Cayman Compass - 15 October, 2021

100% Butt er Croissan t made wit h Mix n’ Match % terrrrrrrrr with Sausage, Egg & Cheese Croissan’wich® Bacon, Egg & Cheese Croissan’wich® 25 $ for * © 2021 Burger King Corporation. cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 15-21 October 2021 'Miracle' baby marks 1st birthday Page 10 The green side of smart tech Page 21 Meet the junior PanAm Games athletes Page 27 'Sometime in November' With the country urgently seeking answers, Premier Wayne Panton said he believes "with some conﬁ dence" the country may open next month if everything goes to plan. • Lateral ﬂ ow test pilot Page 5 • How does the test work? Page 6 • Vaccine veriﬁ cation requirements waived for some Page 6Eight children among 13 new community positives Chief Medical Ofﬁ cer Dr. John Lee reported on 13 Oct. that there were 13 new cases of community transmission of COVID-19, of which eight are children. This was in addition to two travellers, who returned positive results at their quarantine exit tests, he said. There were 618 PCR tests conducted in total since 12 Oct., when 13 total positives were also reported. This brings Cayman’s total number of active cases to 182, with 104 symptomatic and 78 asymptomatic. One person remains hospitalised. Speaking in a video update, Lee conﬁ rmed that the ﬁ rst delivery of lateral ﬂ ow tests arrived on 11 Oct. and are being stored at the Health Services Authority, “while we work out the plans to deploy them”. “Obviously this ﬁ rst deployment will be in school children, as that’s where we know we have a current outbreak,” Lee explained. The Compass explainer on how the tests work can be found on page 6. First-time vaccinations drop again Weekly ﬁ rst-dose COVID-19 vaccinations have dropped to an average of less than 300 over the past three weeks, after the ﬁ rst community transmissions in almost a year caused a brief but steep surge in vaccination numbers in September. Following the announcement that the virus had returned to the community on 9 Sept., 1,468 people ﬂ ocked to the vaccination clinics in the week ending 13 Sept. to get their ﬁ rst shot of the Pﬁ zer-BioNTech vaccine. In the following week 1,170 people received the jab. In the 10 weeks prior to that, weekly ﬁ rst-dose vaccination numbers averaged more than 380 people. Although the ﬁ gures have dipped in the past three weeks, the ﬁ rst-jab vaccination rates now exceed 80% in all adult age groups. Even among 12- to 17-year olds, the rate has climbed to 76%. Overall, 55,723 people had one shot and 53,258 were fully vaccinated as of 13 Oct. This corresponds to rates of 78% and 75%, respectively, of the estimated population of 71,106. A total of 687 people had a third or booster shot. According to this conservative population estimate, another 1,230 residents have to come forward to bring the vaccination rate of the population as a whole to 80%. The recently-announced vaccination requirements for work- permit holders are unlikely to tip the needle by much in the short term. Work-permit holders and their dependents over the age of 12 made up 36.3% of the estimated population in April 2021. If the estimates are correct, approximately 6,400 residents among the eligible population have not been vaccinated. Vaccination statistics are not available by residency status. But if work-permit holders were equally represented among the unvaccinated population and all received the jab, the overall vaccination rate would increase by 3.2 percentage points to 81.5%. La Ceiba airport downgrade impacts Cayman Airways ﬂ ights Passengers booked to ﬂ y to La Ceiba 14 Oct., on Cayman Airways, were being rebooked on a number of different ﬂ ights after the Goloson International Airport in La Ceiba was suddenly downgraded. In a statement, Cayman Airways said the airport had been issued an ofﬁ cial Notiﬁ cation To Airman (NOTAM), with no prior notice, effectively downgrading the airport’s operational capabilities to Category 6 with immediate and permanent effect, resulting in Cayman Airways not being able to ﬂ y its Boeing 737-8 jet aircraft into that airport. “The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) deﬁ nes the requirements for Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Service in several categories,” Captain Dave Scott, Cayman Airways’ vice president of ﬂ ight operations, said in the statement. “Cayman Airways’ jet operations require Category 7 or higher, which means that we cannot currently ﬂ y our B737-8 into La Ceiba.” He added that the Juan Manuel Galvez International Airport in Roatan was not an option as it had also just been downgraded to Category 6 until 7 Dec. Cayman Airways said it is currently reviewing its options for the ongoing operations of its Grand Cayman/La Ceiba route, and will provide further updates accordingly. Masks, school closures only increase fear of COVID-19 in students, says doctor Mask mandates and school closures due to COVID-19 will only increase the fear of the virus among students in the community, especially when it will only make them mildly ill, local consultant paediatrician and neonatologist Dr. Sara Watkin has said. “We need to protect our children’s mental health, we need to stop scaring them,” Watkin, of Integra Healthcare, said as she addressed the recently concluded Cayman Healthcare Conference at the Kimpton Seaﬁ re Resort on 8 Oct. Speaking on the topic ‘Optimising & Protecting Child Health in the Post-Closure Era’, Watkin said she believes that COVID-19 is here to stay. “We must consider what we are doing will have long term implications for our children,” Watkin warned. She argued that COVID-19 is a mild disease in children, but many of the measures in place in local schools will have long-term implications. “Closing a school for more than 15 days deprives our children of an education. It deprives their parents of a salary. It deprives those children from having food on the table at night and the ability to think and play as a child and it is increasing fear and trauma in our children,” Watkin said. Red Bay Primary raises funds for Alzheimer’s group The ﬁ nal count is in – Red Bay Primary School students have raised more than $1,000 for the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Association of the Cayman Islands in recognition of World Alzheimer’s Day, which was observed last month. “As a school we believe in training our kids to be compassionate beings, which is part of our school motto,” said acting principal Ryan Dale. “As a part of, not only having it on our walls ,we want to practise what we preach.” Each student was given a fundraising sheet to take home. Then, with their parents’ help over one week, the children collected $1,016. Soﬁ a Hamilton, who organised the fundraiser at the school, said, “We wanted to bridge the generation gap.” She said it was valuable for the younger generation to “experience the history of our islands through rapport with the older generation”. 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 HALLOWEEN KILLS (R) (FRI & MON-THURS) 4:40 | 7:00 VIP | 7:20 | 9:45 VIP | 10:00 (SAT) 2:00 | 4:40 | 7:00 VIP | 7:20 | 9:45 VIP | 10:00 NO TIME TO DIE (PG-13) (FRI & MON-THURS) 3:55 VIP | 4:30 | 7:30 VIP | 8:00 | 9:00 (SAT) 12:25 VIP | 1:00 | 3:55 VIP | 4:30 | 7:30 VIP | 8:00 | 9:00 (SUN) 3:55 VIP | 4:30 | 7:00 VIP | 7:20 | 7:30 VIP | 8:00 | 9:00 THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2 (PG) (FRI & SUN-THURS) 4:15 | 4:35 VIP | 6:35 (SAT) 12:25 | 2:15 VIP | 2:50 | 4:35 VIP | 5:10 | 6:35 VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (PG-13) (FRI, MON & WED-THURS) 4:00 | 4:05 VIP | 6:45 VIP | 7:00 | 9:25 VIP | 9:35 (SAT) 1:35 VIP | 1:35 | 4:00 | 4:05 VIP (SUN) 4:00 | 4:05 VIP | 4:40 | 6:45 VIP | 7:00 | 9:25 VIP | 9:35 | 10:30 VIP (TUE) 4:00 | 4:05 VIP | 7:00 | 9:25 VIP | 9:35 KIDS CLUB THE RUGRATS MOVIE, SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE (G) SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted CLASSICS A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (R) TUESDAY 7PM For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted CULTURE NT LIVE: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG (R18) SATURDAY 8PM weather Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with a 40% chance of showers and possible thunder. SEA STATE Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. caymancompass.comfacebook.com/caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass WINDS East to southeast 5 to 10 knots. 86°F HIGH 74°F LOW 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 FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass While 687 people have now got a booster shot, Cayman’s vaccination rate has slowed following a surge last month that coincided with Cayman’s ﬁ rst cases of community transmission of the virus. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay news in brief cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 15 OCTOBER 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. cayman compass 3 FRIDAY, 15 OCTOBER 20211234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Detect in wrongdoing (5) 4 The largest ocean (7) 8 Not clearly remembered (3) 9 Trifling matter (5,4) 10 Large French country house (7) 11 Hard very dark wood (5) 13 To display (3,3) 15 Annoy persistently (6) 18 Severe (5) 19 Control and make use of (7) 21 Below required standard (3,2,2,2) 23 Large tailless monkey (3) 24 Vexed (7) 25 Done openly (5) DOWN 1 Supplement to a will (7) 2 Character in Mark Twain book (3,6) 3 Undue eagerness to act (5) 4 Deadly contagious disease (6) 5 Part of a university (7) 6 Payment for service (3) 7 To bear (5) 12 Declining (2,3,4) 14 Miserable (7) 16 Deferential esteem (7) 17 Envelop and hide (6) 18 Reddish hair dye (5) 20 Proportion (5) 22 Silvery-white metal (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16823 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 16823 ACROSS: 1 Catch, 4 Pacific, 8 Dim, 9 Small beer, 10 Chateau, 11 Ebony, 13 Lay out, 15 Pester, 18 Harsh, 19 Harness, 21 Not up to it, 23 Ape, 24 Annoyed, 25 Overt. DOWN: 1 Codicil, 2 Tom Sawyer, 3 Haste, 4 Plague, 5 College, 6 Fee, 7 Carry, 12 On the wane, 14 Unhappy, 16 Respect, 17 Shroud, 18 Henna, 20 Ratio, 22 Tin. has died from the community- spread of COVID in Cayman. Back in London, in early April 2020, I genuinely feared for the welfare of my mother, who was turning 85 the coming October. Long before ‘sheltering in place’ became a familiar term, my dear Mum had been doing just that. It was reasonable to believe that for her to contract COVID-19, the virus would need someone to bring it into her home. We could not have asked for a more protective mother, totally selﬂ ess in nature. This would be her undoing. People often say threats can sometimes be unforeseen or unidentiﬁ able, but I beg to differ. A few days before Christmas, I received a call from my sister in London: “Mum has been taken into hospital, but she says, ‘not to worry’, she’ll be all right.” With all my heart and might, I hung on to Mum’s words; I knew she wanted to live! But what I also know is this: on the 29th day of December 2020, my mother, having been taken off a ventilator two days before because she was showing signs of improvement, was pronounced dead. She died at a time when the virus was at its deadliest in the UK. Almost certainly, just as Italian doctors had warned months earlier, failure to get hold of this pandemic would result in doctors choosing who lives and who dies. Deep down I can’t help but feel we are squandering our period of grace, tiptoeing towards the edge of the bluff. Mum was such a strong advocate of vaccines. At age 4, I contracted the highly contagious mumps. During my childhood, tuberculosis was a global health concern. The BCG vaccine was a lifesaver. Granted I was a child, but I cannot recall individual brigades proclaiming violation of their freedoms. Some argue that the COVID vaccines were produced too quickly. That’s not my – or my mum’s – reality. Abraham Joseph Following a repatriation ﬂ ight, I am here in the beautiful Cayman Islands after nearly two long years and I am amazed about the development of large roundabouts, some with three lanes and unclear signage. What concerns me is that so many motorists do not know the rules of their usage – here there are NONE and the approach is who beats who on entering and crossing lanes and without signalling – leading to possible accidents, injury and potential deaths. At the moment, there is not the inﬂ ux of tourists but when that eventually happens there is going to be even more chaos! There needs to be much more thought into the safety of their usage . The solution would be the installation of a coordinated trafﬁ c light system, thus calming the ﬂ ow and making journeys much safer. Please, please rectify this oversight before many more accidents and loss of life occur. I have sent a copy of this letter to the chairman and directors of the National Roads Authority. Dianne Waller A personal COVID story Roundabouts need to be made safer These wonderful Cayman Islands are amongst the safest places on the planet, with or without a pandemic. For sure, some of us are chasing our tails, managing life’s challenges, but most have not had to deal with the worst consequences of coronavirus. Vaccines have not created universal joy and gratitude, but instead suspicion about their effectiveness. In the beginning, I had my doubts, too. The conspiracy machine is highly efﬁ cient and as costly and deadly as the virus itself: Up is down, round is square, night is day, and day is night. We ought not to take for granted the initial decisions made on our behalf during the early days of this pandemic. We have reaped many beneﬁ ts: An early vaccine rollout, just two COVID deaths, and splendid isolation. It is within the realm of the unimaginable that no one Letters to the editor New trafﬁ c lights were installed at the Grand Harbour roundabout in 2019 to help ease congestion. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay How satisﬁed are you with the PACT government's response to the community COVID-19 outbreak? How satisﬁed are you with the PACT government's response to the community COVID-19 outbreak? cayman compass Somewhat satisﬁed ONLINE POLL 8% 10% 67% 11% Very satisﬁed Somewhat dissatisﬁed Very dissatisﬁed Undecided 3% cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2021NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky An announcement on a border- reopening date is expected next week, Premier Wayne Panton said at a press briefing Thursday, 14 Oct. Earlier, Panton had said that a month’s notice would be given to the public regarding the reopening date. On 14 Oct., he said the government would hold a press conference next week “to provide specific information around the reopening date”. Governor Martyn Roper, noting Cayman’s high vaccination rate, said if Cayman can’t open up, “nobody can”. Lateral flow test pilot At the briefing, Panton also announced that the Cayman Islands government is launching rapid lateral flow COVID-19 tests among a group of families in isolation following outbreaks of the virus at local schools. Panton said the first order of the tests had arrived and a portion of them would be used in the pilot programme, which involves families with schoolchildren in quarantine. He said a medical team would be setting up the small pilot scheme this weekend for families in quarantine due to exposure to positive students at schools, but who do not have confirmed positive cases in their households. “They will be allowed to come into a testing centre where lateral flow tests will be conducted,” Panton said. “There will be a demonstration as to how to utilise those, and if they are negative, they will be free to leave quarantine.” The families will be given a sufficient number of test kits for daily tests until the end of the intended quarantine period and they will be required to report the results to Public Health, Panton added. “I want to emphasise, this is a pilot which will allow us to evaluate how the lateral flow tests are being utilised and reported on and, more importantly, will bring much-needed relief for some of our families of students who have been impacted,” the premier said. Describing the availability of lateral flow tests as a “game changer”, he said their use would reduce the significant inconvenience being experienced by families in quarantine because of the local outbreaks. At the briefing, Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee demonstrated the use of lateral flow tests, with the help of the press conference moderator Donna Bush, who was tested live on air. Her results were negative. Panton said lateral flow tests would be available to people in quarantine for free. The premier noted that Cayman was on the cusp of reaching its 80% vaccination target. As of 14 Oct., 75% of the population was fully vaccinated, and 78% had received a first dose. Lee, at the briefing, noted that the latest test results showed that there were 12 new community cases of COVID, four of which were children, with some of the adults “not connected to school outbreaks”. He said there had now been a total of 188 positive cases in the community since early September, which he said was a 0.26% prevalence of positive rate out of the 25,203 COVID tests that been carried out. He also announced that, from Thursday, booster shots will be available to anyone over the age of 60. For those who are unable to travel to get their vaccines, Public Health staff can visit them in their homes and administer the vaccines there. Verifiable vaccinations The premier also announced that, next week, the government will change the regulations relating to securely verified vaccinations. Currently, people with QR codes showing they have been vaccinated by specific organisations are allowed to quarantine for seven days. All others without securely verified vaccines currently must isolate for 10 days. He said the government had agreed that all Caymanians and returning residents who have been vaccinated overseas can quarantine for the shorter period, regardless of whether they have had a securely verified vaccine. This change would enable overseas students to more easily return to Cayman during college or school breaks over Thanksgiving or Christmas,” Panton said. “This change is the first in a series of changes that we will be implementing, and we will have more to say about this in a subsequent press briefing.” Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan had indicated Wednesday on the Compass talk show ‘The Resh Hour’ that there were plans to abolish the verifiable vaccine requirement. Help for quarantining families The premier admitted that the government had “dropped the ball” in regard to communicating with and assisting families who suddenly found themselves in quarantine when cases of the virus were found in local schools, and he apologised to them. In a bid to address some of the needs of those in quarantine, Health Minister Sabrina Turner announced that the government would assist people who require groceries while in isolation. She advised people to call the Health Services Authority flu hotline to request grocery assistance. To contact the hotline, call 947-3077 or 1-800-5348600 or email flu@hsa.ky. Turner said those manning the hotlines would pass details along to the Red Cross, whose volunteers will make the grocery deliveries. She added that Hazard Management Cayman Islands and Foster’s supermarket were also part of the initiative. What she described as “standard grocery packs” would be delivered to those in quarantine, and other items like diapers or adult sanitation products could also be requested. For people who need proof that they are in quarantine, for an employer or for a utility company, they can email quarantine@hsa. ky or also call the flu hotline to coordinate this. “We will supply them with a letter for this purpose,” Turner said. She added that additional members had been added to the Public Health call centre to deal with calls. Medical Officer of Health Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez said a total of 30 additional staff were working at the call centre, and more had been added to assist with swabbing and testing. Mandatory vaccination laws enacted Last week, the government passed two bills mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for certain categories of non-Caymanians in Cayman. The Immigration (Transition) (Amendment) Act and Customs and Border Control (Amendment) Act came into effect 14 Oct. Panton, in response to a media question, said government did not immediately have on hand the number of work-permit holders in Cayman who were vaccinated, but said that data was being collated. The premier said the use of lateral flow tests, introduction of mandatory vaccinations and reduction of the length of quarantine for vaccinated individuals were “important steps” in preparing for the reopening of Cayman’s borders. “It is essential we get the management of COVID-19 in the community properly functioning for our resident population first and we can wisely and safely welcome visitors back to our shores and ensure our systems are tested and fully proven in the event our guests require isolation or quarantine,” he said. Premier: Border-reopening date to be announced Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee and moderator Donna Bush demonstrate the use of a lateral flow test at the 14 Oct. press briefing. Premier Wayne Panton, speaking alongside Governor Martyn Roper and Health Minister Sabrina Turner, announced a lateral flow test pilot programme will begin 16 Oct. – Photos: Alvaro Serey cayman compass 5 news N news FRIDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2021CAROLINE JAMES cjames@compassmedia.ky The requirement to present a QR code in order to demonstrate an arriving passenger has been veriﬁ ably vaccinated could soon be off the table for those travelling to Cayman, according to Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan. Speaking on the 13 Oct. episode of the Compass’ weekly show ‘The Resh Hour’, Bryan made the announcement of a potential U-turn on that policy, adding “government is considering not making that a mandatory requirement moving forward, as we have seen the risk [of forgeries] associated with that mandatory element is very, very small, compared to the reward”. He cited tourism arrival statistics from Cayman’s “best year” where half a million visitors came to the Islands and added “studies show probably less than 1% of persons would ever go as far as forging documents, particularly from key destinations. And even if you got a person to do that, the probabilities of that person having COVID is even smaller”. He proposed increasing the ﬁ nes and penalties should a person be caught trying to enter Cayman with a forged vaccination document. He also suggested a potential policy of restricting “certain jurisdictions”. Cayman Islands Tourism Association president Marc Langevin received this news with what he described as an “explosion of joy”. “If I was not tied to a mic’ right now, I would do some cartwheels because that has been the point that we have found early on… had the most negative impact on our customer base,” he said. Langevin explained, while the concept of a “common pass” was sound, the reality was the idea was not being adopted by key markets. “We saw our business absolutely destroyed because of that,” Langevin said. Full border-reopening announcement ‘close’ Bryan also said government was getting “closer and closer and closer” towards announcing a concrete date for removing the requirement for arrivals to quarantine, effectively fully reopening Cayman to global tourism. Langevin said he believes the tourism sector and government share the desire “to achieve an opening before the year end”. Acknowledging government’s halted border-reopening plan had undermined conﬁ dence in the jurisdiction, Langevin stated they were seeking a “credible” date, which they felt comfortable to share with their stakeholders, as well as from a business preparedness perspective. Looking ahead to that future, Bryan also announced the imminent arrival of a Jet Blue ﬂ ight incoming from New York’s JFK airport on 16 Oct. “It’ll be the ﬁ rst commercial ﬂ ight outside of Cayman Airways and British Airways that has been ﬂ ying recently,” Bryan stated, adding: “They’re showing their commitment to the Cayman Islands to show they’re going to do it in a hard time [with quarantine remaining in place]”. The tourism minister also stated government was inching “closer and closer” to bringing cruise ships back to the island. He hinted a potential solution for cruise lines wishing to restart their Cayman itinerary, would be if the jurisdiction was listed as the ﬁ rst port of call, for vaccinated passengers who have tested negative prior to departure. He also proposed the use of lateral ﬂ ow tests before visitors disembark. When asked if this was a chance to seek fewer ships, with a higher spending clientele, Bryan noted “I don’t think this is the opportunity now to remodel or restructure the cruise industry. I think we need to get it back and then we can slowly adjust”. RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky As plans move ahead to roll out lateral ﬂ ow tests in Cayman as part of screenings for COVID-19 in local schools, the Compass takes a look at how effective they are and how they work. While government has yet to formally announce how many tests, and which type, have been acquired, Chief Medical Ofﬁ cer Dr. John Lee said the plan is to have Cayman “ﬂ ooded” with the tests. The aim is to have the tests used as part of a COVID-19 ‘catch-and-isolate’ mechanism without disruption to schools and businesses at large. How effective are the tests? Lee said the effectiveness of the tests depends on the state of infectivity of each person. “They’re somewhere between 50% and 80% as effective as PCR, sometimes a little bit higher than that. But they’re far, far better than no knowledge at all,” he said on Saturday as he addressed the Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference at the Kimpton Seaﬁ re Resort. “They’re much better at picking up infections where there is a high viral count, and they’re also better when you use them sequentially.” How do lateral ﬂ ow tests work? Lateral ﬂ ow tests detect the proteins in coronavirus and are simple and quick to use, according to the UK National Health Service. They are also referred to as rapid tests. Steps for taking a lateral ﬂ ow test Taking the test begins with reading the instructions and the guidelines to ensure an accurate result. The NHS outlines a step-by-step process: Marc Langevin (left) welcomes news from Kenneth Bryan (right) that QR codes may no longer be required for tourists to demonstrate their vaccination status on ‘The Resh Hour’ hosted by Reshma Ragoonath (centre). - Photo: Matthew Levy Explainer: How do lateral ﬂ ow tests work? Gov't weighs removing veriﬁ able vaccination requirement “If I was not tied to a mic’ right now, I would do some cartwheels.” Marc Langevin, CITA president, reacts to the announcement that government is considering dropping the requirement for arriving passengers to present a QR code in order to demonstrate they have been veriﬁ ably vaccinated. Before taking the swab: • Wash your hands with soap or use a hand sanitiser • Lay out all the items in the test kit on a clean surface • If your test does not come with a pre-ﬁ lled tube, ﬁ ll the tube with the liquid provided and close the lid • Place the tube in the tube holder • Blow your nose • Wash your hands again Taking the swab: If your test requires a throat swab: • Open your mouth wide and rub the swab over your tonsils (or where they would have been). Avoid the end of the swab touching your teeth, tongue and gums • Put the same swab inside your nose (about 2.5 cm up or until you feel some resistance) Explainer: How do lateral ﬂ ow tests work? If your test requires a nose swab only: • Put the swab inside your nose (about 2.5 cm up) Completing the test: • Put the end of the swab into the tube so it’s in the liquid • Squeeze the liquid from the tube onto the test strip • Check the waiting time in the instructions that came with the test kit • Wait for the time shown in the test kit instructions • Read the result • Do not leave it longer than the waiting time speciﬁ ed in the test kit instructions as this may affect the result. cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2021cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2021Welcomes back Schedule your consultation at Cayman Orthopaedic Group, Unit 1 Smith Road Plaza PLEASE CALL 945-8380 Anne Dancey, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon FRCS(Plast), MBChB(Hons), MMedSci(Hons) and MCh(PASP) She will be returning to the island on 18th October through 18th December. RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Sri Lankan chef and server Kasun Fernando has been identified as the man who died after falling off a party boat on 11 Oct. The Sri Lankan national died mere days before his 33rd birthday, which his coworkers at the Westin said would have been celebrated on Sunday, 17 Oct. Fernando’s body was found 13 Oct. around 11:45am south west of Barkers Cay, ending two days of sea searches led by the Cayman Islands Coast Guard, assisted by private boaters and the police chopper. Up to press time, police were yet to issue official confirmation of Fernando’s identity, but his colleagues at the Westin confirmed his name. Fernando was employed at the Westin and had been living in the Cayman Islands for a little over five years, Jim Mauer, Vice President/ Managing Director of the Westin said as he spoke with the Cayman Compass on 14 Oct. Fernando’s friend Sunny Goswami started a GoFundMe campaign to help send his body home. As of midday on 14 Oct., $10,442 of the $12,000 goal had been donated. “It is very humbling. He may have been Sri Lankan but he was Caymanian at heart.... He was the epitome of CaymanKind. He was loved,” Mauer said, as he lauded the community’s response to rally around Fernando’s family. The 32-year-old fell overboard Monday, 11 Oct., night around 7:30pm from the 16ft Tortuga party boat. Fernando’s death, Mauer said, left the team at the local hotel devastated, as they had all been hoping for the best. “He was a key associate here and a leader. So many of our associates looked up to him,” Mauer said in a telephone interview. Fernando, he said was well loved and “was very personable”. Mauer said he was key to the hotel’s operations both pre-pandemic and after the lockdown. “He was one of the associates who continued the culture of service. It [has been] really stressful and we are sadden by his loss,” he said. Some of his colleagues were with him when the incident happened. “Our dear Westin family member, Kasun Fernando, and his family are in our thoughts. Kasun was a selfless and reliable friend to all around him. His kind heart, humble nature, calm demeanor and encouraging smile helped us all in so many ways. Kasun will be forever in our hearts and memories. Kasun was excited to be part of our Westin family Corporate Cup team on [16 Oct.], which we will now be participating in, in his memory,” a statement to the Compass from the ‘Westin Family & Friends’ read. Search and recovery efforts The Coast Guard – supported by members of the Royal Islands Police Service dive team, the Cayman Islands Fire Service, the Cayman Islands Port Authority, and other members of the community – searched for the missing man through 12 and 13 Oct., when efforts shifted to involve swimmers in the water, as they transitioned from search and rescue to search and recovery. This RCIPS image shows ‘line search’ efforts on Wednesday 13 Oct. to recover Fernando’s body. Scotland described the change in tactics as “more people in the water supported by vessels utilising what is known as an ‘extended line’ search”. He said the line search technique being employed was “slow and methodical”. The Coast Guard, in a post on its official Facebook page, had welcomed offers of assistance from the public in the search. It had asked specifically for individuals whose vessels are equipped with a marine VHF radio or who have access to a marine VHF handheld radio. On 12 Oct., Coast Guard vessels Typhoon and Mark Luke, as well as Coast Guard jet skis, aided by over 15 private vessels, were involved the search. The police helicopter was also deployed. Sri Lankan chef named as drowning victim The body of Sri Lankan national Kasun Fernando was found 13 Oct. after a two-day search from Coast Guard and private boaters. He fell overboard from the party boat Tortuga 11 Oct. - Photo: Submitted. cayman compass 8 news N news FRIDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2021MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@compassmedia.ky The Pandora Papers, the latest data leak of 12 million offshore documents, images and spreadsheets from 14 corporate services providers, has caused some ripples across the world’s media. More than 600 journalists in 117 countries have sifted through the data, obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and shared with more than 140 media partners around the world. In the words of The Guardian, “the files reveal how wealthy individuals can shield their income and their assets from taxation and scrutiny by hiding them offshore”. Although the language used suggests otherwise, The Guardian added not everyone named in the Pandora Papers is accused of wrongdoing, rather that ensuring assets remain hidden could sometimes enable tax avoidance. So far, the revelations struggle to keep up with the media hype and the volume of coverage. Most media reports focussed on property purchases through offshore companies. In the UK, 1,500 properties were bought using offshore firms, including one commercial property purchased by former Prime Minister Tony Blair. The King of Jordan as well as Azerbaijan’s and Qatar’s ruling families have equally amassed fortunes and avoided tax, by acquiring properties around the world through offshore vehicles. The Czech prime minister had failed to declare an offshore investment company that was used to buy luxury properties on the Cote d’Azur. And the family of Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta had secretly owned a network of offshore companies. In some cases, offshore structures had been used by people accused of corruption and other crimes to invest in property assets onshore. The ICIJ said the files showed that the offshore system continues to thrive despite decades of legislation, investigations and international agreements aimed at combating money laundering and tax dodging. The data also demonstrated that South Dakota and more than a dozen US states had become leaders in the business of selling financial secrecy. Explaining why the Pandora Papers were important, The New York Times said, “The report was published against the backdrop of an ever sharpening rich-poor divide in the world, made worse by the pandemic, which has heightened emotional resentments about wealthy privilege in many countries.” In countries where leaders have limited accountability to the public, this type of revelation could give the public information and insight denied by the political establishment, the newspapers said. Cayman in the Pandora Papers Almost nothing in the data refers to the Cayman Islands, unlike the British Virgin Islands, which is connected to two-thirds of the offshore companies mentioned. But this does not mean Cayman is not part of the global media coverage of the data leak. The Guardian, which led the media investigation in the UK, frequently used Cayman as a brand name to promote its coverage of the Pandora Papers. The newspaper on several occasions noted the documents show how the wealthy create “offshore structures and trusts in tax havens such as Panama, Dubai, Monaco, Switzerland and the Cayman Islands”. Other media followed suit with similar boiler plate statements. In an article explaining why the Guardian covered the Pandora Papers, the news organisation said: “When the rich and powerful stash their money in tax havens, they’re essentially buying secrecy. Those wealthy enough to organise their financial affairs in places such as the Cayman Islands and Monaco expect to be shielded from public scrutiny.” While much of this was legal, The Guardian argued, some of it is not. No evidence of wrongdoing in the Cayman Islands was presented by the news organisation. The New York Times offered, in the same vein: “Hiding wealth is a specialty offered by tax havens such as Panama, Dubai, Monaco, Switzerland and the Cayman Islands, as well as some American states like South Dakota and Delaware”. Bloomberg adorned its Pandora Papers explainer with images of Stingray City and defined the term ‘offshore’ as referring to low-tax regimes in territories such as the BVI, Panama or Cayman, but also Switzerland and US states like Delaware, Nevada or South Dakota. Bloomberg further mentioned Cayman to explain that there are legitimate reasons to use offshore financial centres, such as “US hedge funds and other money managers [pooling] assets into Cayman Islands master funds to reduce financial and administrative costs”. The ICIJ, and others, highlighted Cayman as one of the traditional offshore havens that have attracted most of the attention of policymakers of the world’s most powerful nations, adding that this had allowed South Dakota, Nevada and other US states to “transform themselves into leaders in the business of peddling financial secrecy”. The ICIJ noted the Pandora Papers only covered a limited number of corporate services providers and as a result many jurisdictions were not represented in the data. In the Paradise Papers, a leak from offshore law firm Appleby, more of the documents referred to Bermuda and Cayman, because that is where the firm operates and both jurisdictions are “popular havens for corporations”, the consortium said. None of the 14 corporate services providers that were subject to the Pandora Papers leak have a focus on, or significant presence in, Cayman. Pandora Papers: Cayman untouched but not left unmentioned Paul Byles, director of consulting firm FTS Jude Scott, CEO, Cayman Finance PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11» International media have hyped the latest leak of millions of offshore documents. cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2021 9Next >