUGUST 2020 news N news Bermuda • Online travel authorisation process required within 48 hours of departure, including $75 COVID-19 testing fee • Between three and seven days before departure, visitors must obtain negative PCR COVID-19 test result • Arrivals tested at airport Bahamas • Only essential international travel recommended • Traveller must submit Travel Health Visa Application Form prior to travel • Produce negative COVID-19 test taken no less than 10 days before arrival • 14-day quarantine Antigua • Negative test within seven days of flight required • Checks for signs or symptoms of COVID done upon entry, and health declaration form required • 14-day isolation period for arrivals Canada • Only essential travel, such as repatriation, allowed • Mandatory 14-day quarantine for arrivals United Kingdom • Only travellers from specific countries allowed • Arrivals from some jurisdictions, including Cayman, are not required to self-isolate • Arrivals must provide journey and contact details to authorities Europe • No travel to/from US • Only visitors travelling directly from 10 countries are allowed entry USA • Travel restricted from several countries • Individual states have their own restrictions on interstate travel • Mandatory self-quarantine orders for 14-day periods in some states Cayman Islands • From 1 Sept., negative COVID-19 test required 72 hours before departure • 5-day self-isolation, with BioButton, followed by second test • Masks required when travelling and in airport Health checks, quarantine the new normal RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Countries throughout the world have introduced specific entry rquirements for anyone crossing their borders, as governments continue to grapple with COVID-19. From testing before travel to mandatory quarantines, authorities are trying to manage who comes in and to ensure COVID-19 stays out. Here in Cayman, the seaports and airports remain closed for leisure travel, with only international repatriation flights and sea freight deliveries being allowed entry. The Cayman Compass takes a look at the requirements some countries have put in place to allow travellers to enter their jurisdictions. Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands government locked down borders in March, within days of the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus. Last month, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell revealed the first part of government’s phased plan to allow people to travel to Cayman from 1 Sept. It includes a negative COVID-19 test taken 72 hours before departure. Upon arrival, visitors will receive a health monitoring device known as a BioButton. They will then be taken to a monitored self-isolation for five days. A COVID test will be administered at the end of that five-day period, and, if the result is negative, visitors can leave isolation but must continue to wear the BioButton. Masks are required when travelling and in the airport. The initial phase of reopening the borders is targetted mainly at residents and people who own second homes on the islands, rather than the tourists; and only repatriation and charter, rather than commercial, flights will be arriving. United States The United States did not close its borders, but it has placed restrictions on visitors from certain countries. Foreign nationals who have been to China, Iran, UK, Ireland, Brazil and the European Schengen area during the previous 14 days may not enter. The Schengen area includes Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City. Individual states have outlined their own retrictions for interstate travel, including mandatory self-quarantine orders for 14 days. Europe For European destinations, travel restrictions vary from country to country. However, some measures apply to all 27 members of the European Union, including a ban on visitors from the US. Leisure travel from non-EU countries was banned until 1 July, when the EU opened its borders to visitors from 14 countries. However, that 'white list' has since been reduced to 11. The remaining countries from which visitors are welcome are Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. China is also being considered for inclusion, subject to confirmation of reciprocity. United Kingdom The United Kingdom, like the European Union, has produced a list of exempted countries from which visitors are allowed. Arrivals from many of the countries on that list, which includes the Cayman Islands, are not required to self-isolate upon arrival in the UK. Residents or visitors travelling to Britain must provide their journey and contact details. Those not from the approved list of countries will need to self-isolate in the place they are staying for the first 14 days after arrival. Anyone who refuses to provide contact details can be fined £100 (CI$108) or more. Refusal to isolate could also result in a £1,000 (CI$1080) fine, or further action. Canada Travel to Canada for tourism, recreation or entertainment is currently prohibited, and only essential travel is allowed, e.g. for repatriation. At this time, only Canadian citizens, permanent residents, people registered under Canada’s Indian Act or individuals deemed to be ‘protected’ by immigration and refugee authorities, are allowed entry. A mandatory quarantine plan demonstrating how the individual will isolate for 14 days is required. Anyone displaying COVID-19 symptoms will not be permitted to enter, regardless of the reason for travel. Antigua For travellers seeking to visit Antigua, a negative COVID-19 test result, taken within seven days of their flight, is required. This requirement also applies to transiting passengers. Children under 12 years of age are not required to present a COVID-19-negative test result. Passengers arriving by sea are subject to quarantine, according to guidelines issued by the Port Health authority. All travellers are subject to assessment by Port Health staff for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, through a series of checks, as well as the completion of a health declaration form on arrival. Arriving passengers will be monitored for COVID-19 for a period of up to 14 days. Visitors may be required to undergo further testing for COVID-19 on arrival or at their hotel or place of lodging, as determined by the health authorities. Bahamas The Bahamas was among the first in the Caribbean region to reopen its borders to visitors. However, a subsequent sharp rise in cases prompted Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis to announce on Monday this week that the islands were going back into strict lockdown. International flights are still being allowed in, but authorities are recommending that only essential travel be undertaken. Each traveller must submit a Travel Health Visa Application Form prior to travel and produce a negative COVID-19 test, taken no less than 10 days before arrival. A 14-day mandatory quarantine is required for arrivals. All travellers are required to adhere to national lockdown rules. Bermuda Bermudian authorities require that within 48 hours of departure, travellers must complete an online travel authorisation process. A $75 fee per traveller is required, which includes the cost of all COVID-19 testing in Bermuda. Children aged 9 and younger do not have to be tested at any point, and their travel authorisation fee is $30. Between three and seven days before departure, visitors must obtain a negative PCR COVID-19 test result. Travellers must acquire international health insurance that will cover costs associated with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis while in Bermuda. Upon arrival, travellers must undergo testing at the Bermuda L.F. Wade International Airport. Those with a pre- departure COVID-19 test will quarantine at their accommodation until the local results are ready. The turnaround time is between six and eight hours in most cases, when arrival happens during the day, but it could be later. Masks are required when travelling and in the airport. Note: Information contained in this article is correct as of 6 Aug., but regulations are being updated regularly by various governments. Travellers are advised to check with the relevant authorities before embarking on travel. Travel in a COVID-19 world cayman compass 8 news N news FRIDAY, 7 AUGUST 2020FOI provides range of pay and allowances KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@compassmedia.ky The exact salaries of Cayman Islands legislators and high- ranking government officials remains unknown, but the public can approximate the earnings of elected leaders through recently released data. Numbers provided this week by the Portfolio of the Civil Service and Cabinet, through a Cayman Compass freedom of information request, provide a salary range and allowances paid to members of the Legislative Assembly and other officials. The premier and the governor capture the top government salaries, falling between $183,504 and $218,112 a year. (Note: all figures are in Cayman Islands dollars.) Both earn additional allowances, including $17,712 paid to the governor annually for personal expenses. Premier Alden McLaughlin is paid an additional $42,000 annually as an entertainment allowance. As a government minister, he is also paid between $48,000 and $96,000 annually as a ‘constituency allowance’. Constituency allowances are paid to all MLAs and, according to reporting by the Cayman Compass in 2017, this money is not subject to audit to determine how it is spent. Each MLA is paid between $24,000 and $96,000 per year, with larger allowances going to ministers and representatives from the Sister Islands. Average Cayman Islands wages The subject of government earnings arose on 25 May during a COVID-19 press briefing. When questioned if ministers intended to take pay cuts in response to the crisis, McLaughlin rejected the notion. “I’m not sure where this idea that ministers and MLAs are so well paid comes from,” the premier said. “I can tell you this. Almost 20 years since I left my firm, I earn less as premier now than I did then in actual dollars, not counting the inflation and whatever else has occurred, cost- of-living increases, since then. So, for people who believe that somehow this is a cushy job, you got another think coming.” The Cayman Compass filed a freedom of information request the next day to fact-check the premier’s response. The requested salary information was provided after two months, on 26 July. As a point of comparison, the premier’s and governor’s base salary range of $183,504 to $218,112 is approximately four to five times greater than the median earnings of Cayman Islands residents. Before the beginning of the COVID-19 health crisis, half of Cayman’s workforce earned less than $44,004. The data, released by the Economics and Statistics Office in June 2019, reflects information gathered during the Occupational Wage Survey 2017. The minimum wage in the Cayman Islands remains at $6 an hour for most employees (excluding live-in household domestics and workers earning a commission, who are paid a minimum of $4.50 an hour). For those who work 40 hours a week all 52 weeks of the year, $6 an hour equates to $12,480 annually – between about 14 and 17 times less than the premier’s and governor’s base salaries. While the full unemployment and wage impact of the current crisis is still unknown, a recent Chamber of Commerce report indicated more than 5,600 Caymanians and more than 5,000 non-Caymanians could lose their jobs in 2020 as a result of COVID-19. Minister and MLA earnings The next highest category of government salaries is paid to ministers, the speaker of the house, the deputy governor and the deputy premier. Their base salaries fall between $174,636 and $212,772. House Speaker McKeeva Bush received two additional allowances: $12,000 paid annually for entertainment expenses and an unspecified constituency allowance. Councillors also receive an extra payment. In addition to their constituency allowance, they receive $2,000 a month, or $24,000 a year, as a ‘duty allowance’ – approximately double the earnings of an annual minimum-wage salary. So, how do Cayman Islands government salaries compare to elsewhere? In the fellow British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, where cost of living and population size are similar to Cayman, salaries of high- ranking officials have been made public and searchable online. The Cayman Islands premier and governor appear to earn higher salaries than their Bermudian counterparts, who are paid approximately $169,973 and $171,067, respectively, based on current exchange rates. The Cayman Islands speaker of the house earns up to three times the amount of his counterpart’s salary, listed as $67,725 annually. Members of the Legislative Assembly are also getting a better deal than Bermuda’s legislators, who start at $56,023, compared to the range of $121,212 to $155,148 in Cayman. Cayman Islands legislators’ salaries difficult to pinpoint Premier Alden McLaughlin $183,504 $218,112 Governor Martyn Roper $183,504 $218,112 Deputy Governor Franz Manderson $174,636 $212,772 Minister $174,636 $212,772 Speaker McKeeva Bush $174,636 $212,772 Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell $174,636 $212,772 Leader of the Opposition Arden McLean $141,456 $176,652 Members of the Legislative Assembly $121,212 $155,148 Councillors $121,212 $155,148 Government Salaries $183,504 $218,112 Minimum (annual) Maximum (annual) Allowances paid to Cabinet ministers $3,500 Entertainment Allowance Premier $4,000- $8,000 *Constituency Allowance Minister POSITIONALLOWANCEAMOUNT MONTHLY *Paid by virtue of being a Member of the Legislative Assembly. POSITION TITLE GRADE SALARY SCALE ALLOWANCE JOB CLASSIFICATION Press Secretary to the Premier H $79,656 to $107,148 None Political Political Assistant K $54,504 to $73,296 None Political Communications Manager G $89,124 to $119,868 None Political E $110,520 to $145,008 Political Personal Assistant L $48,816 to $65,664 None Administrative Personnel Administrative Assistant M $43,812 to $58,920 None Administrative Personnel Salaries and Allowances – Office of the Premier Senior Political Advisor and Head of Office of the Premier Hardship Supplement $1,221.24 per month $183,504 and $218,112 Salary range for premier and governor cayman compass 9 news N news FRIDAY, 7 AUGUST 2020Next >