cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 17-23 December 2021 Local news First Omicron case detected, but COVID numbers continue to drop. Page 7 Living Christmas cuisine, Cayman- style. Page 26 EASTERN AVENUE TM & © 2021 Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. Hello Family. Meals. 8PC 12PC 16PC 1 Lg Side 4 Biscuits 2 Lg Side 6 Biscuits 3 Lg Side 8 Biscuits Hello Family. Meals. PC $350 2L pepsi or pepsi product SILENT NIGHTS Quieter Christmas as restaurants report fewer events and government limits opening hours.Pages 3 & 5 Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass Weekly, 17-23 December 2021weather Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies with a 30% chance of evening showers. SEA STATE Slight to moderate with heights 2 to 4 feet. caymancompass.comfacebook.com/caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass WINDS Northeast at 5 to 10 knots becoming 10 to 15 knots by night. 86°F HIGH 72°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 FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass 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. CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG (PG) (FRI & SUN) 3:20 (SAT) 12:40 (MON-THURS) 4:15 ENCANTO (PG) (FRI & SUN) 3:45 (SAT) 12:40 VIP | 12:50 | 3:55 (MON-THURS) 12:35 | 12:40 VIP | 3:50 ETERNALS (PG-13) (FRI - SUN) 6:35PM (MON-THURS) 12:50 | 6:35 KING RICHARD (PG-13) (FRI-SAT) 10:10 (SUN-THURS) 10:05 WEST SIDE STORY (PG-13) (SAT) 12:25 | 3:50 (MON-THURS) 6:40 SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (PG-13) (FRI) 3:15 3D | 3:25 VIP | 3:30 | 3:40 VIP | 5:45 | 5:50 VIP | 6:30 | 6:50 | 9:05 VIP | 9:15 | 9:50 | 10:00 3D | 10:15 VIP | 10:15 VIP (SAT) 12:35 | 12:55 VIP | 1:45 VIP | 3:15 3D | 3:20 VIP | 3:30 | 4:15 VIP | 5:10 VIP | 6:30 | 6:40 VIP | 6:50 | 7:45 VIP | 8:30 VIP | 9:50 | 10:00 3D | 10:00 VIP (SUN) 3:15 3D | 3:20 VIP | 4:15 VIP | 5:10 VIP | 5:45 | 6:30 | 6:40 VIP | 7:45 VIP | 8:30 VIP | 9:05 | 9:50 | 10:00 VIP | 10:00 3D (MON & THURS) 12:30 3D | 1:00 VIP | 1:10 | 1:50 VIP | 3:15 3D | 3:20 VIP 4:15 VIP | 4:30 | 5:10 VIP | 6:30 | 6:40 VIP | 7:45 VIP | 8:00 | 8:30 VIP | 9:50 | 10:00 3D | 10:00 VIP (TUES & WED) 12:30 3D | 1:00 VIP | 1:10 | 1:50 VIP | 3:15 3D | 3:40 VIP | 4:15 VIP | 4:30 | 5:10 VIP | 6:30 | 7:45 VIP | 8:00 | 8:30 VIP | 9:50 | 10:00 3D | 10:00 VIP WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted KIDS CLUB HOME ALONE SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE (PG) SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted CULTURE BOLSHOI BALLET: SPARTACUS (2021) SATURDAY 8PM (TBC) For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted CULTURE BOLSHOI THE NUTCRACKER SATURDAY 8PM (TBC) CLASSICS DIE HARD TUESDAY 7PM VIP (R) Landowners told to clear blocked beach accesses The Public Lands Commission, as it re-inspects all public beach accesses, is warning landowners to clear any blocked registered accesses on their property. In a statement, the PLC’s Inspectorate noted that blocking a registered public access point without a reasonable excuse, is an offence under the Public Lands Act. Under the legislation, the maximum penalty for blocking such an access is a fi ne of $5,000 or a six-month prison term, or both. In addition, a person convicted of this offence is also liable to a fi ne of $500 per day for every day after conviction that the obstruction continues. Public Lands Commission Chief Inspector Winsome Prendergast said in the statement, “Whilst conducting inspections, we came across registered accesses to the shoreline that are purposely blocked by landowners. “We want to alert the public that we are currently working towards clearing all blocked registered public accesses and to erect standardized public access signs for better identifi cation of public access points.” According to data released by the PLC in 2020, earlier inspections had shown that 55 of Cayman’s 108 registered beach- access paths were blocked to the public or had no identifying signage. The commission is advising landowners who are in doubt regarding a registered public access on their property to contact it on plc@gov.ky or 946-7110. HSA addresses delays, inaccurate data on vaccination QR codes To address complaints that some COVID vaccination records are not being immediately updated or are inaccurate, the Health Services Authority has issued a form through which individuals, such as those planning to travel soon, can request that updating their QR codes be expedited. A HSA spokesperson told the Cayman Compass that the uploading of information regarding new vaccines is ongoing, but “when we receive specific requests from persons needing their vaccine update for travel, this is expedited”. The form includes a field where a person can outline the issue with their vaccination record – for example, if it is missing – and requests that the individual upload a copy of their paper vaccination documentation. The HSA is also addressing situations where personal information, such as the spelling of a name, dates of birth or contact details of next of kin, is incorrect. It advises people in those cases to update their information on the MyHSA portal under ‘Patient Information’ and click ‘Set update request’, after which a member of the HSA team will be in touch to update the data. People can also email portalinfo@hsa.ky with the information that needs to be changed, but should expect to wait three-to-five days for a response. Police subdue woman during Lakeside Villas disturbance Police said they used “less-lethal methods” to subdue a woman who was threatening offi cers when they responded to a report of a disturbance, involving a machete, between the woman and a man at Lakeside Villas on Sunday, 12 Dec. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service confi rmed to the Compass that the “less-lethal method” used on the woman was a bean bag round. The incident occurred shortly after 3pm on 12 Dec., as police responded to a report of a disturbance involving a machete in the car park of the residential complex off the Esterley Tibbetts Highway. “When the offi cers arrived, the woman approached the offi cers in a threatening manner and was warned several times, using clear commands, regarding her actions,” the RCIPS said in a statement. “In an effort to mitigate the threat posed by the woman to the public, the offi cers and herself, a less-lethal option was taken by the offi cers to facilitate her arrest in a safe manner, and prevent any further danger to those involved.” The woman, who received what police described as minor injuries in the incident, was taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital for treatment. While there, they said, she continued to be aggressive and threatening towards police offi cers and hospital staff, and was subsequently admitted for treatment, for her own safety. Police said the man who was at the scene reported being injured by broken glass. The incident is under investigation by the police, and is also being reviewed by the Ombudsman, the RCIPS said. Woman robbed of cash and belongings at gunpoint A woman was robbed in George Town on 13 Dec., during which she was threatened with a firearm. According to police, the incident took place around 5:50am, in the vicinity of Shedden Road and Eastern Avenue. Two masked men are said to have approached the woman, one of whom “brandished a firearm”. The men robbed her of her backpack, which contained a quantity of cash and personal items, before leaving the scene. No shots were fired and no one was injured during the incident, according to the police press release. The matter is under investigation, and anyone with any information is asked to contact George Town CID at 949-4222. Cuban boat arrives in Brac A boat carrying three Cuban migrants arrived in Cayman Brac on 14 Dec., Customs and Border Control confirmed. The migrants were being placed in mandatory quarantine in a government facility, in line with local COVID-19 protocols and processing procedures, the CBC said in a brief statement on the afternoon of 14 Dec. This is the second vessel carrying Cuban migrants that has arrived in Cayman in less than three weeks. A boat with five Cubans aboard came ashore in East End on 26 Nov. The Public Lands Commission Inspectorate says it is re-inspecting registered public rights of way to local beaches. – photo: Taneos Ramsay news in brief cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 17 DECEMBER 2021From our family to yours, We wish you all HUIS The Storefront will be closed for the Christmas holiday from Saturday, 25th December until Tuesday, 4th January HUIS The Storefront will be open on Tuesday 4th January at regular operating hours. Make your House your Home with HUIS 350 Shedden Road huiscayman.com Midnight closing time for bars and clubs JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Government has announced new restrictions on night-life and urged people to work from home where possible as the island's fi rst cases of the highly contagious Omicron variant were revealed. Premier Wayne Panton, at a press briefi ng on Thursday, 16 Dec., highlighted concerns that vaccines appear to be less effective against the new COVID-19 variant. As of press time Thursday, Cayman had one confi rmed case and 10 suspected cases of Omicron. Though Cayman’s overall case numbers are on the decline, there are fears that an outbreak of the new variant could cause another surge. Against that backdrop, the premier announced changes to COVID regulations, including that bars and nightclubs must close at midnight. The measure is in place at least until 30 Dec., presumably to allow government scope to review ahead of New Year’s Eve. The new regulations also include the reintroduction of limits on public gatherings, which are now capped at 250 per venue. Anyone visiting a care home or prison is now required to get a negative COVID test the day of the visit. Government has stopped short of introducing a work-from-home mandate, but Panton encouraged businesses to allow this, saying it should be the “default approach”. As Christmas approaches, a slew of events have already been cancelled (see Page 5), and the premier urged everyone to reconsider socialising and to do a lateral fl ow test before they go out to a group event. Health Minister Sabrina Turner made a similar plea. “If you are even going to your family for Christmas dinner, do an LFT test and, for God’s sake, if it is positive, do not go,” she said. Turner raised concerns about people potentially failing to report test results because they don’t want to face the consequences, which include a quarantine requirement. “This thing about ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ won’t work. It is illegal, it's reckless and it is irresponsible. We want you to do the right thing,” she said. Though most cases of the new variant have, so far, been mild, Panton said Cayman had to be cautious to protect its healthcare infrastructure from being overwhelmed “If Omicron is indeed able to spread a lot more easily than Delta, as it seems, and evades some of the protection provided by vaccines and previous COVID-19 infections, this means more people could be infected resulting in more hospitalisations and possibly more deaths.” Work-from- home plea amid Omicron fears Wayne Panton announces new rules in response to Cayman’s fi rst confi rmed Omicron case at the press briefi ng on 16 Dec. – Photo: GIS cayman compass 3 FRIDAY, 17 DECEMBER 20211234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Living in water (7) 5 Small rudimentary house (5) 8 Inexperienced person (9) 9 Pull hard (3) 10 Red precious stone (4) 12 Paltry remuneration (8) 14 Cease talking (4,2) 15 Maintain assertively (6) 17 Western Hemisphere (3,5) 18 Refusing to listen (4) 21 Gain as a catch (3) 22 Superfluous (9) 24 Worth (5) 25 Involve in conflict (7) DOWN 1 Bode (5) 2 Employment (3) 3 Hue (4) 4 Polish-born composer (6) 5 Unchanging (8) 6 Person one dislikes greatly (4,5) 7 Lack of proper attention (7) 11 Open sea (4,5) 13 Absolute ruler (8) 14 Word of same meaning (7) 16 Vehicle for use on snow (6) 19 Bringing ruin (5) 20 Rebuff (4) 23 In the past (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16877 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 16877 ACROSS: 1 Aquatic, 5 Cabin, 8 Greenhorn, 9 Tug, 10 Ruby, 12 Pittance, 14 Shut up, 15 Insist, 17 New world, 18 Deaf, 21 Net, 22 Redundant, 24 Merit, 25 Embroil. DOWN: 1 Augur, 2 Use, 3 Tint, 4 Chopin, 5 Constant, 6 Bete noire, 7 Neglect, 11 Blue water, 13 Autocrat, 14 Synonym, 16 Sledge, 19 Fatal, 20 Snub, 23 Ago. Training the local population is vital to offer high quality and responsible employees that will remain in those positions all season. – Miguelito Jorquera T Possible? The country has been harmed by remaining closed for far too long. Closing a tourist country down for so long is tantamount to dereliction of duty. The very people approving the work permits are the ones who want it to stay closed. – John ‘Freddy’ Frederick Have they tried offering Caymanians on-the-job training, more managerial roles and decent salaries and benefits? Wild guess that if they start doing that there won’t be any shortage of Caymanian applicants. – Anna Peccarino Pay them a good salary and Cay- manians will work. Nobody works for free anymore. Sorry, folks. – Gerald Bush The minimum wage is so low but a mandatory 20% tip is pretty sweet! Good servers can easily make $1,250 per week! I have known many servers in Cay- man who have bought condos and homes on their salaries, but they were disciplined and put all their cash tips in the bank weekly to prove their earnings. Great news is, for a first-time Caymanian buyer the government basically gives them a $20,000 savings as they don’t need to pay stamp duty! But, saying that, there are not many homes for sale under $300,000. We need more afford- able housing and for that we need the government and contractors to work together to build homes. There are acres and acres of Crown land doing nothing that could be used to build affordable housing. That is a whole other topic there can be a solution to. – Heidi Kiss I think a big issue with tourism jobs is that they are largely tips- based. Of course you can earn a lot of money in the industry, but you will have a low salary, and that’s what determines your borrow- ing power as banks don’t consider tips. So qualifying for a mortgage is more difficult. For a transient worker this doesn’t mean much to them as they work here for a few years, make good money and move on, but for locals it means there is an even larger hurdle to get on the property ladder. – Rhian Campbell Landowners told to clear blocked beach access There is one on Prospect Point Road near to the graveyard that has a narrow path down the side of the property, but when you get to the beach a wall about 4-foot wide goes right across the entire property. No way to get down on the beach... and another one a bit further down has a gate with a lock – Kerry Nixon How about a list of the well- maintained, good-access ones? Remind them if it can be, and is being, done. – Sara Harbison Mackay Especially on West Bay Road. They put chains and all kinds of barriers across the access. – Sandra Aunti Laura Millwood They also need to have them move any walls and rope fences next to the high water marks, they do not have the rights to do so. – Anthony Pandohie Same old, same old. Nothing will happen... except closed access. – Graeme Thomson Cold Case Files: Mistaken identity leads to murder I am so glad to hear that you guys are diving into these cases and trying to get them solved. He was my brother. I know the last names are different but we share the same mother who [is] still suffering from his loss. – Mitchell Ebanks Hurley’s supermarket plans return to previous Walkers home I hope they put the mini horse carousel back – a real blast from the past. – Amber Caum Can’t wait for it! So convenient for us in South Sound. – Elaine Brown Great, will contribute even more to traffic. – Jan Taylor You’re too young if you don’t remember this store. Haha. – Kari Fraser Traffic from school closing onwards is already congested on Walkers Road. Surely there’s a bet- ter location. – James Padden Great news and welcome re- turn... Hurley’s In The Hood! – Nicole Behnsen Ruddick Omicron variant found in traveller Soooo, that means the whole planeload of vaccinated travellers and persons that came in contact with this person, may also have it? Not just the one person should be made to quarantine. Help me understand this. – Elizabeth Gaio What they’re saying Online Letters to the editor We are facing the most serious crisis of the pandemic and yet no one wants to talk about it. As a scientist, I am at a loss to understand why we have no mention of the urgent need to ramp up our booster campaign in all our local media. It is surely not lost on you that with a doubling time of two days, we are on the verge of a potential national disaster which we could right now be mitigating. Clearly there is little political appetite locally to either give or receive bad news. But we are sleepwalking into a potential catastrophe and every day this continues is another day wasted that we will come to regret in the coming weeks. We need you to speak out. This is more important than politics. John Snow Omicron an urgent cause for concern Balancing act: Hoteliers look to hire locally, but face work- permit challenges Wondering if that has something to do with the pay and benefits for the job. If it’s low then I can understand, as Caymanians have to live here and that is quite expensive. – Natascha Schroll-McLaughlin Hope they’ll be warm and friendly. – Alisha Hawthorne The cost of living here for locals is the issue. While the Cayman Islands dollar means basically nothing here, it can do wonders back home for foreigners. It’s easy for people who aren’t from here to group up and split the rent amongst three or four people. They normally come to seek a better salary then go home. Caymanians want to buy property locally, have children in school locally etc., and most live on their own so the salary and tips sometimes makes that hard. – Sarasue McField There is no such thing as sustainable tourism. We have a chance now to limit tour- ism to the point that it benefits locals and leave it there. Why do we even need import- ed labour? If a Caymanian doesn’t want the job, why does the job exist? – David Wolfe cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 17 DECEMBER 2021Christmas parties and events cancelled, restaurants continue to suffer JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Cayman is preparing for a subdued Christmas with the festive social scene falling victim to the COVID-19 outbreak. The restaurant and entertainment sector continues to suffer, with concern over the virus leading to cancellations of office parties and other seasonal gatherings. The reopening of the borders has provided a glimmer of hope, but most businesses expect more departures than arrivals over Christmas. And many anticipate that it will be a worse holiday season for their business than 2020, when staycations and local gatherings compensated for the missing tourist dollars. Meanwhile multiple events that have become staples of the Christmas season, such as The Ritz-Carlton Christmas brunch, and the Cayman National Choir and Orchestra concert at Elmslie Memorial Church, have also been cancelled. Worse than last year At Grand Old House, head of operations Luciano De Riso said there had been dozens of cancellations. “We lost a lot of Christmas parties, groups of anywhere from 15 to 100, and a couple of big events of over 150 people. Most of them said they were not comfortable because of the community spread,” he said. While he expects a crowded restaurant on Christmas Day and at New Year’s, the restaurant is forecasting it will be 25-30% down on last year. He said there had been no meaningful return of tourism business and many locals and residents plan to travel over the holidays. De Riso, who also runs the Wharf, believes the venues have fared better than most because they have significant outdoor seating. He feels many customers are not afraid of the virus itself, but rather of the consequences of a positive test, which could see them forced to cancel overseas travel and face isolation at home over Christmas. Fear of a positive test At Tukka, which has venues in East End and West Bay, owner Ron Hargrave painted a similar picture. He said a handful of Christmas parties had been cancelled at the last minute. “The general consensus from a lot of people was they were worried about the chance of catching COVID. People have booked Christmas vacations. They have spent thousands of dollars on flights and accommodation and they don’t want to take even a small risk that they won’t be able to travel.” He said most had booked for February or March and the venues have seen a rise in smaller group bookings. “We are starting to see a few tourists, a few rental cars in the parking lot again. It is not big numbers obviously but that is nice to see,” he added. Markus Mueri, of NM Ventures restaurant group, which includes Abacus and Karoo, said most venues were trying to see the positive side of life and focussing on spring break as the chance to get seriously back to business. He said his restaurants had seen a number of cancellations. “A lot of large companies have decided they won’t do Christmas parties this year,” he said. “Every single restaurant has seen cancellations.” He said the Mistletoe Christmas white party, which usually attracts around 500 people to Abacus, had also been called off. “You get a couple of positives and it can ruin Christmas. We decided it wasn’t worth the risk,” he added. Mueri said the restaurants are nonetheless happy and appreciative of the business they are getting. He said the larger concern was around 2022. Mueri, restaurant director for the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, said the key to the revival of the industry would be a policy that allows for children to travel, something he hopes will be announced before Christmas. “We are a family destination. It is essential that, by spring break, children are allowed to come.” The Ritz-Carlton resort reopened this week in time for Christmas, but has seen similarly low bookings for parties and events amid concerns over COVID. Manager Marc Langevin said, “While serious health risks are low due to the high level of vaccination, the risk is more of having a larger amount of positive cases among an organisation which would compromise the company.” Holiday calendar staples also cancelled He said The Ritz-Carlton Christmas brunch had been cancelled, despite a long waiting list, for a different reason – the hotel does not have the staff to cater it. “We don’t have enough employees in our food and beverage team to produce and service simultaneously our restaurants and our banquet operation,” he said. At Camana Bay, many of the signature events of the Christmas season were cancelled. Kristy Rivers, vice president of business development and leasing at Dart, said the challenges of the pandemic had impacted the events calendar, with a focus on “smaller, more intimate experiences” for this year. “We look forward to celebrating the season again one day, with our usual tree lighting schedule of children’s choir performances, dancing and, of course, Santa,” she said. “For now we have lit up the town and our 39-foot Christmas tree, and we appreciate that people can still come and enjoy the festive sparkles of Camana Bay this season.” Despite the challenges at Christmas, many venues were more optimistic about New Year’s Eve, with most of the regular events on the calendar still intact for now. Silent nights: Anxiety over COVID hits festive bookings cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 17 DECEMBER 2021 5 CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY DINNERS LET FOSTER’S HANDLE THE COOKING! Our holiday box dinners include your choice of delicious roast turkey or glazed ham, gravy, three side dishes, cranberry sauce, rolls, and a freshly baked pie. SERVES 6-8 PEOPLE FOR ONLY $79.99 SIDES: • Stuffing • Scalloped Potatoes • Mac & Cheese • Steam Herbed Vegetables • Mashed Potatoes • Rice & Beans PIES: • Apple Pie • Pumpkin Pie Additional sides will be charged by the pound. 24 hours notice is required. Scan to order or visit fosters.ky/holiday-dinners cayman compass 6 FRIDAY, 17 DECEMBER 2021MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@compassmedia.ky As Omicron cases are rising rapidly in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world, Cayman recently detected its fi rst case of the new variant in a traveller. Daily reported positive COVID-19 cases, however, continue to decline. Following an average of 80 daily positive tests a week earlier, new cases reported this week dropped below 50 per day, with 87 reported for the weekend on Monday, 13 Dec.; 47 on Tuesday; and 29 on Wednesday. The share of positive cases among all tests, which is an indicator for the prevalence of COVID in the community, also dropped further from 6.3% last week to 4% as of Wednesday. However, COVID-related hospitalisations increased by two to 16. The number of active cases is declining more slowly than new daily positives and is hovering around 3,455 after reaching a high of 4,140 on 24 Nov. In the Sister Islands, active cases dropped to zero after no new positives were found at all in December. Studies confi rm vaccine protection against Omicron After the fi rst case of Omicron was detected in a quarantining traveller in Cayman, interim Chief Medical Offi cer Dr. Autilia Newton said some early studies of that variant have been completed, and more are underway to assess its transmissibility, the severity of illness, and the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine against the variant. “There is still much to learn, but at the moment we can confi rm that Omicron probably spreads more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus. In addition, vaccines still appear to offer the best protection against severe illness, hospitalisation and death. This is especially true for individuals who have had a booster shot,” Newton, who has temporarily taken over from Dr. John Lee, said in a statement. In South Africa, where Omicron is the most widespread, data and studies have shown that the variant is signifi cantly more contagious than the Delta variant of the coronavirus, which is prevalent in the rest of the world. The ongoing Omicron wave in that country led to rapid community transmission and a faster increase in case numbers than three previous COVID waves. Crucially, the studies highlight that, in South Africa, there are fewer hospitalisations with Omicron than there were related to the Delta variant, which has now been almost entirely replaced by the new variant. Nevertheless, hospital admissions have been rising in the country simply because there are many more people infected. A study by South African health insurer Discovery of 211,000 COVID tests, which included 78,000 Omicron positives, showed that in the fi rst weeks of the Omicron wave a person fully vaccinated with two doses of the Pfi zer-BioNTech vaccine only maintained 33% protection against infection but 70% protection against severe disease and hospital admission. This compares with 80% protection against infection and 93% protection against hospitalisation from Delta. Although the Pfi zer vaccine is, therefore, somewhat less effective against hospitalisation from Omicron, the level of protection is still considered high. Separate studies sparked accelerated booster programmes in many countries, including Cayman, after they showed that a third vaccine shot is likely to restore protection against the new variant to almost First case of Omicron detected but daily positives continue to drop 0 5 10 15 20 25 30350 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000450001-Oct 08-Oct 15-Oct 22-Oct 29-Oct 05-Nov 12-Nov 19-Nov 26-Nov 03-Dec 10-Dec Active cases and hospitalisationsActive casesHospitalisations 1.76% 1.96% 3.04% 7.59% 11.62% 16.64% 16.50% 16.10% 11.52% 6.27% 4.00% OctoberNovemberDecember Average weekly positivity rate of COVID-19 tests PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 19» cayman compass 7 news N news FRIDAY, 17 DECEMBER 2021Cathy Church’s AT SUNSET HOUSE HOTEL OPEN MON-SAT 10AM-5:30PM 949-7415 • Binoculars From CI$102.50 • GoPro Hero 9&10 From CI$426.40 • INSTAX Instant Cameras All Models & Accessories, From CI$73.80 • SeaLife SportDiver• SeaLife SportDiver Smartphone Housing CI$287.00 • FujiFilm, Nikon, Olympus & Much More (Tripods, Camera Bags, Lights) • Self-Service Printing Four High Speed Kiosks • Custom Printing & Framing Hundreds of Ready Made Frames Ukuleles From CI$65.60 PHOTO CENTRE Friday, December 17th 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m Friday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Monday, December 27 CLOSED (Christmas Observance) TTuesday, December 28 CLOSED (Boxing Day Observance) Friday, December 31 (New Year’s Eve) 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m Monday, January 3, 2022 CLOSED ( New Year’s Day Observance) BAF announces Special Holiday HoursSpecial Holiday Hours Happy Holidays From our family to yours HOST YOUR CHRISTMAS EVENT AT Boutique function suite Ideal for festive parties Flexible space Contemporary decor Centrally located Plenty of free parking 949-5111 loft@compassmedia.ky compassmedia.ky/loft cayman compass 8 FRIDAY, 17 DECEMBER 2021caymannational.com Banking Hours Friday 24 December* Monday 27 December Tuesday 28 December Friday 31 December* Monday 3 January 9:00am to 1:00pm Closed (Christmas Day observance) Closed (Boxing Day observance) 9:00am to 1:00pm Closed (New Year’s Day observance) *10:30am cutoff time for wire requests on 24 and 31 December. Please arrange your banking by visiting one of our Customer Service Centres prior to the Holiday closure. Our ATMs and Online Banking will always be available to you over the Holidays. All of us at Cayman National wish you and your family a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year. A subsidiary of cayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 17 DECEMBER 2021Next >