FISHCAYMAN.COM BURGER KING CAYMAN ISLANDS RESUMES THE THIRD ANNUAL FISHING TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND BK Big Fish is proud to be partnering with the YMCA of the Cayman Islands. Participants who registered for the postponed tournament in March are automatically registered. Additional boats can register online ¯¼Æé©r£ÆÕ¯rÛÀō Big cash prizes to be won! Weigh-in spectators join us at Grand Harbour from 4pm! cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 11-17 September 2020 Inside the bubble Behind the scenes at a quarantine hotel. Page 13 Traveller released from isolation while COVID positive Page 2 Cayman’s jobseekers look to training options Page 8 Corals come to life in annual spawning Page 11 comp Funding local journalismWeekly, 11-17 September 2020Matinees (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00 (Mon-Fri before 6pm) Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets 640-FILM (640-3456) Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK FORREST GUMP (PG-13) (FRI & SAT) 3:20 | 9:25 (SUN) 9:20 (MON & THURS) 3:20 | 9:25 GREENLAND (PG-13) (FRI & SAT) 12:20 VIP | 1:25 | 4:30 | 7:25 (SUN) 4:30 | 7:25 (MON & THURS) 12:20 VIP | 1:25 | 4:30 | 7:25 JAWS (PG) (FRI & SAT) 12:20 | 6:30 (SUN) 3:20 | 6:30 (MON & THURS) 12:20 | 6:30 TENET (PG-13) (FRI & SAT) 1:00 | 3:10 VIP | 3:35 | 6:30 VIP | 7:00 | 9:10 | 9:50 VIP (SUN) 2:45 VIP | 3:35 | 5:00 | 6:30 VIP | 7:00 | 9:10 | 9:50 VIP (MON-THURS) 1:00 | 3:10 VIP | 3:35 | 6:30 VIP | 7:00 | 9:10 | 9:50 VIP THE NEW MUTANTS (PG-13) (FRI & SAT) 12:50 | 10:15 (SUN) 10:15 (MON - THURS) 12:50 | 10:15 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 30% chance of showers with possible thunder mainly over the Sister Islands. Forecast today 89°F HIGH WINDS East at 10 to 15 knots SEA STATE Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass weather Cayman Islands 78°F LOW Lee: It was a ‘miscommunication’ RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky One of the two people reported as COVID-19 positive on Wednesday was released from quarantine and later had to be recalled into isolation after finding out she tested positive, Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee has confirmed. Lee, in an emailed response to queries from the Cayman Compass on the incident which happened Tuesday, explained, “Due to a miscommunication between interested parties, one person in quarantine left isolation and was subsequently recontacted to make arrangements to continue her isolation, along with all relevant contacts.” The Compass understands the woman was allowed to leave after being tested at the end of her 14-day quarantine, but before the results were received. Her PCR test later came back positive and she had to return to isolation. The time period she was out of isolation remains unclear; however, the Compass understands it was for several hours. “The PCR test in question had revealed a very low level of viral material, and as we now know, these very low levels are of doubtful clinical significance, but we treat them with caution because of the status Cayman currently enjoys,” Lee said. On Wednesday, the chief medical officer, speaking at the government COVID-19 briefing, confirmed those two coronavirus cases, Cayman’s first in three weeks. Both are travellers who flew into Cayman last month, and they are asymptomatic. He said the cases were among 86 tests carried out since Tuesday. Lee, in his response to the Compass on the early release of the traveller, said, “The standards we have in Cayman for releasing our returning travellers are far more stringent than most other countries in the world, and this affords us a great deal of comfort.” He pointed out that there is no longer any recommendation from the Pan American Health Organization to perform a PCR test after a traveller has undergone a 14-day quarantine period. “As we understand, this is partially driven by a capacity issue (which Cayman does not currently have), so we have continued to employ this safety net,” he said. At Wednesday’s briefing, Premier Alden McLaughlin announced that government’s policy for travellers will be isolation for 14 days and testing at the end of that period. He said government has opted not to pursue the use of BioButtons for Cayman’s phased reopening, which commences 1 Oct. He said the technology has moved on from those devices and government has decided to use electronic monitoring bands instead, coupled with geo-fencing technology. It will be a device similar to what is used in Hong Kong. A shipment of devices arrived Wednesday, the premier said. This change in policy will allow incoming travellers to isolate at a venue of their choice, for example at their home once they agree to use the device. If they opt not to wear the band, they will have to quarantine at a government facility, he said. McLaughlin set a modest target of 800 arrivals for the month of October, and stated that commercial flights will not be allowed – only flights from Cayman Airways and British Airways. Woman with COVID-19 briefly released from quarantine, re-isolated The quarantined traveller was allowed to leave the isolation facility before the result of her COVID-19 PCR test was returned. “The PCR test in question had revealed a very low level of viral material, and as we now know, these very low levels are of doubtful clinical significance, but we treat them with caution because of the status Cayman currently enjoys.” Dr. John Lee , chief medical officer prevention is the key Community Safety We all have a part to play in keeping the Cayman Islands one of the safest places to live, work and visit. There are several things you can do to prevent crime in your neighbourhood. Neighbourhood Watch This is when all the people in a certain area agree to look out for one another and their property. You keep an eye out for anything suspicious, tell one another and the police if you spot something. Neighbourhood Watch can be a good way to help families feel more secure in their neighbourhood, but can be hard to set up where they are needed most. Neighborhood Watch’s require dedication and effort from the members and a constant communication process between residents. For more information on Neighbourhood Watch contact your local police station. cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 2020cayman compass 3 FRIDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 2020 Celebrating 20 years of Information & Technology (ICT) advancements in Cayman George Town, Grand Cayman, August 28, 2020: Much has changed in last two decades to bring The Cayman Islands to the forefront of the digital ICT space, including our investment in landing 2 state of the art fiber optic cables, MAYA-1 and CJFS, in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. FLOW is excited to be a part of the continuing advancement of ICT in The Cayman Islands, building on our role in the transformation of the Caymanian ICT landscape from the now long forgotten speeds of 9.6 Kbp/s and 54/64 Kbp/s IPLC services via satellite, to fiber optic cable systems with system operating bandwidths of 100Gbp/s, and with client speeds of 10Gbp/s provided to every ISP. The Maya 1 Cable works in conjunction with the Cayman Jamaica Fiber System (CJFS) Subsea Cable and both employ best in class technology to keep Cayman connected to the world. Both undersea cable systems have been continuously upgraded over the years, including as recently as 2018, to ensure that they continue to provide the best speeds and improved resilience for a seamless user experience. An upgrade that is currently underway on the Maya 1 system will introduce 100Gbp/s client access on the system in late October 2020. The CJFS system is currently ready for 100Gbps. Despite more than two decades of operation, the Maya 1 cable is currently only at 41% of its total operating design capability and the Cayman Jamaica Fiber Cable at a just 5%. Paul Kirwan, Director, Consortium Cable Management for Cable & Wireless Networks, which has overseen the operations and management of both subsea cables since their inception said, “The continued investment in the Maya 1 cable has transformed the ICT landscape of The Cayman islands and positioned us as the major solutions provider over the last two decades. The Maya 1 Cable is owned and operated by a consortium of independent operators and Cable & Wireless competes with the other consortium members when selling bandwidth on the cable. Over the years, we have seen a continuous decline in pricing per Mbps decline for bandwidth, without a parallel reduction in operating costs.” Recently, there have been discussions in the media about the potential for a third subsea cable. While a third cable with a direct link to the United States would bring an additional path and capacity to the marketplace, it would not provide material improvement in latency to the USA and beyond. The additional fiber route will most likely be similar in distance and capability to the routings of Maya 1 today. A direct cable to Miami could create a small benefit of a few milliseconds for customers accessing websites and cloud servers in Miami, but it is unlikely to be noticeable to the end customer. Kirwan added, “Even if Caymanian consumption were to increase five-fold in the next 10 years, there would not be a capacity concern for the current subsea network. Should the need ever arise to repair a cable, the average time to do so is 15 to 25 days, however, most ISP routing systems are designed and scaled to automatically allow for traffic to be re-routed to the secondary cable route to facilitate repair without any noticeable impact or congestion.”1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Quandary (7) 5 Ascend (5) 8 Absolute (3-3-3) 9 To place (3) 10 Emotional distress (4) 12 A wood preservative (8) 14 Move up and down (6) 15 Act as requested (6) 17 Offensively contemptuous (8) 18 Stopper (4) 21 Russian river (3) 22 Appear very important (4,5) 24 Choose (5) 25 Lineage (7) DOWN 1 Sag (5) 2 Person’s destiny (3) 3 Semiaquatic furry animal (4) 4 On a ship (6) 5 Begin to understand (6,2) 6 Unrehearsed (9) 7 Artillery unit (7) 11 Fundamentally (2,7) 13 Produce no response (4,4) 14 Defraud (7) 16 Innumerable (6) 19 To welcome (5) 20 With addition of (4) 23 Feel regret for (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16481 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 16481 ACROSS: 1 Dilemma, 5 Climb, 8 Out-and-out, 9 Put, 10 Pain, 12 Creosote, 14 Seesaw, 15 Comply, 17 Insolent, 18 Bung, 21 Don, 22 Loom large, 24 Elect, 25 Descent. DOWN: 1 Droop, 2 Lot, 3 Mink, 4 Aboard, 5 Cotton on, 6 Impromptu, 7 Battery, 11 In essence, 13 Fall flat, 14 Swindle, 16 Untold, 19 Greet, 20 Plus, 23 Rue. cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 2020 Online Poll: Importing goods to Cayman How has your experience been? Are you satisified with the turnaround time for your goods to clear customs? NO YES cartoon Traffic woes - By Caymanman Government losing $25 million a month amid COVID crisis From a business standpoint, cutting expenses would be the first step. But, with government, it would be better solved by increas- ing revenue on the current prod- uct that is being taxed now. The last thing we would want is to let people go, to fend for themselves, since that does not contribute anything to the economy. We may need to follow Cuba to regain some tourist dollars. – Renrick Christian A good start would be al- lowing tourists back. Yearly, we would visit 3-4 times. Although I understand the fear of COVID, my family and I, all 10 of us who travel to Cayman, have not had or been exposed to COVID at any time. I would be content with staying in my typical condo and having groceries, etc., brought to us so we could enjoy a peaceful vacation on the beach. We’ve been there so many times, we know the restaurants and would be happy to order delivery for everything. – Kara Bennett Cvechko The deficit will probably grow bigger. Public assistance (money) does not work as a permanent solution for the unemployed. When it ends at some point, jobs will have to be added to generate economic activity that will gener- ate more revenue for the govern- ment – stamps, duties, fees, etc. – even with cuts to public assistance (outflows). – Kenneth Love If a company or any entity is experiencing a monthly or annual deficit or loss, there are two ways to mitigate that: either increase revenue or decrease expenses. In times like these, with many with- out jobs, it would be unconscio- nable to increase revenues through increased taxes on the populace. Therefore, the best solution is to reduce expenses by salary cuts and cutting of perks for those who are highly compensated, as well as ex- amining buying practices to ensure goods and services are procured at the most reasonable price. – Alan Mark Foster 2 new COVID cases, 14-day isolation still required for new arrivals Do not open the borders! The US is a disaster and that’s from where you receive most visitors. If the Cayman Islands is allowing citizens/legal residents in then, yes, mandate the 14-day quaran- tines in approved locations, but no tourists from the US. People here just can’t seem to abide by the simplest mandates. – Michele Willey Irwin It’s called follow protocol and you won’t go wrong. We did. We’re out. Safe and sound. – Suzie Smith And how do you ensure that the other members of the house- hold stay in quarantine? Do they all wear bracelets? – Selma Lee Stafford If someone quarantines at home, what stops them from hav- ing visitors? Seems like a risky idea. – Priscilla Jensen LGBTQ Foundation joins equality fight It saddens me you had to go through that growing up, but I’m confident that because of your foundation, many young lives will be improved. – Elena Sarris It is sad that people are bullied for many reasons. We need to share more love as God showed us as sinners. We are all born in sin and forgiveness is freely given if one believes and ask. I know God has a plan for everyone and it’s not for me to judge or say what it is. I am not God. He, and He alone, is God. Bullying is not God’s plan for you. And it is not easy to face that. It is difficult and alone. – Kathy Pombrol What they’re saying COVID-19 travel restrictions have led to a rise in imports to Cayman, as residents have increasingly turned to online shopping to bring in goods to the island. We've heard from many frustrated readers who have experienced lengthy delays and asked how satisfied they were with obtaining their goods in a timely manner.cayman compass 5 FRIDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 2020 Are you interested in engineering, technology and/or infrastructure? FLOW/C&W is looking for individuals to join our Technology & Infrastructure (T&I) Apprenticeship Programme! The purpose of this Apprenticeship Programme is to engage and upskill the talent pool in the Cayman community as part of our promise to give back and to develop Caymanians in preparation for available roles in the workplace. Apprentices will have an opportunity to gain valuable work experience and institutional knowledge in areas similar to their disciplines or interests in the area(s) of engineering, technology and infrastructure. The programme will target persons who graduated within the last five years and are looking for gainful and full time employment. As we are building future leaders of our organization, successful candidates will be selected from among graduates of local and international Community Colleges and Universities. This program is being geared towards Caymanian nationals and individuals who have the right to live and work in Cayman. The programme will run for 2 years and apprentices who perform well within a set of criteria will have the opportunity to become permanent employees once there are vacancies available. Local University/College/ High school graduates (recent five years) 5 CXCs including English and Mathematics Between the ages of 18 and 25 Medically fit to carry out the role Be willing, available and capable to work in Cayman if placed Be willing, available and capable to travel to other LLA markets should the need arise Selection Criteria Candidates should satisfy the following minimum criteria Candidates will be shortlisted and invited to participate in an assessment center conducted by a selection panel of business leads. Submit the following to debra.alexander@cwc.com by 30 September 2020 To apply Local University/College/ High School graduation (recent five years) certificate 5 CXCs including English and Mathematics Copy of valid Cayman Islands passport and/or proof of status Copy of any travel visas Copy of valid driver’s license Current police clearance 2 letters of recommendation Cover letter (email) stating why you are interested in this programme and what makes you stand out as a candidateDeputy Governor Franz Manderson and the General Registry team will meet on 11 Sept. to discuss the implementation of the law. Simply Weddings owner and marriage registrar Joy Basdeo says she is ready to go once she is approved to perform civil partnerships. 6 RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Although Cayman’s same-sex couples legally can now enter into formal partnerships and enjoy the same rights as married couples following Governor Martyn Roper’s assent of the Civil Partnership Law last week, the process to execute the legislation will take not take effect until later this month. Roper, who assented to the law on 4 Sept., gave the Civil Service 21 days to prepare the administrative aspects of rolling out the legal framework for civil partnerships, including drawing up the necessary paperwork, register and approvals. Head of the Civil Service, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, told the Cayman Compass Wednesday that his team was working to get the mechanisms in place to give effect to the legislation. “The Civil Service is developing the necessary documents and procedures to ensure the implementation of the CPL within the 21-day period. We have staff in place that will be responsible for processing applications under the CPL. We expect to issue more details to the public shortly,” he said in an emailed response to Compass queries. Manderson and the team at the General Registry will be meeting Friday, 11 Sept., to firm up plans to implement the legislation. While that work continues behind the scenes, Simply Weddings’ Joy Basdeo, a civil registrar of marriages, has been making her own preparations to get approval to conduct civil- partnership ceremonies. “We are just waiting to get our approval because, under the law, I would have to apply for and be approved as civil registrar for civil partnerships. I have made my application, I am waiting to see what happens,” Basdeo told the Compass in a telephone interview. She said she already has two couples waiting for her to perform their civil partnerships. “We are ready as soon we get approval from the governor to do the ceremony. I had several inquiries; people are just waiting. People called me the day the law was approved. People are ready, people have been waiting a long time for this. I am just waiting for approval and we are going to do it,” she said. Basdeo said she has been looking at all the paperwork necessary to give effect to the law – the civil registrar certificate, the public notices, the vows that have to be said, and the statutory acknowledgment that has to be submitted. She said she too had to make changes to be in line with the new law. “I was ordering envelopes that we give with the certificates and I would usually put 'marriage certificate', now we changed it to 'certificate'. We have redesigned the certificates for the civil partnerships,” she said. The new law also allows for heterosexual couples who do not wish to get married to register a civil partnership for legal purposes. How we got here Cayman’s road to creating a legal framework for same-sex couples to formalise their relationships has been a bumpy one. Same-sex couple Caymanian Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden Bush challenged the Marriage Law in their bid to get married in the Cayman Islands two years ago. Chief Justice Anthony Smellie upheld their claim and, in his judgment last year, reworded the Marriage Law. The government appealed this, and the Court of Appeal overturned the chief justice’s ruling. However, the appeals court judges recommended that if the Cayman Islands government failed to provide Day and Bodden Bush and other couples with legal status equivalent to marriage, the UK government should step in. The Court of Appeal ruling said, “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.” The issue of same-sex marriages remains a divisive one, not just in the public sphere but also inside the Legislative Assembly. In July, Premier Alden McLaughlin brought before the House the Domestic Partnership Bill, which would provide legal status for same-sex couples while retaining the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The premier appealed to MLAs to support the bill; however, even within his own ranks there was division on the issue and two of his ministers - Juliana O’Connor- Connolly and Dwayne Seymour - together with government backbencher Captain Eugene Ebanks, voted with the Opposition to shoot down the bill. It was defeated by nine votes to eight. The governor days later, as predicted by the premier, moved to formalise same-sex relationships through the re-introduction of the bill. He later assented to an amended version that was renamed the Civil Partnership Law. Roper also assented to amendments to 11 pieces of associated legislation. Basdeo said she does not anticipate any other problems in moving civil partnerships forward. She said when she first posted banns for Day and Bodden Bush in April 2018, people messaged her and wrote emails objecting to the union. “Not a single soul has said anything to me. I haven’t had any emails, WhatsApp or anyone telling me anything, like why I am doing this, like before. I think it is because it is partnerships and not marriage,” she added. Challenge for same-sex relationships continues Although Roper may have assented to the new law, the battle over same-sex unions is not over. Kattina Anglin, public relations officer for the Christian Association for Civics, has been granted legal aid to challenge the governor’s use of his reserved powers to push through the law. Day and Bodden Bush have filed an appeal with the Privy Council challenging the Court of Appeal’s ruling in their case. The hearing is set for February. Colours Cayman has submitted its application to be added to the matter before the Privy Council in support of Day and Bodden Bush. The not-for-profit said it is confident that the law is on its side. “It is a matter of common sense that a doctrine, born in 1896 with Plessy v Ferguson case in which the US supreme court upheld racial segregation under the separate but equal doctrine and buried by the same court in 1954 with Brown v Board of Education, has no room to breed and brew in the Cayman Islands in 2021,” the statement said. In the days following the governor’s assent of the law, many came out in support, while others rejected the action. The premier, in a statement, said he was “utterly humiliated that because of our failure to do our duty as a Legislature, the UK Government has been forced to legislate for us”. He maintained introducing the Domestic Partnership Bill was the “right thing” to do. Opposition Leader Arden McLean rejected the premier’s position, claiming that Roper’s action was “the culmination of the Governor’s and the Premier’s ill-conceived plan to impose the Domestic Partnership Bill into law using colonial heavy handedness”. Independent opposition MLA Ezzard Miller, in a statement to the Compass, said he did not see Anglin’s legal challenge going far as it touches on inquiring into instructions issued to the governor. Those instructions are protected under Section 31 (4) of the Constitution, he argued. Miller was the lone member of the opposition to vote with McLaughlin and his team in favour of the bill. Framework for civil partnerships may be set by end of Septembercayman compass 7 N news FRIDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 2020 KEVIN MORALES kmorales@compassmedia.ky The good news for those abroad hoping to travel to the Cayman Islands is that the phased reopening of Cayman’s borders is still scheduled to begin on 1 Oct. Government, however, announced a few tweaks to the process for incoming travellers at Wednesday’s COVID-19 press conference. Here’s how things stand right now: Who can travel to Cayman? In the initial phase, the reopening is aimed at Caymanians, permanent residents, work-permit holders, people who own property here and those planning to spend an extended amount of time on the island, Premier Alden McLaughlin said at the briefing. The number of people who can travel here next month is being capped at 800, he said. The ‘global citizen initiative’ that will allow people to live in Cayman and work remotely overseas as ‘digital nomads’ should also be in place, allowing for a small influx of new long-stay residents. Which airlines can fly here? McLaughlin said Wednesday that passengers will only be able to reach Cayman by air through Cayman Airways or British Airways. Commercial flights from other airlines will not be allowed during this first phase. Private planes and chartered flights, however, will be allowed to land at Owen Roberts International Airport. Cayman Airways has a limited number of flights scheduled to Miami, Florida; La Ceiba, Honduras; and Kingston, Jamaica next month, while British Airways flies to London Heathrow. Cayman ports remain closed to cruise ships. Some airlines are marketing flights to the Cayman Islands and accepting future bookings, but no airlines have permission to operate commercial flights while Cayman’s borders are closed. What’s the process? Prospective travellers must apply to TravelTime for pre- approval. Those permitted to travel to Cayman must present their TravelTime authorisation form and must undergo a PCR test upon arrival. Travellers then either participate in the Quarantine at Residence Programme and wear a geofencing monitoring device or agree to be taken directly to a government isolation centre. The period of time for either option is a minimum of 16 days, including 14 days of isolation, with a negative PCR test on the 15th day required to be released from quarantine. Non- resident travellers must provide proof of health insurance that includes COVID-19 coverage. What’s the difference between this and the previous plan? The amount of time a person needs to isolate is really the main difference. The previously announced plan called for a five-day isolation period at a private residence if the traveller agreed to wear a BioButton to monitor health and vital signs. The premier, however, said on Wednesday that the COVID-19 situation in the US is not improving and therefore shortening the isolation period was too risky. It emerged this week that a traveller who ended her 14-day quarantine at a government facility was allowed to leave before the second PCR test result was returned (see page 2). However, she tested positive for COVID, and the situation, no doubt, will call more attention to the quarantine protocols for arriving passengers. What’s the geofencing device all about? The electronic device is required for those opting to isolate at a private residence or hotel instead of a government quarantine facility. The device, worn around the wrist, tracks the user's whereabouts and sounds an alarm if the wearer leaves the permitted area or damages the tracker. The first batch arrived on island on Wednesday. Each one costs $150-$200. The premier said it has not been determined yet who will pay for them, but the cost of the device is far less than paying for quarantine accommodation. Speaking of the BioButtons, how do they factor into the equation? That remains unclear. Some of the health-monitoring devices are already on island but, as of this week, they don’t appear to have a role to play in the process that begins 1 Oct. Cayman tweaks plans for phased border reopening Cayman will be introducing COVID-19 monitoring wristbands, similar to those in use in Hong Kong.cayman compass 8 news N news FRIDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 2020 ANNUALGENERAL MEETING VOTEFORTHENEW 2020/21NATIONALTRUSTCOUNCIL 16thSeptember2020at6:00pmatGeorgeTownYachtClub,606North SoundRoad.Drinks&canapeswillbeserved. Registrationstartsat5:30pm.PleaseensurethatyourNationalTrust Membershipiscurrentsoyouareeligibletovote. Visitwww.nationaltrust.org.ky/newstoviewthe2020/21Council Nominees.Ifyoucannotattendinpersonpleaseensuretonominatea proxy.Theformcanbefoundonthewebsite. ToRSVPpleaseemailinfo@nationaltrust.org.kyorforgeneralenquiries call(345)7491122 Tourism open day points to industry opportunities KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@compassmedia.ky While Cayman’s tourism industry remains on pause, many of islands’ jobless are evaluating the training and skills that will be necessary to get back to work. Dozens of jobseekers turned out for the careers open day, held 8-9 Sept. at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort, to explore employment and learning opportunities through the National Tourism Training Programme. Industry representatives assisted attendees in one-on-one sessions and public servants offered support registering on government’s employment portal, JobsCayman. The services reflected the two-tiered needs of Cayman’s jobless: to prepare for a future, reopened tourism industry while continuing to meet immediate economic needs. For jobseekers like Meylys Swaby Ramirez, the first priority is providing for her family and then she will think about what comes next. “I’m not dispassionate about any industry,” she told the Cayman Compass. “I just want to provide for my family. I’ll just take anything at this point and then I can make up my mind, what is it I want to do later on.” Swaby Ramirez is one of many workers eager to repurpose her skills and get back to work. Before the crisis, she made a career out of customer service and finance. “Those are the industries that you were encouraged to do as a whole, as a country,” she said. The current job market has not made it easy for her or others to get back to work, however. In the interim, she has relied on savings, pension funds and the support of the community. To survive this period of uncertainty, social worker Calvin Duncan has encouraged his clients to remain patient and stay positive. Duncan attended the open house as part of his work with the Department of Children and Family Services. He took the time to speak individually with tourism and hospitality representatives to identify opportunities to bring back to the families he serves. “I’m tasked with helping different families who haven’t been employed, gain employment and keep it,” he said. “I’m trying to help them gain additional skills so that way when they do become employed, that they keep that employment, whether that is partnering with WORC (Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman) and participating in the different programmes that they have, or even just coming in to meet with me and doing a mock interview so that way they can perfect interviewing skills.” He recognises that this period has brought additional stressors and uncertainty to the islands’ unemployed. So, Duncan is helping them focus on long-term goals and building a strong base for the future. “I’ve been talking to them about being patient and continuing their efforts and just doing all the preparations now, so that when things do open up, it’ll be easy and then they’ll have multiple options. And then you just take your pick,” he said. For those who register with government’s WORC department, several programmes are available to support workers looking to re-enter their chosen field or to explore new ones. Dianne Conolly, manager of WORC’s national training and development division, said event turnout had been high, with jobseekers interested in both training opportunities and registering with JobsCayman. “One of the wonderful things about registering with WORC and getting the training is that we provide a range of services, and that means also doing an assessment to address any barriers that people might be going through. It might range from childcare to NAU (Needs Assessment Unit) support, to counselling to get through this time,” she said. One way in which government is encouraging jobs training is through a partnership with the University College of the Cayman Islands. Wayne Jackson, director of UCCI’s hospitality school, explained that sponsorship from the Department of Tourism has allowed the college to expand its professional course offerings, including a tourism certificate course catering to young Caymanians. Several UCCI training classes, including a customer service course, begin on Monday, 14 Sept. Courses range from vocational skills like plumbing and electrical work to hospitality skills like bartending and cake decorating. “We’re seeing persons who are looking to really reengage the workforce or to get better skilled in a particular area,” Jackson said. For Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell, the steps taken to prepare now will play an important part in the islands’ recovery. “Our opportunity is to rebuild our stayover [tourism] as quickly as possible and to continue to monitor cruise to see what opportunities arise for us as an industry through that,” he told attendees during Tuesday’s opening remarks. “But now, very straight talk, we are focussed on rebuilding our stayover to bring back tourism jobs and tourism jobs for Caymanians who are not in stayover.” In 2019, he pointed out, Cayman had achieved record tourism numbers, with around 2.5 million visitors coming to the Cayman Islands. That number breaks down to approximately 500,000 stayover tourists and 2 million cruise tourists. For more information on government job programmes, visit www.worc.ky. Cayman’s jobseekers look to training options Members of WORC meet with jobseekers at the Marriott to discuss training opportunities and assist registration in government's jobs portal. Tourism industry representatives meet one-on-one with attendees interested in expanding their skill sets. WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE CAYMANCOMPASS.COMcayman compass 9 N news FRIDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 2020 1 (345) 945-4040 1 (345) 640-4040 healthcitycaymanislands.com Fresh start. New opportunities. A new school year means exciting new opportunities with the Healthcare Explorers Programme Despite the challenges we have faced in the last year, Healthcare Explorers was one of the only private sector student education programmes that was successfully adapted to continue virtually, growing from strength to strength to achieve more success than ever before. The programme received a record-breaking 4,315 registrants for the year - which represents more student interactions than the first 5 years combined! With a wide variety of programmes planned for the year that lies ahead for students of all ages, we are providing a more accessible introduction to STEM careers. We are investing in Cayman’s youth today, to create the medical professionals of tomorrow. NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is gearing up to be one of the busiest on record. Already, at the halfway point of the season, 17 named storms have developed, meaning there are just four more options left on the list of 21 potential storm names for this year. Tropical Storm Rene formed Monday afternoon, the earliest 17th named storm to develop, by 11 days. The previous record was Rita, which formed on 18 Sept. 2005. When the 21 names run out, the World Meteorological Organization, which comes up with the annual list of storm monikers, turns to the Greek alphabet. This has happened only once before, in 2005, when 27 named storms formed throughout the season. The 2005 season was the most active on record. Prior to that, 1933, with its 21 named storms, had held the record. This year, the final named storm would be Wilfred. If another storm develops after that, it will be called Alpha. Then, the next one would be Beta, then Gamma, Delta, and so on through the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet. Meteorologists have predicted that 2020 could have up to 25 named storms. As of 8 Sept., there have been 18 tropical depressions, 17 named storms, five hurricanes (Hanna, Isaias, Laura, Marco and Nana) and one major hurricane, Laura, which developed into a Category 3 storm. Since 1953, Atlantic tropical storms have been named from lists created by the National Hurricane Center in the US, but an international committee of the WMO now maintains and updates the list. The original lists featured only women’s names; in 1979, men’s names were introduced and these alternate with women’s names. There are a total of six lists of storm names, which are used in rotation, so the storms seen this year have many of the names used in 2014. No names beginning with Q, U, X, Y or Z are included on the list. If a particular storm causes major loss of life or damage, the name is retired and a new one is introduced. That’s why Hurricanes Ivan or Katrina, for example, don’t make an encore. The WMO states on its website that 88 names have been retired from the Atlantic basin list since 1953. The 2005 hurricane period has the most retired names – five – for one season. According to researchers at Colorado State University, there are likely to be 24 named storms this season, 12 of which are expected to become hurricanes, with five of those becoming Category 3 or higher. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration has made a similar prediction, saying between 19 and 25 named storms should be expected. Hurricane season, the peak of which is considered to be 10 Sept., runs from 1 June and 30 Nov. 2020 hurricane season likely to see Greek names 2020 Atlantic Hurricane NAMES • Arthur • Bertha • Cristobal • Dolly • Edouard • Fay • Gonzalo • Hanna • Isaias • Josephine • Kyle • Laura • Marco • Nana • Omar • Paulette • Rene • Sally • Teddy • Vicky • Wilfred Note: After all 21 names have been used, the naming convention of further storms this year will involve using the Greek alphabet, so the first storm after Wilfred would be Alpha.Next >