© 2021 Burger King Corporation. cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 9-15 July 2021 27 JANUARY 2022* * Panton announces five-phase border reopening plan, with some restrictions remaining in place until next year. Page 3Man arrested on suspicion of murder Police have arrested a 31-year- old man on suspicion of murder following a multiple shooting in George Town in which Mark Andre Ebanks, 36, was killed. Three men were shot on Martin Drive around 11pm on Thursday, 1 July. Two were hospitalised and Ebanks was pronounced dead at the hospital. COVID patient discharged, HSA staff end isolation The COVID-19 patient who prompted the isolation of healthcare staff and their household members has been discharged from hospital, the Ministry of Health announced on 7 July. The patient was a traveller who developed symptoms near the end of the 14-day quarantine period. The person was admitted to the Cayman Islands Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit last month and was placed on a ventilator. Fourteen people, including eight HSA staff members and six people with whom they shared homes, were placed in isolation for 14 days after concerns were raised that one member of staff had come into contact with the “highly symptomatic” patient without wearing full PPE. All 14 have been cleared from isolation, and none tested positive for COVID, the HSA confi rmed on 7 July. Man stabbed in South Sound Police arrested a 37-year- old man from George Town on suspicion of wounding after another man was stabbed near the South Sound Community Centre on 5 July. According to a police press release, offi cers responded to an incident around 7.20am. Police said two men walking in the area had an altercation “which became physical”, resulting in one man sustaining an injury caused by a knife. He was transported to the Cayman Islands Hospital to receive treatment for what is described as a non-life-threatening injury. Panton: Killing of Haiti's president ‘extremely shocking’ Premier Wayne Panton has described the assassination of Haiti’s president Jovenel Moise on 7 July as “extremely shocking”, expressing dismay over the violent attack. Panton, in a statement, joined with other world leaders condemning the early morning attack on Moise at the president’s private residence. “The entire incident is not only tragic, but it is extremely shocking. There is no room for violence in any democracy,” the premier said. Moise’s wife Martine was injured in the shooting. Cayman dive business shifting to Turks and Caicos Next month, the bulk of the remaining staff and crew of Cayman’s Reef Divers will load up four boats and make the 520 nautical mile, 34-hour ocean crossing to set up shop in Turks and Caicos. After 16 months without any overseas guests in Cayman, eight staff will join the ‘Reef Divers armada’, refuelling from portable totes, as they travel to a new outpost. “We have to go where the tourists are,” said Michael Tibbetts, owner of the business, which is expanding its horizons beyond the Cayman Islands as a survival strategy amid the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and the border closure. Reef Divers – the diving arm of Clearly Cayman resorts – will transport four of its 12 boats to set up shop in South Caicos. The parent business, JEM Worldwide, which has operations on all three Cayman islands, has bought East Bay Resort on South Caicos island. 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 A QUIET PLACE PART II (PG-13) (FRI-THURS) 10:05 BLACK WIDOW (PG-13) (FRI-SAT & MON-TUE) 12:35 VIP | 1:15 | 3:40 VIP | 4:20 | 6:45 VIP | 7:20 | 9:10 | 9:45 VIP (SUN) 3:40 VIP | 4:10 | 6:45 VIP | 7:10 | 9:10 | 9:45 VIP (WED-THURS) 12:35 VIP | 1:15 | 3:40 VIP | 4:20 | 7:20 | 9:10 | 9:50 VIP F9 THE FAST SAGA (PG-13) (FRI-SAT, MON, WED-THURS) 12:30 | 3:15 VIP 3:35| 6:50 | 7:05 VIP | 9:20 VIP | 9:30 (SUN) 3:15 VIP | 3:35 | 6:50 | 7:05 VIP | 9:20 VIP | 9:30 (TUE) 12:30 | 3:15 VIP | 3:35 | 6:50 | 7:05 VIP 9:30 | 9:35 VIP THE BOSS BABY: FAMILY BUSINESS (PG) (FRI-SAT & MON-THURS) 12:50 | 1:55 VIP | 3:50 | 4:30 VIP | 6:30 (SUN) 3:50 | 4:00 VIP | 6:30 THE HITMAN’S WIFE’S BODYGUARD (R) (FRI) 10:20 (SAT, MON-THURS) 1:55 | 10:20 NO SHOWING SUNDAY THE ICE ROAD (PG-13) (FRI-SAT, MON & THURS) 12:25 VIP | 4:25 | 6:30 VIP | 7:00 | 10:20 VIP (SUN) 4:25 | 6:30 VIP | 7:00 10:10 | 10:20 VIP (TUE) 12:25 VIP | 4:25 | 7:00 | 10:20 VIP (WED) 12:25 VIP | 4:25 | 6:30 VIP | 7:00 For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted KIDS CLUB THE BLACK STALLION (G) SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE CLASSIC GREASE (PG) TUESDAY 7PM PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Cayman Compass Ltd. 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SEA STATE Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. caymancompass.comfacebook.com/caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass WINDS East to northeast at 10 to 15 knots 89°F HIGH 77°F LOW cayman compass 2 FRIDAY, 9 JULY 2021 news N newscayman compass 3 news N news FRIDAY, 9 JULY 2021 14 October target for quarantine removal for vaccinated travellers JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Premier Wayne Panton has unveiled a fi ve-phase reopening plan for Cayman’s borders that could see a limited return of tourism by September and a full easing of restrictions for vaccinated travellers and their children by mid-November. Speaking at the Chamber of Commerce Legislative Luncheon on 8 July, Panton said a safe and successful reopening was essential to Cayman’s economy. He said transition through all phases of the plan is dependent on monitoring by public health offi cials. The premier said the dates outlined in his presentation were contingent on getting as close to the 80% vaccination target for the local population as possible. Cayman is currently in Phase 1. The second phase of the proposed plan announced by the premier, which comes into effect from 9 August, sees the removal of GPS monitoring for vaccinated travellers and the introduction of weekly testing for unvaccinated frontline workers. Phase 3 could then see limited tourism return from 9 September. A set of information slides released by government to accompany the speech indicates that this phase is “subject to the achievement of an 80% vaccination rate”. At that point, the premier said tourism would be restricted through a fl ight ‘slot management system’ to limit the number of people arriving and allow government and industry to build capacity for dealing with visitors in the new environment. A fi ve-day quarantine requirement will remain in place at this phase, but the restrictions on non-essential travel will be lifted. Phase 4, slated for 14 October, would see quarantine requirements removed for all vaccinated travellers, and phase 5, scheduled for 18 November, would mean children under 12 could travel with vaccinated adult tourists. Subject to an assessment of the local and international COVID-19 situation, further relaxations of travel restrictions, including the possible reintroduction of cruise tourism, will be considered from 27 January next year. “Nothing is of greater importance to me and my government than the wellbeing of our people,” Panton stated. “We have spent weeks deliberating and seeking to strike the right balance. And we believe that, in this plan, we have a roadmap to the safe and successful reopening of our economy, to tourism.” He said the schedule, outlined in the presentation, represented a best-case scenario and would need to be amended if there were setbacks, such as an outbreak of local transmission of COVID-19. “Our goal is to locally manage the risk of transmission and prevent individuals from becoming seriously ill by maximising vaccination rates, and continued surveillance testing through each phase,” he said. The trigger for “public health intervention” will be two non- related community clusters, requiring hospital admission, Panton said. He also warned the community may need to get used to the reintroduction of some restrictions, as the threat increases with the return of visitors. “We may have to wear masks. There will be regular testing of those on front lines, and possibly some dialling back of public health limits,” he said. Panton emphasised that no country has yet reopened its borders without going back into some form of lockdown. “Given a patient and careful approach to COVID, we have the opportunity to be the fi rst,” he said. Panton announces plan for phased reopening of borders Phase 2 Reduced repatriation restrictions From 9 August 2021 - No GPS tracking for travellers approved for 5-day quarantine. - Weekly testing for unvaccinated frontline workers. Final phase Assessed by 27 January 2022 - No quarantine for incoming travellers. - Resumption of cruise tourism. Phase 5 Travel for unvaccinated children From 18 November 2021 - Unvaccinated children (under age 12) will be allowed to travel with vaccinated adult tourists. Phase 1* Reduced quarantine period June 2021 - 5-day quarantine period introduced for verifi ed vaccinated travellers. *Where we are now. Phase 3 Limited introduction of tourism From 9 September 2021 - Subject to the achievement of 80% vaccination rate, limited introduction of securely verifi ed vaccinated tourists. Premier Wayne Panton Phase 4 Reduced quarantine restrictions From 14 October 2021 - No quarantine for all securely verifi ed vaccinated travellers. - PCR tests for unvaccinated schoolchildren over 5, returning from overseas. Road to reopening1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Dried coconut kernels (5) 4 Widely liked (7) 8 Person’s destiny (3) 9 Without a fixed term (4-5) 10 Place of seclusion (7) 11 Point of view (5) 13 Thing of slight value (6) 15 Kindly (6) 18 Rouse from sleep (5) 19 In any case (2,5) 21 Enjoying excellent health (2,3,4) 23 Sphere (3) 24 Spectral (7) 25 Destitute (5) DOWN 1 Person at fault (7) 2 Endanger (3,2,4) 3 Too proud to stoop to (5) 4 Pleasing to the eye (6) 5 Foreshadow (7) 6 Cover for container (3) 7 Long narrow hilltop (5) 12 Rely on one’s own efforts (2,2,5) 14 Tolerant (7) 16 In particular (7) 17 Appease (6) 18 To squeeze (5) 20 Compare (5) 22 In addition (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16739 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 16739 ACROSS: 1 Copra, 4 Popular, 8 Lot, 9 Open-ended, 10 Retreat, 11 Angle, 13 Trifle, 15 Benign, 18 Waken, 19 At least, 21 In the pink, 23 Orb, 24 Ghostly, 25 Needy. DOWN: 1 Culprit, 2 Put at risk, 3 Above, 4 Pretty, 5 Presage, 6 Lid, 7 Ridge, 12 Go it alone, 14 Lenient, 16 Notably, 17 Pacify, 18 Wring, 20 Liken, 22 Too. Fewer than 200 get first jab since vaccine supplies replenished We need strong action now. Mandate vaccination for all work permit applications, give companies legal clearance to require front line employee vaccination and set a reopening date. Caymanian tourism businesses and workers are suffering terribly. We need a path forward to live with COVID because it is obvious that COVID is not going away. – Troy Leacock Yes, and if a work permit holder refuses to get vaccinated then their work permit won’t be renewed or granted. Some people might say it’s harsh but we gotta protect our loved ones here in Cayman and also our own people need to step up and get vaccinated. While some might say the vaccine is a hoax, there’s been over 3 billion people who took it worldwide. – Jamie Montero We need to just ensure that we make it clear to those individuals that don’t want to take the vaccine that the borders have to start opening soon and that they will need to take responsibility for their decision to not take the vaccine. At some point in time we just have to allow people to be responsible for their decisions and do the best we can to help them going forward. My concern at this stage is for the children that are not eligible for the vaccine. While they might not experience severe complications, we don’t really know what the long term implications will be for them. – Bruce Smith Vaccination sites at all Hurley's/Fosters locations on weekends! Case done! Nobody has time to take time off work or go on their lunch hour or simply doesn’t want to go with it being out of their normal route. – Kendra Smith You must understand that a lot of our population is vulnerable. There are reasons why people are not taking the vaccine... maybe they can’t, due to medical reasons or maybe it’s just that they don’t want to (for whatever reason)... people are just afraid of the virus but also afraid that there may be negative long term effects from the vaccine as well! As for the handouts, are you willing to support those that are receiving those handouts ‘til a “SAFE REOPENING” of the borders can be done? We cannot just jump and open borders because people like you say so! – Mena Ebanks Ready to serve? The challenge of empowering Caymanians in tourism Caymanians need to realize tourism pays more than some banking jobs and other fields. It can be a real fulfilling job. – Betty Ebanks Look how far Cayman and Caymanians have fallen that we are now talking about the challenge of empowering Caymanians in tourism. There was a time when Caymanians were empowered and also made up the majority of workers in the tourism sector. We need to examine how things went wrong and take immediate corrective action. If the tourism sector is providing more benefit to other people than it is to Caymanians then it is time for a major overhaul of the sector. – Bruce Smith Congratulations to Laurent Bodden... There’s much to be earned in this business... I wish our people would listen... There’s much more to be earned in this business than worrying about the minimum wage... Your service will top any wage you will make if you perform. – Denver Douglas If you offer high quality service, tourists will come. Then minimum wage won’t be an issue If you are looking to attract all- inclusive, $600-a-week tourists, then focus on minimum wage. But if you are looking for living wage, focus on service. The rest will follow. – Catherine Wilson Bodden: ‘Critical thinkers are shunned in Cayman’ We need better ways of managing development on this island. Unfortunately, both sides of this debate don’t fully understand the consequences of what they want to propose. Both sides need to articulate what they want Cayman to be and share that vision with Caymanians. – James Bodden Agreed, Mr. Bodden. We must fight harder to find ways of finding a more fair and sustainable, greener, more tropical development plan, one which can hold back the surge of concrete taking over our once verdant islands. Who wants to visit an island bunker - Rikers Island springs to mind. – Zoe Foster pic of the week Premier Wayne Panton announces plans for a phased reopening of Cayman's borders at the Chamber of Commerce Legislative Luncheon on Thursday, 8 July. The five-phase plan involves the gradual reduction in quarantine and COVID-19 testing requirements and the eventual re-introduction of tourists to the islands. - Photo : Alvaro Serey The road to border reopening What they’re saying Online cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 9 JULY 2021cayman compass 5 FRIDAY, 9 JULY 2021“This situation is troubling and all measures must be taken to arrest this upsurge.” He said government was “balancing lives and livelihoods” with its new measures which are set for an initial 14-day period. The health minister also announced the roll-out of a community screening schedule. Dr. Ronald Georges, the islands’ chief medical officer, on 4 July reported that testing had identified several clusters, including 14 cases at a residential nursing home and 18 staff members at the territory’s Health Services Authority testing positive. Last week, a pre-school was closed and all staff and students were quarantined after the detection of several COVID cases. Private healthcare institutions and other essential services have been advised to begin preparation for mass screening of their staff. COVID cases rising “The current situation with respect to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Virgin Islands is rapidly evolving and, given the rapid progression of the outbreak, identification of any variants is important,” Georges said. Unlike Cayman, the BVI does not have the ability to test for COVID variants and samples must be sent to CARPHA for genetic sequencing. On 2 July, more than one in 10 samples – 113 out of 752 – tested positive. Georges said, “It is expected that case counts will continue to rise, and it is important for all of us to act responsibly and follow directives to arrest the current rate of transmission.” The chief medical officer advised people to stay at home and work remotely if possible, avoid mass gatherings, follow social distancing guidelines and to wear masks. Less than a fifth of the cases were the result of travel screening and more than 80% were detected during contact tracing. Most new COVID-19 cases are unvaccinated. The share of fully vaccinated or partially vaccinated people who tested positive was 17% and 13%, respectively. The BVI eased its entry requirements for vaccinated travellers on 15 May. They must produce a negative PCR test but, like their unvaccinated children, are not subject to quarantine restrictions. Unvaccinated travellers have to take a PCR test on arrival and must undergo a seven-day quarantine. Among the new COVID measures, the BVI government reintroduced rapid entry testing for vaccinated travellers from 12 July. Slow vaccine take-up Health Minister Malone urged the public to do its part and “take personal responsibility” by getting vaccinated. “If you are not going to do it for you, then do it for your parents, your grandparents, your great aunts and uncles, or the most vulnerable who are already being impacted by this disease,” he said. Malone added that if people did not want to get vaccinated for themselves, they should do it to protect their children and their workplace “to ensure that work continues, services continue, and that you get paid”. The BVI received 34,000 Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine doses from the UK, enough to inoculate 17,000 people. But take-up has been slow, with 13,761 people having received one jab and 9,570 people being fully vaccinated. Full vaccinations represent about 31.8% of the population. The current batch of vaccines is set to expire at the end of July. The chief medical officer said, “Despite the many conspiracies and misconceptions surrounding vaccination, it remains a safe and effective layer of internal protection to add to all of the other layers of protection that we have against COVID-19.” He said, “Severe disease, hospitalisation and death are largely eliminated, making COVID-19 a much less potentially serious or life-threatening disease for vaccinated persons.” Citing international data, Georges noted that vaccination reduces the probability of contracting the virus by 60-90% and lowers risk of transmission by those that do test positive by up to 67%. “As a result, vaccinated persons who are potential or casual contacts of cases and not experiencing symptoms do not need to isolate at this point in time,” he said. “If they do develop symptoms, they should isolate and be tested immediately.” Carvin Malone, BVI’s minister for health and social development delivered a COVID-19 update on 5 July. - Photo: Facebook BVI reimposes lockdown restrictions amid rapid COVID outbreak New cases from pre- school to nursing home MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@compassmedia.ky The British Virgin Islands has imposed a night-time curfew and closed bars, gyms and hairdressers from 6 July in response to a COVID-19 outbreak that has brought the number of active cases to 480 from close to zero within one week. One person has died. In the 15 months since the outbreak of the pandemic until June 2021, the British Overseas Territory counted fewer than 300 total cases and just one COVID-related death. Now, the BVI government has brought in a wide range of new lockdown measures, following an emergency meeting on the evening of 5 July. Businesses and restaurants must restrict customer numbers in line with social distancing protocols, while bars, barbers, gyms and clubs have been forced to close. In a video message on Facebook, Health Minister Carvin Malone said, cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 9 JULY 2021butterfieldgroup.com ButterfieldBank(Cayman)LimitedislicensedtoconductbankingbusinessandinvestmentbusinessbytheCaymanIslandsMonetaryAuthority. Address:12AlbertPantonStreet,GeorgeTown,GrandCayman,CaymanIslands. 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Wishing you a Happy Retirement 198922_PRINT-Ad-Compass-FP-RetirPage 1 7/7/21 3:33:35 PM cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 9 JULY 2021Mass_NRG_WhiteLine_Inset_OuterMask_CMYK**Upon the first year of completion of studies, students can re-apply to continue their studies ® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. RBC supports Cayman youth and education through UCCI Scholarships. RBC has partnered with UCCI to provide Caymanian students with an opportunity to further their education while also offering mentorship and internship opportunities. The RBC Scholarship programme offers substantial financial support of up to CI$20k per year (renewable**) and aims to assist approximately 8 students with tuition, fees and books. Are you interested in applying for this scholarship? Please see below eligibility criteria. • New Students at UCCI • Pursuing an associate degree or Technical Vocational (TVET) Certificate programme • Minimum GPA of 2.5 New students can apply using https://www.ucci.edu.ky/ cayman compass 8 FRIDAY, 9 JULY 2021Mass_NRG_GreyLine_Inset_OuterMask_CMYK® Trademark of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. Important Client Notice RBC Red Bay RBC Royal Bank wishes to advise that effective Monday, July 12, 2021, RBC Red Bay will re-open and operate as a digitally-enabled, advice-oriented "Financial Solutions Centre." Operating hours are 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. At this location, we will focus on helping clients with more complex, advice-oriented financial needs like, mortgages, loans, lines of credit and savings. Cash will only be available through our ATMs, as well as accepted for deposits via our ATMs or Non-stop Depository Services. For most of your day-to-day banking needs, our online, mobile and ATM options are available 24/7. To enroll in digital banking, call us at 1-888- 847-5803 or find us online at rbc.com/caribbean. RBC remains committed to meeting our clients’ banking needs and we look forward to serving you today and in the future. cayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 9 JULY 2021Next >