Cayman Compass - 31 December, 2020

cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 75 CENTS | Funding local journalism | Monday, 2 March 2020 NEWS Travel restrictions to manage coronavirus begins Page 2 Red Sky at Night delivers delights Miss Teen Cayman Ashley Gooden in traditional dress at Saturday’s cultural festival. Page 6 ISSUES Time to take climate change seriously Page 11 NEWS Miller calling for no conﬁ dence vote in Bush Page 3 cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 26 June - 2 July 2020 Boat family welcomes new hand on deck Page 8 Saharan dust layer clouds Cayman skies Page 6 Photo: Taneos Ramsay News Hearing reveals Cayman’s ‘broken’ pension system Page 12 News National emergency operations team stands down Page 14 Staycations boost tourism industry Page 9 Testing 2.0: How the new antibody tests work Page 10 Boat fa welc new on oooo Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 28 August - 3 September 2020 Local News Domestic partnerships to be changed to civil partnerships Page 6 Business Bermuda and Cayman at opposite ends of ﬁscal policy Page 12 Back to school Page 3 A breath of fresh air Cayman embraces easing of restrictions on masks, social distancing and public gatherings. Page 2 Carnival organisations promise two lively weekends Page 16 Cayman 2.0: Ideas to reshape post-COVID Cayman Page 14 cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism |Weekly, 8-14 May 2020 Editorial: Cayman needs coherent social assistance programme Page 4 Port referendum appeal case heard Page 6 The story of one COVID-19 test Page 8 All aboard Stranded family awaits baby’s arrival on sailboat. Page 7 Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 24-30 July 2020 Road map for reopening Tourism plan highlights value of natural attractions. Page 10 Domestic Partnership Bill heads to LA Page 2 Fuel wholesalers defend local gas prices Page 14 Pandemic tests resilience of food supply chain Page 16 Photo: James Whittaker cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly,6-12 November 2020 Legislative Assembly to resume as Parliament Page 8 Cayman braces for storm Eta Page 11 Sexual harassment law still in limbo Page 6 A closer look at blocked beach paths Page 12 cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism |Friday, 13 March 2020 Princess Cruises stops sailing Page 6 Mozzie numbers rise with full moon Page 10 Work continues to extinguish dump ﬁre Page 14 Cayman conﬁrms its ﬁrst coronavirus case Page 2 Premier Alden McLaughlin, centre, announces at a press conference Thursday that an Italian cruise ship passenger being treated at Health City has COVID-19. - Photo: Reshma Ragoonath cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 18-24 September 2020 Sandstorm Divers ﬁ ght to save Eden Rock coral Page 5 Photo: James Whittaker Cayman Port stays COVID-free Page 6 Money remittances fall by $26 million Page 10 Test driving the BioSticker Page 13 cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Friday, 21 February 2020 NEWS 4.4 magnitude earthquake felt Page 2 Issues Court’s port ruling explained Pages 18-19 Gov’t schools get new buses for ﬁeld trips Page 10 'Grouper Moon' spawning monitored Page 16 54,000 iguanas culled so far this year Page 17 Turtle nesting numbers celebrated Page 6 cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 10-16 July 2020 NEWS No new COVID cases since 1 July Page 2 SPORTS CIFA leagues to resume next month Page 16 DoE prepares for Sandbar reopening Page 3 Stony Coral Disease found in Cayman Page 5 The future of work? Pages 14-15 15 more named storms forecast Page 8 Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 20-26 November 2020 Washed away Beach erosion threatens Cayman’s greatest treasure. Page 6 Photo:Taneos Ramsay Fishermen face eviction from market Page 8 Businesses in eastern districts hurting Page 22 Struggles and successes of one class Page 24 cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Thursday, 9 April 2020 Cayman approaches Easter in lockdown Page 2 Guide to the regulations Page 6 Community answers call for protective masks Page 13 Com p 165,000 testing kits arrive Page 7 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 Ramsay cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 4 - 10 September 2020 Police probe ‘alarming’ rise in knife crime Page 5 Deadly coral disease found over 4-mile area Page 7 Poker Run revs engines for Food Bank Page 16 Tourism industry ﬁ ghts back after devastating job losses Page 12 Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 LOCAL Bush's assault trial begins Page 2 LOCAL "Wake-up call" for woman helping man hit by car. Page 11 Vaccine brings reopening hope A newly approved COVID-19 vaccine could soon be available locally, prompting leaders to think about Cayman's tourism plans. Page 8 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 4-10 December 2020 cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism| Friday, 6 March 2020 Government suspends non-essential travel Page 2 Updated EIA required for port project Page 4 Shark series gets kids hooked on nature Page 6 Container home offers 'safe haven' to family Volunteers gather to help build a container home for a West Bay family in need. - Photo: Stephen Clarke Pages 18 and 19 cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 12-18 June 2020 Local 3pregnant women beat COVID-19 Page 3 Lockdown gives invasive species break from cullers Page 13 Children facing challenges to remote learning Page 14 Love in the time of coronavirus Page 16 Uniformed services join forces during crisis Page 10 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 Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 Landﬁll capping tests begin Page 3 Cayman helps shelter dogs Page 7 CayMAS goes The invisible army Lower paid, unheralded professions dominate 'essential work'. Pages 13-15 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 15-21 May 2020 AS ages 13-1 cayman compass cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 17-23 July 2020 News Orders in Council coming for beneﬁ cial ownership registries Page 5 News Compass survey: Virus led to ﬁ nancial and health anxiety Page 13 Sunrise Adult Centre gives classroom reopening a test run Page 8 Climbing Everest, one stair at a time Page 14 A green recovery Page 16 COVID fears could impact Cayman’s cancer cases Page 7 The latest in our Cayman 2.0 series examines renewable energy and sustainable tourism cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 13-19 November 2020 Eta prompts ﬂ ooding fears Page 6 Vials of blood, syringe found on SMB Page 8 Fighting against education inequality in Cayman Page 16 The great divide: Photo: James Whittaker Vaccine could prompt early 2021 reopening Page 11 cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Friday, 3 April 2020 News Commissioner: All curfew breaches will be prosecuted Page 2 Governor: Staying home saves lives Page 4 Cruise passengers recount 'death ship' nightmare Page 6 Coronavirus across the Caribbean Pages 12 and 13 CURFEW EXTENDED Govern Stayi ho saves liv Shelter in place and hard curfew to last at least two more weeks as Cayman records 28 virus cases. Page 2 - Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 25 September - 1 October 2020 St. Ignatius under the microscope Page 8 Teenage cancer survivor inspires Page 10DoE: Divers helped save coral reef Page 11 Jobs lost as hotels downsize Dart scales back operations at Ritz-Carlton and Kimpton Page 6 Photo: Stephen Clarke cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 3-9 July 2020 Government wins referendum appeal Page 11 Everything you need to know for the start of school Page 10 Cayman 2.0 COVID-19 has forced the country to pause and rethink its way forward. What does that look like? Pages 14-15 NEWS Lawmakers to make historic LGBTQ human rights decision Page 6 Sports Clubs, athletes return to practice Page 18 Parrot sanctuary wows all ages Page 16 cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 27 November - 3 December 2020 Spelling bee champs crowned Page 2 Resurrected Bodden Town's Church of God back on track $90M apartment complex for SMB Page 6 ng amps ed Page 10 Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Friday, 17 April 2020 News COVID-19 weekly roundup Page 7 Cruise referendum appeal set for 6 May Page 6 Schools closed until further notice Page 8 ‘Porchtraits’: Families sheltering in place Page 16 mpaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss April 2April 2April 2ril20202002002 Curfew extended until 1 May Page 2 Police began issuing tickets to people in breach of soft curfew this week. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Friday, 3 January 2020 Taller buildings on the horizon Page 8 New home for iconic ‘A’ frame lumber Page 9 End of an era Edward Solomon's Arabus store closes after 49 years Page 4 Cayman welcomes ﬁrst baby of 2020 Page 2 we ﬁr cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 9-15 October 2020 Destination 100,000 Pages 4, 20-23 Sign of the times; Meet Carolyn Powell Page 10 BAND AID to play on Cayman’s heartstrings Page 12 Cayman’s close call with Hurricane Delta Pages 3 and 9 - Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Friday, 7 February 2020 NEWS Cayman/Jamaica visa disparity ﬂagged Page 8 Flu clinic opens following spike in cases Page 6 Post-quake repairs still being assessed Page 11 Cayman embraces new weather forecasting Page 12 Coronavirus border checks gear up Page 6 cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism Weekly, 7-13 August 2020 yman ompaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss rnalism ust 2020 cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 11-17 December 2020 Editorial MPs must hold Bush accountable Page 4 Cayman 2.0 21 people for 2021 Page 26 Bermuda back in lockdown Page 8 Parents bristle over holiday extension Page 10 Cayman's World Cup qualifying schedule set Page 31 FOCUS ON VACCINATION Cayman learns when it may receive the COVID-19 vaccine and when the borders may reopen. PAGE 6 cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Friday, 24 April 2020 Changes to work-permit process approved Page 2 Few curfew court appearances yet Page 5 Lawmakers pay tribute to former legislator Esther Ebanks Page 7 Outdoor display offers messages of hope Page 14 Photo: Taneos Ramsay Law pa cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Friday, 24 January 2020 Port vote review wraps up Page 2 Airport seeks $12.4M loan for upgrades Page 6 Friday, 24 January 2020 Now serving you f rom 3 locations: Savannah | Seven Mile Beach | Airport-Departure Lounge Hatit ude on parade Nat ional Trust fundraiser celebrates chape aux.Page 2 Nannette Williams at Hatitude 2019. Inside: Weekend Living Marriott resort seeks to regain beach Page 9 cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Friday, 1 May 2020 Living Using music as a tool to cope with stress Page 14 Business A crisis like no other Pages 18 and 19 Saying goodbye to loved ones during COVID-19 crisis Page 5 Business closures, job losses mount Pages 6 and 7 Policing lockdown by land, air and sea Pages 16 and 17 Phased reopening ahead Post ofﬁces reopen this week as Cayman gears up for gradual easing of restrictions. Pages 2 and 10 Photo: Taneos Ramsay ingg 9 cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Friday, 31 January 2020 WHO declares coronavirus a global emergency Illustration of the coronavirus, provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NEWS Premier ‘haunted’ by quake reactions Page 4 NEWS Earthquake was one of biggest in Caribbean history Page 6 Cayman Islands enhances border surveillance. Page 2 NEWS Owen Roberts gets airport award Page 9 cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 19-25 June 2020 Tributes pour in for Robert Hamaty Page 7How Cayman’s seniors are surviving COVID-19 Page 10 Your money or your life? - A thought experiment Pages 12 and 13 Page 5 tes in obert ty At curfew's end With the easing of regulations, from this weekend, people can dine out in larger groups, get their hair cut, dive, have their domestic helpers return to their homes, and go on boating trips. cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 31 July - 6 August 2020 NO Cayman waits on UK's next move following defeat of Domestic Partnership Bill See coverage on pages 3, 4, 5 and 6 cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 23-29 October 2020 Lights out for Lighthouse? Volunteers sought for human trials. Page 6 Cayman joins vaccine ﬁ ght Another restaurant falls victim to COVID. Page 20 Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 30 October - 5 November 2020 What's in the mosquito spray? News: Lawmakers approve extra gov’t funding Page 6 Issues: Population and infrastructure Pages 16-19 Living: Ghoulishly good Halloween parties Page 22 The Compass investigates the chemicals used in MRCU insecticides. Page 5 Photo:Taneos Ramsay cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 29 May - 4 June 2020 Police slam brakes on speeders Page 5 Cayman’s Top 10 athletes Page 14 See inside: Hailing Our Heroes Feeding the hungry Cayman’s jobless turn to charities for food. Pages 8 and 9 Photo: Taneos Ramsay Saluting all the essential workers of the Cayman IslandsA Compa ss Media special supplement Hailing our Heroes brak spe cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Friday, 14 February 2020 One carnival, two parades Page 10 Page 4 Red Cross headquarters reopens cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 5-11 June 2020 Business Development bank could lend businesses up to $100K Page 12 Health City hopeful over immunity transfusion Page 6 Parents, children feel mental toll of crisis Pages 8 and 9 Fast-track testing could speed up tourism revival Page 10 Kitesurﬁng kids on charity mission Page 14 Photo: Taneos Ramsay A month without COVID cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, Friday 14 - 20 August 2020 Local News Decrease in sargassum levels Page 5 Local News COVID-19 takes toll on relationships Page 6 Re-educating Cayman Page 12 Big Shave goes virtual Page 16 Further restrictions to be lifted as Cayman deemed COVID-19 free Page 3 Study ranks COVID masks from best to worst Page 8 cayman compass Your most trusted news sourceEstablished 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism Weekly, 21-27 August 2020 CI Regiment holds ﬁrst passing-out ceremony Page 8 COVID-19: The race for a vaccine is just the start Page 10 compppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaass $1 Funding local journalism Weekly, 21-27 August 202000 Back to school Anxiety, relief and concern ahead of a school year like no other. Page 6 Shop Local BACK TO BUSINESS FRIDAY, 21 AUGUST 2020 Free InsidePhoto: Alvaro Serey Your most trusted news source $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 18-24 December 2020 Speeding, DUI tickets up despite lockdown Page 8 More dogs fall ill, die due to suspected poisonings Page 14 Cayman's tough stance over a quarantine breach lands Skylar Mack and Vanjae Ramgeet in jail, sending a message that was heard around the world. Page 6 ZERO TOLERANCE Photo: Taneos Ramsay Established 1965cayman compass 21 people for 2021 Page 20 cayman compass $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 24-30 December 2020 Diving into the holidays Cayman gets ready to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. Page 16 Photo: Tony Land, Divetech Red Bay Seven Mile Beach Waterfront Walkers Road 100% Whopper ® 0% Beef Patty made from plants. TM & © 2020 Burger King Corporation. Impossible is a trademark of Impossible Foods Inc. Used under license. Your most trusted news source cayman compass Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 31 December 2020 - 8 January 2021 Farewell to 2020 A look back at how Cayman tackled a year of challengesOxford/AstraZeneca vaccine gets UK approval RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Cayman’s ﬁrst tranche of COVID-19 vaccines is expected to arrive on a British Airways ﬂight scheduled for Tuesday, 5 Jan., Chief Medical Ofﬁcer Dr. John Lee has conﬁrmed. Lee, appearing on the ﬁnal 2020 episode of Cayman Compass’s The Resh Hour, said he expects a “good quantity of doses” of the Pﬁzer/BioNTech vaccine in the ﬁrst delivery. There will be “several thousand doses... so we’ll be able to have a good go at our priority groups,” Lee said, but added, “It is very likely we will not be able to reach everybody that we plan to reach... with that ﬁrst tranche of vaccines, and we may have to do a cutoff as far as age is concerned.” However, the availability of vaccines for the local population could change with the news on 30 Dec. that the UK had approved the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine which it will begin rolling out on 4 Jan. Governor Martyn Roper welcomed the approval, hailing it as “excellent news”. “UK has ordered enough for 50 million people. Roll-out will start on Monday [4 Jan.] with aim to vaccinate two million people a week. [It is] much easier to deliver and transport as [it] does not need cold storage,” he said in a post on his ofﬁcial Facebook page. “One dose will be given to as many people as possible, giving 70-80% immunity, and a booster 12 weeks later to give longer-term immunity (how long not known yet). This is a game-changer and offers hope to the world. A great result for British science,” the post continued. The UK has given its commitment to supply vaccines to the British Overseas Territories, he said. “We are still expecting our ﬁrst supplies on the BA ﬂight on 5 January and enough vaccines initially for 5,000 people on our islands. That will be the two-dose Pﬁzer vaccine and discussions are underway on future supplies. While we are fortunate to be largely Covid free (apart from a small number of returning travellers), the virus and a dangerous new strain continue to rage around us. We need to continue to exercise the utmost caution. Approval of this new vaccine, and other vaccines, is our way out of this pandemic,” he added in the post. Lee explained, during his interview on the show, that instead of vaccinating everybody over 60 years old, government initially may offer the vaccine to everybody over the age of 70, then the most vulnerable, as well as healthcare workers, port workers, and people in institutions and nursing homes. Both vaccines, those made by Pﬁzer/BioNTech and those by Oxford/AstraZeneca, must be administered in two doses to build up immunity. Vaccinations are currently under way in the UK, which is providing Cayman’s inoculation supplies. The Guardian newspaper reported that British government ﬁgures showed 616,933 people had received their ﬁrst dose of the Pﬁzer/BioNTech COVID vaccine by 20 Dec. Those over the age of 80, residents and workers of care homes, and National Health Service staff were the ﬁrst groups to receive the shot. Lee said that when the vaccine touches down in Cayman next week, that does not mean the injections will immediately begin, as local checks and familiarisation with the doses would ﬁrst need to be completed. The chief medical ofﬁcer, together with local leaders Premier Alden McLaughlin and Roper, will be among the ﬁrst people to take the jab – in public – in a bid to encourage other people to be vaccinated. Lee said COVID-19 is something the world will have to live with, like other diseases and viruses that are kept at bay, but are still around. “They still cause people to have serious consequences or to die as a result. So that’s a sobering message to have to share, but it’s one that’s realistic and needs to be shared so that people can prepare for that,” Lee said. “The message would be that the wider you can spread the vaccination, the more likely it is to suppress [the virus] and the more that you can suppress the virus, the less chance it has to mutate.” Even with the new strain of the virus that was reported in the UK and has since been found in other countries, Lee said there will be no changes to Cayman’s plans to further reopen its borders, possibly by March, once signiﬁcant numbers of the population have been vaccinated. “Once we have protected our most vulnerable, which means the people in institutional care; in the nursing homes; healthcare workers, because they’re exposed to people coming in... presenting with symptoms all the time; the people around the ports; the elderly, then we can begin to relax and consider unlocking our borders, and that is how the stages work in the Cayman vaccination plan,” he said. Lee said as more vaccines become available, Cayman’s supplies will be boosted for the vaccination roll-out. 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 HONEST THIEF (PG-13) (SUN) 4:20 | 7:00 VIP | 9:40 HORIZON LINE, THE (PG-13) (FRI & SAT) 1:35 | 4:45 VIP | 7:15 | 10:00 VIP (SUN) 4:10 VIP | 7:15 | 9:35 | 10:00 VIP (MON - THURS) 1:35 | 4:00 | 4:45 VIP | 7:15 | 9:30 (TUES ONLY) | 10:00 VIP MONSTER HUNTER (PG-13) FRI & SAT) 1:30 VIP| 9:30 (SUN) 4:40 | 7:10 | 9:50 (MON-THURS) 1:30 VIP| 9:30 PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (R) (FRI & SAT) 1:25 | 4:15 | 7:20 VIP| 9:45 (MON, WED, THURS) 1:25 | 4:15 | 7:20 VIP| 9:45 (TUES) 1:25 | 4:45 | 9:45 SHAKEELA (R) (FRI & SAT) 6:20 | 9:15 (MON-THURS) 6:20 | 9:15 THE CROODS: A NEW AGE (PG) (FRI & SAT )1:00 VIP| 3:55| 4:05 VIP | 6:45 (SUN) 3:30 VIP | 4:35 | 6:45 | 9:10 (MON-THURS) 1:00 VIP | 4:05 VIP | 6:45 THE DOORMAN (R) (FRI & SAT) 12:35 | 4:20 | 6:35 VIP (MON-THURS) 12:35 | 4:20 | 6:35 VIP WONDER WOMAN 1984 (PG-13) (FRI & SAT)12:30 VIP| 1:00| 3:00 | 3:30 VIP| 6:30 | 8:00 VIP | 9:00 VIP (SUN) 3:00 | 4:40 VIP | 6:40 VIP | 8:00 VIP | 9:25 VIP (MON TO THURS) 12:30 VIP| 1:00| 3:00 | 3:30 VIP| 6:30 | 8:00 VIP | 9:00 VIP CLASSICS DRIVING MISS DAISY (PG) TUESDAY 7PM VIP 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 EDITORINCHIEF KEVIN MORALES weather 84°F HIGH 74°F LOW Thursay Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies with a 30% chance. WINDS East to southeast at 15 to 20 knots. FRI 84°F HIGH 74°F LOW SAT 84°F HIGH 73°F LOW SUN 84°F HIGH 73°F LOW MON 84°F HIGH 74°F LOW TUES 84°F HIGH 74°F LOW WED 84°F HIGH 74°F LOW caymancompass.comfacebook.com/caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass SEA STATE Rough with wave heights of 5 to 7 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. The Pﬁzer/BioNTech vaccine is expected to arrive in Cayman on 5 Jan. Vaccines to arrive on 5 Jan. BA ﬂight Government initially may offer the vaccine to everybody over the age of 70, then the most vulnerable, as well as healthcare workers, port workers, and people in institutions and nursing homes . 5,000 The number of people expected to be vaccinated with the ﬁrst batch of COVID vaccines due to arrive on island on 5 Jan. Chief Medical Ofﬁcer Dr. John Lee cayman compass 2 N news THURSDAY, 31 DECEMBER 2020cayman compass 3 THURSDAY, 31 DECEMBER 20201234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Zealot (7) 5 Hold on tenaciously (5) 8 Imply bright prospects (5,4) 9 Greek god of ﬂocks and herds (3) 10 Be aware of (4) 12 Scribbled slogans on walls (8) 14 Keep in custody (6) 15 Entertain lavishly (6) 17 Australian city (8) 18 Unable to hear (4) 21 To bind (3) 22 Useless (2,2,5) 24 Small container for tea (5) 25 Unanimously (7) DOWN 1 Candid (5) 2 Constantly ﬁnd fault (3) 3 Become (4) 4 A stone fruit (6) 5 Loss of nerve (4,4) 6 Conﬁdentially (2,7) 7 Authentic (7) 11 Getting better (2,3,4) 13 Given to delay (8) 14 Harshly effective (7) 16 Very handsome young man (6) 19 Costly picturesque building (5) 20 Collapse (4) 23 Say further (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16577 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 16577 ACROSS: 1 Fanatic, 5 Cling, 8 Augur well, 9 Pan, 10 Know, 12 Grafﬁti, 14 Detain, 15 Regale, 17 Adelaide, 18 Deaf, 21 Tie, 22 Of no avail, 24 Caddy, 25 Solidly. DOWN: 1 Frank, 2 Nag, 3 Turn, 4 Cherry, 5 Cold feet, 6 In private, 7 Genuine, 11 On the mend, 13 Dilatory, 14 Drastic, 16 Adonis, 19 Folly, 20 Fall, 23 Add. cartoon Goodbye 2020 - By Caymanman DPP: No appeal in Bush case Quick to appeal Little Miss Privilege but not for Big Mac who is an elected ofﬁcial? Makes sense [from] our government. Typical. – Ben Harding It seems unjust that Mr. Bush has a suspended sentence, that he is still Speaker of the House and he can stand as a candidate in the next election. I hope the voters in the constituency where he stands will let their conscience be their guide! – Nancy Whiteﬁeld But they appealed the young couple. Shame on you all. Shame, shame, shame. – Curtis Conolly Same-sex couple wins immigration rights battle This news brought our family much joy, as Dr. Pinder is my wife’s brother. I sang at their wedding and this is one of the most solid, loving couples I know. Cayman is the home they share and love, and it’s fantastic that they can now be recognised there as such. Merry Christmas, and much love, guys! It is nice to see that the country is moving into the 21st century. – Bruce Leibowitz How the Cayman coat of arms ended up on a Coke can Mixed feelings about this. No doubt that the Coca-Cola logo is perhaps the best known in the world. On the other hand, should the Cayman Islands be associated with one of the most unhealthy drinks ever developed, one that has contributed to an obesity and diabetes problem worldwide? A single can of Coke contains more sugar, all empty calories, than an adult should consume in an entire day. – Noman Linton This will be helpful identifying litter source and time in the environment. – Linda Clark This is awesome! Super proud of you, Dario! – Ashley Jacobson Thank you, Mr. Hamaty, for putting Cayman on the map again. – Debbie Bodden Quarantine breach penalties abroad Interesting article. This should be sent to ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and Miss Mack’s Granny! – Nancy Whiteﬁeld Year in review: GT landﬁll Turns out the ﬁre was a highlight of 2020. – Steve Pettitt What they’re saying Online House Speaker McKeeva Bush and his attorney Michael Alberga leaving the courthouse on 21 Dec. When we hurriedly left Cayman Brac last March, the property had its usual abundance of curly tail lizards and birds. When we returned early December, we quickly realised there were very few of the former and a much-reduced population of the latter. It only took slightly longer to determine the reason – a feral cat took possession of the unoccupied property and another has visited sporadically. In the 21 days since our return, we have seen four curly tails. We used to see four in 30 seconds. The same phenomenon has been seen on Little Cayman by people with neighbours with ‘pet’ cats. The UK’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds estimates that cats in the UK catch up to 275 million prey items a year, of which 27 million are birds. We wonder why one can be ﬁned $50,000 for taking a grouper but non-indigenous feral cats, which destroy far more than an errant diver ever could, are not controlled. The Islands spent thousands to kill over a million of the invasive, non-native green iguanas in hopes of saving native iguanas from them, ignoring that feral cats also kill young native iguanas. Also, the Department of Environment has a systematic, organised programme to kill non- native lionﬁsh before they wipe out native ﬁsh, and this initiative is working at minimal cost with volunteer divers. As well as killing many creatures, feral cats transmit many diseases to humans. Trap, neuter and release does not stop the killing and possible elimination of species. It is impossible to stay ahead of the cats’ reproductive rate and they can live to 15 years. While it is understandable that the nascent attempt of early 2020 to deal with the problem was sidelined by COVID, given how much the feral cats have proﬁted by empty houses and fewer people, and how much killing they have done, not only should they all be destroyed, but all existing pet cats should be required to be spayed or neutered and kept indoors. In addition, no new cats should be allowed to be imported. Like the green iguana and lionﬁsh, they are an invasive species. J.A. Daly Feral cats attacking native species 4 THURSDAY, 31 DECEMBER 2020cayman compass 5 THURSDAY, 31 DECEMBER 2020 pages 5-10 2020 review JANUARY Port and same-sex marriage cited as largest 2020 challenges In his New Year message, Premier Alden McLaughlin stated that he expected the cruise port and same-sex marriage to be among the most challenging issues for his government in 2020. First water-related death recorded Jack Joseph Pardo, 72, of North Carolina, US, died on 12 Jan. while snorkelling in the sea off North Church Street. Missing woman declared dead Nine years after she was last seen, missing Department of Environmental Health employee Anna Evans was declared legally dead on 21 Jan. The last sighting of Evans, a 37-year-old mother of ﬁve, was at the George Town landﬁll on 27 Jan. 2011. Same-sex marriage ﬁght heads to Privy Council Lawyers representing same-sex couple Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden Bush conﬁrmed plans on 22 Jan. to take their ﬁght to the UK Privy Council. In March 2019, Day and Bodden Bush won their initial court ﬁght to be granted the right to marry in Cayman. That was overturned by the appeals court in November that year. Port vote case begins On 22 Jan., a three-day judicial review into the legality of the Port Referendum Law began in the Grand Court. The civil action, ﬁled by Shirley Roulstone, called on the courts to strike down the law, arguing that it was too speciﬁc and did not meet the requirements set out by the Constitution. Scrap metal ﬁre erupts at landﬁll The ﬁrst of what would be several landﬁll ﬁres for 2020 erupted in the scrap metal section of the George Town landﬁll on 24 Jan., as sparks from a car that was being compacted ignited gas that was still in the vehicle’s tank. No injuries were reported and the blaze was extinguished a few hours later. Earthquake rocks Cayman A 7.7 magnitude earthquake in the northern Caribbean was felt in Cayman, Jamaica, and Cuba on 28 Jan. The quake, which lasted about two minutes, opened up sinkholes across Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. The 2pm quake sent the country’s capital into an early afternoon gridlock as businesses closed and people rushed to see their loved ones. It was one of the strongest earthquakes in the history of the Caribbean. Cayman begins to monitor mysterious illness in China Public Health ofﬁcials in Cayman stated on 31 Jan. that they were monitoring SARS COVID-19, a virus that was ﬁrst widely reported in Wuhan, China. Health ofﬁcials said a plan was in place should the virus reach the islands. FEBRUARY Cayman ramps up COVID-19 response efforts Cayman’s National Security Council gathered on 2 Feb. to discuss potential travel restrictions that could be implemented as COVID-19 had spread to 18 other countries and claimed its ﬁrst death outside of mainland China. ‘Ruthless and dangerous’ home invader jailed for life On 2 Feb., 26-year-old Elmer Wright, of George Town, was given a double life sentence for an aggravated burglary during which he and others tied up and robbed a couple at gunpoint in Patrick’s Island. Eden calls quake, coronavirus ‘warnings’ over gay lifestyle Opposition member Anthony Eden tells elected ofﬁcials at a Legislative Assembly meeting on 4 Feb. that recent earthquakes and the developing global COVID-19 pandemic were a result of Cayman’s departure from Christian principles in favour of a pro-gay lifestyle. Mandatory quarantine implemented for coronavirus On 11 Feb., the government imposed mandatory quarantine and began working on travel restrictions for travellers and residents who had been to mainland China. EU adds Cayman to blacklist On 18 Feb., the European Union added the Cayman Islands, together with Palau, Panama and the Seychelles, to its list of non- cooperative tax jurisdictions at a meeting of the bloc’s ﬁnance ministers. Judge rules in favour of CPR in cruise referendum judicial review Justice Tim Owen ruled in favour of Cruise Port Referendum Cayman and the National Trust on 19 Feb. in a judicial review of government’s planned referendum on the proposed $200 million cruise berthing and port facility. Bush takes leave of absence as Speaker of the House House Speaker McKeeva Bush took a leave of absence from his post on 26 Feb. following a drunken altercation with a female staff member at a West Bay Road bar, which was met with protests from community activists, and North Side MLA Ezzard Miller calling for Bush’s resignation. MARCH Standards in Public Life Law, regulations enacted Cayman’s Standards in Public Life Law and its associated regulations were enacted on 1 and 2 March, respectively. The law established standards in public life, and introduced measures to prevent conﬂicts of interest. It also set ethical standards for elected representatives. Miller fails in Bush no-conﬁdence bid North Side MLA Ezzard Miller attempted to bring a motion of no conﬁdence against Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush following assault allegations. However, Miller was unable to get the requisite seven signatures from fellow MLAs to force a special sitting of the House, as George Town Central MLA Kenneth Bryan refused to sign. With only seven Opposition members in the House, without Bryan’s vote, Miller was unable to go ahead with his efforts. The ofﬁcial Opposition subsequently parted ways with Bryan over his decision not to back the no- conﬁdence effort. Virus fears spark panic buying As fears over COVID grew, people who worried that face masks, hand sanitiser, disinfectants and toilet paper would run out snapped up the products, leading to a shortage on island. By 5 March, stores and pharmacies had put a limit on the number of such products shoppers could buy. Shipping magnate Andreas Ugland passes away Andreas Ugland, the Norwegian shipping magnate and investment banker who made Cayman his home, passed away on 6 March. As well as his private businesses, Ugland, 64, was well known as a classic car collector and owner of the Cayman Motor Museum in West Bay. He was also a world-class powerboater, who owned his own racing team. He brought that passion to Cayman when he founded the Million Dollar Run offshore race. Massive ﬁre at landﬁll A huge ﬁre erupted at the George Town landﬁll on Sunday, 8 March, and blazed for four days, leading to the evacuation of Lakeside Apartments and homes on Watler Road, and the closure of part of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway. The nearby Cayman International School was also closed while ﬁreﬁghters tackled the inferno that was fanned by strong winds. Smoke continued to emit from the site for several days after the ﬂames abated. Smith Barcadere redevelopment plan abandoned Government announced on 11 March that it had quashed its plans to redevelop Smith Barcadere. The decision followed a ‘protest picnic’ in February organised by the group People for the Protection of Smith Barcadere and ongoing opposition from many local residents. Opponents of the proposed redevelopment challenged the plans for the beach, which included a parking lot, an arch at the beach entrance, walkways, additional bathroom blocks, a security ofﬁce and a timber cabana. Cayman reports ﬁrst COVID-19 case Premier Alden McLaughlin on 12 March announced Cayman’s ﬁrst case of coronavirus. The patient, a 68-year-old male visitor from Italy, had been transferred from the Costa Luminosa cruise ship to Health City Cayman Islands on 29 Feb. As the final minutes of 2019 began to tick down, people across the Cayman Islands gathered in churches, yards, public beaches and elsewhere to ring in the new year. For most, 2020 started with a bang, as brilliant displays of fireworks lit up the night sky. Little did the world know at the time that 2020 would be one year for the history books. A look back at a challenging year This large sinkhole, and several others, appeared on Seven Mile Beach following the 28 Jan. 7.7 magnitude earthquake. Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush.cayman compass 6 THURSDAY, 31 DECEMBER 2020 news 2020 review after suffering two heart attacks. He tested positive for COVID-19 while at the hospital, and died on 14 March. On 13 March, the government banned all cruises from coming to local shores, and also announced the expansion of travel restrictions, a limit of 50 people at public gatherings, and the closure of local educational institutions. Health City Cayman Islands temporarily shut down after quarantining all medical and hospital staff that came into contact with the Italian patient. Man stabbed to death in North Side Marvin Xavier Conolly Armendare, 27, was found stabbed to death on Sunday, 15 March, at an address on Splendid View Boulevard in North Side. A 36-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of murder. Air travel banned Government ofﬁcials announced that commercial air travel in and out of Cayman would shut down “for three weeks” from 22 March. More than 12,500 people left Cayman in the last week before the airport closed, while just over 4,000 people, mostly returning residents and students, arrived back on island in that period. While some repatriation ﬂights on British Airways and Cayman Airways took place, the travel ban ultimately continued until 1 Oct. when a partial reopening of the borders began. Cargo and courier ﬂights continued to operate to keep the supply line to the islands open and air ambulance services also operated. The air ban impacted the arrival of mail on the islands. The ban on travel and cruise ships effectively shut down the tourism industry. Government began paying tourism workers monthly stipends to help tide them over while they were out of work. Second and third COVID cases reported More than a week after reporting Cayman’s ﬁrst COVID case, health ofﬁcials conﬁrmed two new cases of coronavirus at a press brieﬁng on 20 March. The two positive tests involved staff members from Health City who were exposed to Cayman’s ﬁrst coronavirus patient – the 68-year-old heart patient who died from complications associated with the virus. Curfew announced Governor Martyn Roper announced the imposition of a 'hard' curfew from 9pm to 5am, after another two cases were conﬁrmed. From 24 March, residents had to remain in their homes during that time period unless they had written authorisation from the police commissioner. The ban on public gatherings was also hardened, with no more than 10 people being allowed to congregate. Public transport was shut down, with the exception of taxis that could carry only two passengers. Lockdown Cayman went into full lockdown for two and a half days, from 7pm on 25 March until 5am on 28 March, after the premier said government had been unable to get cooperation from the business community for an order to shut down non-essential businesses. Government had received requests for more than 850 exemptions, totalling more than 20,000 workers. From 28 March, a night-time curfew was in place from 7pm to 5am, and public gatherings were restricted to a maximum of two people, unless they were members of a family. All non-essential businesses were required to close, unless they could operate with staff working from home. Residents were only allowed out to visit exempted businesses – like supermarkets, banks or gas stations – and there was a 90-minute-a-day allocation for people to exercise or walk their pets in groups of two or fewer. First local transmission case reported Health ofﬁcials announced what was considered to be Cayman’s ﬁrst case of community transmission of COVID-19 on 24 March, involving a patient at the Cayman Islands Hospital who appeared to have no recent travel history and had not been in contact with anyone who had been overseas. Alphabet shopping days introduced From 30 March, residents were divided up alphabetically and allocated speciﬁc days when they were allowed to visit an exempted business. Those with A-K surnames could shop Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays, and L-Z were allowed to shop on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays. APRIL Man jailed for 4 months over curfew breach A man was imprisoned for four months on 3 April following the ﬁrst criminal prosecution for breach of the coronavirus curfew. Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said the courts had sent a “clear message” that breach of curfew would not be tolerated. The commissioner said the man, who pleaded guilty, had also been charged with other offences but the four-month sentence only applied to curfew breach. Durty Reid founder passes away Charles Reid Dennis, founder of Durty Reid’s Bar and Grill, passed away on 4 April in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was 79 years old. Dennis, who grew up in Virginia, moved to Cayman in 1967. He opened Durty Reid’s in 1989 in the old Red Bay Plaza site before the bar moved to Pedro Castle. In earlier years, he worked at Ports of Call, now The Wharf, and was manager and editor of the Caymanian Weekly – which later merged with the Cayman Compass – and acted as a ﬁctional pirate named Durty Reid Walker in the movie ‘Cayman Triangle’. First emergency BA ﬂight lands A British Airways ﬂight from London, arrived in Grand Cayman on 6 April, carrying 58 Caymanian students and other residents, all of whom were quarantined for 14 days in a government-mandated facility. The plane also brought in COVID-19 tests and medical equipment, including 1,700 test kits and 200 swabs. Cayman gets 200,000 test kits from South Korea Cayman’s ability to carry out COVID-19 testing locally got a huge boost when it secured 200,000 PCR test kits from South Korea, at a cost of $4.4 million, enabling the Cayman Islands Hospital to be able to test up to 500 people a day. The government picked up the bill for half the cost, while local philanthropist Susan Anne Olde donated the other half. Cayman ultimately sold 35,000 of the kits to Bermuda, 20,000 to Barbados, and offered 45,000 to CARICOM and other British Overseas Territories, leaving 100,000 kits for the local population. COVID recovery fund launched The Dart group donated $1 million as the ﬁrst contribution to a new private-sector coronavirus recovery fund, called the R3 Cayman Foundation, and agreed to add another $4 million in matching funding if the private sector raised a similar amount. Government closes public beaches Starting Easter Monday, government closed public beaches in a bid to prevent people congregating in large numbers. Eight COVID cases in one day and reports of crowds of people drinking on the beach on Good Friday led the government to clamp down further on public gatherings. Cruise referendum off the table Premier McLaughlin said government had no plans to proceed with a referendum on the cruise port project, despite its decision to continue with a legal appeal connected to the proposed $200 million development. The premier, on 16 April, said as far as his administration was concerned, the project was effectively dead, but government was pursuing the appeal because of the legal principles at stake. Nicaraguans stranded after ﬂights cancelled Some 160 Nicaraguans were left stranded in Grand Cayman after two evacuation ﬂights scheduled to leave for Managua on 18 April were cancelled when Nicaragua suddenly closed its borders. Many of the Nicaraguans were left homeless and unemployed as they awaited the reopening of their country’s borders, but received assistance from members of the public, local charities and businesses. Early pension withdrawals allowed The government on 20 April announced that pension account holders could withdraw a lump sum of $10,000 from their funds to help them get through the coronavirus crisis. Beyond that initial withdrawal, people were also allowed to take up to 25% of the rest of their pension. The premier also announced there would be a six-month payment holiday on contributions to pension funds. Bush charged with common assault, disorderly conduct House Speaker McKeeva Bush was charged with four offences, including common assault and disorderly conduct, on 24 April, in relation to an assault on a female bar manager at Coral Beach on West Bay Road. Former legislator Esther Ebanks passes away Former West Bay legislator Leola Esterleen Ebanks, known as Mrs. Esther, passed away on 23 April, at the age of 74. Ebanks served in the Legislative Assembly from 1976 to 1980. While she only served one term as a legislator, Ebanks was no stranger to the Legislative Assembly, as she was married to local boxing icon and former legislator Dunstan Dalmain Ebanks. A ﬁre at the landﬁll that burned for serveral days started on Sunday, 8 March, fanned by strong winds. The public tuned in daily for the COVID press brieﬁngs, where a line-up of government and health ofﬁcials gave the latest updates of the virus and the measures being taken to control it on island.cayman compass 7 news THURSDAY, 31 DECEMBER 2020 MAY Economic fallout Private sector-led emergency recovery fund, R3 Cayman Foundation, kicked off with an initial $1 million personal donation from Ken Dart, after which commitments of nearly $2 million were received from individual and corporate donors. Days into the ﬁrst week of May the economy starts showing signs of the impact of COVID-19. Butterﬁeld Bank reported a net income of $40.3 million for the ﬁrst three months of 2020, down from $52.1 million for the same period a year earlier. Charity organisations would step up efforts to assist the vulnerable. Blogger case ends in apology Cayman Marl Road administrator Sandra Teresa Hill and attorneys for US businessman Blake Ducharme reached an agreement on a civil suit ﬁled against the social media blogger. The suit was ﬁrst ﬁled 22 July 2019 over a contentious post on Hill’s Cayman Marl Road website. Hill, who represented herself throughout the proceedings, argued that the article was not libellous and, on 1 May, both parties came to an agreement, which required Hill to make a formal public apology to Ducharme. Royal Naval ships arrive On 4 May, Royal Navy ship RFA Argus arrived in Grand Cayman, mooring far offshore, in front of the George Town area. Unlike previous years, the Royal Navy Caribbean task force ship did not land, and the crew did not disembark because of COVID-19. RFA Argus, together with the HMS Medway, were deployed to the Caribbean for hurricane season. Later in the month, the crews conducted a brief hurricane exercise in East End with zero interaction with the public. The ships also provided helicopter coverage while the police choppers were off island for maintenance work. Little Cayman clear of COVID On 5 May, Little Cayman became the ﬁrst of the three islands to have its hard curfew and most of its shelter-in-place provisions lifted after 94% of residents were tested and all returned negative results. Days later, restrictions on Cayman Brac were lifted. Port referendum appeal The Cayman Islands government’s appeal in the port referendum case commenced on 6 May with arguments defending the port referendum law that was passed in the Legislative Assembly. The case was brought after government challenged the ruling in the case ﬁled by Shirley Roulstone of Cruise Port Referendum Cayman which quashed the law as unconstitutional. The Court of Appeal would later overturn Justice Tim Owen’s ruling in the case. Restrictions eased On 17 May, the Sunday hard curfew on Grand Cayman was lifted. Beaches were reopened on 19 May. As the month progressed, amended regulations allowed businesses like pool service and maintenance, landscaping and gardening, and mobile car washing to resume operations. Retail stores and car dealerships were allowed to reopen, but only for the delivery of goods. No charges for minister’s wife Tiffany Seymour, the wife of Health Minister Dwayne Seymour, was alleged to have breached curfew rules by exercising at her home with her personal trainer. A police investigation was launched, and a ﬁle was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. No charges were ﬁled in the matter as there was insufﬁcient evidence against her to secure a conviction, the DPP stated. Legality of curfews questioned Former Human Rights Commission chair James Austin Smith questioned the legality of Cayman’s curfew regulations, saying restrictions such as beach closures and a ban on marine activity could be open to legal challenges. Premier Alden McLaughlin, acknowledging that the measures were restrictive, said they were fully in line with the islands’ Constitution and Bill of Rights. Curfew cases hearing begins A total of 23 curfew-breach cases, the ﬁrst to be prosecuted, were heard in Summary Court in May. The court was extended into downtown’s Constitution Hall, allowing for the ﬁrst batch of hard- curfew cases to proceed in open court. The offences related to breaches of hard-curfew regulations during a 58-hour lockdown period from 25-28 March. First named storm of hurricane season emerges Tropical Storm Arthur became ﬁrst named storm of this year’s hurricane season as it formed east of Florida. The tropical storm posed no threat to the Cayman Islands. The hurricane season typically begins on 1 June, but the formation of Arthur heralded the start of what would be a record active season. Opposition members walk out of House in protest Opposition Leader Arden McLean led a walkout at the Legislative Assembly on 20 May after ﬂagging concerns over the omission of opposition motions and questions from the order paper. Premier Alden McLaughlin called the walkout “unforgivable”, given the serious nature of the legislative changes before the House relating to the ﬁnancial services industry. McLean had also raised concerns over House Speaker McKeeva Bush signing off on House business for the meeting of the assembly while he was before the court on criminal charges. North Side MLA Ezzard Miller and George Town Central MLA Kenneth Bryan remained in the chamber. JUNE First Jamaica repatriation ﬂight Cayman’s ﬁrst evacuation ﬂight to Jamaica since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis departed on 4 June. The ﬂight followed Jamaica’s announcement that it was reopening its borders to returning citizens on 1 June and to international travel on 15 June. Health City, HSA begin antibody testing Both Health City Cayman Islands and the Health Services Authority began COVID-19 antibody testing, to help determine the prevalence of the virus in Cayman. Crime rate drops The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service released its mid-year crime data on 9 June, which showed overall crime in the Cayman Islands fell by nearly a third while COVID-19 hard and soft curfew restrictions were in place, from the last week of March to the end of May. During that period, 602 crimes were recorded in Cayman, a drop of 30.9%, compared to the same period in 2019. Kitesurﬁng kids raise almost $36,000 Young kite surfers Jake Fagan, 12; Ben Coak, 11; and Zach Brooks, 12, raised nearly US$36,000 for the Cayman Acts of Random Kindness charity, after completing a 22-mile challenge in the waters of South Sound. Nanny drowns in pool On 4 June, 29-year-old Sheillah Muhonja Otando, a Kenyan national living in Cayman, died after being found unresponsive in a residence swimming pool. Bars, restaurants reopen From 7 June, restaurants and bars were given the green light to serve customers on patios or outdoor areas. Tortuga Rum Company’s Robert Hamaty passes Robert Hamaty, founder and owner of Tortuga Rum Company, passed away in a Miami hospital on 13 June at the age of 72. Before getting into the rum business, Hamaty was an airline pilot, for Jamaica Airways and later for Cayman Airways. His son Basil ﬂew the plane that brought Hamaty home for his ﬁnal rites. Doctors Express sues CBC over vaporised cannabis raid In June, Doctors Express Urgent Care Ltd. ﬁled a civil lawsuit against Customs and Border Control in relation to a 2019 raid at the medical ofﬁces. During the raid, CBC ofﬁcers seized a quantity of cannabis oils and vapes. At the time of the raid, the cannabinoid products were legally imported by staff at Doctors Express who are all licensed practitioners under the Health Practice Law (2017 Revision). The raid had occurred two days after Chief Medical Ofﬁcer Dr. John Lee expressed concerns surrounding the use and safety of vaporised cannabinoids. New jobs portal gets buy-in Government announced that its new employment portal JobsCayman had just over 1,350 jobseekers registered with it at the start of June. Law changes made it mandatory for employers to advertise all positions on the online jobs portal. Though there was a surge in sign- ups since the start of the coronavirus crisis, ofﬁcials acknowledged the numbers did not reﬂect the scale of the unemployment situation facing the country. Staycations give industry shot in the arm The lifting of restrictions for hotels and villas to reopen gave a much-needed shot in the arm for local accommodation businesses. At places like the Kimpton Seaﬁre Resort and Spa and The Ritz-Carlton on Seven Mile Beach, to Morritt’s Tortuga Club in East End, hoteliers were reporting solid bookings. The same was true for luxury villas and holiday condos as residents sought a change of scenery after been shuttered in for months. Domestic Partnership Bill heads to LA The long awaited and controversial Domestic Partnership Bill, intended to provide a legal framework for same- sex couples in the Cayman Islands, was introduced for debate by the Legislative Assembly on 27 June. The introduction of legislation came more than seven months after the Court of Appeal, in the Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden Bush case, ruled that an expeditious solution must be provided to address same-sex partnerships in the Cayman Islands. 2020 review Young kitesurfers raised $36,000 for Cayman Acts of Random Kindness. Beaches throughout Cayman were deserted during lockdown, before being reopened on 19 May.cayman compass 8 THURSDAY, 31 DECEMBER 2020 news 2020 review JULY Court of Appeal rules Port Referendum law constitutional Cayman’s Court of Appeal on 2 July declared the 2019 Port Referendum Law to be compatible with the Constitution. In their ruling, the judges stated, “The substance of the fundamental right of every Caymanian voter guaranteed by section 70 [of the Constitution Order] is to participate in a fair and effective people-initiated referendum. That right can be fully protected by an issue- specific referendum law.” Speaker Bush pleads not guilty to assault charges Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush on 3 July, via video link, pleaded not guilty in Summary Court to three counts of common assault, and one count of disorderly conduct. Lawmakers pass six ﬁnancial services bills Government and opposition members of the Legislative Assembly approved changes to six financial services laws in early July. The amendments were expected to improve the legal and regulatory framework, in part to prepare for the next round of OECD peer reviews of Cayman’s tax transparency regime and to enable Cayman’s removal from the EU list of uncooperative jurisdictions in tax matters. Margaritaville resort sued for million-dollar debt A dozen people who had purchased rooms and suites at the Margaritaville Beach Resort and Spa on West Bay Road petitioned the Grand Court’s financial services division to recoup debts from MV Advisory Ltd., the parent company of the resort. At the same time, the Department of Labour and Pensions launched an investigation into the company for failing to pay health and pension contributions. PAC launches hearing into OfReg’s performance In mid-July, the Public Accounts Committee launched a hearing about the auditor general’s report on the ‘Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Utility Regulation and Competition Office (OfReg) – June 2020’ which found that OfReg’s first three years in operation have been plagued by a lack of strategic planning, little oversight and inconsistent leadership. At the hearing, OfReg chairman Linford Pierson questioned the report’s validity and objectivity, and claimed he had not been consulted during the process. When the auditor general produced evidence that Pierson had been interviewed twice, the chairman’s testimony was first struck from the record, but the committee later decided to keep his statements in the official minutes and its report. Lawmakers vote down same-sex union bill On 29 July, Cayman’s lawmakers voted nine votes to eight against passing the Domestic Partnership Bill, which would have created a legal framework for same-sex couples to enter into a union equivalent to marriage. Immediately after the bill was defeated, Governor Martyn Roper stated that he was “greatly concerned” and that UK government ministers would look into the implications of the failure of the bill to pass. AUGUST Governor pushes through Domestic Partnership Bill On 5 Aug., Governor Martyn Roper announced he would use his powers under section 81 of the Constitution to assent to the defeated Domestic Partnership Bill. A few days later an amended version of the legislation was published “reflective of comments that were made during the debate and those made prior to debate” for a 21-day consultation period. Cruise ship ban extended On 13 Aug., Acting Port Authority Director Joseph Woods, in a notice, confirmed that the Cayman Islands government was extending its ban on cruise ships until 31 Dec. 2020. The US cruise industry later announced it planned to suspend all operations through the end of the year. Finance Minister: No direct taxation considered Finance Minister Roy McTaggart refuted reports that direct taxation may be needed to deal with the fiscal impact of a global economic recession. Speaking at the Chamber of Commerce Economic Forum, he said Cayman’s “indirect tax regime is well established and supports robust levels of economic activity, and the government does not see the need to make any changes to this regime”. He added, “To be clear, the government is not contemplating any direct taxation.” 51 reservists become Cayman’s ﬁrst regiment platoon The ﬁrst platoon of reservists for the Cayman Islands Regiment ofﬁcially graduated on 16 Aug., but the 51 men and women who make up the new entity could only share the occasion with a select few due to COVID-19 restrictions. CUC defers price increase to 2021 CUC announced in late August that it would push back a 6.6% price increase until 2021. The company would have been allowed to increase its base rate from 1 June under the Rate Cap Adjustment Mechanism that is part of the electricity provider’s licence. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company and utility regulator OfReg agreed to defer the rate increase and recovery of related lost revenues until January 2021. Lee: ‘Virus has burned out in Cayman’ Government officials confirmed on 25 Aug. that masks would no longer be legally required in Cayman – including in schools. Cayman’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee said officials had a high degree of confidence that the virus had been effectively controlled within the local borders. 51 reservists become Cayman’s ﬁrst regiment platoon. Legislators debate the Domestic Partnership Bill.A large group of divers descended on Eden Rock Dive Centre on 16 Sept. to volunteer to help remove sand that was smothering coral at the Eden Rock site. 9 2020 review SEPTEMBER Back to school for Cayman students By the beginning of September, all students had left remote learning behind and returned to their schools. Government had announced the lifting of mandatory requirements for the wearing of masks and social-distancing. Much to the delight of parents, the Department of Education Services also abandoned plans for a staggered reopening of schools, which would have involved various year groups returning to class on different dates. Governor approves same-sex partnership law On 4 Sept., Governor Martyn Roper assented to the Civil Partnership Law, making same-sex partnerships legal in the Cayman Islands. Formerly titled the Domestic Partnership Bill, the law was defeated in the Legislative Assembly on 29 July when lawmakers voted down the bill, nine to eight. However, Roper, using his reserved power to write legislation, opted to reintroduce the bill and assent to it following 21 days of public consultation. Clean-up planned after ship dumps sand on Eden Rock coral The Cayman Islands Department of Environment appealed on divers to help save coral at Eden Rock after a ship left large amounts of sand on the reef. The ﬁrst of several clean-up efforts was launched on 16 Sept. British Airways arrivals testing geo-fencing tech Passengers who arrived on the 17 Sept. British Airways ﬂight were the ﬁrst test subjects in Cayman to trial geofencing technology and quarantine procedures in preparation for the phased border reopening on 1 Oct. The arrivals, all wearing masks, disembarked at Owen Roberts International Airport, on board the ﬁrst fortnightly-scheduled BA ﬂight. Members of 20-25 households on the ﬂight were chosen to take part in the trial programme before the ‘soft reopening’ of the borders. Time for Greek alphabet: Storms Alpha and Beta form The Atlantic hurricane season ran through the year’s list of named storms on 18 Sept. and moved right into the back-up naming system using the Greek alphabet. On that day, four tropical formations were active in the Atlantic – Hurricane Teddy, Tropical Storm Wilfred and Subtropical Storms Alpha and Beta. OCTOBER Five international inbound ﬂights touch down Cayman commenced its soft border reopening on 1 Oct. with ﬁve international inbound ﬂights, three of which were private planes. Public gatherings raised to 500 On 2 Oct., government raised the limit on public gatherings, doubling the maximum from 250 to 500 people. Premier Alden McLaughlin announced the new maximum limit at the media brieﬁng that day. Killer whales spotted off Cayman Sightings of a pod of killer whales off the coast of the Cayman Islands marked only the eighth occasion the elusive mammals had been ofﬁcially recorded in local waters. Fisherman Chris Briggs got drone footage after sighting the pod off East End and a group of scuba divers from Ocean Frontiers, en route to Little Cayman, spotted them around ﬁve miles off Grand Cayman. Hurricane Delta lashes Cayman Category 4 Hurricane Delta brought strong winds, heavy rains and high seas to the Cayman Islands on 6 Oct. Following the passage of the storm, Harbour Drive remained closed due to increased wave action in George Town, ﬁnally reopening on the evening of 7 Oct. Several waterfront businesses, including Grand Old House and Cayman Cabana, reported signiﬁcant damage to their decks. Community mourns loss of martial arts master Tributes poured in for martial arts master Bob Daigle, who passed away on 7 Oct. at the age of 59, after an 11-month battle with stage-four brain cancer. Daigle moved from his native Boston, in the US, to Cayman in January 1987, and within weeks he opened the Cayman Karate Academy. For the better part of the past 33 years, he served as a trailblazer for the sport in Cayman. Red Bay Primary School student tests positive for COVID-19 A Red Bay Primary School student produced “weakly positive” COVID-19 results, Chief Medical Ofﬁcer Dr. John Lee reported on 9 Oct. Public Health ofﬁcials were dispatched to the school on the same day and completed 200 swab tests on Year 2 classmates of the student, parents, teachers and other staff. The child’s parents and sibling all tested negative for COVID-19 and subsequent contact tracing returned all negative results. Queen awards Dr. Lee an OBE Chief Medical Ofﬁcer Dr. John Lee was made an Ofﬁcer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his outstanding contribution to health services in the Cayman Islands, Governor Martyn Roper announced on 9 Oct. The queen, in her birthday honours list, additionally conferred on Angela Marie Tanzillo-Swarts, forensic DNA specialist at the Health Services Authority, the award of Honorary Member of the British Empire for her contribution to Cayman’s capacity and ability to carry out wide-scale testing. Several members of the local community were also honoured for their work in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Bush returns to Speaker’s chair McKeeva Bush returned to the Speaker’s chair on 14 Oct. for the ﬁrst time since taking a leave of absence in February. He presided over the ﬁrst meeting of the 2020- 2021 sitting of the Legislative Assembly. Opposition MLA Ezzard Miller protested Bush’s return by absenting himself from the Speaker’s opening speech, the only legislator to do so. Bush had taken a leave of absence from his speakership duties following criminal charges arising from an alleged assault at a bar. 43 North Wall dive sites close as coral disease spreads The Department of Environment shut down 43 dive sites along Grand Cayman’s North Wall on 16 Oct. for three months as the island tried to combat the spread of the deadly Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease, ﬁrst reported locally on 3 Sept. The affected dive sites were located between Bear’s Paw at the edge of West Bay and Delia’s Delight off North Side, predominantly along the entrance/exit of the North Sound. Global Citizen initiative begins On 21 Oct., Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell conﬁrmed Cayman was accepting applications for its new Global Citizen Concierge programme. Cayman joined Barbados, Bahamas and Bermuda in offering this option to individuals who wish to work remotely and reside outside of their home country. First same-sex couples celebrate civil unions Samantha Louise Erksine and Alice Hillman Lopez became the ﬁrst same-sex couple in Cayman to have their union legally recognised under the new Civil Partnership Law. The couple, who got married in the United Kingdom three years ago, received their Registration of Overseas Relationship certiﬁcate from Joy Basdeo of Simply Weddings on 29 Oct. Overstayer amnesty ends An amnesty that allowed people to remain in the Cayman Islands, having overstayed the duration allowed by their immigration visas because of the COVID-19 lockdown and associated restrictions, came to an end on 31 Oct. Students like John Gray High School attendee Azani Chambers (above), returned to school as government lifted mask and social-distancing mandates. Passengers disembark from a British Airways ﬂight from London, one of the ﬁrst to arrive following the soft reopening of Cayman's borders on 1 Oct. The Department of Environment posted this photo on 15 Sept. of sand left deposited on Eden Rock by a boat. Coral mortality had already been observed at that time, the department said.Next >