© 2021 Burger King Corporation. Stackin’ up the flavor Introducing the brand new sweet and tangy Stacker sauce Single Stacker Double Stacker Triple Stacker Quadruple Stacker cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Friday, 6 - 12 August 2021 Surviving COVID: A doctor at death’s door Page 5 Friend’s final call: ‘Kerry-Ann never answered’ Page 8 CayMAS takes to de road Page 20 - Photo: Alvaro Serey Living in paradise? A spotlight on Cayman’s hidden housing crisis Page 14Matinees (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 BLACK WIDOW (PG-13) (FRI) 3:30 | 6:30 | 10:00 VIP (SAT) 1:00 | 3:30 | 6:30 | 9:45 VIP (SUN) 6:15 | 6:55 VIP | 9:20 | 9:45 VIP (MON-WED-THURS) 3:30 | 6:30 | 9:45 (TUES) 3:30 | 6:30 BLACKPINK THE MOVIE (PG-13) (SUN) 4:00 F9 THE FAST SAGA (PG-13) (FRI - THURS) 6:35 | 9:40 JUNGLE CRUISE (PG-13) (SAT) 12:40 | 12:45 VIP | 3:45 | 3:45 VIP | 6:45 VIP | 9:20 VIP | 9:50 (SUN-MON & WED-THURS) 3:45 | 3:45 VIP | 6:45 VIP | 9:20 VIP | 9:50 (TUE) 3:45 | 3:45 VIP | 9:20 VIP | 9:50 PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY (PG) (SUN) 3:30 VIP | 3:50 SNAKE EYES (PG-13) (SUN) 4:20 | 6:25 VIP | 7:20 | 10:00 VIP | 10:10 SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY (PG) (FRI, MON-THURS) 3:30 VIP | 6:50 (SAT) 12:30 VIP | 3:30 VIP | 6:50 (SUN) 4:05 VIP | 6:50 THE SUICIDE SQUAD (R) (FRI, MON-THURS) 3:30 | 4:10 VIP | 7:10 VIP | 7:10 | 9:30 | 10:10 VIP (SAT) 12:30 | 1:00 VIP | 3:30 | 4:10 VIP | 7:10 VIP | 7:10 | 9:30 | 10:10 VIP WRATH OF MAN (R) (FRI, MON, WED-THURS) 4:05 | 6:30 VIP | 10:10 (SAT) 12:45 | 4:05 | 6:30 VIP | 10:10 (TUES) 4:05 | 6:30 VIP | 10:10 | 10:20 VIP KIDS CLUB MONSTERS INC. SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE (G) CLASSIC THE DARK KNIGHT (PG-13) TUESDAY 7PM weather Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies with a 30% chance of showers. SEA STATE Slight with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. caymancompass.comfacebook.com/caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass WINDS East to northeast at 5 to 10 knots 89°F HIGH 77°F LOW news in brief PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Cayman Compass Ltd. Compass Centre, Shedden Road, George Town, Cayman Islands SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@compassmedia.ky ADVERTISE WITH US: T: (345) 949-5111 E: sales@compassmedia.ky W: caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KEVIN MORALES FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass Alleged fraudulent work permit for ‘Intence’ investigated Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman has initiated an internal investigation after claims were made that a temporary work permit was fraudulently obtained, allowing Jamaican dancehall artist Tashawn Gabbidon, known as ‘Intence’, to perform in Cayman in June. “Intence should not have been allowed to perform in Cayman,” Jean-Eric Smith, the president of the Cayman Music and Entertainment Association, told the Cayman Compass. “Intence represents a sub- culture of dancehall music that is not fitting with the way we as a people in Cayman think and our morals,” Smith said. “This can be seen in his lewd lyrics which portray the degradation of women and gangster culture.” Smith said there was once a “long-standing understanding” between CMEA and the former Immigration Department, that required travelling artists first to be endorsed by CMEA before being able to perform in Cayman. However, he believes that ‘policy’ was discontinued under the previous Progressives-led government in 2019 when the Immigration Department was transitioned into WORC. In response to Cayman Compass queries, a WORC spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the department’s “compliance unit is investigating the matter of an allegedly fraudulent CMEA document granting permission for Intence to perform”. Full vaccination numbers nudge up to 68% The percentage of people in Cayman who have been fully vaccinated has reached 68%, with 48,064 people having received their second shot of the two-dose course, according to the numbers released by the Ministry of Health and Wellness on 4 Aug. The Cayman Islands government is aiming for a target of 80% – or 56,884 people – before reopening the local borders. The next phase of reopening is planned for 9 Sept., when a limited number of tourists will be allowed to enter Cayman, but that is predicated on reaching the 80% target, government officials have said. According to the latest statistics, 71% of the estimated population of 71,106 has received one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Vaccination rates have slowed in recent weeks, following a rise in the number of people showing up daily for inoculations during a government-led vaccination drive in May and June. Plans are being made for another dedicated vaccination drive. NOAA calls for more storms in 2021 The National Hurricane Center is calling for a more active season than previously forecast. In its revised mid-season forecast, which was released on 4 Aug., the NHC increased the range of predicted named storms from 13-20 to 15-21. The new forecast calls for between seven and 10 hurricanes, with the lower end increasing by one. The total number of major hurricanes remains at three to five. In an article released on the website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster Matthew Rosencrans said, “Predicted warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds, and an enhanced West African monsoon will likely be factors in this year’s overall activity.” The NHC is a division of NOAA which is based in Miami, Florida. Each year NOAA puts out a main forecast in May which is revised three times, as the season progresses. Those forecasts, together with a similar set of predictions from Colorado State University, are reviewed by the Cayman Islands National Weather Services, which then releases its own forecast. The NWS issued its predictions in April, which called for 17 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes. “Based on the revised predictions, there are no major changes to the forecast,” said NWS Director General John Tibbetts. “Our predictions, which were issued in April, will remain the same.” Billie Bryan: Cayman Gay Pride Parade lacked ‘pride’ The LGBTQ+ activist Billie Bryan of Colours Caribbean said Cayman’s inaugural Gay Pride Parade was “Pride in name only”, which left her disappointed. Bryan, who is a transwoman, has been a vocal advocate for Cayman’s LGBTQ+ community since 2015. In an interview with the Cayman Compass, Bryan said while the turnout for the parade was impressive, the event itself failed to live up to its true purpose. The street parade, held on 31 July, was attended by some 600 participants. It was led off by Governor Martyn Roper, alongside Premier Wayne Panton and MP Barbara Conolly, who represented the Opposition. Hundreds of supporters lined both sides of West Bay Road to cheer on the procession. The Cayman LGBTQ Foundation, which organised the event, imposed several rules which included government- required social distancing, as well as a foundation-imposed ban on public displays of affection. Prior to the parade, the foundation’s founder and president Noel Cayasso-Smith told the Cayman Compass the ban on public displays of affection was in place to ensure the event maintained an air of decency and respectability. Bryan said the rules only served to hinder the movement and “entirely defeats the purpose of Pride”, according to her statement. “[The ban] likens our genuine and valid displays of affection towards our romantic partners to vile acts such as ‘public defecation and urination’, to quote the words of Cayman LGBTQ Foundation itself,” said Bryan. Bryan told the Compass the significance of the parade was further diminished by a noticeable absence of prominent members of Cayman’s LGBTQ+ community. Results of drug screenings delayed at government lab Getting the results of drug screening tests will take three to four times longer than usual because of problems with equipment at the Cayman Islands Forensic Science Laboratory at the Health Services Authority. In a statement issued on 4 Aug., the HSA said it was advising people seeking urine drug screening that there would be delays in the results “due to an unforeseen issue with the screening equipment”. The lab’s acting forensic manager, Beverley Ifill, said in the statement, “The average time frame to receive reports has temporarily increased from one week to a three- to-four-week turnaround time.” CORRECTION: In last week’s edition of the Compass, the article on page 17 incorrectly referred to Pastor Bob as Pastor Bob Thompson, the previous chair of the Cayman Ministers’ Association. The correct name of the current chairman of the CMA is Pastor Torrance Bobb. Tashawn ‘Intence’ Gabbidon cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 6 AUGUST 2021Disclaimer : FIN Grand Cayman features and amenities are based on current development plans and concepts and are subject to change without notice. Some services and amenities are subject to service-based fees or homeowner fees. GRAND CAYMAN’S ART DECO ICON IS OPEN AND READY FOR OCCUPANCY Priced from US $2.5M Reserve your private tour and discover the last word in luxury + 1 345 526 7777 fin@fingrandcayman.com FIN.cayman fingrandcayman Owners are moving in, the pool is lled and ready for dips, the wine lockers are stocked, the Teslas are charging and the boats are wet. All that is missing is you! Three (3) residences remain for sale, a single level home with two oversized terraces, and two multi-level penthouses complete with private rooftop garden and plunge pool. Book a viewing today to discover why FIN is the Last Word in Luxury. Disclaimer : FIN Grand Cayman features and amenities are based on current development plans and concepts and are subject to change without notice. Some services and amenities are subject to service-based fees or homeowner fees. GRAND CAYMAN’S ART DECO ICON IS OPEN AND READY FOR OCCUPANCY Priced from US $2.5M Reserve your private tour and discover the last word in luxury + 1 345 526 7777 fin@fingrandcayman.com FIN.cayman fingrandcayman Owners are moving in, the pool is lled and ready for dips, the wine lockers are stocked, the Teslas are charging and the boats are wet. All that is missing is you! Three (3) residences remain for sale, a single level home with two oversized terraces, and two multi-level penthouses complete with private rooftop garden and plunge pool. Book a viewing today to discover why FIN is the Last Word in Luxury. Disclaimer : FIN Grand Cayman features and amenities are based on current development plans and concepts and are subject to change without notice. Some services and amenities are subject to service-based fees or homeowner fees. GRAND CAYMAN’S ART DECO ICON IS OPEN AND READY FOR OCCUPANCY Priced from US $2.5M Reserve your private tour and discover the last word in luxury + 1 345 526 7777 fin@fingrandcayman.com FIN.cayman fingrandcayman Owners are moving in, the pool is lled and ready for dips, the wine lockers are stocked, the Teslas are charging and the boats are wet. All that is missing is you! Three (3) residences remain for sale, a single level home with two oversized terraces, and two multi-level penthouses complete with private rooftop garden and plunge pool. Book a viewing today to discover why FIN is the Last Word in Luxury. cayman compass 3 FRIDAY, 6 AUGUST 20211234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Perfect happiness (5) 4 Wear one’s best clothes (5,2) 8 Shorten (3) 9 Under intense strain (2,3,4) 10 Persisting for long time (7) 11 Rise to great height (5) 13 Expression of praise (6) 15 Out-and-out (6) 18 Ancient Greek philosopher (5) 19 Subtle manipulation (7) 21 Acting jointly (2,7) 23 Garden tool (3) 24 Spire (7) 25 Amiably eccentric (5) DOWN 1 Two-wheeled vehicle (7) 2 Among other things (5,4) 3 Bound by oath (5) 4 Notice presence of (6) 5 Voter (7) 6 Large inland lake (3) 7 Card game (5) 12 True state of things (5,4) 14 Adult (5-2) 16 As a result of that (7) 17 Decadent (6) 18 Trouble taken (5) 20 Well known (5) 22 Signal to actor (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16763 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 16763 ACROSS: 1 Bliss, 4 Dress up, 8 Cut, 9 On the rack, 10 Chronic, 11 Tower, 13 Eulogy, 15 Arrant, 18 Plato, 19 Finesse, 21 In concert, 23 Hoe, 24 Steeple, 25 Dotty. DOWN: 1 Bicycle, 2 Inter alia, 3 Sworn, 4 Detect, 5 Elector, 6 Sea, 7 Poker, 12 What’s what, 14 Grown-up, 16 Thereby, 17 Effete, 18 Pains, 20 Noted, 22 Cue. pic of the week West Bay Road was awash in the colours of the rainbow as hundreds of people took part in Cayman’s inaugural Gay Pride Parade on Saturday, 31 July. Governor Martyn Roper, Premier Wayne Panton and Opposition representative MP Barbara Conolly led the 600 participants on the road who came out to support gay rights and diversity. – Photo: Taneos Ramsay Celebrating Gay Pride Being a frequent traveller to Grand Cayman over the last 30 years, for weeks or even months at a time, it seemed only natural to celebrate my upcoming wedding on Seven Mile Beach. We’re planning or, should I say, trying, to plan this ceremony/celebration for early November, but like all other travellers coming from the US and in my case, Florida, we really have no idea if it’s possible to move forward with our plans. The five-phase reopening guidelines clearly state that in order to avoid quarantining at phase 3 we will have to verify ‘electronically’ that all of us who are vaccinated can verify in fact that we have been fully vaccinated. With the only evidence of our vaccinations being in the form of a card issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and no central database to back it up, the proposed reopening isn’t what it seems. Without any other form of confirmation available to verify our vaccinations, it appears like we will have to scratch Grand Cayman off our travel plans again this year, regrettably, unless the unobtainable figure of 80% fully vaccinated for your residents is obtained. I know we’re not not alone as the vast majority of Americans are in the same predicament. Is this reopening plan really a reopening plan at all? From where I’m sitting it’s going to be along time before Americans will be able to come back to your island if the current guidelines are not modified and made more realistic/achievable. Bill Hunter EDITORIAL Over the next six weeks, the Cayman Compass will be taking a detailed look at the complex, multi-faceted problems surrounding the most basic need of everyone who calls these islands home. Politically, economically and socially, there are few more difficult and potentially divisive issues for the government and its private sector partners to resolve than housing. Access to safe, comfortable shelter should be the minimum basic requirement and our series starts today by highlighting the pockets of extreme poverty that persist in the midst of our relatively affluent society. Across Grand Cayman, people are living in converted classrooms, squatting in condemned buildings or suffering through storms in homes that still bear the scars from Hurricane Ivan. The non-profit sector (funded by the generosity of the Cayman community) and, to some degree, the government are doing their best to provide support to these families, but the need is growing at a rate that outstrips available funding. A long-term solution is badly needed that addresses demand for shelter, alongside a host of connected social issues. The families featured in today’s paper are at ‘ground zero’ of Cayman’s housing crisis. They are the most extreme manifestations of a problem that impacts a much larger portion of our community – diminishing access to affordable housing. In future editions, we will look at the extent to which runaway price increases over the past decade have put even the bottom rungs of the property ladder out of reach for many young Caymanians. For growing families looking to upgrade from starter homes to a place where they can happily raise their children, there are similar concerns. The new government has made the right noises about extending duty exemptions and tailoring concessions towards projects that prioritise affordable homes. We will look at these alongside a host of other possible policy interventions, including how other island communities – from fellow Overseas Territories like Jersey and Bermuda, to offshore centres like Singapore and Hong Kong – deal with this issue and ask if there are any lessons Cayman can learn. We will also talk to the government, non-profit and private sector leaders in Cayman that are bringing solutions to the table. You can join the conversation, highlight areas you think we should be looking at, or give your views on how to resolve these problems by emailing Issues Editor James Whittaker at jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky. Long-term visitor skipping Cayman No place like home: Compass series investigates Cayman’s housing problems Editorial cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 6 AUGUST 2021RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Caymanian doctor Colin Charles was about to take his final exams in March for his specialisation in obstetrics and gynaecology, at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, when everything came to a screeching halt. When he should have been preparing for his exams, the 38-year- old was instead left fighting for his life in a hospital bed, having contracted COVID-19 on the frontlines. He was not vaccinated at the time. Charles, speaking with the Cayman Compass recently, said that, due to the severity of his illness and the various medications he had to take to recover, he was only allowed to get vaccinated three months later. “I can safely say the day of [getting clearance] I went running to the airport to get my vaccination. So, yes, I’m fully vaccinated… got both shots,” he said. He now aims to sit his final exams in December. Scare of a lifetime Charles, who is now working at the Health Services Authority, recounted his COVID-19 experience, saying there were a couple of times he felt like ‘this was it’ for him. In fact, he said, his colleague, Dr. Xavier Brown, who was monitoring him over CCTV while he was on the COVID ward in Jamaica, shared the same fear. “He called my family and other colleagues in a panic because, as far as he was concerned, after seeing the state that I was in, being able to take a very superficial look at my clinical state, he was fully convinced that I was on the verge of dying, and I was completely out of it, so I was unaware of that at the time. I was very weak… barely responding,” he said. Brown’s call, he said, had a cascading effect of igniting his supporters, a lot of whom were doctors as well, and they kicked into action. “They mobilised… got together and did everything possible to save my life. They were sending medications from Cayman. They brought medications from Montego Bay. They tried to bring in other specialists, they did everything for me to save my life... [That was the] turning point for me, at such a crucial point, due to those actions that my tribe, my loved ones took,” he said. He said he was blessed to have received such support. “I truly believe the only reason I’m here is by the grace of the Lord, the prayers of the righteous, of my loved ones who supported me and those who cared for me,” he said. From stuffy nose to complete collapse Charles said he was a resident at the UWI hospital at the time be became unwell and he believes that is where he contracted the virus. “Working on the frontlines, even though you’re protected, you’re still exposed to a lot of patients that you see every day in environments that can sometimes lead to the possibility of contracting the virus,” he said, adding that he had taken safety precautions at work and at home. Charles said he remembers being diagnosed on 18 March like it was yesterday. He said his symptoms started mildly, but worsened quickly over four days. “What was initially a stuffy nose progressed to a productive cough, and eventually progressed to fatigue and generalised weakness, muscle pain, and then eventually I developed a fever and eventually a bit of laboured breathing,” he said. That was when he decided to get tested. The antigen test, which he did initially, came back positive for COVID-19, he said. He followed up with a PCR test which confirmed he had the virus. He said he was sent home with instructions to monitor his symptoms. He used a pulse oximeter to monitor his heart rate and oxygen saturation level and he took multi-symptom medications, vitamins and minerals. While resting later that day, around 6pm, he said his heart started to race to the point of cardiac arrest and his breathing became increasingly laboured. “I noticed also my oxygen saturations began to fall as low as into the low eighties, 82, and I think at a point in time it crossed over into 78. I knew at this point, [I was] in pulmonary distress… that I needed to head to the hospital,” he said. Charles spent two days in hospital and was then discharged, but he said he knew his clinical state had not improved. He was released at noon and by 11pm he woke up from a deep sleep struggling to breathe. “I could not inhale. That was probably one of the scariest moments I’ve ever been through because the best way I can describe it is as if you were submerged in water and you just can’t breathe in. That’s what the experience was like for me. Then if I tried to speak it was even worse. I just remember calling 911 at the time and just mumbling ‘I can’t breathe, I have COVID, please send an ambulance’,” he said. At that time, Charles said, there were no ambulances available because the hospitals were overwhelmed by the rising number of cases. He said he called his friend, Caymanian doctor Brandon Bernard, to take him to the hospital. “He came and picked me up, and found me in my apartment basically passed out because I was getting dizzy and weak... He found me, resuscitated me and put me in his car. He was fully gowned and protected as well at the time,” he said. Charles said he was admitted at the hospital and his condition continued to deteriorate. He had trouble breathing, he was weak and could not eat. “I remember being in the hospital and just lying in bed for maybe about three, four days without even moving at all. I would be awake. I’d know [I was] awake, but I would be so weak that I couldn’t even open my eyelids,” he said, adding that he lost 20 pounds in fewer than two weeks. ‘It could have been me’ As he slowly started to recover, Charles said he remembered watching a fellow patient get discharged and, as he walked to the door, he collapsed in front of Bernard. “He tried his best to resuscitate him, with the team, with the responsive team and, unfortunately, he’s not here with us. He didn’t make it,” he said. Charles said he is not a public person, but he wanted to share his story in the hope that it can save lives. “The truth is it’s [COVID-19] taking lives, lives that may not necessarily need to be taken or lost. When you see the loss of life, especially [as] I did from the perspective as a patient. This is someone who had exactly what I had, they’re going through exactly what I’m going through, and I know very well that that could have been me,” he said, adding, “It’s the type of traumatic experience that you don’t wish for anyone. You don’t want this to happen to anyone, not even your worst enemy.” Charles said he had to undergo physiotherapy and rehabilitation during his road to recovery which is why he is urging people to get vaccinated. “To anyone: For your own benefit, to not ever have to go through this. Sometimes, death in itself may not be the worst thing. Sometimes the burden of a disease and the long-term effects can be worse,” he said. Charles said he was aggressive and determined with his rehabilitation, but he is still dealing with the after-effects of the virus. “Today I’m in a much better place. I’m able to function normally on a day-to-day basis and for basic day-to-day demands. But I’m still not out of the woods. My pulmonologist says that recovery of my lung function could take up to a full year, if not more, and we’re four or five months out. So, I’m still recovering.” He urged those who have not been vaccinated to do so while they can. “Those realities, in terms of the dangers of COVID, still exist and as we open the borders, we become increasingly vulnerable to those risks,” he said. COVID-19 left Dr. Colin Charles fighting for his life in hospital in Jamaica. - Photo: Alvaro Serey At death’s door Doctor survives COVID “I just remember calling 911 at the time and just mumbling ‘I can’t breathe, I have COVID, please send an ambulance’.” - Dr. Colin Charles, who contracted COVID in March. cayman compass 5 news N news FRIDAY, 6 AUGUST 2021NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky The 3,396 people who are currently receiving the government’s $1,500-a-month tourism stipend are now required to register with the Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman department, Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan announced on 5 Aug. Speaking at a press conference to unveil plans to remobilise the tourism workforce, in preparation for the reopening of Cayman’s borders, Bryan said it will be mandatory for all stipend recipients, including those who are currently employed, to register by 16 Aug. Asked if anyone who fails to register will lose their stipend, the minister responded, “It is mandatory, please don’t make me have to make any decisions in that respect.” If people do not register, Bryan said, he would discuss with his government colleagues whether any penalties would need to be implemented. A survey of displaced tourism workers who are receiving the stipend showed that only 33% of them are currently registered with WORC. The survey also showed that just over half – 51% – of the recipients had indicated that they are presently employed, mostly in the tourism industry, but also in construction, retail or other fields. Of those, 74% said they were working fewer than 30 hours a week. Bryan said the purpose of the mandatory registration was to get a better understanding of the Caymanian labour market. “We’re not here to try to stop you from getting assistance, we just need to understand, to make the right decisions.” The date of 16 Aug. has been set as the registration deadline, to allow time for those displaced workers who sign up with WORC to be matched with available jobs, and to go undergo training, if necessary, before Phase 4 of the government’s reopening plan on 14 Oct. From that date, quarantine for securely verifiable vaccinated travellers is scheduled to be dropped, if Cayman has reached its 80% vaccination target for the local population. A soft reopening on 9 Sept. will bring a limited number of tourists to Cayman, who will still be required to quarantine upon arrival. Matching displaced workers with jobs The Department of Tourism, WORC and the Cayman Islands Tourism Association are working together to place Caymanian workers in positions within the hotel, restaurant and watersports industries, with efforts to match unemployed or underemployed individuals with jobs, the panel at the press conference noted. Data from CITA about available jobs and from WORC about available workers will be cross-referenced in an effort to place Caymanians in suitable positions, Laura Watler, WORC acting director said. Speaking at the press conference, Watler said this approach will enable Caymanians to find long-term employment within the tourism industry. Bryan said CITA, which represents more than 300 companies, had identified at least 1,500 jobs that needed to be filled, from entry level to Tourism-stipend recipients must register with WORC PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10» 16 August Deadline for tourism- stipend recipients to register with WORC. cgcoralisle.com | @cgcoralisle Good Like That. British Caymanian Insurance Company Limited BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, P.O. Box 74, George Town, Grand Cayman KY1-1102, Cayman Islands tel: Grand Cayman 949-8699 | Cayman Brac 948-1760 Hurricane season is here. There’s no time like now to assess how you are protecting your home. Call us to ensure you have the right coverage at the right value. Don’t waste time until there’s no time to waste. The tourism press conference panel, from left, CITA President Marc Langevin; WORC Acting Director Laura Watler; Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan; and Gary Hendricks-Dominguez, acting deputy director of international marketing and promotions at the Department of Tourism. - Photo: GIS cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 6 AUGUST 2021MASS_NRG_B_Inset_Mask_Op1Reimagine new ways to bank better with RBC *For qualified buyers. Special conditions apply. Subject to normal lending criteria. ® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. Reimagine your Rainy Season Readiness with RBC Financing RBC offers a wide range of financing solutions to fund rainy season essentials like home repairs, hurricane shutters and more. Flexible financing Fast approvals Competitive rates Let us help you get started. Visit rbc.com/caribbean/getaloan cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 6 AUGUST 2021told them she was going to the supermarket to get supplies, Ricketts recalled. Baker’s supermarket run at Foster’s Airport, which was caught on the CCTV cameras there, was the last sighting of the Jamaican nurse before she disappeared. Ricketts said that night there was a heavy downpour, and she went to bed. However, the next morning she got a call from Jamaica asking if she had heard from Baker. “I took up my phone. I had noticed that I haven’t seen any missed calls and that’s a first. I called her and her phone was switched off. I continuously called her for about half an hour. It was switched off,” she said, adding that after the unanswered calls, she drove to the Bodden Town apartment to check on her. “I didn’t see her car. Her slippers were outside and I knocked on the door. She wasn’t there; [I] continuously called. So I asked the landlord to open the door because ‘This is strange; Kerry doesn’t go anywhere without her phone and we can’t get her,’” she said. The landlord initially declined, saying she and her friends were not renters nor her renter’s family. Ricketts said she called the police and reported Baker’s disappearance. However, she said the initial response was they would have to wait for 24 to 48 hours to report her missing. Ricketts was not satisfied, so she said her friends managed to convince the landlord to let them into the apartment. “Immediately going through the door I knew something was up because [in] her kitchen the meat was left out from the night before, her slippers were outside and she wouldn’t leave her slippers outside for nothing. Her makeup bag was home and I am like, ‘This is serious. Kerry doesn’t go anywhere without her makeup or her phone,’” she said, adding Baker would always let her friends know wherever she was going. Ricketts said she called the police again and this time they responded. She said, without a doubt, she knows Baker was killed and it was someone she (Baker) knew. “I have always known [who] was the person behind it, but, you know, they said they have to have evidence. I will always speak up on that. It doesn’t matter if it’s a life-or- death situation for me, I would always speak up on that situation. I know in my heart [who] had something to do with it,” she said. Police did detain a suspect in Baker’s case in 2011, but they could not lay charges at the time, due to insufficient evidence. Gone, but not forgotten Not a day goes by, Ricketts said, that Baker is not in her thoughts. “I miss her every day. She has the biggest portrait in my house. I miss her… on my computer screen that [portrait] has been stuck there for more than 10 years,” she said. She is pleading for anyone with information on Baker’s disappearance to help the police deliver justice. “We’re still mourning a loss and it’s not like we got any closure. We didn’t get any closure to say ‘OK, we put her to rest’ or anything. She’s still missing. Every day is just still… especially like this on the anniversary of her being missing... it’s really hard on me, but especially on her family because they still have hope after 10 years that she’ll return home,” she said. Ricketts said Baker’s mother is holding on to the hope that she will see her daughter walk through the front door, but she believes her friend “is no more here”. “I know for her mother, she’s going through a lot, her sisters they’re going through it. So if you know anything about what happened to Kerry-Ann just step froward. They’re always looking for new evidence and new ways to solve the case… so step forward,” she pleaded. Ricketts said she and her friends always get together every year to remember Baker and celebrate her life, and this year will be no different. Kerry-Ann Baker, 25, a Jamaican national, was reported missing on 31 July 2011. Justice for Kerran Baker: ‘Please come forward, please say something’ To see the full interview, see the video on caymancompass.com RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky The fear that she experienced when her friend Kerran ‘Kerry-Ann’ Baker disappeared without a trace in July 2011, remains etched in Inia Ricketts’s mind. In part two of Baker’s story for the Cayman Compass Cold Case series, in partnership with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, we continue our spotlight on her murder, which is being investigated by the Serious Crime Review Team. Instead of being able to celebrate Baker’s 35th birthday on 3 July, Ricketts and Baker’s family were left marking the 10th anniversary of the Jamaican nurse’s disappearance, on 30 July. It’s a reality those who love Baker live with, as they continue to pray for justice for the woman who police believe was murdered back in 2011. “She always wanted to be a wife and a mother, and she didn’t get that chance. Her life was snatched from her at the age of 25. Just come forward [and say something] because she has sisters that need closure… she has friends, her parents need closure. They’re going through it every day,” an emotional Ricketts pleaded during an interview with the Compass, via a Facebook messenger video call. Ricketts, who returned to Jamaica a few years after Baker’s disappearance, was the first person to call the police to report her friend missing. Painful memories She said she still remembers the events and the concern that washed over her when she could not get hold of her friend the morning of 30 July 2011. She said her friends had planned a sleepover at Baker’s Bodden Town apartment that day and Baker was going to cook for them. The night before, they spoke to Baker, who Kerry-Ann Baker (right) and Inia Ricketts in happier times. – Photo: Submitted Anyone with information relating to Kerran Baker’s murder can call the Serious Crime Review Team confidential tip line at 649-2930. cayman compass 8 news N news FRIDAY, 6 AUGUST 2021cayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 6 AUGUST 2021Next >