Add Hash Browns, Jalapeño Cheddar Bites, or Mozzarella Sticks to your meal! cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 3-9 December 2021 BUDGET BREAKDOWN How government plans to return to an operating surplus. Page 3 Photo: Taneos Ramsay A drop in the ocean? $21 million proposal to save Seven Mile Beach. Page 22Matinees (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. 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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 FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass Seymour crosses the aisle, will serve as parliamentary secretary Bodden Town East MP Dwayne ‘John John’ Seymour, after moving from the Opposition benches to join the government as an independent representative, will serve as parliamentary secretary in three ministries – labour, housing and transport. Premier Wayne Panton announced Seymour’s new roles in a statement in Parliament on Wednesday, 1 Dec., saying he was now sitting on the “right side of the house, the government bench”. Seymour, who served as minister of health in the previous Progressives-led government, will be working with Minister of Labour Chris Saunders, Minister of Transport Kenneth Bryan, and Minister of Housing Jay Ebanks. On the evening of 30 Nov., Seymour was joined by PACT MPs at a public meeting in his constituency, where he announced his decision. Speaking to the Cayman Compass following his announcement, Seymour said the PACT government had been wooing him since the election, telling him they needed him “as a person” and not “as a number”. Cayman marks its sixth COVID-related death Cayman recorded a sixth COVID-related death on 1 Dec., as the jurisdiction’s active cases and hospitalisations have started to drop off. No further details about the death were provided in the update from the Ministry of Health. Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee reported that, at 8am on 1 Dec., 89 positive community cases had been recorded since the previous day, from a total of 1,275 PCR tests. There were 18 COVID-19 patients hospitalised in the Cayman Islands for the same period, which was two fewer than reported in the prior update. These results brought the number of active cases of COVID-19 in the Cayman Islands to 3,866 as at 8am on 1 Dec., bringing the total number of cases recorded since the start of the pandemic to 7,324. Up to that point, 4,500 people were in isolation. The Public Health Department also confirmed that up to 1 Dec., there had been 1,928 total positive lateral flow tests since the introduction of that testing programme. COVID vaccine boosters available to over-30s People aged 30 and over can now get their COVID-19 booster shots, and the doses will be available to all adults of 18-and- over from Tuesday, 7 Dec., the Public Health Department has announced. The booster remains available to all teachers and school staff, healthcare workers, uniformed services and the clinically vulnerable. Pop-up COVID testing centres open at hotels Pop-up COVID testing centres are being established in hotels across Grand Cayman to make it easier for tourists to be screened for the virus. All visitors to the islands are required to take a monitored lateral flow test on days two, five and 10 of their stay. The regulations had sparked concerns that potential tourists would be put off by the hassle of taking three days out of their vacation to go and get tested. Now government has partnered with Doctors Hospital to bring the tests to the tourists. The hospital has established a mobile testing unit and is setting up kiosks on a revolving schedule at major hotels including the Westin, Marriott, Kimpton Seafire, Holiday Inn and Wyndham. Platinum Jubilee long weekend among public holidays for 2022 A long weekend set for June next year, to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, is among the official public holidays confirmed by the Deputy Governor’s Office on 29 Nov. The extra holiday for next year, set to begin on Friday, 3 June, has been gazetted to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne 70 years ago. Governor Martyn Roper made the announcement in his Throne Speech before Parliament on 26 Nov. Roper revealed that, among the activities already planned for that weekend, by a committee established by Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose, are: a concert, fireworks display, various district events, a beacon lighting, an air show and a car show, as well as a Queen’s Birthday Party and parade at the governor’s residence on Seven Mile Beach. There are also plans to run a ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’ initiative across the islands involving local schoolchildren, Roper said. World Aids Day: 5 new HIV cases recorded in Cayman in 2021 Five people in the Cayman Islands were newly diagnosed with HIV this year, bringing the total number of people on island with the disease to 74, Health Minister Sabrina Turner has announced. In a message to mark World Aids Day, on 1 Dec., Turner said her ministry was working with the Cayman AIDS Foundation and the Red Cross “to provide in-depth education and awareness about HIV and its implications on our society”. She said Cayman would take time to “pause to acknowledge those who are living in our community with HIV and AIDS, those who are newly infected and coping with their new reality and honour those who have lost their lives to this disease”. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 37.7 million people were living with HIV in 2020, 1.5 million of whom were new infections, Turner noted, adding that the WHO shows that 680,000 people lost their lives to HIV/AIDS-related causes in 2020. news in brief Cayman’s number of active cases, along with the number of people in hospital with the virus, started to decline at the end of November. cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 3 DECEMBER 2021MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@compassmedia.ky In contrast to the past two years of the pandemic, government is planning a return to operating surpluses in its 2022/23 budget. However, because public entities, like the Cayman Islands Airports Authority, Cayman Turtle Centre, Cayman Airways and the Health Services Authority, overall are predicted to continue to lose money, the entire public sector is expected to remain in deficit next year (-$15.76 million) and return to only a marginal surplus ($8.67 million) the year after. Based on core government operating revenues of $940.9 million in 2022 and $978.1 million in 2023, government plans to spend $921.48 million next year and $950.37 million the following year. Revenue sources Although the budget does not include any new fees or higher taxes, government’s financial plan will increase debt. This higher borrowing, of up to $349.1 million over the two years, is intended to pay for more than $300 million in capital projects, which are predominantly investments in infrastructure. At the same time, government’s operating income, mainly from licence fees and duties, in both years should exceed the operating expenditures in terms of government worker salaries, third-party services, and the operation of statutory authorities and government companies. The principal sources of government revenue, shown in the chart, are not much different compared to previous years. By far, the largest and growing item is the licence fees for the registration and maintenance of companies, funds, partnerships, trusts, banks and insurers in the Cayman Islands. Given that company and partnership registrations are set for a record year in 2021, the more than 117,500 companies, 34,100 partnerships and close to 27,000 funds are bringing in almost $250 million this year. Private fund fees alone, a new revenue source introduced last year, are going to raise more than $52 million this year, an amount that is expected to rise to $58.46 million in 2022. The new fee, combined with larger-than-expected financial services revenues, was the main reason why the absence of tourism revenue this year did not result in a larger fiscal deficit. In the 2022 budget, all financial services fees combined are expected to amount to $365 million. Import duties for food, merchandise, gasoline, tobacco, alcohol and building materials are forecast to flush $217.1 million into government coffers. Work permit, permanent residence, Caymanian status and other immigration- related fees are set to raise $98 million next year. The extremely high activity in the property market is also expected to continue and raise $68.5 million in stamp duties on land transfers. Direct revenues from tourism, such as room taxes, hotel licence fees and cruise passenger departure taxes, on the other hand, are not anticipated to contribute more than $25.1 million in 2022. Spending projects The main spending areas in government’s operating budget also remain largely unchanged but, like on the income side, the largest item, personnel costs, is growing. Just less than half of the spending budget, $437.2 million, is earmarked for government worker salaries and benefits. More than $161 million is being spent on the operation of government authorities and companies through payments for outputs from public entities. Supplies and consumables will cost the government approximately $149.3 million, with $42.5 million budgeted for third- party services. Transfer payments, largely for social $40.6m Sale of goods and services: Includes any fees for government services. $88.8m Other coercive revenue: Includes other fees collected across government. $25.1m Tourism- related revenue: Room taxes and cruise ship passenger departure taxes are set to recover in 2022. $31.3m Motor- vehicle fees: About the only upside of island traffic is the fees it generates for government. $68.5m Stamp duty on land transfers: Cayman’s property market is booming and yields significant returns for government. $98m Work permit/ permanent residency fees: Government expects to net almost $100 million in fees from overseas workers. $365.5m Company, funds, partnership and other entity fees: Fees associated with businesses, principally in the financial services industry, make up the biggest chunk of government income. $14.7m Financing expenses: Interest and other fees associated with government’s long-term loans. $42.5m Spending on non-government: Third-party services include, for example, the more than $20 million in expenses for tertiary care for uninsured or underinsured patients. $45.4m Depreciation: Accounts for the diminishing value of government’s buildings and other assets. $61.5m Transfer payments: Consist largely of funding for government’s social programmes including financial assistance for the most vulnerable, stipends for seafarers and scholarships for students. $149.3m Supplies and consumables: Includes everything from printer cartridges and insurance to government travel and training. $161.9m Spending on CINICO, Cayman Airways, HSA etc.: Government helps fund statutory authorities and government companies to fulfil their missions. $437.2m Personnel costs: Salaries and benefits for civil servants account for nearly half of all government spending. This chart shows where government is predominantly raising revenue and what it will mainly spend the money on, based on core government’s budget forecasts. $217.1m Import duties: Taxes on everything from construction materials, food, gasoline and merchandise to alcohol and tobacco. Government budget 2022 Operating revenue $940.9m Operating expenditure $921.5m PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6» cayman compass 3 news N news FRIDAY, 3 DECEMBER 20211234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 West Atlantic archipelago (7) 5 Undue hurry (5) 8 World’s largest island (9) 9 Stupid person (3) 10 Low-pitched bass wind instrument (4) 12 Napoleon’s last place of exile (2,6) 14 Usher in (6) 15 Sermon (6) 17 Australian state (8) 18 Network fabric (4) 21 Weeding tool (3) 22 Southeast Asian island country (9) 24 South Pacific archipelago (5) 25 Indonesian island (7) DOWN 1 Intolerantly opinionated person (5) 2 Shade of colour (3) 3 The intellect (4) 4 Barely sufficient (6) 5 Spiny nocturnal animal (8) 6 Leisure (5,4) 7 Rapturous delight (7) 11 Composer of West Side Story (9) 13 Utterly perplexed (3,2,3) 14 Short-handed axe (7) 16 Provisions (6) 19 Doglike scavenging animal (5) 20 Soothing ointment (4) 23 No longer in fashion (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16865 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 16865 ACROSS: 1 Bahamas, 5 Haste, 8 Greenland, 9 Ass, 10 Tuba, 12 St Helena, 14 Herald, 15 Homily, 17 Tasmania, 18 Mesh, 21 Hoe, 22 Singapore, 24 Tonga, 25 Sumatra. DOWN: 1 Bigot, 2 Hue, 3 Mind, 4 Scanty, 5 Hedgehog, 6 Spare time, 7 Ecstasy, 11 Bernstein, 13 All at sea, 14 Hatchet, 16 Viands, 19 Hyena, 20 Balm, 23 Out. I am so done with the Cayman Islands. You finally processed my travel certificate approximately 10 hours before I was due to travel. Due to the late (11:03pm) arrival of the certificate the night I was supposed to travel, I had already cancelled my flight since it didn’t appear to have been approved. I completely understand the government trying to protect both residents and visitors but your process is completely onerous. It is extremely difficult to get a SmartCard unless you’re in one of the 10 (US) states that issue them or you belong to one of the health groups that use Epic for their medical records. This cancelled trip has cost me hundreds of dollars in lost airfare and residential accommodations, not to mention a week’s worth of vacation time. So I will not be returning to the Caymans and I will certainly post on social media of my difficult experience so others will not have to go through what I did. Jeanne Nevins than most of North America where half of that gets you a 24- hour suspension and your car im- pounded, and 0.08% will get you charged criminally where you will lose your car for 30 days and your licence for a year. And you have to declare yourself as a criminal when crossing the border. No more clean police checks. – Iain Kenny Regulate taxi fares, deregulate the options for island ‘Uber’ solu- tions, improve public transpor- tation reliability and late-night transport. People out at night don’t care about blood-alcohol content technicalities, they care about being able to get a safe ride home at a price that didn’t cost them half of what they made dur- ing the day. – Mike Hoffman How about also having a point system like in Canada where you lose points off your licence for offences like speeding and can per- manently lose it if it happens a few times? How about police charg- ing people for reckless driving or undue care and attention as well? Too many people on cellphones or stopping to drop off people on a busy road and causing an accident! – Anissa Atterbury Travel authorisation delays causing headaches End this constant harass- ment of guests and actually open the country; tourism sector has suffered long enough. People, in- cluding myself, want to get back to work and welcoming guests back to our islands! – Rob Smith Switching sides: Bodden Town East MP Dwayne Seymour is welcomed by members of the PACT government after he agreed to join the government benches following a public meeting in his constituency on 30 Nov. - Photo: Seaford Russell Jr Visitor writes off Cayman after issues with travel certificate Open letter to premier on policy for unvaccinated children What they’re saying Online Letters to the editor pic of the week Headline I am writing to you today to implore the PACT government to consider changing the policies regarding isolation for unvaccinated Caymanian and resident children returning to the island after travelling abroad. Under current policies, children under the age of 12, unvaccinated, are required to isolate for up to 16 days upon return. I don’t believe this is necessary anymore. We have community spread, this is our reality now. Why punish the children returning on flights when odds are they would be equally, if not more, susceptible to contracting and spreading the virus here in Cayman, than bringing it home after having had a negative PCR to travel here? It seems that testing children with lateral flow tests upon returning to the islands from abroad would provide the same results we are getting from testing them with LFTs throughout school outbreaks. With the availability of lateral flow testing, there is no longer a reason for these children to be subjected to isolation simply because they travelled off-island. As a whole, our vaccination numbers are excellent and we are well protected by the guidelines the PACT government has already put in place. We plan to take our children out of school one-to-two weeks prior to our mid-December trip to ensure we all receive negative PCR tests and can board the flight. When we return after our two-week trip (during school break), under current policy, our children will have to isolate for up to 16 days. This will obviously affect our work schedule and the kids will be kept out of school for an exorbitant amount of time. Please stop denying them their freedom to learn and grow and to be children. Isolation isn’t just unnecessary, it’s detrimental to the health and well being of our children. We can still protect our community by administering LFTs to returning children and reporting positives, when they arise, to the schools and Public Health. Mary Bodden Premier: Cayman to lower DUI limits How about facilitating civil/victim compensation laws against drunk drivers? – Lennon Christian Very true. Cayman’s 0.10% limit is much higher cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 3 DECEMBER 2021Holiday deadlines BOOK YOUR ADVERTISING SPACE AS FOLLOWS: PUBLICATION DATE Friday, 24 December BOOKING DEADLINE 10 a.m. Tuesday, 21 December PUBLICATION DATE Friday 31 December BOOKING DEADLINE 10 a.m. Wednesday, 22 December PUBLICATION DATE Friday, 7 January BOOKING DEADLINE 10 a.m. Thursday, 30 December ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky A two-day judicial review into Governor Martyn Roper’s use of his reserved powers began in the Grand Court on Thursday, 2 Dec. The civil proceeding has been initiated by Kattina Anglin, who argues that by enacting the Civil Partnership Law, the concept of which was initially voted down by the then- Legislative Assembly, Roper acted outside the scope of his powers, in a manner that was "unlawful and irrational". At the heart of the judicial review is the question of whether the reserved powers granted to the governor by Section 81 of the Cayman Islands' Constitution gives him the right to enact legislation, and, if so, to what extent; or, whether the Constitution limits such powers to Cayman’s Parliament. Anglin’s case Arguing on behalf of Anglin, Hugh Southey, QC, accepted that Section 81 of the Constitution does grant the governor the power to implement legislation, “but in a very limited sense”. Section 81 reads, in part, “If the Governor considers that the enactment of legislation is necessary or desirable with respect to or in the interests of any matter for which he or she is responsible under section 55… after consultation with the Premier, it appears to the Governor that the Cabinet is unwilling to support the introduction into the [Cayman Islands Parliament] of a Bill for the purpose or that the [Parliament] is unlikely to pass a Bill introduced into it for the purpose, the Governor may, with the prior approval of a Secretary of State, cause a Bill for the purpose to be published in a Government Notice and may… assent to it on behalf of Her Majesty.” Section 55 states that the governor is responsible for matters such as defence, external affairs, internal security, including police, the appointment of people to public office, taxation and tourism-related matters. “The governor’s powers are very limited, so as not to step on the toes of the legislatures, which, of course, in this case, is the Cayman Islands Parliament,” said Southey. He added that, while the Constitution does task the governor with duties related to external affairs, there is no clear definition as to what those duties entail. “There is no clarity on what exactly external affairs means,” said Southey. “Even if it was a case… that the governor was acting so as to ensure Cayman remained compliant to international treaties, it would still be unlawful for him to enact the legislation because international treaties are secondary to primary legislation, which is, of course, created by the legislature.” He argued that, although the Domestic Partnership Bill was initially defeated when it came before lawmakers, it was not the governor’s place to push the law through, even if he was acting under instructions by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. “If the governor found that the Cayman Islands was incompatible with its international obligations, the scope of his emergency powers would not allow him to push through domestic legislation to bring Cayman in line with international treaties,” said Southey. “The true purpose of his emergency powers… is to prevent a political ping-pong or back and forth.” “Let’s say the UK Parliament created legislation which was to be introduced into Cayman, but the Cayman Islands Parliament then created legislation to block the UK legislation, the UK Parliament would be forced to create further legislation which would then be blocked by Cayman,” Southey explained. “The role of the governor is to be able to step in and push through that legislation in Cayman on behalf of the UK and act as a tie-breaker, if you would.” Southey called on Justice Richards Williams, who is presiding over the review, to declare that Roper acted ultra vires [meaning: outside the law]. “If my Lord finds in favour of us and rules the governor acted ultra vires, then naturally the court should set aside the enacted legislation, which would have been deemed to be unlawful,” he said. “If the court does not set aside the legislation, the court runs the risk of overstepping and legislating by giving legality to the unlawful act.” The governor’s case Tom Hickman, QC, who represents the governor, argued that Roper acted lawfully because he did so to bring the jurisdiction into compliance with human rights obligations, which had been breached by Cayman’s failure to provide a legal framework for same-sex couples. “The UK parliament has granted its Overseas Territories with the right of self- determination on topics such as same-sex marriage and, therefore, it would not implement such legislation by way of an Order in Council,” said Hickman. “However, the absence of a legal framework, which protects the rights of same-sex couples, meant that the UK was in breach of meeting its international obligations and the correct way to address this breach was through using the governor’s powers under Section 81.” He added, “It is wrong for the claimant to say that the only way for this to be rectified is by an external act of the UK government and not under the constitutional framework.” The fact that Section 81 grants the governor permission to enact legislation, coupled with the requirement for him to consult the premier, shows clear checks and balances, Hickman said. He argued that the fact that the governor “can and must proceed to enact legislation, under instruction from the UK, demonstrates that he has the legal ground to do so”. Hickman warned that by finding in favour of Anglin, the court could significantly reduce the powers of the governor, which may go against the wishes of Parliament. He also requested that, if the court does rule against the governor, then a further hearing should be held to present potential remedies. Colours Caribbean Colours Caribbean, a LGBTQ+ advocacy group, joined the judicial review as an interested party and is expected to present its case on 3 Dec. Colours Caribbean says, while it understands the narrow arguments being presented, the review should be done in a manner that takes into consideration the potential impact of removing the law. Visit www.caymancompass.com for more as this story develops. Governor’s use of reserved powers reviewed A two-day judicial review began on 2 Dec. into Governor Martyn Roper’s use of his reserved powers to enact civil partnership legislation in Cayman. – Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 5 news N news FRIDAY, 3 DECEMBER 2021Adventure seekers, sailors, maritime history lovers. Suzy will be signing books on Wednesday, 15 December from 11am to 3pm at the Camana Bay Farmers & Artisans Market. Also available at: Book Nook, Next Chapter, Cayman Islands National Museum, National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, online at CLMbookshop.com. assistance programmes, make up $61.5 million. Outside of its day-to-day operations, government intends to spend $170.1 million in 2022 and $133.4 million in 2023 on capital projects. In his budget address, Premier Wayne Panton mentioned the following new infrastructure investments, among other budget highlights. Education In the education budget, the expansion of the free school meal programme from primary to secondary schools is eventually going to cost the government $16 million a year. New halls at Theoline L. McCoy and Joanna Clarke primary schools and the expansion of the Lighthouse School as well as a new building for the Layman E. Scott High School on Cayman Brac are some of the projects funded with $16.8 million in 2022 and $16.9 million in 2023. Construction at John Gray High School is budgeted to cost $23.9 million next year and $11.2 million the year after. ReGen/landfill The budget includes $21.7 million in 2022 and $2.3 million in 2023 for the ongoing remediation work at the George Town landfill and for the ReGen project that will build a waste-to-energy facility to manage most of Cayman’s waste. Beach renourishment Government has plans to address the erosion of parts of Seven Mile Beach with a beach- renourishment programme, provided that scientific studies confirm the viability of such a project. In 2022, $1 million has been allocated for beach renourishment, followed by $20 million in 2023. In addition, amenities at public beaches, such as restrooms, will be enhanced. General beach access is set to be improved through the acquisition of land. Government also seeks funding to buy further land for agricultural purposes. General Aviation Terminal There are plans to establish a public-private partnership to construct a new terminal to handle private and chartered aircraft. The intention is to improve the traveller experience. The Cayman Islands Airports Authority is working on a business case. Northward Prison The government aims to provide a modern and secure correctional facility, Panton said, because Northward Prison was “not fit for purpose”. There is already an outline business case for the project and construction is expected to begin next year. The budget has allocated $6.9 million and $7 million, respectively, for the next two years. Affordable housing Government targets the provision of 100 affordable homes per year through government guaranteed-assisted mortgages and the National Housing Development Trust. For 2022, $8.26 million has been allocated for the construction of affordable homes by the trust and a further $5.44 has been budgeted for 2023. Subsea cable The budget includes funding for the implementation of a new subsea communications cable “to ensure Cayman remains connected to the world”, Panton said. CINICO, Development Bank Government plans to expand the operations and scope of the Cayman Islands National Insurance Company to increase product offerings. It will also re- examine how the Cayman Islands Development Bank can support Caymanians. The Development Bank is set to receive equity injections of $4.5 million in each of the next two years. Government budget 2022 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Premier Wayne Panton delivered the PACT government’s first budget policy statement to Parliament on 26 Nov. - Photo: Government Information Services By far, the largest and growing item is the licence fees for the registration and maintenance of companies, funds, partnerships, trusts, banks and insurers in the Cayman Islands. cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 3 DECEMBER 2021Happy eDiscovery Day! December 3rd, 2021 Contact our team today to schedule an interactive eDiscovery Lab, and prepare to win. kydiscovery@deloitte.com NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky As police launch their annual holiday road-safety campaign, the government is considering reducing the legal blood-alcohol level for drivers in Cayman, which is currently among the highest in the world. The drink-drive limit in Cayman is 0.1%, meaning a person’s blood contains one part alcohol for every 1,000 parts of blood. Addressing Parliament in his budget address on 26 Nov., Premier Wayne Panton said it was a priority to tackle “alarming” road-safety issues, which he described as “quite frankly, unacceptable”. “We will start by lowering the blood-alcohol threshold,” he said. “We are not in line with the modern world. We are too tolerant of drunk driving. People can have their fun but they need to be responsible.” According to several websites comparing legal blood-alcohol levels for drivers around the world, the Cayman Islands, at 0.1%, has the highest limit among countries where such limits exist. However, while no other country has a higher limit, some places have no blood- alcohol drink-driving limit at all. Road-safety campaign The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service began its ‘Winter Guardian’ road-safety campaign on Wednesday, 1 Dec., which, it says, will see increased community foot patrols during evenings, and intensified road-enforcement operations, supported by road- safety education and awareness measures. “The focus of our 2021 Holiday Safety Campaign is on ensuring we have significant policing presence to provide reassurance to the public while also deterring crime, both within our communities and business locations, especially during this time of increased commercial activity, socialising, and late opening hours,” said Chief Inspector Malcolm Kay in a statement. The police are also running an ongoing road-safety campaign, ‘Operation Quaker’, which – throughout the holiday season – will see Traffic and Roads Policing Unit continuing to deploy high-visibility patrols and traffic checkpoints, with the aim of reducing traffic collisions and increasing road safety by cracking down on drunk driving, distracted driving, and speeding. “Of course, these activities are a major part of the RCIPS’ efforts year-round, however, the festive period brings with it increased activity, which requires a more focused strategy,” Kay said. Inspector Dwayne Jones, head of the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit, said, “As we enter the festive season, we know that social gatherings become more frequent and so the temptation to drink and drive increases. However, regardless of the time of year, drinking and driving can easily end in tragedy. If you plan to drink, you need to find an alternative to driving.” The National Drug Council is holding its annual Arrive Alive 345 campaign, which includes a Designated Driver Programme, where restaurants offer complimentary soft drinks to designated drivers. In addition, to encourage people not to drink and drive, the Purple Ribbon Bus will provide a free bus service on New Year’s Eve from 9pm to 4am for all districts on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. Drink-drive limits elsewhere Cayman’s drink-drive limit is double that of Ireland, Germany and France, where the limit is 0.05%. In Jamaica, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, the blood-alcohol limit is 0.08%. The Scandinavian countries of Norway and Sweden have some of the lowest levels in the world, at 0.02%, although a few other countries, such as Afghanistan and Vietnam, operate a zero- tolerance policy and anyone who has consumed any alcohol and then gets behind the wheel of a car in those countries faces penalties. 228 DUIs in 2020 According to the RCIPS roundup of statistics for 2020, 228 people were summonsed for driving while under the influence of alcohol, compared to 272 for 2019. In about 27% of those incidents in 2020, the driver was found to be at least double the legal limit when breathalysed by officers. There were four DUIs where the reading was greater than 300 mg of alcohol per decilitre, three times the legal limit. Police also reported that 40% of all DUI offences involved a motor- vehicle accident. A person convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol, or drugs, in Cayman is liable on a first offence, to a fine of $1,000 or to imprisonment for six months, or both. On a second or subsequent offence, they can be fined up to $2,000 and to imprisonment for 12 months, or both. In addition, on a first or any subsequent offence, a driver convicted of DUI is liable to disqualification from driving for 12 months. The World Health Organization recommends that countries should adopt legislation stipulating upper blood-alcohol limits of 0.05% for most drivers, and a lower limit of 0.02% for novice and commercial drivers. 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