Cayman Compass - 12 March, 2021

EASTERN AVENUE Shrimp 8 $ 8Pc shrimp, regular side and biscuit. TM & © 2021 P ope yes L ouisiana Kit chen, Inc . Your most trusted news source Established 1965 cayman compass $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 12 -18 March 2021 Our year of COVID From the Costa Luminosa to the vaccine, we look back at Cayman's experience with the coronavirus. Page 6 2020 2021Matinees (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-SAT) 4:45 VIP | 7:10 | 10:00 (SUN) 4:00 | 4:45 VIP 7:10 | 7:20 VIP (MON-THURS) 4:45 VIP | 7:10 I CARE A LOT (R) (FRI) 3:45 | 7:00 | 7:30 VIP | 9:45 (SAT) 1:30 VIP | 3:45 | 7:00 | 7:30 VIP | 9:45 (MON-THURS) 3:45 | 7:00 | 7:30 VIP RAYA ANDTHE LAST DRAGON (PG) (FRI) 4:20 | 6:30 VIP | 9:15 VIP (SAT) 1:00 VIP | 1:35 | 4:20 | 6:30 VIP | 9:15 VIP (SUN) 3:40 VIP | 4:20 | 6:30 VIP | 7:00 (MON-THURS) 4:20 | 6:30 VIP ROOHI (R) (FRI-SAT) 4:00 | 7:00 VIP | 9:00 (MON-THURS) 4:00 | 7:00 VIP THE MARKSMAN (PG-13) (FRI-SAT) 3:50 VIP | 7:15 | 9:50 |10:15 VIP (SUN-THURS) 4:35 | 7:15 TOM & JERRY (PG) (FRI) 4:30 VIP | 6:30 (SAT) 1:15 | 2:00 VIP | 4:30VIP | 6:30 (SUN) 3:30 | 4:30 VIP | 6:30 | 7:00 VIP (MON-WED) 4:30 VIP | 6:40 WRONG TURN (R) (FRI) 3:30 | 10:05 VIP (SAT) 12:30 | 3:30 | 10:05 VIP (MON-THURS) 3:30 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 MEN IN BLACK (PG-13) TUESDAY 7PM VIP KID CLUB COCO (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 81°F HIGH 72°F LOW Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies becoming cloudy at times with a 30% chance of overnight showers. SEA STATE Rough with wave heights of 5 to 7 feet Small craft warning remains in effect. SAT 82°F HIGH 72°F LOW SUN 86°F HIGH 72°F LOW MON 83°F HIGH 74°F LOW TUES 83°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 Northeast at 20 to 25 knots with higher gusts. FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass Vaccination numbers grow Almost one-third of Cayman’s estimated population of 65,000 have now received at least one dose of the Pﬁ zer-BioNTech vaccine. There have been 20,049 people who have received at least one dose as of 10 March, while another 9,844 people have completed the two-dose course. The total number of people who have received the vaccine as of 10 March is 29,893. 12 more test positive for COVID-19 Between 5 and 10 March, 12 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the Cayman Islands. All 12 were recent travellers who were found during the routine screening process. This brings the total number of people who have tested positive locally since the start of the pandemic to 460, of which 430 have fully recovered. There were 30 active cases as of 10 March, according to Government Information Services. Governor: Quarantine breach prosecutions ‘complex’ In the wake of a fresh quarantine breach this week and a lack of convictions for the offence since last year’s high-proﬁ le sentencing of Skylar Mack and Vanjae Ramgeet, the governor stressed it was important to let the legal process “run its course”. Speaking at the 10 March COVID-19 press conference, Martyn Roper said it was crucial to let the “independent judicial process” play out when it comes to pursuing quarantine breaches in the courts. “The police will prepare any cases and they will go to the director of public prosecutions who will decide if it proceeds to court; we have to let that process operate in an independent way. All I can say is that a lot of these cases are quite complex and you have to have the right information to be able to move forward,” Roper stated. The ﬁ rst quarantine prosecution was of a couple who were ﬁ ned $1,000 each for multiple quarantine violations in November. Since then, several breaches have been investigated, including one on Cayman Brac, although no one has been sentenced since Mack and Ramgeet in December 2020. Plans for ‘small number’ of alternate vaccines Announcing the timeline for the arrival of more than 100,000 Pﬁ zer-BioNTech vaccine doses in total to Cayman, the governor also set out plans for his ofﬁ ce to support a small number of people seeking the AstraZeneca vaccine. “It’s a very small number of people who’ve said they, for medical reasons, would rather have AstraZeneca instead of Pﬁ zer, because they are different types of vaccine, so we will obviously try to support that,” Roper said. Details of those plans were not available “at this stage”, he added. Brac gets new ﬁ re truck One of Cayman’s new ﬁ re trucks has been delivered to Cayman Brac. The new Oshkosh ﬁ re truck arrived on 6 March aboard a barge and was received by Divisional Ofﬁ cer Witney Tatum and other ﬁ remen. The vehicle was one of three new trucks added to the Cayman Islands Fire Service ﬂ eet in 2020. The three tankers cost US$632,734 each, while the four rapid intervention vehicles each cost US$271,711. The old tankers were replaced after 13-to-15 years of service. Domestic election watchers sought Governor Martyn Roper has conﬁ rmed that, due to COVID-19 restrictions, no international election observers will be coming to Cayman to oversee the 2021 general elections. Instead, Roper, through a 9 March statement, invited interested individuals to apply to serve as domestic election observers for the 14 April polls. “On the ground election observation is important for public reassurance, including on Election Day. This is an exceptional opportunity for anyone resident in the Cayman Islands to serve the community and help to ensure that the upcoming General Election has credible results and is conducted in a free and fair manner,” Roper said in a statement shared on his ofﬁ cial Facebook page. He explained that the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK (CPA-UK) International Election Observer Mission will be unable to travel to the Cayman Islands for the general election on Wednesday, 14 April “due to COVID-19 related travel disruptions”. The CPA-UK will instead be conducting a virtual mission by remotely engaging with stakeholders within the Cayman Islands, Roper said. Almost 1,000 get health insurance support Just under 1,000 displaced Caymanian workers have received assistance through government’s Health Insurance Premiums Payment Assistance Programme, Health Minister Dwayne Seymour has conﬁ rmed. Seymour, speaking at Wednesday’s COVID-19 brieﬁ ng, said to date the Health Insurance Commission has recommended and approved assistance for 984 people under the programme, which began on 1 March this year. Seymour said displaced workers have until Friday, 19 March, to submit applications to the commission to get help with payments for health coverage which will start 1 April. The programme, which was speciﬁ cally designed to help those in the tourism and hospitality industry impacted by the border closure, has been extended through June. news in brief These three aviation Oshkosh Strikers were added to the Fire Service ﬂ eet last year. cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 12 MARCH 2021NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky Cayman has reached its target of vaccinating 90% of the over-60 population, Premier Alden McLaughlin announced on 10 March and, as a result, the jurisdiction’s mandatory quarantine period will be reduced to 10 days from 22 March. There are approximately 5,000 people living in the Cayman Islands who are aged 60 or over. Speaking at a press briefing, the premier said Cayman had reached the “much-anticipated milestone” and more than 91% of that population had been vaccinated. “This gives us confidence that the most vulnerable have been protected for the worst of COVID-19 disease,” he said. From 22 March, people arriving on island who have been vaccinated at least two weeks beforehand will only need to be in isolation for 10 days, rather than the current 14 days. Travellers will continue to be required to provide a negative PCR result from a test taken within 72 hours of travel, as well as a negative result from a test taken at the airport upon arrival. The premier confirmed at the briefing that children will still need to undergo a 14-day quarantine, as currently anyone under the age of 16 cannot get vaccinated. Family members quarantining with children would also need to remain in isolation for 14 days. Cayman’s borders remain closed to general tourism. McLaughlin said between 70% and 80% of the entire population would need to be vaccinated before the borders could be fully opened, while keeping other protection protocols in place. He stated Cayman had “a ways to go still, but we’re certainly well on the way”. As of 10 March, more than 30% – or 20,049 – of Cayman’s estimated population of 65,000 had received at least one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, according to health officials. Of those, 9,844 had completed the two-dose course. There are currently 30 active cases of COVID in Cayman, including two people who are symptomatic. None of these cases have required hospitalisation. Since March last year, 460 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Cayman. Quarantine requirements The premier outlined the reasoning behind why vaccinated travellers require quarantine, stating that the vaccine is not 100% effective and a number of people may not have an immunity response. He said there was “still a small chance a fully vaccinated person with a good immunity response could carry and transmit the virus to someone else”. McLaughlin added that there were different variants of the virus with higher degrees of transmission that needed “to be followed carefully”. He said Cayman would continue to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 worldwide, pointing out that the number of cases was falling in the UK and US. “If the falls in infection prevalence continue and our vaccination numbers continue to rise, we should be able to further reduce the quarantine period while watching the variants of concern,” the premier said. “When we reach the threshold that a substantial percentage of the population will be vaccinated, then we should be able to remove the need for quarantine altogether. But to reach a rate of, for example, 80%, it is likely we will need to have vaccinations available for children too, which should be coming by the summer,” he added. McLaughlin also stated that new regulations, which will come into effect on 22 March, make it an offence for people to present to authorities false vaccination documentation. Such an offence would carry a maximum penalty of a $10,000 fine and two years in prison. Medical vaccination certificates can be submitted in an electronic form, he added. More vaccines on the way Governor Martyn Roper said that by early May, it will be possible that all those in Cayman over the age of 16 could be vaccinated, as by then, more than 100,000 doses will have been delivered from the UK. So far, Cayman has received 38,000 doses of the vaccine. Another 20,000 doses were scheduled to arrive Thursday, 11 March, on the British Airways flight. Then, on 25 March, a further 20,000 doses are expected to arrive, with the final delivery of 23,000 doses scheduled to be flown in on 7 April, the governor said. He urged anyone who remained hesitant about taking the vaccine, “not to listen to irresponsible, false conspiracy theories” and to come forward to be inoculated. Medical Officer of Health Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez, when asked if any serious side effects from the vaccine had been reported, said the most common ones were pain at the injection site and low-grade fever that lasts a day or two, which he said could be treated with common painkillers. Everyone getting their second dose currently has to fill out a form detailing any side effects they had suffered following the first shot. Anyone who suffers unusual side effects, like swollen or enlarged lymph nodes or feeling ill, following the second dose are advised to call 947-3077 or email flu@hsa.ky. The premier said recent reports had confirmed that the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines protected not only against serious symptoms of COVID-19, but also offered a good degree of protection from transmission of the virus. Quarantine period reduced as Cayman meets vaccine target for over-60s From left, Finance Minister Roy McTaggart, Premier Alden McLaughlin, Governor Martyn Roper and Health Minister Dwayne Seymour at a press briefing on 10 March to give an update on vaccinations. – Photos: Alvaro Serey. Premier Alden McLaughlin points to his ‘I got my COVID-19 vaccine’ badge following a press briefing on Wednesday to announce a shorter quarantine period. Governor Martyn Roper points to his ‘I got my COVID-19 vaccine’ badge. More than 91% of that population had been vaccinated cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 12 MARCH 2021 3islands. In political matters, Caymanians tend to gravitate toward personalities rather than ideologies. In the second instance, we do not have a history of collective action arising out of unbearable economic circumstances such as has been experienced in other jurisdictions. For example, it is widely mooted that the events of the Morant Bay rebellion and its aftermath in 1865 has been the catalyst for modern political developments in nearby Jamaica. Thirdly, the Cayman Islands, unlike Jamaica, still labour under a racially nuanced political system where the near white business establishment and a nervous expatriacy are uneasy about black people dominating Caymanian political leadership. This, coupled with the Caymanian penchant for ‘voluntary colonialism’, makes it difﬁ cult, if not impossible, for even the most progressive persons of colour to attain political leadership . Party politics to the uninformed Caymanian have been associated with ‘independence’, ‘corruption’ and ‘malfeasance’. I make the point however, that given the behaviour of several legislators over the recent past, such behaviour most certainly cannot be attributed to party politics. There is one fundamental point which is left to be made in this discussion of the failure of party politics in 21st century Cayman Islands. Little to no attempt has been made in the political education of the members that it is the organisation which should be the centre and not the leader. Not since Panton and the NDP has this been the case in Caymanian party politics. If we take the Unity Team as a party, it was Jim Bodden; then in the National Team it was Truman Bodden, although he would pretend it was otherwise. In the case of the UDP (which I posit is the classic textbook case ) it was McKeeva Bush. Most recently, it has been Alden McLaughlin leading the Progressives. In none of these iterations of what has passed as political parties have there been regular party conferences where the leadership is chosen through a competitive process. Will this system continue when it is clear that a younger more educated cadre of Caymanians are ﬁ nding the vocation of politics attractive? Caymanian politics are also changing due to the inﬂ uence of online media organisations like Cayman Marl Road , Cayman News Service and Cayman Compass online. This change is from a linear political monologue by the politicians to an interactive political conversation facilitated by the online news services which enable the questioning and “calling out” of politicians and political candidates. Roy Bodden 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Mercy granted to enemy (7) 5 Injustice (5) 8 Exposed to public view (2,3,4) 9 Road-surfacing material (3) 10 Benevolent (4) 12 Abundantly productive (8) 14 Sumptuous environment (6) 15 In arrears (6) 17 Careless and untidy (8) 18 One’s own interests (4) 21 A sturdy timber (3) 22 Traditionalists (3,6) 24 Colour slightly (5) 25 Confirm (7) DOWN 1 Fast (5) 2 Knack (3) 3 Abound (4) 4 Sound of explosion (6) 5 Canadian city (8) 6 Askew (3,2,4) 7 Distorted in the telling (7) 11 Closest living relative (4,2,3) 13 Macabre (8) 14 Fail to get expected reward (4,3) 16 Solemn undertaking (6) 19 Treacherous (5) 20 Sour (4) 23 Implement used by rowers (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16637 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 16637 ACROSS: 1 Quarter, 5 Wrong, 8 In the open, 9 Tar, 10 Kind, 12 Fruitful, 14 Luxury, 15 Behind, 17 Slovenly, 18 Self, 21 Oak, 22 Old school, 24 Tinge, 25 Endorse. DOWN: 1 Quick, 2 Art, 3 Teem, 4 Report, 5 Winnipeg, 6 Out of line, 7 Garbled, 11 Next of kin, 13 Gruesome, 14 Lose out, 16 Pledge, 19 False, 20 Acid, 23 Oar. I have always been in favour of party politics for the Cayman Islands. In the past, there were two attempts to form political parties in these islands. The ﬁ rst was in 1958 when a group of then prominent Caymanians, among whom was Warren Conolly, formed the Cayman Vanguard Progressive Party. In the election which followed, the party was sabotaged by malicious rumour- mongering and prejudice by the Caymanian establishment. That put an end to political party activity until 1962. In that year, prominent Caymanian, Ormond Panton and his National Democratic Party, won the majority membership to the Legislative Assembly. Many of the same reactionary forces conspired with the then- Commissioner Jack Rose to deny Panton a seat on the Executive Council. As a result of this blatant robbery, he resigned his seat. His party membership, however, did not follow suit, thus making it possible for the results to stand. That failure of the collective to follow the leader, or the failure of the leader to demand collective action from the party members, speaks to the crux of the present failure of party politics in these Roy Bodden cartoon Signs of the times - By Caymanman The case for party politics Guest column What is the most pressing environmental issue you would like to see candidates tackle if elected? Waste managementmanagementmanagement cayman compass ONLINE POLL 27% Mangrove protection 11% Other6% Sargassum 2% 9% Plastic pollution Climate change 7% Beach erosion 11% Stony coral tissue loss disease 7% Sustainable development 20% cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 12 MARCH 2021RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Cayman voters will be heading to the polls on 14 April to choose a candidate to be their representative in Parliament. In this article we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the local electoral process. What is the electoral system used in the Cayman Islands? The Cayman Islands implemented a ‘one man (person) one vote’ system in 2017. Voters can select one individual to represent their interests in Parliament and address their areas of concerns in their constituency. Prior to this, voters could choose more than one representative for their district, but this was removed when single-member constituencies were introduced. How many constituencies are there in the Cayman Islands? There are 19 single-member constituencies, two of which represent the Sister Islands: Cayman Brac East, and Cayman Brac West and Little Cayman. Who can vote? Only registered voters can cast ballots. Under the Elections Law, to be registered as a voter, an individual must be: Caymanian; 18 years and over; a resident in the Cayman Islands at the date of registration; and a continuous resident of the Cayman Islands for no less than two years of the four years immediately preceding the date of registration. All voters who are affirmed in the 1 April Register of Electors will be allowed to vote in the general election. When is the general election? The general election will be held on all three islands on 14 April. Is Election Day going to be a public holiday? Yes. The Public Holidays Act (2007) sets out that General Election Polling Day will be a public holiday. Therefore, 14 April will be a public holiday. This means schools, public offices and many businesses will be closed. Who is running in my constituency? The Elections Office has confirmed 50 candidates, all of whom have been approved to run for public office on 14 April. A full candidate list can be found on votecayman.com. How many political parties are there in the Cayman Islands? There are two active political parties in the Cayman Islands: the Progressives and the Cayman Islands People’s Party. The Cayman Democratic Party (formerly the United Democratic Party) is a registered party, but appears to be defunct now, as previous frontline members of the party are contesting elections as independents. The current leader of the Progressives is Premier Alden McLaughlin, who is expected the leadership mantle to Roy McTaggart on 12 March. Ezzard Miller is the interim leader of the Cayman Islands People’s Party. The Progressives are associated with the colour red while the Cayman Island’s People’s Party is yellow. How do you determine who has won in a constituency? Cayman uses the first past the post system or simple majority. The candidate who gets the most votes in the constituency, wins. Who becomes premier? Following the final results of the election, the party with the majority of seats will form the government and typically the leader of that party would become leader. However, in this election, it is clear a coalition government will have to be formed. Already, alliances have been announced, with the Progressives and some independents joining forces, and other independent factions forming unified groups. Once elected, aligned members will determine how the government will be formed and who will lead. If the Progressives obtain a majority, Roy McTaggart, the chosen successor to McLaughlin, will serve as premier. It is unclear who will lead the other alliances, should they capture enough seats to form the government. Are there term limits for elected officials? The premier has a two- consecutive term limit. Is my vote secret? Yes. During the hours that the polls are open, no one is allowed to seek to influence any voter to vote for any candidate. No one is allowed to try to ascertain what candidate a voter intends to vote for or has voted for. In other words, there are no exit polls. Where do I vote? The Elections Office will publish the official list of registered polling stations, which will also be available at the Compass’ dedicated election page votecayman.com. Is postal voting allowed? Yes. Postal voting is allowed for those who will be off island. You will have to apply for a postal ballot; the forms are available on the Elections Office website. What time does v oting start? Polling stations typically open at 7am and close at 6pm. Can I take my kids with me to vote? Children will not be allowed inside polling stations, so parents may have to juggle voting times or arrange babysitting. Can I take my phone/ camera with me to the polling station? Cameras, cellphones or other electronic equipment are not allowed. Can you sell or consume alcohol on Election Day? No. The Elections Law specifies that no intoxicating liquor shall be sold, offered for sale or given away at any premises that has a licence issued under the Liquor Licensing Law. This ban applies to any electoral district in which an election is being held. Can you campaign on Election Day? It is illegal to canvass on polling day. Campaign advertising, which applies to newspapers, periodicals, radio, television or any other printed or electronic form, is not allowed on Election Day. Billboards should be taken down and roadside signs removed by midnight on 13 April. Can you congregate near a polling station? The polling area is 100 yards from any building in which a polling station is located. No one is allowed to congregate within this 100-yard area, other than people who are waiting to vote or who may lawfully enter, such as candidates’ agents. However, agents cannot wear T-shirts with campaign logos or a candidate’s name/face within the polling area. RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky It may be almost two years since Sunrise Cottage closed its doors in East End, but the absence of the residential facility for senior citizens is still being felt in the constituencies of East End and North Side. In this week’s Voter Voices, the Cayman Compass went into the two furthermost eastern districts to hear some of the issues constituents want on the front-burner as the country heads to the polls on 14 April. Top of the list is a new residential facility for the elderly. Old Man Bay resident Mitchell Whittaker says a seniors’ home should be built in the community as soon as possible. “It’s supposed to be permanently in every district like how they had it in East End at the Sunrise. They’re supposed to have it. It [has] been gazetted for down by the Civic Centre for the old people,” he said. The Sunrise Cottage, the Department of Children and Family Services’ oldest residential facility for seniors, was closed back in 2019 and the six residents there were relocated to the Golden Age Home in West Bay. Government agreed to a new purpose-built facility to serve the needs of the older persons in the eastern districts, but plans were put on hold due to COVID-19 constraints. With around half of the electorate in both districts over the age of 55, the facility for residents is a pressing need. Whitaker says it’s a challenge for residents who have to make the trip to West Bay to use the facility’s services or visit relatives. “If my old lady or my old man has to go to the old people’s home, I have to catch a bus, go to town, catch another bus to go to West Bay, when it should have been up here so I can go and spend a whole day with my mother or my father instead of catching the bus,” he said. His view was shared by John McLean Drive resident Chanel Martins. “All the old people are being sent to West Bay when they should be in their own district, then we can visit them, spend time with them, like how we used to go sing. [At] Election 101 guide Closed care home sore point in East End, North Side East End Voters North Side Voters769 836 EAST END CANDIDATESNORTH SIDE CANDIDATES MCCLEARY Frederick ISAAC Rankine ARDEN McLean DEBRA Broderick JOHANY Ebanks JUSTIN Ebanks EZZARD Miller (pending 1 April conrmation) East End resident Chanel Martins. – Photo Alvaro Serey North Side resident Mitchell Whittaker. – Photo: Alvaro Serey PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 18» “If my old lady or my old man has to go to the old people’s home, I have to catch a bus, go to town, catch another bus to go to West Bay, when it should have been up here.” Mitchell Whitaker, North Side resident “We want more [programmes]… trade schools, cooking classes… activities that our kids can actually go and do those things instead of going to the bar rooms or turning to drugs.” Chanel Martins, East End voter cayman compass 5 news N news FRIDAY, 12 MARCH 2021NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky A year ago, on 12 March, a solemn-faced Premier Alden McLaughlin announced at a press brieﬁ ng that Cayman had its ﬁ rst COVID-19 case. Of six samples from suspected cases that had been sent to an overseas lab, there was one positive result – from a 68-year-old Italian man who had been a passenger on board the Costa Luminosa cruise ship, that had arrived in Cayman on 29 Feb. The man had suffered two heart attacks while on board, and had been transported from the ship by ambulance to Health City Cayman Islands. The next day, Health City announced it was temporarily closing its doors after a number of its staff appeared to have coronavirus symptoms. The Italian patient died the following day. Ultimately, it was conﬁ rmed that two staff members at the hospital had been infected. At the time, Cayman had no ability to carry out COVID-19 testing on island, and samples had to be sent to a Caribbean Public Health Agency laboratory in Trinidad and Tobago, which took between ﬁ ve and 10 days. By the following week, the Health Services Authority had begun testing any patients who presented with typical COVID-19 symptoms, but widespread testing did not begin locally until 8 April when a shipment of 165,000 PCR test kits arrived from South Korea. Asked at a recent press conference about those days after the ﬁ rst case was reported, McLaughlin described them as the “scariest period” of his life “because we didn’t know what we didn’t know because we had no ability to test and we had no idea know how widespread or not the disease was in the community”. Once the ﬁ rst case was discovered, COVID- 19-suppression restrictions were quickly introduced with each daily press brieﬁ ng bringing a new announcement regarding what local residents could and could not do, beginning on 14 March with the closure of all schools and a 50-person cap on public gatherings, as well as a ban on cruise ships. Following soon after was the shutting down of Cayman’s two international airports for all but emergency or repatriation ﬂ ights. After two more cases were reported, the ﬁ rst nighttime curfew was introduced on 24 March and gatherings were restricted to a maximum of 10 people, which was soon reduced to two people. Then, on 25 March, the government placed Cayman under a 24-hour-a-day curfew, until 5am on 28 March because, the premier said, it had been unable to get cooperation from the business community for an order to shut down non-essential businesses, after there had been more than 850 requests for exemptions, totalling more than 20,000 workers. By the end of the month, residents were being allocated grocery shopping days according to the letter their surnames began with. McLaughlin said, “That was an incredibly challenging time. We were making a lot of decisions in the dark, just made on the basis of judgment and common sense, without any clear evidence to support them. A lot of those decisions initially were challenged, because who wants to go into lockdown, who wants to have restraints placed on their ability to move around? “I know that the decisions we took – even though some thought, and many did say, we were over-reacting – they were absolutely the right decisions. Our strategy from the start was to seek to eliminate the virus in the Cayman Islands because we knew and understood, by seeing what was happening in other places, that to do otherwise meant that you were going to keep having these surges, and then implement measures and you reduce the spread, and then you reopen, and then the surge starts again. “Until we could get to the point where we are now, where there are vaccinations available, we understood that our best hope for something approaching normalcy in terms of the life we can lead in Cayman required that we eliminate the virus in the community so we could then lift other restrictions and people could behave quite normally.” For someone arriving in Cayman, it may seem as though life has returned to normal here, as there has been no community transmission since September, but a glance at Seven Mile Beach or the waterfront in George Town tells a different story, as the island is A year of COVID 9 March: First COVID-19 samples sent for testing overseas. 12 March: First COVID case conﬁ rmed. 13 March: Health City temporarily closes. Fines put in place for non-compliance of public gathering restrictions. 14 March: First COVID patient dies. 16 March: Schools closed, remote learning starts; arrivals on island must isolate for 14 days. 19 March: On-island testing for COVID-19 begins; inbound ﬂ ights for returning residents only. 20 March: Closure of public places and certain businesses. 22 March: Airport closed to all but repatriation ﬂ ights. 24 March: 58-hour lockdown begins. 27 March: Public gatherings limited to two people; closure of public places. 28 March: 7pm-5am curfew begins; essential tasks during the day; masks required for supermarkets; essential travel to public places restricted by name day. 31 March: First case of community transfer of virus. 5 April: Sunday all-day hard curfew in effect. 6 April: 7pm-7am curfew, Monday to Saturday; ﬁ rst repatriation ﬂ ight arrives. 7 April: 165,000 test kits arrive. 13 April: Beaches closed. 16 April: Exercise between 5:15am and 6:45pm allowed; driving to exercise prohibited. 8 May: Field hospital established. 16 May: Wearing masks becomes legal requirement; beaches open for exercise. 18 May: Sunday 24-hour hard curfew lifted. 19 May: Beaches reopen; construction sector back to work; 8pm-5am curfew. 7 June: Public gatherings limited to 10; bars and restaurants reopen; public transport resumes; beach visits and leisure boating allowed. 21 June: All curfews lifted. 26 June: COVID-19 screening available to anyone. 19 July: Nightclubs reopen; Public gatherings of up to 50 allowed. 1 Aug: Border closure extended to 1 Oct. 12 Aug: 30 days without positive case; PAHO changes Cayman’s COVID level from ‘sporadic’ to ‘no cases’. 19 Aug: First new positive cases in 37 days, among two travellers. 25 Aug: Size of public gatherings extended to 250. 31 Aug: All schools reopen. 16 Sept: Cayman Airways announces Timeline 2020-2021: cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 12 MARCH 2021 6As an employer of choice, and one of the largest employers of Caymanians, CUC is committed to attracting, developing and retaining high potential employees by providing opportunities for Caymanian students to succeed in the electric utility industry. CUC is proud to offer a scholarship to an accredited university for students who are interested in completing an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in related fields of study, which represent areas important to CUC including engineering, electrical technology, mechanical maintenance, information technology, occupational safety, health and the environment, corporate governance, finance, human resources and customer service. Applicants must: have already obtained, or expect to obtain, during the current school year, adequate academic qualifications to be accepted by a university; be Caymanian or hold Caymanian Status; have a current GPA of 3.5 or higher; have a minimum of seven (7) GCSE/CXC/IGSE passes including English, Mathematics and Science(s) or the equivalent in the American educational system. Preference will be given to students with higher level passes (A level, AP, IB, etc.) in Mathematics and Science(s). The successful applicant(s) will have an opportunity during school holidays to gain hands-on work experience and may be offered full-time employment with CUC upon completion of his/her studies. To review the General Rules and Guidelines and apply, visit the “Scholarships” page under the “Careers” tab on CUC’s Home Page (www.cuc-cayman.com). Click on the “Apply Here” link, complete the appropriate online form and follow the instructions. Applications must be submitted not later than Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Hard copies will not be accepted. For more information on these and other scholarship opportunities, please contact CUC’s Human Resources & Employee Development Department via e-mail at careers@cuc.ky. You have the power to be the future Applicants invited to apply for a CUC Scholarship devoid of stayover and cruise ship tourists. International tourism is non- existent, with flights into Cayman remaining restricted and all incoming travellers requiring to be quarantined for at least 14 days, effectively preventing US visitors, who typically have 10 days of vacation a year, from coming here. Visit any hospital or doctor’s office, and you’ll spot patients wearing masks, as is still required by law, while hand sanitiser is available at the entrance of almost every store on island. Perhaps the most telling sign that COVID is still among us is the scores of people who show up daily at the Owen Roberts International Airport’s check-in hall, which has been converted into a vaccination clinic. By 11 March, Cayman had received 58,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from the United Kingdom. Another 43,000 doses are scheduled to arrive in two batches by 7 April, meaning that there will be enough vaccines to inoculate the entire adult population of the islands. McLaughlin is urging anyone who is able to take the vaccination to do so, “so that we get to the point where we can safely open the borders and our people can move around the world without grave concern about becoming really ill, or worse, as a result of COVID-19”. He added that he was overwhelmed by “the success of what we’ve done and I think we all have a lot of people to thank, and God to thank, for having delivered us this far”. additional repatriation flights to Miami, Kingston. 17 Sept: British Airways passengers first to test geofencing wristbands and app in trial run before phased border reopening. 21 Sept: Suspected community transmission case detected. 1 Oct: Phased border reopening begins. 3 Oct: Public gatherings extended to 500. 9 Oct: Red Bay Primary School student tests positive. 10 Oct: 500 people avail of free drive-through COVID testing following Red Bay report. All are negative. 15 Nov: Cayman’s second COVID-19-related death reported. 2 Dec: UK becomes first country in the world to approve Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for mass vaccination. 5 Jan: First batch of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines arrive on BA flight. 7 Jan: National vaccination programme begins; local leaders get first COVID jabs. 14 Jan: Incoming travellers required to provide negative COVID results from tests taken within 72 hours of travel. 21 Jan: Public gatherings expanded to 1,000. 4 March: 25.5% of the population, or 16,603 people, had received at least one vaccine dose. 5 March: Vaccines now available to all residents. 10 March: More than 91% of over-60s vaccinated; government announces quarantine period to be reduced to 10 days for arrivals. Governor Martyn Roper announces that by 7 April, Cayman will have received more than 100,000 vaccination doses from the UK. During lockdown, shoppers could only visit supermarkets on their 'name day' and were required to wear masks and to social distance. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 12 MARCH 2021 The Business Development Specialist (BDS) is a full-time senior technical position within CCRIF SPC with responsibility for developing and implementing plans, processes and strategies for acquiring new business and scaling up. The BDS will report to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Under the strategic direction of the CEO, the BDS will be expected to work assiduously to ensure customer retention and expansion as well as revenue diversification and growth in CCRIF’s target markets by building and maintaining high level contacts with current and prospective customers and other business partners. The BDS is expected to identify new business opportunities and provide input into product development and research & development. The BDS will contribute to the development of CCRIF’s marketing and communications strategy. The BDS will play a key role in capacity building initiatives to support member governments and key stakeholders and partners to better understand CCRIF and its parametric insurance models. The BDS is expected to have a Master’s degree in Business Administration, Industrial Management, Finance, Economics, or any other related business field and a minimum of 15 years’ experience working in a senior position with substantial business development and/or finance experience within a dynamic business environment. The successful candidate must have excellent English speaking and writing ability. The full profile for this vacancy is available at: https://www.ccrif.org/job-postings Applications must be submitted via email to: jobs@ccrif.org by March 17, 2021. Job Opportunity Business Development Specialist NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky A study of seven Caribbean countries has shown that an average of one in seven Caribbean- born people on those islands who have been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer carry at least one inherited gene mutation. Of the seven territories – Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Cayman, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica and Haiti – Cayman had the second-lowest rate of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer at 6.3%, after Jamaica, which had 4.9%. The Bahamas had the highest proportion, with 23%, with Barbados at 18%, Trinidad and Tobago at 12%, Dominica at 8.8% and Haiti at 6.7%. Oncologist Dr. Judith Hurley, who is a researcher at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Centre at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has been studying racial disparities in breast cancer rates since 2002. She was prompted to carry out the study after noticing that many of her Bahamian breast cancer patients were unusually young. She and fellow researcher Dr. Sophia George joined forces with other colleagues from Sylvester, the University of Toronto, and the Bahamas to try to figure out why. They found that more than a quarter of the women they studied had mutations in two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. By comparison, these mutations make up less than 5% of US breast cancer cases. They also determined that the average age of breast cancer onset in Bahamian women was 42 – about 20 years younger than for American women. The team’s research then expanded to six other English- and Creole-speaking Caribbean islands, including Cayman. Their findings, titled ‘Gene Sequencing for Pathogenic Mutations Among Adults with Breast and Ovarian Cancer in the Caribbean’, were published 1 March in JAMA Network Open medical journal. It is the largest cross- sectional study of its kind. They hope that the study’s findings will lead to better screening and treatment of Caribbean cancer patients, in their homelands and in South Florida. Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in Caribbean women, while ovarian cancer ranks fourth. The mean age of patients with the BRCA mutations was younger, 40.7, compared to the 47.5 of patients without mutations, the research found. Hurley and George, speaking to the Cayman Compass, said the research team found different mutations among each of the islands in the study. “We found that it was different from island to island,” George said. “Each country had its own spectrum of mutations. Each country had its own unique genetic fingerprint.” The team first came to Cayman in 2012 to carry out gene testing on 62 women who had either recovered from or were suffering from breast or ovarian cancer. A second round of expanded testing was done later, when advancing technology enabled more gene sequencing to be examined. In Cayman, for the purposes of the study, Hurley and George tested women who had at least one Caymanian grandparent. “6.3% were found to have one of the breast cancer genes, which is within the range of the US or European numbers. It’s a lot lower than in other Caribbean countries,” George said. The gene mutations found in Cayman were BRCA1 and BRCA2, the scientists said. Hurley said that people found to have either of those mutations had, by the age of 70, a 65-80% chance of developing breast cancer, and up to a 40% chance of developing ovarian cancer. She and George advise that anyone with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer should consider having the gene screening done, so they can take steps to mitigate their risk. In total, the Sylvester researchers tested 1,018 adults with breast or ovarian cancer. Initially, researchers screened only for the BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2 and RAD51 mutations, but toward the end of the study, as multi-gene panel testing became cheaper and more available, study participants underwent a full next-generation sequencing on a panel of 30 genes. In the Bahamas, the researchers’ work has already changed the guidelines for breast cancer screenings. The American Cancer Society recommends screenings start when women hit their 40s, but Bahamian women with a first- degree breast cancer relative now are advised to begin ultrasounds in their mid-20s. In Cayman, routine mammogram screenings are done every other year, starting at age 40, or as recommended by a doctor. Dr. Sook Yin, medical director of the Cayman Islands Cancer Society, who liaised with the study authors on the Cayman part of the research, said back in 2012 when the testing was first being done, there had been reluctance among some Caymanian patients to take part. This was due to two factors, she said – the perceived stigma of having cancer in the family, and concerns that if a test showed they had an inherited gene that made them predisposed to breast or ovarian cancer, they would be penalised by their health insurance companies. “They were concerned they might face higher premiums or might be excluded from having insurance,” Yin said. While genetic-sequencing tests are not currently done on island, they are readily available in the US and swab samples can be sent by mail by anyone who wants to take them. Yin said she had a number of patients who had done these types of genetic testing, and who found that they had inherited genes that made them susceptible to certain types of cancers. “Now that genetic testing is so easily available, people can request it from their doctor and just send it off,” she said. As a result, she has had some patients, who have the BRCA genes and who have close relatives who have had breast cancer, that had opted to undergo double mastectomies because they knew their risk of developing cancer was so high. Actress Angelina Jolie famously underwent a preventative double mastectomy in 2013 after a test showed she had the BRCA1 gene. Her mother had fought cancer for a decade and died at the age of 56. Jolie said her doctors estimated she had an 87% risk of developing breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer. Study examines breast cancer genes in Caribbean Breast cancer diagnosis age in Cayman 20s:5 30s:37 40s:74 50s:72 60s:33 70s:29 Total:245 Source: Breast Cancer Foundation Percentage of cancer patients with breast or ovarian cancer gene Bahamas:23% Barbados:18% Trinidad and Tobago: 12% Dominica:8.8% Haiti: 6.7% Cayman:6.3% Jamaica:4.9% Source: Hurley and George gene-sequencing study cayman compass 8 news N news FRIDAY, 12 MARCH 2021MASS_NRG_B_Bleed_Mask_Op1cayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 12 MARCH 2021Next >