Red Bay Seven Mile Beach Waterfront Walkers Road Steakhouse King ™ Also available in single Limited Time Only TM & © 2020 Burger King Corporation. cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 2-8 October 2020 Medical waste, sewage left in Brac dump Page 6 Small step for Caymankind Borders reopen in a limited capacity. Page 9 Photo: Taneos Ramsaycayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2020 Cayman sees 1 new positive COVID case One new positive COVID-19 test result was reported in the Cayman Islands from 24-30 Sept. There were 844 tests carried out during this time. The person is a returning traveller who tested positive as part of routine screening on completion of the mandatory quarantine period. That brings the total number of positive COVID-19 test results in Cayman to 211 as of 30 Sept., with 208 of those people having made a full recovery. There are two active cases, according to Government Information Services, and one death. There have been 39,342 tests carried out since March. There are 308 people in isolation either at a residence or government quarantine facility as of press time. Global COVID-19 deaths pass 1M mark The number of people globally who have died due to the COVID-19 virus passed one million, and sat at 1,010,634 at press time, according to the World Health Organization. WHO described it as “a very sad milestone”, after many victims suffered “a terribly difficult and lonely death” and their families were unable to say goodbye. There have been 33,842,281 confirmed cases worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic. India has reported the highest total of new cases over the past seven days, confirming 580,066 positive COVID-19 test results. The United States reported 286,706 new cases over the past week, while Brazil (185,918), Argentina (84,435) and France (80,158) round out the five countries reporting the most new COVID-19 cases over the past seven days, according to WHO. The US has reported 7,115,491 cases since the start of the pandemic, the most in the world. DCFS to hold socially- distant Older Persons Month The Department of Children and Family Services is hosting a socially-distanced Older Persons Month this October. The theme of this year’s observation is ‘Life Stories: Then and Now’, according to a GIS press release. More than 20 activities are planned across Cayman’s three islands. People will need to pre- register for events through the department’s district community officers. They will only be allowed to attend OPM gatherings and events in their home district (the one exception being the George Town Walkabout, which will accommodate small family parties from 9am to 4pm). Copies of the OPM events calendar can be picked up at the Government Administration Building, public libraries, supermarkets and district clinics, as well as viewed online at www.caymancompass.com. Police issue warning after spike in collisions The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service says there has been an increase in the number of collisions over the past week, adding it appears the vast majority of these collisions occurred due to speeding and people driving under the influence of alcohol. From 20-27 Sept., officers responded to more than 50 reports of motor vehicle collisions. Of those, more than 10 involved injuries. In the same time period, officers made approximately nine arrests for DUI, according to police. Of those arrests, more than half were made following a collision, according to an RCIPS press release. “As part of our efforts to reduce the occurrences of motor vehicle collisions and continue to discourage speeding and driving under the influence (DUI), the RCIPS will increase our speeding enforcement at night as of this weekend,” said Acting Superintendent Brad Ebanks, the officer in charge of Uniform Operations. Police: Financial scams increasing during pandemic The RCIPS Financial Crime Investigation Unit said on Wednesday it is aware that there has been an increase in financial scams since the COVID-19 pandemic began. It is reminding the public to be cautious in order to avoid falling victim to any such hoaxes. People should be wary of any kind of ‘get rich quick’ schemes or investments that promise a substantial financial return in a very short period of time. Even if they do provide a financial benefit, often there are several other persons who have lost money as part of the same scheme. If something seems ‘too good to be true’, it usually is. To avoid being taken advantage of, it is generally best to avoid such offers altogether. Pension holiday extended until the end of the year Employers and employees will not be required to contribute to pension plans through the end of 2020 after Cabinet approved an extension of the pension holiday. The measure was first introduced in April, in the midst of the coronavirus lockdown, to support businesses and provide workers with additional cash that would otherwise be paid to their pension funds. It took effect retroactively from 1 April and would have expired on 30 Sept., but now will be extended to 31 Dec. The pension holiday is applied automatically to all employers and employees and requires those who do not want to take advantage of the exemption to make contributions voluntarily. Wesley named Social Worker of the Year Department of Children and Family Services staffer Tempora Wesley was awarded the inaugural Joyce Hylton Award for Social Worker of the Year at the recent DCFS Awards Recognition Dinner, held at Pedro St. James. “It is a high honour to receive the first ever Social Worker of the Year award,” said Wesley, who works with the Elderly Services team. “I am humbled and so proud to be furthering Mrs. Hylton’s mission by doing the job I love, working alongside colleagues that I admire.” Teams and staff honoured at the ceremony included the Family, Youth and Elderly Services teams, as well as the department’s Community Development officers, Multi- Agency Safeguarding Hub, and the Adoption and Foster Care, Cayman Brac, Adult Special Needs, Administration and Finance teams. news in brief Matinees (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 lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK GREENLAND (PG-13) (FRI & SAT) 1:30 (SAT ONLY) | 4:30 | 7:20 | 10:10 (SUN) 4:30 | 7:20 | 10:10 (MON - THURS) 4:30 | 7:20 BREAK THE SILENCE: THE MOVIE (PG) (FRI & SAT) 7:00 | 9:30 (SUN) 7:00 | 9:30 (MON - THURS) 7:00 | 9:30 THE NEW MUTANTS (PG-13) (FRI & SAT) 1:45 (SAT ONLY) | 4:15 | 7:10 | 10:20 (SUN) 9:35 (MON - THURS) 4:15 | 7:10 TENET (PG-13) (FRI & SAT) 1:10 (SAT ONLY) | 3:50 VIP | 7:00 | 9:40 VIP (SUN) 3:50 VIP | 5:55 | 9:15 | 9:40 VIP (MON - THURS) 3:50 VIP | 7:00 TROLLS WORLD TOUR (PG) (FRI & SAT) 1:40 (SAT ONLY) | 4:00 | 7:05 | 9:25 (SUN) 3:35 | 4:40 | 7:05 | 9:25 WAR WITH GRANDPA, THE (PG) (FRI & SAT) 1:20 VIP (SAT ONLY) | 4:40 | 7:15 VIP | 9:35 (SUN) 4:40 | 7:00 | 7:15 VIP (MON, WED,THURS) 4:40 | 7:15 VIP (TUES) 4:40 CLASSICS TUESDAY 7PM VIP SPACEBALLS NIGHT:For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted KID CLUB SATURDAY 10AM MUPPETS MOST WANTED 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 From left, Social Worker of the Year Tempora Wesley, Sandra Simmons- Francis and husband Joel Francis at the DCFS Awards Recognition Dinner. cayman compass 3 FRIDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2020 SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE OUR OFFICE WILL CLOSE EARLY 2 OCTOBER, 12:00PM www.BritCay.ky | @BritCay British Caymanian Insurance Company Limited | BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, P.O. Box 74, George Town, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 | 12 Kirkconnell Street, P.O. Box 254, Stake Bay, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 | A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. We thank you for understanding. We look forward to assisting you with your insurance needs.1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Particular aspect (5) 4 Discarded (4-3) 8 Betray friends (3) 9 Higgledy-piggledy (2,1,6) 10 Track and field competitor (7) 11 Irritable (5) 13 Soporific drug (6) 15 Summary of a text (6) 18 Locale (5) 19 Specimen (7) 21 Aggressively enterprising (2-7) 23 Part of a curve (3) 24 Keep under control (7) 25 Lobby (5) DOWN 1 Confused mixture (7) 2 Start to burn (5,4) 3 In double degree (5) 4 Cowardly (6) 5 Stroll (7) 6 Detached from a set (3) 7 Ardent (5) 12 Servile flatterer (9) 14 Area of operations (7) 16 Giving only an outline (7) 17 Lax (6) 18 Sweeten (5) 20 Maintain (5) 22 Blank space (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16499 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 16499 ACROSS: 1 Facet, 4 Cast-off, 8 Rat, 9 In a muddle, 10 Athlete, 11 Testy, 13 Opiate, 15 Precis, 18 Scene, 19 Example, 21 Go-getting, 23 Arc, 24 Repress, 25 Entry. DOWN: 1 Farrago, 2 Catch fire, 3 Twice, 4 Craven, 5 Saunter, 6 Odd, 7 Fiery, 12 Sycophant, 14 Theatre, 16 Sketchy, 17 Remiss, 18 Sugar, 20 Argue, 22 Gap. cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2020 BY EDITORIAL BOARD N early 2,300 of you made your voices heard in our online poll asking, “Should Cayman proceed with the October border reopening?” The results were extremely close. Forty-nine percent of respondents voted yes, while 45% voted no and another 5% said they were undecided. Over the last month, the Compass’ Cayman 2.0 series has explored what tourism could look like (or should look like) in the future. Of course, any tourism product starts with actually allowing visitors on island. After speaking with experts, hearing from the public and looking at the information for ourselves, the Compass editorial board created a point-counterpoint editorial examining the idea of opening Cayman’s borders. Point - The case for a bolder approach to reopening The Cayman Islands has earned its reputation as the safest country in the Caribbean when it comes to COVID-19. Gambling with that status is not something that should be taken lightly and Cayman’s leaders face a delicate balancing act. Even so, it is past time for preserving livelihoods to be given some consideration alongside the more obvious imperative of saving lives. We are approaching the point where many business owners are rightly concerned that the cure could be worse than the disease. The ‘border opening’ in October is a nominal opening only. Aside from a few additional snowbirds there is likely to be almost no noticeable difference. As of today, there is no clarity over if, when or how tourists will be allowed to return. After six months of significant financial losses and no sign of light at the end of the tunnel, the Dart group decided last week to pare down operations at its hotels and sever ties with employees who were on standby to return to work. That decision has implications beyond the 500-or-so workers – the majority of them expatriates – who have lost jobs. It suggests the company has effectively written off the 2020/21 high season. If that analysis is correct, the economic impact of the COVID crisis is likely to spread far beyond the approximately 3,000 unemployed Caymanians currently pulling a monthly stipend from government. Expect to see restaurants closing down or moving to weekend-hours only. Expect to see more jobs lost in the water-sports industry. Expect to see a trickle-down effect on transportation, janitorial, food and beverage distributors and the coterie of other businesses that rely on the hospitality sector. The islands are in a false economy right now with pension payouts helping pay rents and prop up businesses. But that can’t last. This problem will be exacerbated by the government’s promise not to reduce the civil service or the salaries of civil servants whilst running and increasing monthly deficit, currently at $25 million. No one underestimates the threat still posed by the coronavirus. But other islands, from Singapore to Bermuda, have shown that it is possible to have a safe reopening. The island distinguished itself internationally through its handling of the pandemic. It can do so again by pioneering the safest resumption of tourism of any destination in the world. That journey needs to start now. Counterpoint - The case for keeping the borders closed If Cayman saw increased community transmission of COVID-19 and had to once again lock down, the economic and societal consequences would be far more significant than those faced should the borders remain closed. Nowhere is the virus more prevalent than the Americas region, according to the World Health Organization. The United States has more total cases than anywhere else on earth and reported the second- most new cases over the last week, trailing only India. Most of Cayman’s visitors come from or through North America. This is a major concern. Just last month, a person was released from quarantine here only to find out they had tested positive for COVID-19. Another person, who had not registered on Travel Time, was allowed to enter Cayman on a British Airways flight. If these protocols are not being strictly followed now while the borders are closed, imagine the risk when borders reopen. Even if protocols are strictly followed, COVID-19’s incubation period is long and PCR tests don’t always weed out those carrying the virus. Cayman’s economic situation is dire. People are hurting. But should COVID-19 begin to spread again in Cayman, that would signal the swan song for even more businesses. The little bit of local revenue seen over these last few months would vanish. A broader reopening would be pushed even further back. So what does that do for the economy right now? Admittedly, not much. Government, however, continues to make funding available for those out of work and for businesses suffering major losses. With a new credit line in place, we hope the programmes providing that funding continue. In the long run, keeping visitors out will keep those of us living in Cayman safer. That will result in a healthier, more robust economy for the long term. We should keep our borders closed until the rest of the world is able to contain the virus. If not, we face the prospect of another round of suppression measures that could cripple the economy and Cayman’s community. In conclusion If there is no reopening, government will ultimately exhaust its credit line and it will not be able to continue to support those who need it for very long. If this continues, government will also not be able to support the large civil service. They will need to adjust expenditure to the new level of revenue, and business owners directly or indirectly relying on the tourism sector will need to shut down or try to reinvent themselves. A new plan for a significantly contracted economy will be needed. Therefore, while the Compass understands the need to keep the virus from spreading in Cayman, we believe the time is now to start reopening the borders in a significant way, allowing our tourism sector – and economy as a whole – to heal. Opening Cayman’s borders Editorial: Point-counterpointcayman compass 5 FRIDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2020 Cayman A.R.K Volunteers prepare to distribute meals to needy families. Kindness for those in need. Scotiabank has donated $25,000 to the Cayman ARK (Acts of Random Kindness) charity which has been issuing meals and grocery vouchers to hundreds of needy families since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Chefs at a Cayman A.R.K Soup Kitchen work to prepare hot meals for distribution. More than 2000 persons received meals daily from the Cayman A.R.K Soup Kitchens during the COVID-19 lockdown period. “Scotiabank remains committed to helping Cayman weather this crisis. We are also very aware that while the curve remains flat throughout the islands, the pandemic is not over, and so we hope that our donation will bolster the ongoing efforts of Cayman ARK to give further assistance to Caymanians in need,” - Greg Fletcher, Regional Wealth Management Director and Market Lead at Scotiabank Cayman Chervain Stuart (left) , Senior Manager Retail Sales & Service and Greg Fletcher ( 2nd left), Regional Wealth Management Director & Market Lead make the presentation of $25,000 to Tara Nielsen ( right) , Director of the Cayman A.R.K charity. “If it had not been for the hot meals and food cards delivered by ARK volunteers during lockdown, we would not have been able to feed our children or ourselves, we had no one else to depend on. I don’t know how we will ever recover after so long with no income, but for now we live day to day and are so thankful to ARK.” -Chenice, Cayman ARK BeneficiaryFaulty medical incinerator falls into months of disrepair KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@compassmedia.ky An open pit of untreated medical waste and septic tank sewage at the Cayman Brac landfill is creating potentially “inhumane” conditions for staff. The problem began around late April when the site’s medical waste incinerator malfunctioned due to a scorched burner, explained Patience Eke, the Department of Environmental Health’s officer for the Sister Islands. Since then, workers have been forced to resort to a familiar backup method: dumping the bags of medical waste collected from Faith Hospital and Kirkconnell Community Care Centre into an open pit layered with soil. This time, however, the biohazard has been exacerbated by the addition of septic tank sewage left by contractors in the same trench, Eke said. The addition of sewage means workers will not be able to return to the trench to dig out and properly burn the medical waste once the site’s incinerator has been repaired. To do so, Eke said, would be unfair to her team. “That would be very inhumane,” she told the Cayman Compass. “It’s a very challenging situation.” The Brac’s medical-waste incinerator has broken many times before and government has been aware for years of the trenching of untreated medical waste at the landfill. In 2015, the Brac’s medical- waste pit was described in the draft National Solid Waste Management Strategy, prepared for government by Amec Foster Wheeler and KPMG. “Biomedical waste collected on Cayman Brac is currently landfilled in a discrete hazardous waste pit excavated into the landfill on Cayman Brac, although this was previously burnt in a now disused incineration unit,” the report said. By 2018, the incinerator was back in operation. A malfunctioning burner, however, left it out of service for around four months that year. News of trenched medical waste sent up red flags at the time about possible violations of public health law. Section 6(5) of the Public Health (Infectious Waste) Regulations states, “Infectious waste may be disposed of in a sanitary landfill after it has been treated. Incineration and steam sterilisation are the primary treatment methods...” Internal DEH emails from 2018, obtained through a freedom of information request, showed the department struggling to find a solution for the Brac’s growing biohazard. Jennifer Ahearn, then chief officer for the Ministry of Health, emailed officials, telling them to “get a proposed plan together asap” to communicate to the public. A suggestion to transport the waste to George Town never proceeded. Eke pointed out that to move the waste to Grand Cayman, it would have to be transported in a special container and pretreated. So, the open trench remains the backup option when the incinerator malfunctions. Eke told the Compass the machine is “aged” and has been recommended for replacement over the years, due to the expense and inconvenience of frequent repairs. This time around, a burner was scorched during lockdown, complicating and stalling the repair process. When a technician finally installed the replacement part in August, Eke said, they discovered the issue was larger than one burner. The roof and housing around the incinerator had rusted, allowing in moisture and short- circuiting the machine, she added. “[Public Works] realised the rust is so much, it’s not something that can be fixed. The whole top needs to be removed,” Eke told the Compass. Repairs are expected to begin over the weekend, with Public Works and a contractor dividing the responsibilities. While the incinerator is used primarily for disposing of medical waste, Eke said it has also been used for burning police and customs documents, as well as expired medications. In the meantime, those items can be handled through controlled burns, she said, but medical waste requires the incinerator. She added that eight large PVC containers have also been repurposed for medical-waste storage in the Brac. Those containers are entirely full. Typically, medical waste would be stored in purpose-built, biohazard containers. While such containers have been provided to medical facilities, Eke said the landfill is relying on repurposed containers. “We make sure they are covered so at least we can control fly infestation,” she said, adding that workers have also been spraying disinfectant. She estimated the Brac landfill would need about 200 to 300 of the standard biohazard storage containers to address its need. Once the incinerator is repaired, she said the waste in the eight repurposed containers would be the first to be processed. Due to frequent break-ins at the dump site, typically carried out by individuals in search of car parts, Eke added that the trench has been placed in a remote section. The landfill does not have security to guard the area at night. Like all of Cayman’s landfill sites, the Brac dump is unlined and was created without input from solid-waste engineers. It has been in operation since at least 1978 and is located 230 feet from Cayman Brac’s public beach on the south side of the island. A Brac resident took this picture of the landfill medical-waste pit on 28 Aug. 2020. The Cayman Brac landfill incinerator in 2018, when it was out of service for four months. This untreated medical waste was found by the Cayman Compass at the Cayman Brac landfill in May 2018. Medical waste, sewage mix in open trench at Brac landfill Section 6(5) of the Public Health (Infectious Waste) Regulations states, “Infectious waste may be disposed of in a sanitary landfill after it has been treated. Incineration and steam sterilisation are the primary treatment methods...” news N news 6cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2020Paul Williams, president of charity Wind of Hope, right, hands over a cheque for $2,000 to Phillip Hyre, operations manager of the Cayman Food Bank. Williams said Wind of Hope had planned to organise its annual 5K run/walk this year, but the COVID-19 restrictions curtailed that. Nonetheless, the charity raised $2,000, which it recently presented to the food bank. In the past, beneficiaries of the charity’s donations have been The Pines Retirement Home, the Cayman Islands Red Cross and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. Systems have 70%, 20% chances of developing into tropical depressions over next five days KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@compassmedia.ky A well-defined tropical wave located south of the Cayman Islands and Jamaica is likely to develop into a tropical depression. As of Thursday afternoon, the US National Hurricane Center gave the system a 70% chance of formation over the following five days. The wave is accompanied by a large area of disorganised showers and thunderstorms. Currently, the system is expected to move west of the Cayman Islands as it tracks into the northwestern Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. “Conditions are expected to be conducive for a tropical depression to form by early next week, but only if the system moves and remains over the waters of the northwestern Caribbean Sea or southern Gulf of Mexico,” the NHC wrote Thursday afternoon. “Development will become less likely if the system moves over the Yucatan Peninsula or northern Central America.” The NHC continued, “Regardless of development, this system is expected to produce locally heavy rains – with possible flash flooding – over portions of southeastern Mexico, Central America, and western Cuba during the next several days, and interests in those areas should monitor the progress of the disturbance.” Another tropical wave east of the Lesser Antilles was also on track to pass through the Western Caribbean, but the probability of formation over coming days remained low. The NHC forecasts a 20% chance of formation over five days as of Thursday. “This wave is forecast to move westward at 15 to 20 miles per hour during the next several days, and environmental conditions could become a little more conducive for development when the system is over the central or western This National Hurricane Center tropical weather outlook map shows where the systems were located as of Thursday afternoon. Wind of Hope donates $2,000 to food bank Tropical waves could be rain makers for Cayman over the next week Caribbean Sea early next week,” NHC wrote Thursday morning. Forecasters with Colorado State University’s Tropical Meteorology Project expect the two-week period, from 30 Sept.-13 Oct., to bring above- normal tropical cyclone activity. The CSU forecast analyses Accumulated Cyclone Energy, a measure of the total wind energy produced by a tropical system over its lifetime. An above-normal score for the 30 Sept-13 Oct. period would surpass 9 ACE. “While there are currently no active tropical cyclones in the Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center is currently monitoring an area of low pressure that is forecast to develop in the western Caribbean and has a [high] chance of becoming a [tropical cyclone] in the next few days,” the CSU two-week forecast read. “While the various global models have varying solutions as to how intense this cyclone will get, this system could generate small to medium levels of ACE if it were to develop. The global models also highlight additional potential [tropical cyclone] formation in the western Caribbean and even possibly in the eastern Atlantic (although less likely) in the next two weeks.” CSU also forecasted above- normal tropical cyclone activity for the 16-29 Sept. period and was correct in its prediction. An above- normal ACE for that period would surpass 23 and the period produced 36 ACE. During that period, Teddy generated 25.8, follow by Beta with 3.3., Sally with 2.6, Paulette with 2.3, Vicky with 0.9, Wilfred with 0.8 and Alpha with 0.4. 8 news N newscayman compass 9 news N news FRIDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2020 RESHMA RAGOONATH AND JAMES WHITTAKER rragoonath@compasssmedia.ky and jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Cayman commenced its soft border reopening on 1 Oct. with five international inbound flights, three of which were private planes. According to Cayman Islands Airports Authority stats shared with the Cayman Compass, a total of 191 passengers were expected to touch down on local shores on Thursday alone as government began phase one of its border- reopening plan. Earlier this week, the Tourism Ministry issued updated protocols for the reopening, widening its safety bubble to allow additional categories of people to enter Cayman. Previously only Caymanians, permanent residents, work-permit holders and their families could enter Cayman under the phased reopening. Now, residential property owners, those on student visas and relatives of residents (spouses, fiancés, parents, grandparents, siblings) will be allowed entry. On Thursday, three private flights originating from St. Louis, Missouri; and Naples and Miami in Florida, were expected to land in Cayman, bringing in four passengers in total. The Miami flight had no passengers, but was expected to depart with passengers already here in Cayman. A British Airways flight from London Heathrow, carrying 143 passengers, was expected Thursday, as well as a Cayman Airways flight from Miami with 44 passengers. Cayman’s borders were closed back in March after the country recorded its first COVID-19 case. After months of deliberating, the doors to Cayman are now slightly ajar, allowing a limited number of passengers in specific categories. Premier Alden McLaughlin earlier this month said a total of 800 passengers are projected for the month of October. Those participating in the October pilot phase of the electronic monitoring and geofencing home-isolation programme will not have to pay for their devices or their PCR tests, which are requirements for entry. Kirkconnell: Soft reopening a first step The soft reopening of the borders this week is the first step in a cautious, phased approach to bringing back visitors, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said. Inbound passengers need pre-approval from the government and will be tested for COVID-19, as well as face a 14-day mandatory quarantine. Visitors can isolate at home if they agree to wear a geofencing device that tracks their movements and alerts authorities if they break the conditions of their quarantine. With those measures in place, Kirkconnell acknowledged there would be no immediate return of traditional tourism. “We will review what happens in October and see how we move forward in November and December,” he added. Kirkconnell acknowledged the absence of tourists had left a “void in the economy”. The Dart group announced last week that it was reducing operations at its hotels in a move that will impact around 500 staff, mostly expatriates. Kirkconnell accepted that every business owner would have tough decisions to make in the face of the continued impact of the pandemic on global travel. He told the Cayman Compass that government was seriously looking at a number of measures to bring in business, including a proposal for bubble resorts and a ‘global citizens’ initiative to attract residents to live in Cayman and work remotely overseas as ‘digital nomads’. Other programmes to attract long-stay tourists are also under review. Despite increased pressure on the economy, he said government would not take unnecessary chances with public health and would proceed with caution, while doing what it could to support the impacted tourism sector. “We have had great success in managing the coronavirus and we continue to invest money to support those that are most severely impacted,” he added. Guided by science Kirkconnell said government would be “guided by the science” and the advice of medical professionals on how and when to move through each phase of the reopening. Developments in testing and the availability of vaccines could speed up the process, but he said the global picture was changing daily and it was difficult to give a timeline of when traditional tourism would return to Cayman. For those who are impacted, Kirkconnell said government would continue to provide the monthly tourism stipend. A programme offering loan support to help businesses survive or adapt is also being developed. He said support was being provided for people to change careers or reimagine their business plans to be able to cope. • Only private charters and repatri- ation flights operated by Cayman Airways and British Airways are allowed to enter Cayman • Travellers must register their inbound travel request with Travel Time and complete an online form. • All travellers (ages 5 and over) will be tested at the airport for COVID-19. • Quarantining for approximately two weeks is mandatory. • Residential quarantine is allowed, but the location must be pre- approved by Public Health and you must agree to wear an iMSafe electronic-monitoring wristband. • Those not approved or who do not wish to isolate at a residence must quarantine at either a gov- ernment or privately run facility at their own expense. • Confirmation of health insurance which includes COVID-19 cover- age is required • Any breaches of the quaratine rules are considered criminal of- fences which are subject to fines and jail time. Border reopening: need to know BORDER REOPENING: Five international inbound flights touch down Passengers disembark from a British Airways flight, one of five in-bound international flights to touch down in Cayman as government commenced its soft border reopening Thursday, 1 Oct. Next >