Cayman Compass - 5 March, 2021

EASTERN AVENUE Shrimp 8 $ 8Pc shrimp, regular side and biscuit. TM & © 2021 P ope yes L ouisiana Kit chen, Inc . cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 5-11 March 2021 50 FinalCayman sees 17 new COVID cases Seventeen people tested positive for COVID-19 in the Cayman Islands out of 1,683 test results reported between 26 April and 4 March, according to Government Information Services. Cayman now has had 448 conﬁ rmed cases of COVID-19. Of those, 425 people have fully recovered. There are 21 active cases as of 3 March, including 20 people who are asymptomatic. There have been 74,835 tests conducted in the Cayman Islands since the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic. There were 673 people in isolation as of 4 March. Jamaica requiring negative COVID test for travel The Jamaican government issued new travel requirements on 4 March, which now make it mandatory for all people aged 12 and older to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test at least 72 hours before a ﬂ ight to the Caribbean island. In a statement released by Cayman’s Jamaican Consulate, a spokesperson said that, in addition to providing the negative COVID-19 tests, all people – including Jamaican nationals who are travelling to their home country – will have to receive prior approval by registering online. “We hope travelers to Jamaica will comply with these requirements to avoid disappointments in their travel plans,” said Elaine Harris, the honorary vice-consul. Cayman Airways also issued a statement reminding passengers looking to take an outbound repatriation ﬂ ight to Jamaica that they should have their documents in order prior to travelling. Cayman Airways is currently operating a weekly ﬂ ight to Jamaica through 30 April. 17% of high schoolers have considered suicide About one in six students in Year 9 to Year 12 in the Cayman Islands have seriously considered killing themselves, according to data from the latest National Drug Council Student Drug Use survey. Dr. Erica Lam, clinical consultant at the Alex Panton Foundation, shared that information as she addressed the foundation’s fourth annual Youth Mental Health Symposium, held 20 Feb. “Some of the data is heartbreaking, but I want us to be able to take away one message… put in context with the power and accessibility of our services, we can change these numbers,” Lam said, as she presented the statistics which were gathered before the COVID-19 lockdown. The mental health ﬁ ndings of the survey, in which 3,478 students between the ages of 12 and 17 participated, were released at the symposium. FIN hires divers to clean up debris The FIN development on the George Town coastline has agreed to remove construction debris from the water in front of its site after local conservationists raised concerns about spotting PVC piping, concrete blocks and other items on the seabed. Local resident Rachel Osborne was snorkelling past the site recently when she noticed the debris. She took photos and posted them to social media, where they were reposted by others and led to more than 50 responses where people questioned why this was being allowed to happen. The company denied that construction debris had been dumped deliberately, saying some of the material may have blown into the water during stormy weather. Retired UK cop named as victim in fall Former UK police ofﬁ cer Nicholas John Keane has been named as the 63-year-old visitor who fell to his death from the second-storey balcony at a George Town storage facility on 24 Feb. Police, in a brief statement Wednesday afternoon, said Keane was a retired police ofﬁ cer from the West Midlands area who had been visiting the Cayman Islands on a long-term stay since December. Police and the Department of Labour, Health and Safety are investigating the incident, which happened on Ashgo Street, the RCIPS said. No arrests have been made in relation to the event, according to the police. Woman arrested in police assault case A woman who was throwing rocks at passing cars and who appeared to be under the inﬂ uence of drugs was arrested 27 Feb. after allegedly attacking two police ofﬁ cers, according to the RCIPS. In a statement issued on Tuesday, police said that ofﬁ cers had gone to Safehaven Drive on the Esterley Tibbetts Highway shortly before 11pm after receiving a 911 call about a woman throwing rocks at vehicles on the road. When police arrived, the RCIPS said, the woman “reacted irrationally and showed heightened anxiety” when approached by the uniformed ofﬁ cers, and she ran into the roadway towards oncoming trafﬁ c. The RCIPS said the ofﬁ cers temporarily stopped trafﬁ c on the road and apprehended the woman for her safety. Police said it was later discovered that the woman was in violation of her court order and she was arrested on suspicion of failing to comply with a court order, as well as suspicion of assaulting police. 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 film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK CHAOS WALKING (PG-13) (FRI) 4:O0 | 4:50 VIP | 7:20 | 7:30 VIP | 9:10 VIP | 10:00 (SAT) 2:15 VIP | 4:10 | 4:50 VIP | 7:20 | 7:30 VIP | 9:10 VIP | 10:00 (SUN - THURS) 4:O0 | 4:50 VIP | 7:20 | 7:30 VIP MONSTER HUNTER (PG-13) (FRI) 4:30 | 7:00 | 9:30 (SAT) 2:00 | 7:00 | 9:30 (SUN) 7:00 (MON-THURS) 4:30 | 7:00 RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON (PG ) (FRI) 3:40 VIP | 6:30 VIP | 6:50 | 9:45 (SAT) 12:45 VIP | 1:25 | 3:40 | 3:40 VIP | 6:30 VIP | 6:50 | 9:45 (SUN) 3:40 | 3:40 | 6:30 | 6:50 (MON-THURS) 3:40 VIP | 6:30 VIP | 6:50 THE CROODS: A NEW AGE (PG) (SAT) 1:10 - (SUN) 4:10 VIP | 6:25 THE MARKSMAN (PG-13) (FRI) 4:10 | 9:30 VIP - (SAT) 4:25 | 9:30 VIP (SUN) 4:25 - (MON-THURS) 4:10 TOM & JERRY (PG) (FRI) 4:20 | 7:00 VIP (SAT) 1:35 VIP | 1:50 | 4:20 | 7:00 (SUN-THURS) 4:20 | 7:00 VIP (TUES ONLY) 4:2 0 WRONG TURN (R) (FRI & SAT) 4:15 VIP | 7:10 | 9:50 | 10:10 VIP (MON-THURS) 4:15 VIP | 7:10 For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. CLASSICS STEEL MAGNOLIAS (PG) TUESDAY 7PM VIP RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON (PG ) (MON-THURS) 4:15 VIP | KID CLUB PUSS IN BOOTS (PG) SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE 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 86°F HIGH 74°F LOW Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies with a 30% chance of morning showers. SEA STATE Smooth to slight with wave heights less than 2 ft. Some swells are likely from the north at 2 ft. SAT 86°F HIGH 72°F LOW SUN 86°F HIGH 74°F LOW MON 86°F HIGH 74°F LOW TUES 86°F HIGH 74°F LOW WED 86°F HIGH 76°F LOW THUR 86°F HIGH 76°F LOW caymancompass.comfacebook.com/caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass WINDS Northwest at 5 to 10 knots, becoming northeast at 5 to 10 knots from the afternoon. FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass Former UK police ofﬁ cer Nicholas John Keane who fell to his death on 24 Feb. The FIN construction site as seen from the sea by the ironshore at South Church Street. - Photo: Rachel Osborne news in brief cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 5 MARCH 2021This International Women’s Day, CG celebrates the legacy of woman leaders around the world. As one of the few women led and managed international companies, we know how instrumental women are to the success of our organization. As we look to the future, we are committed to the success of the women in our CG family. Naz Farrow, our CEO, is leading the way for CG as we work to innovate for the future. She is committed to leading an organization that champions the voices of all the women that make us who we are. This International Women’s Day, CG celebrates the legacy of woman leaders around the world. As one of the few women led and managed international companies, we know how instrumental women are to the success of our organization. As we look to the future, we are committed to the success of the Naz Farrow, our CEO, is leading the way for CG as we work to innovate for the future. She is committed to leading an organization that champions the voices of all the women that “Sheryl Sandberg was right when she said, ‘In the future, there will be no female leaders, there will just be leaders.’” Naz Farrow, CEO Coralisle Group Limited HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY! cgcoralisle.com | @cgcoralisle Member of Coralisle Group Ltd. British Caymanian Insurance Company Limited rated A (Excellent) by AM Best. of our sta is female of those women lead at management level 72% 26% cayman compass 3 FRIDAY, 5 MARCH 20211234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Particular aspect (5) 4 North American treeless grassland (7) 8 Precious stone (3) 9 Create great impression (2,4,3) 10 Performance of music (7) 11 Different (5) 13 Malodorous (6) 15 Supreme happiness (6) 18 Sudden uncontrollable fear (5) 19 Stupid person (7) 21 Thoroughgoing (3-3-3) 23 Tease (3) 24 High-flown (7) 25 Unpleasantly self-assertive (5) DOWN 1 Arithmetical calculations (7) 2 Confess everything (4,5) 3 Not easily obtainable (5) 4 Not very well (6) 5 Wonderful (7) 6 Steal from (3) 7 English composer (5) 12 To quarrel (4,5) 14 Abuse of freedom (7) 16 In particular (7) 17 Fastidious (6) 18 Convincing evidence (5) 20 Reduction in intensity (3-2) 22 Moreover (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16631 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 16631 ACROSS: 1 Facet, 4 Prairie, 8 Gem, 9 Go over big, 10 Recital, 11 Other, 13 Smelly, 15 Heaven, 18 Panic, 19 Halfwit, 21 Out-and-out, 23 Rib, 24 Flowery, 25 Pushy. DOWN: 1 Figures, 2 Come clean, 3 Tight, 4 Poorly, 5 Awesome, 6 Rob, 7 Elgar, 12 Have words, 14 Licence, 16 Notably, 17 Choosy, 18 Proof, 20 Let-up, 22 Too. cartoon Whot called the police? - By Caymanman Cayman now knows who the candidates will be at the general election. But the choice facing voters is far from clear. The party system collapsed following the collaboration of the Progressives and the remnants of the United Democratic Party after the 2017 poll. While few will lament the demise of the kind of acrimonious personality-led politics we have seen at times, the vacuum left by its demise has created considerable uncertainty going into this campaign. With the Progressives running candidates in less than half of the 19 constituencies and no other party contesting more than a single seat, it is hard to discern at this point who is partnered with whom and what exactly they stand for. No doubt we will see coalitions, alliances and old-school ‘teams’ emerge over the next six weeks. But in all likelihood, the ﬁ nal election count on 14 April will not deliver a decisive result. The real race to form a government will begin once the polls close and the 19 winning candidates negotiate behind closed doors. That was true in 2017, too, when McKeeva Bush was initially announced as premier-elect in a coalition of independents which lasted fewer than 24 hours. Ultimately, it took almost a week for the deal that ushered in the National Unity government to be announced. As we approach the 2021 campaign, with a ﬁ eld of 40 genuine independents and 10 candidates that are part of the Progressives alliance, it is hard to see a route to a swift result. Voters could well ﬁ nd themselves checking an X, thinking they are striking a blow against the current leadership, only to ﬁ nd their candidate partnering up with them after the polls close. A parliament dominated by independent candidates can be a good thing, especially in a country of Cayman’s size. It leaves no space for makeweight politicians whose only role is to nod along and follow the leader. But this type of election requires honest upfront disclosure from candidates and more considered thought from voters. We urge everyone running for ofﬁ ce to nail their colours to the mast and tell people who they are with and how they would seek to form a government. Don’t wait until after the vote, when the carrot of a Cabinet position is dangled, to reveal where your allegiances lie and which of your manifesto promises you are willing to sacriﬁ ce for a seat at the top table. We advise voters to listen to their candidates closely and judge wisely. The reality is that when the negotiations shake out, any one of them could end up in charge of the country’s education system or marshalling our continued response to the pandemic. We need to vote for people that are ready for that challenge. Cayman’s political system also needs to mature to meet the changing times. It seems unlikely that the next government will be able to claim it has a clear mandate from the people to carry out a speciﬁ c set of policies. The voices of opposition members and the public at large must be heard. That can be through greater participatory democracy – as some political hopefuls have called for. It can also be through a more inclusive, bipartisan approach to parliamentary politics. In today’s paper, we highlight multiple ideas, from opposition-led private members motions over the past 20 years. They range from a two- decades-old call for the implementation of a Referendum Law to a simple suggestion that the numerous untrained boaters mobbing the North Sound undergo a basic operator’s test. Even those that attracted the full support of the House were never followed through. Editorial Candidates step forward but choices far from clear What capital infrastructure project should Cayman prioritise over the next four years? Completion of the landll cayman compass ONLINE POLL 37% New sub-sea telecoms cable 7% Housing3% Cruise berthing port 2% New prison 0% 5% New school space Cargo port 4% Solar farms/ renewable energy facilities 14% Sewage system 3% Road infrastructure 23% cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 5 MARCH 2021197214_PRINT-Ad-Compass-FP-IrishPage 1 3/2/21 1:53:18 PM cayman compass 5 FRIDAY, 5 MARCH 2021RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky The general election is inching closer every day and on 14 April voters will cast their ballots for their candidate of choice. In the run-up to the polls, the Cayman Compass will be checking in with constituents across the islands in this special ‘Voter Voices’ series to hear what issues are uppermost in their minds when it comes to deciding who they want for their Member of Parliament. Prior to the commencement of the One Man One Vote electoral system in 2017, voters in the district of George Town were able to cast ballots for more than one representative. Now that single district, which once had five representatives, is broken up into seven constituencies stretching from the heart of the capital to the edge of Prospect. Issues important to the residents in those communities are as varied as the constituencies that make up the district. School Road resident Jenny Jones says she has seen many changes in her community, but an increase in traffic and speeding troubles her. Even though speed bumps have been installed in the area, Jones says some drivers do not seem to recognise them. “They still speed… sometimes you wonder where they are going because they have to stop further down the road,” she said. Jones resides in the George Town Central constituency, which is held by incumbent Kenneth Bryan. Progressives candidate Frank Cornwall is challenging him for the seat. With George Town Primary School a stone’s throw away from her doorstep, Jones said she would like to see motorists be more mindful as they traverse through her community. Added to this, Jones said, she would like to see a more meaningful plan to address traffic congestion. “Oh Jesus, yes, there is a lot of traffic, a lot of traffic. Sometimes it’s more busy than in town…. It’s very busy at lunch time… during school hours it’s real busy, but after that, during the day, it’s quiet,” she said. Jones’s house is a street away from the waterfront and the heart of the capital. She sees poor parking by drivers, especially when sporting events are being held at the Annex, and she would like to see something done to address this. Another School Road resident, Malcolm Brown, shared Jones’s concern about road users and the way they traverse the area. He pointed out that the roads close to his home are hard to navigate. During the interview, a truck pulling a trailer was seen struggling to make the turn at the corner of School Road, which Brown said was a regular occurrence. Added to this, he said, is the pothole situation, which he would like to be resolved. “I would like to have a nice road around here because most of the time, when the rain falls, we have plenty of potholes, and the [National] Roads Authority might come and fill them ... but after a while the rain falls again, it’s the same problem again. This road is not good, your car drops in a pothole,” he said. Brown said he would like to see more emphasis placed on the elderly and helping them have a better quality of life. “I would like them to just fix School Road and help the younger persons and the older persons... because it’s not everybody have things, like some other people,” Brown added. Jones shared the sentiment, saying she would like to see candidates come up with a plan to assist senior citizens like herself with paying their healthcare expenses. “I have to pay cash out of my pocket. I go to specialists and sometimes they send me to take a test… An MRI is, like, $1,100 and that has to come out of your pocket. My regular medication is almost $400 a month,” Jones said. Businessman Rupert Hunt, who lives on Crewe Road, in the George Town West constituency, said, like Jones, he would like to see a comprehensive traffic- management plan. “The major issue I see right now is the traffic in the morning; the traffic is terrible. In the evening, the same thing. Sometimes, even in Traffic, employment top GT voters’ issues Howell: Postal and mobile voting will be used RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Quarantining voters will be allowed to cast their ballots in the general election using mobile or postal voting, Elections Supervisor Wesley Howell has confirmed. “We have discussed some ways that we can protect our workers, protect the community and protect the voters and still allow them to mark the ballots, but it wouldn’t be at the polls on the 14th [April,]” Howell said when he appeared on the Cayman Compass weekly Facebook talk show The Resh Hour on 3 March. Addressing the issue, Howell said plans are being put in place for voting to be conducted at isolation locations on 10 and 11 April, “but they would have to go through that process of applying either for a postal ballot or for mobile voting”. Protocols in place This process, he said, will be done under strict health protocols with the assistance of medical professionals who are familiar with full PPE gear and the proper procedures. “They will be the ones interacting with the persons in isolation and we have a system that we are working out with Public Health and Dr. [John] Lee in relation to ensuring that’s done in a safe manner,” he said. The Human Rights Commission, on 25 Feb., raised concerns about isolating voters being shut out of the election process; however, Howell said - even before that red flag was waved - his team, Public Health; Lee, the chief medical officer; and Travel Cayman were working on a solution to ensure quarantining voters were not disenfranchised. For his part, Howell said his preference for those who are likely to wind-up in quarantine around 14 April would be to dispatch postal ballots, as opposed to mobile, since it would reduce the risk of exposure for staff. “Persons can request those postal ballots. Now we can send that to them by courier. We’re looking at next day, if not, a sort of two or three-day turnaround. They can get it back to us and they can vote before they come on island. If they’re on the island, they can request mobile voting and the deadline for that is the 6th of April which is the day after Easter Monday,” he said. As of 3 March, Howell said, 86 postal ballot applications were filed and 206 mobile voting forms were received. With his announcement on the talkshow, Howell said, he expects that number to increase. Given that there is, on average, around 800 individuals in isolation, some of whom are eligible voters, it is imperative they get the chance to cast ballots. Added to this, with the small margins of victory in the last election, every vote will be crucial. Howell said Cabinet approved the recommendation from his office to use a courier service for outgoing ballots and for the Elections Office to pay for the return courier which means the voter will not have to cover those costs. “That’s because we realised that mail isn’t flowing between some countries and individuals have no other option other than courier if they’re going to be voting by postal ballot,” Howell said. He appealed to voters who may be travelling and are likely to wind up in quarantine around 14 April to apply as soon as they can for postal ballots which will reduce the number of mobile voting stops the Elections Office will have to conduct on 10 and 11 April. “Our legislation, as it is, does not permit us to send postal ballots to persons that are within the Cayman Islands. So, you either have to be leaving or overseas in order to have a postal ballot. If there’s someone who’s leaving next week Monday [8 March] and is coming back on island around the end of the month, [ahead of their trip] they can actually request a postal ballot and they can have that issued to be picked up at our office,” he said. By doing it this way, he said, the departing voters “can actually mark that ballot, seal it back up and [put it] in the envelope and deposit in one of our secure boxes and that would be counted just like any other postal ballots.” He recommended having this done before departure as a negative PCR test is required for entry into Cayman and if, perchance, that voter tests positive they will have to remain where they are, until cleared for inbound travel. Howell also cautioned candidates about assisting voters in the postal and mobile voting Quarantining voters get green light 86 postal ballot applications 206 mobile voting applications GEORGE TOWN CENTRAL 1,411 GEORGE TOWN EAST 1,461 GEORGE TOWN NORTH 1,305 GEORGE TOWN WEST 1,292 GEORGE TOWN SOUTH 1,332 (pending confirmation 1 April) Malcolm BrownJenny JonesRupert Hunt cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 5 MARCH 2021IN THE UTILITY INDUSTR Y CELEBRA TING Women at CUC Employees are Women CELEBRATING Caymanian are of workforce are in Senior leadership roles are Supervisors MARCH 8, 2021 application process, since it is not the same as helping with voter registration. “The law is quite speciﬁ c when it comes to the applications for mobile voting or postal voting in that a candidate or an agent commits an offence if they ﬁ ll out or witness one of those forms. That’s a deﬁ nite no-no and we want to encourage persons not to do that,” he said. The same goes for the declaration of identity that goes out with a postal ballot, he said. Anyone found doing this, Howell said, would be barred from ever running again. The offence also carries an imprisonment of up to six months. “We have some new candidates now that haven’t run before; we wanted to ensure that they’re aware that that’s a requirement,” he added. Ballot printing begins On 1 March, 50 candidates ﬁ led their nomination forms to contest seats in the general election. On 4 March, the Elections Ofﬁ ce issued its notice of contested elections and thus far, all candidates appear to have met the legal requirements to stand for ofﬁ ce. Unlike in 2017, he said the Elections Ofﬁ ce waited for the contested elections period to be over to print ballots; this time around, due to the short space of time available, the printing will go ahead 6 and 7 March. “We’re issuing our first set of postal ballots seven days after nomination, so that’s Monday [8 March]. By next week, even though we’re still [some 40- odd] days away from Election Day, ballots will be dispatched to individuals,” Howell said. The printed ballots and returned ballots are secured and stored by the Elections Ofﬁ ce. Should any candidate be disqualiﬁ ed even though the ballot has already been printed with that individual’s name on it, Howell said, it will be treated as if the person had withdrawn from the election. 2017 WINNERS GEORGE TOWN CENTRAL Bryan, Kenneth Vernon 495 51.83% GEORGE TOWN EAST McTaggart, Roy Michael 410 45.50% GEORGE TOWN WEST Wight, David Charles 350 40.84% GEORGE TOWN NORTH Hew, Joseph Xavier 402 51.08% GEORGE TOWN SOUTH Conolly, Barbara Elizabeth 375 40.67% GEORGE TOWN CANDIDATES GEORGE TOWN CENTRAL Kenneth Bryan Frank Cornwall GEORGE TOWN EAST Richard Bernard Emily DeCou Roy McTaggart Christina Hislop Rowlandson Frank McField GEORGE TOWN WEST Pearlina McGaw-Lumsden Ellio Solomon Kenrick Webster David Wight GEORGE TOWN NORTH Joey Hew Johann Moxam GEORGE TOWN SOUTH Barbara Conolly Alric Lindsay Watch full video online at caymancompass.com. Quarantining voters get green light the mid-day, there’s trafﬁ c on Crewe Road. Where I live borders between the old Crewe Road and South Sound, and trafﬁ c is terrible,” he said. Hunt suggested a return to the idea of interchanges to ease the ﬂ ow of trafﬁ c into the capital. He also said he is troubled by the lack of job opportunities for young Caymanians, especially those who are professionally qualiﬁ ed. “The government gives them scholarships to go away to study law, to do a doctorate and do other different jobs that they study for, and when they come back they cannot get a job, and still they have these scholarships and money that they borrow to go abroad to study they have to pay back to the bank ... and still they can’t get to work,” he said. Hunt said he believes agencies like the Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman (WORC) are “trying their best” but “their best is not good enough”. Trafﬁ c, employment top GT voters’ issues cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 5 MARCH 2021 news NGender equality: Is now the time to go further, faster? ey.com/cayman © 2020 EYGM Limited. All Rights Reserved. EYG no. 001078-21Gbl. 2102-3716969 FSO Vaccine chartVaccine chartVaccine chart Gibraltar 2.72 Seychelles 1.75 Barbados 1.10 Bermuda 1.09 Israel 1.02 Maldives 1.02 Cayman Islands 0.89 Falkland Islands 0.89 Montserrat 0.86 Isle of Man 0.80 Anguilla 0.65 United Arab Emirates 0.62 United Kingdom 0.58 United States 0.58 Malta 0.50 Morocco 0.50 Hungary 0.49 Jersey 0.47 Guernsey 0.43 Serbia 0.42 Gibraltar Seychelles Barbados Bermuda Israel Maldives Cayman Islands Falkland Islands Montserrat Isle of Man Anguilla United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United StatesMalta Morocco Hungary Jersey Guernsey Serbia SOURCE: OUR WORLD IN DATA, AS OF 3 MARCH. NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky The COVID-19 vaccine is now available to all Cayman Islands residents, with the addition of ‘stage 3’ recipients in alphabetical order, health ofﬁ cials have announced. Anyone in stages 1 and 2 can attend at any time during clinic hours, while those in stage 3 will receive their jabs according to their surnames. For example, on Friday, 5 March, anyone in stage 3 with a surname beginning with A could get their ﬁ rst dose, those with a surname beginning with a B could get their jab the next day, and so on. A notice regarding the vaccination schedule stated that medical notes and employer letters will no longer be required from 5 March. However, everyone showing up for a vaccination must still present photo identiﬁ cation to prove they are an ordinary and legal resident, and facemasks are required inside vaccination clinics. Premier Alden McLaughlin has said that once 70% of Cayman’s population has been vaccinated, the government is likely to abolish mandatory quarantine periods for arriving passengers who have been inoculated. As of 4 March, 25.5% of the population, or 16,603 people, had received at least one dose of the Pﬁ zer-BioNTech vaccine, while 8,805 of those had completed the two-dose course. McLaughlin, speaking at a press conference last month, said he expected the vaccination rate locally to increase rapidly once the inoculations become available to all sections of the community. “I’m still hopeful that by perhaps the end of April or early May, Cayman will be one of the few countries in the world that can reopen safely without having to quarantine people,” he said at the 23 Feb. brieﬁ ng. High vaccination rate Cayman’s vaccination rate per capita is ranked seventh in the world, according to research group Our World in Data. The only countries or jurisdictions that rank higher are Israel, British Overseas Territories Gibraltar and Bermuda, and island nations Barbados, Seychelles and the Maldives. With Cayman’s population estimated to be just under 65,000, according to the Economics and Statistics Ofﬁ ce (based on ﬁ gures from Spring 2020), 45,500 people would need to receive both doses of the vaccine before quarantine could be scrapped. Only adults are being vaccinated, as there has not been enough research yet on the effects of the vaccine on children. Also, young people who do contract the virus have been found to generally not suffer severe symptoms. According to the ESO’s latest available statistics – from the 2019 Labour Force Survey – Cayman’s under-18 population is 12,885, Meanwhile, Cayman is edging closer to its target to inoculate 90% of the 60-and-over population. As of 1 March, 85% of people in that age category had received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 90% of those aged over 70 had received at least one shot. Vaccinations now open to all residents The vaccination clinic at the Owen Roberts International Airport will operate from 9am to noon and from 1:30pm to 4pm on Monday- Friday, and from 9am to noon and 1:30pm to 3pm on Saturdays. Statistics refer to at least one dose per 100 people. cayman compass 8 news N news FRIDAY, 5 MARCH 2021ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmeida.ky More than $30 million will be spent to build, widen and expand a network of roads across Grand Cayman over the next three years, said Infrastructure Minister Joey Hew on 3 March, as he toured various sites with other government ministers and officials. The multi-year project has been two years in the making, Hew explained, responding to Compass questions about the timing of the work falling close to the general election date. Funding for the project was approved in the last budget cycle, Hew said, but work was delayed because of the COVID-19 lockdown. The network expansion works consist of five sub-projects, some of which are being constructed simultaneously. Rex Crighton Boulevard The Rex Crighton Boulevard (formerly the East West Arterial) will be expanded by two miles from Hirst Road to east of Woodland Drive in Bodden Town. The expansion has the potential to impact indigenous flora and fauna in the area. To mitigate against this, Hew said, his team has been in contact with the National Conservation Council. “This is of national importance for us; it is extremely critical to relieve some of the stress for persons in the eastern districts,” he said. “But at the same time, we want to be as environmentally sensitive as possible. However, we can’t delay this for years doing studies, etc. So, we have been working with the National Conservation Council, and we are very optimistic that they will work with us in allowing us to continue to build the road.” Godfrey Nixon Way An extension of Godfrey Nixon Way in George Town is about three months away from being completed, officials said. When finished, it will stretch from the traffic lights, past the Blue Marlin restaurant and bar on Eastern Avenue, and end by Da Fish Shack restaurant on North Church Street. Hew said this stretch of road will be a first of its kind for Cayman, because it will be built using the ‘complete streets’ methodology. “We are going to move away from building roads for cars and go towards building roads for the movement of people,” the minister said. “Whether they are on foot, on bicycles, on scooters or cars, the complete streets methodology allows everyone to use the streets safely.” Shamrock Road A stretch of Shamrock Road that runs from the Red Bay roundabout to the Grand Harbour roundabout, where work began in 2019, is expected to resume, and will see a third lane added to the side leading into George Town, which will result in a total of six lanes. Grand Harbour connector road A new road is also under construction that will stretch from the Grand Harbour roundabout and connect to the CUC roundabout on Crewe Road. Airport Connector Road The first phase of the Airport Connector Road is currently under construction. When complete, the road will run from between Cayman International School and the George Town Landfill, and will eventually lead down to Sparky Drive in Industrial Park. “We will also connect Seymour Drive into that as well,” said Hew. “This will alleviate a lot of the pressure on the Butterfield roundabout on the North Sound Road… we are anticipating that a lot of the commercial traffic, in particular on Seymour Drive and Sparky Drive, will take advantage of that connector.” Hew said the second phase of that road, which will lead to the George Town Yacht Club, will depend on the outcome of negotiations with the landowner. Linford Pierson Highway Hew said government is also in the final gazettal stages of the widening of the Linford Pierson Highway and, once completed, work will begin to create three lanes that will connect to the Tortuga roundabout. Government remains locked in a legal battle with the landowners of a horse stable on the Linford Pierson Highway; if it receives a favourable outcome, it will be able to construct an additional two lanes leading towards the eastern districts. Combating traffic woes The slew of road projects is expected to help ease the traffic congestion experienced by commuters from the eastern districts. However, Hew said that this is not a viable solution to the ever-increasing traffic problem. “We cannot continue to build our way out of traffic congestion,” said Hew, who acknowledged that while the new roads will provide momentary “relief right now for the eastern districts”, there needed to be a comprehensive traffic management plan. He added, “[The Godfrey Nixon Highway extension] in particular, is a part of the whole George Town revitalisation plan, relieving pressures in and out of town, building the connectors in between – there are a lot of plans involving that.” Government is currently piloting a free shuttle programme throughout George Town, which was designed to help reduce the number of cars coming in and out of the central business district. However, an unreliable public transportation system has long plagued Cayman and has fuelled traffic woes. Now, the system is under review. “It’s not just about getting bigger buses,” said Hew. “I want us to think: how do we move people safely and comfortably?” Multi-million dollar road projects ‘2 years in the making’ A map of the Airport Connector Road. A map of the East West Arterial expansion. Infrastructure Minister Joey Hew. – File photo. A connector road is being constructed that runs adjacent to the George Town landfill. – Photo Andrel Harris. When finished, the Godfrey Nixon extension will be Cayman's first road built using the complete streets methodology. – Photo Andrel Harris. cayman compass 9 news N news FRIDAY, 5 MARCH 2021Next >