cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 11-17 February 2022 World’s most expensive drug only hope for baby Violet Page 6 First ‘Stealth Omicron’ case reported Page 3 Remembering philanthropist Linda Palmer Page 12 © 2022 Burger King Corporation. Go Big Big King The house that hope built Page 18 Photo: Taneos RamsayMatinees (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 NEWS EDITOR CAROLINE JAMES BUSINESS EDITOR MICHAEL KLEIN ISSUES EDITOR JAMES WHITTAKER LIVING EDITOR VICKI WHEATON HEAD OF SALES CHERYL BIRCH-GILLIES weather Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies with a 20% chance of evening showers. SEA STATE Slight with a wave height of 1 to 3 feet. WINDS Northeast at 5 to 10 knots. 83°F HIGH 71°F LOW news in brief 12,000 tons of scrap shipped off island More than 12,000 tons of scrap metal has been shipped from Cayman since April 2019 as the Department of Environmental Health clears up a backlog of “legacy waste”. “The amount of scrap metal from the legacy remaining at the George Town Landfill is unknown, as some materials pre- date accurate records being kept. However, it is estimated at many thousands of tons,” said a DEH spokesperson. “The rate of removal of scrap metal has increased significantly in the past year with the investment in new handling and baling equipment,” the spokesperson said, adding that, since April 2019, 12,475 tons of scrap was shipped out, compared to the 3,379 tons which were collected over the same time. Elizabeth Chambers and Ritz-Carlton pay fine in immigration law case US television personality Elizabeth Chambers and The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman have paid an undisclosed fine, after Chambers was charged for working at one of the hotel’s cocktail parties without a work permit. Chambers, 39, was formally charged with one count of engaging in gainful occupation without a work permit, contrary to section 68 (1) of the Immigration (Transition) Act (2021) Revision. Before Chambers could enter a plea to the charge, the case was discontinued by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. “Both parties are said to have paid the administrative fines before the court date and therefore there was no legal basis to continue the matter,” said a member of the ODPP. A representative for Chambers told the Compass, “Elizabeth did not accept any monetary incentives or alternative forms of compensation for her partnership with The Ritz-Carlton. The event mentioned was organised in the spirit of helping stimulate local business during a time when tourism was nonexistent. She views the opportunity of being able to live in the Cayman Islands as a privilege, and has only ever sought to create ways to assist the community.” Cruise industry chief: Passengers want unique Cayman experience Experiences that are quintessentially and uniquely Caymanian rather than simply sun, sea and sand are what cruise passengers will be looking for when ships return to Cayman’s shores, cruise industry leader Michele Paige said in a recent visit to Cayman. While cruise ships have not anchored here for almost two years, talks are under way to bring them back, as government and industry players try to reach a consensus on how to reintroduce cruise passengers safely to the islands in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. Last week, eight representatives from cruise lines and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association visited Grand Cayman to meet with government and tourism officials, as well as local tour operators and business owners, to lay the groundwork for bringing cruise ships back to Cayman – which the cruise lines say is the only Caribbean destination on their itineraries that has yet to reopen. Paige, president of the FCCA, said the types of excursions, activities and offerings that were available to tourists before the pandemic may need to change when cruises return here, in part to place less pressure on places where there was a high volume of visitors in the past – like the Stingray Sandbar, for example – and to enable local operators to make more revenue from the visitors than they were making pre-COVID. Travel agent jailed for stealing from clients A travel agent who stole more than $9,000 from her clients has been sentenced to 22 months in prison. Irene Villanueva Garcia, 46, of the Philippines, was charged with four counts of obtaining property by deception to which she pleaded guilty. According to court documents, between April and May 2021, Garcia, who at the time was employed as a travel agent, accepted money from four people in Cayman as payment for airline tickets. She reserved the tickets and printed travel itineraries but then cancelled the trips without telling her clients. She was incarcerated in Fairbanks Prison after being sentenced in January. Pedestrian struck in hit-and-run Police are appealing for witnesses, after a pedestrian was injured in a hit-and-run collision on 3 Feb. This is the latest in a series of hit- and-run incidents police have been investigating, as they had previously noted an uptick in the number of such accidents on local roads. The incident occurred at the Grand Harbour roundabout in George Town around 5:15pm as a male pedestrian who was crossing the road was struck by a vehicle. The driver failed to stop after the collision. The injured man was taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital where he was treated for serious but non-life-threatening injuries and later released. Anyone who witnessed this incident or has information that can help identify the vehicle and driver can call Bodden Town Police Station at 947-2220. DoA appeals for information after dog carcass dumped in West Bay The Department of Agriculture has appealed to the community for information related to a dog carcass found dumped on a dyke road off Barkers Park in West Bay on 7 Feb. The adult brown-and-white male dog was discovered by a member of the public and the matter was reported to animal welfare and animal control officers at the DoA, who responded to the call, according to a press release the department issued on 9 Feb. A representative of the DoA’s animal welfare and control unit said in the release, “We understand that people’s circumstances can change which may mean they can no longer care for their pet or are struggling to pay for veterinary care, but there is never an excuse to dump an animal like this. Help is available and persons are urged to reach out to the Cayman Islands Humane Society, or the Department of Agriculture for assistance.” Anyone with information on the animal can contact DoA’s animal welfare officers in confidence at 947-3090 or via email at reportanimalcruelty@gov.ky. Scrap metal from the landfill is loaded onto a barge at George Town Harbour on 9 Feb., ready to be shipped off island. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2022RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr. Autilia Newton has confirmed Cayman’s first case of the new Omicron sub-variant BA.2, which has been dubbed ‘Stealth Omicron’. Newton, speaking on the Cayman Compass Facebook talkshow The Resh Hour on 9 Feb., said the case was detected 3 Feb. She said she could not provide further details on the case nor the country from which it originated. The sub-variant BA.2, which has been found in 57 countries, was originally detected in the Philippines back in November, she said. “It seems to have become, by far, the dominant variant in Denmark,” Newton said. “However, Denmark is one of those countries that is lifting restrictions quite significantly for two reasons. One, because they have not seen this increase in positive cases translating into increasing hospitalisations and deaths, and two, their vaccinations and their booster shot rates are quite high.” The new variant has earned the nickname ‘Stealth Omicron’ because it has genetic mutations that could make it harder to distinguish from the Delta variant using PCR tests, as compared to the original version of Omicron. At a press briefing on 8 Feb., Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 technical lead, announced that four different versions of Omicron are being tracked by the health agency. She said the BA.2 sub-variant, which is more contagious than the currently dominant BA.1 version, will likely become more common. In the 9 Feb. epidemiological report for the week of 30 Jan. to 5 Feb., Cayman’s Public Health officials said that, despite its level of transmissibility, “BA.2 seems to present with less severe infection than the original Omicron variant.” “BA.2 appears to be less able to cause severe disease compared to the original B1 Omicron variant, which is already less virulent than Delta. It is therefore not surprising that Denmark, having a very high vaccination and booster coverage, is one of the countries which has moved towards lifting of COVID restrictions,” the report stated. Booster campaign to ramp up The government has set a new COVID booster target of at least 60% of the entire population, and 80% of the elderly, Newton said, and a ramped-up campaign to meet this target will be launched next week. In Cayman, only 29% of the population and 34% of those over the age of 12 have received the booster so far. This contrasts with the islands' much higher full vaccination rate of 81% of the population and 93% of people who are eligible to be vaccinated over the age of 12. The booster rate, in combination with other trends and the experience of other countries that have lifted restrictions, is likely to determine policy decisions in Cayman. In the past month, the ongoing vaccination effort has been flagging locally, dropping from 1,156 weekly administered booster doses in mid- January to only 313 last week, the health ministry’s situational reports show. At those rates, averaging about 650 people a week, it would take more than eight months to achieve a 60% booster rate for the population as a whole, based on current population estimates. If the 60% rate is applied only to those eligible for vaccinations over the age of 12, it would still take more than six months to reach the target at the current pace. Newton, speaking on The Resh Hour, also released the latest epidemiological report statistics, stating that 1,671 new cases of COVID-19 were reported over that period, during which 6,810 PCR tests were conducted. “Over the last two weeks, numbers of people testing positive have gone steadily down, which is very pleasing,” she said. The 1,671 cases detected over the last week, she said, was 475 fewer than the week before, and 1,068 fewer than the week before that, indicating that the local COVID-19 peak is nearing an end. Additional reporting by Michael Klein Cayman registers first case of ‘Stealth Omicron’ So far, 29% of Cayman's population has received a booster shot. The new variant has earned the nickname ‘Stealth Omicron’ because it has genetic mutations that could make it harder to distinguish from the Delta variant using PCR tests, as compared to the original version of Omicron. Interim Chief Medical Officer Autilia Newton speaking on the 9 Feb. episode of the Cayman Compass Facebook talkshow The Resh Hour. cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2022 31234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Courageous (7) 5 Observe presence of (5) 8 Begin to suspect (3,4,2) 9 Expression of disapproval (3) 10 Catch sight of (4) 12 Surpass (8) 14 Provide (6) 15 A life’s work (6) 17 Beholden (8) 18 Omit (4) 21 US short story writer (3) 22 Become discouraged (4,5) 24 British private soldier (5) 25 In a particular place (7) DOWN 1 Slight (5) 2 Illuminated (3) 3 Sharp to taste (4) 4 Boredom (6) 5 Persuasive flattery (4,4) 6 Become frenzied (2,7) 7 Loyal uncomplaining colleague (7) 11 An illusory hope (4,5) 13 Throughout the world (8) 14 Small piece cut off (7) 16 Ship (6) 19 Cement for windows (5) 20 Stylishness in dress (4) 23 Small hole-piercing tool (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16925 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 16925 ACROSS: 1 Valiant, 5 Sight, 8 Get wind of, 9 Boo, 10 Espy, 12 Outstrip, 14 Supply, 15 Career, 17 Indebted, 18 Skip, 21 Poe, 22 Lose heart, 24 Tommy, 25 Locally. DOWN: 1 Vague, 2 Lit, 3 Acid, 4 Tedium, 5 Soft soap, 6 Go berserk, 7 Trouper, 11 Pipe dream, 13 Globally, 14 Snippet, 16 Vessel, 19 Putty, 20 Chic, 23 Awl. Yesterday (3 Feb.) I brought a sweet kitty to the Humane Society. She showed up on my doorstep crying, and stayed. I am only on island till the 10th and so was unable to keep her. I was so impressed by the care and concern of the staff at the Humane Society. However, I strongly believe it is time to address the need for a new building or a second location. It is almost impossible for volunteers to take dogs for a walk. The traffic is non-stop, and we witnessed a near accident when someone was just trying to turn into the parking lot. If we are Caymankind, then let us remember that this does not just apply towards one another, but also to these sweet pets that offer us unconditional love. After all, the first mandate God gave Adam was the care of His creatures. Much wealth is invested here, million-dollar homes and condos are everywhere, and yet the Humane Society is a small cramped building in an area that is not Caymankind for the animals. Please know that I ‘put my money where my mouth is’ and that we did leave a generous donation, and will continue to do so. But I implore the government, the citizens, and the philanthropists to act on this matter. Janice Sanders Uncontrolled development and poor planning is to blame for this mess. And now money will be spent on a temporary fix. Get rid of the walls, or else it will be a futile project. – Brian Trickett Developers need to restore the beach to how it was. The planning office should also be held accountable for allowing the concrete walls to be built on the beach in the first place. The beach and sea line cannot be ‘owned’. None of this should be at the expense of the Caymanian people. – Marion Webb From what I understand, those walls were built when the beach was 100 feet past the walls. Who knew that 100 feet of beach would be lost? – Bruce Leibowitz Don’t they understand that the walls have to go? – Darlene Glidden This happens periodically over the years. – Marian Scott All those seawalls need to go, then maybe we will see some more sand. – Dahlia Roberts So now the country has to spend our money to fix what un- scrupulous developers did. Where are they now? Why aren’t they being made to pay? – NA Smith Really? This is what they going to spend multiple million dollars on? I can think of 1,000 things more important and more impactful to spend it on than this! This is embarrassing. – Jasmin Sumaroo This is what happens with na- ture… there’s no surprise here. – Brian Bodden Schilling reveals ambition for 20-storey tower in George Town All this over-construction going on right now does not benefit any- one with a low income. The apart- ments and houses are not built for people living in the Cayman Islands. I have been living on island not for too long but I can feel how the island has changed so much in such a short time. – Musa Machembe Cayman needs infrastructure to support the 65,000 people that currently live here. Cayman needs urban planning to accommodate a growing population and maintain a high standard of living. Cayman does not need more buildings that tower over our beautiful coast. – Christina Angela No! That isn’t what we go to the Caymans for. Just stop! – Kate Morris Wait until he starts his projects in Cayman Brac. – Jared Bush They cannot build anything on this island without planning permission. So we’re expecting our government NOT to approve such building on our island. – Carol Schrock This is SO disheartening! I’d like to know where all these cars are going to park in George Town! – Daphne West Thompson When this mountaintop sinks or topples, what then? Do the powers that be have a care? Greed is one of the seven deadly sins! Oh, island in the sun, will it com- pletely disappear? – Elsie Black This is crazy. What happened to 10 storeys? We don’t need this on the island. It was three and that was enough if you ask me! – Shelley Solomon A sliver of sand has returned in front of the Marriott Beach Resort on Seven Mile Beach. In December, this area was entirely underwater. - Photo: James Whittaker What they’re saying Online Letters to the editor Humane Society needs our help Sand returns to southern Seven Mile, but for how long? Galveston did it and it has made all the difference to their beaches. So much so that it has given its own citizens the blessings of a renewed beach life, not just tourism! – Mary M McKinney The ‘beach’ has come and gone so many times at the complex where my family has owned a unit on southern Seven Mile Beach, so I have always associated it with weather patterns, etc. There was never a beach at the former Radisson/now Marriott that rivalled properties to the north. – Michele Willey Irwin So why can’t we wait for nature to do what she does best? – Jacqueline Whiteside Farrington Knock it down and build it across the street. Just a thought. – Melinda Maldonado Maybe they could allocate that money for pro- viding health care for Caymanian senior citizens. – Lorraine Clancy Ebanks Climate change. No one has mentioned it here somehow. Cayman is not that high above sea level. Losing part of the beach is the least of the worries. – Julian Meush cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2022THE 5TH ANNUAL YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH SYMPOSIUM IN UNCERTAIN TIMES 19 FEBRUARY 2022 Featuring an impressive line-up of speakers and panelists, this year’s event will be streamed via The Alex Panton Foundation Facebook page between 10am and 4pm. www.alexpantonfoundation.ky LIVE-STREAM cayman compass 5 FRIDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2022NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky The world’s most expensive medication, costing $2.2 million, is the only chance that 11-week-old Violet Fitzgerald has of survival. The little girl, who suffers from type 1 spinal muscular atrophy, is currently in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with her parents Brooke and Dan Fitzgerald, awaiting a one-off infusion of the gene therapy drug Zolgensma. She is scheduled to receive the medication during an hour-long infusion on Tuesday, 15 Feb. The younger a baby is when the drug is administered, the more effective it is. Mom Brooke explained that without the medication, her daughter will get weaker and weaker, and may not live beyond the age of 2. After their health insurance company BritCay refused to cover the cost of the therapy, because the insurance policy specifically precluded gene therapy, the Fitzgeralds turned to the government and the Cayman Islands National Insurance Company (CINICO) for help. CINICO approved the coverage and the family travelled from Grand Cayman to Philadelphia late last week. Violet was an active and alert baby at first, Brooke said, but after a few weeks, her parents realised something was wrong. “At four weeks, we noticed her arms were placing a little bit funny and she was not moving as much as she was before. I took her to the paediatrician to have her arms looked at. The paediatrician did a full examination and did tests, including for SMA. She said there was a one in 10,000 chance, but that if she had it, she had to get treated right away. “We waited two weeks for the test results. We were in panic mode for those two weeks, hoping and thinking that there is no way she has this. Then we were called in by the doctor who said she had it. We had to figure out quickly what we had to do.” Initially, it seemed her private insurance company would cover the treatment cost by paying out the child’s full lifetime coverage of $2 million, meaning the family still had to find an additional $200,000. However, when it turned out the company would not pay for gene therapy, the family turned to other avenues, including fundraising and approaching the Needs Assessment Unit and CINICO. Time was of the essence, however, as with each passing day of Violet’s life, the potential effectiveness of the Zolgensma therapy was decreasing. Even after she receives the drug, it’s likely Violet will need additional assistance throughout her life, and may require the use of a wheelchair and ventilators, and possibly full-time care, Brooke said. SMA is a degenerative and oftentimes fatal condition that involves muscle weakness, loss of movement and paralysis. It’s the leading genetic cause of death in infants. Children born with SMA are missing a motor neuron protein in their cells that is essential for muscle movement. The intravenous, single-dose Zolgensma therapy replaces the missing or faulty gene with a functioning gene. Violet appears to be the only child in the Cayman Islands who will have been treated by this therapy. Her mother explained that if Violet had been born before this drug was available, “her chances of dying before the age of 2 would be 90%”. Brooke said she hopes that her family’s story may encourage standard gene testing for pregnant women and newborn babies in Cayman, so that if future cases of SMA occur, then they can be caught early and treated. Even with CINICO paying for the therapy costs, the Fitzgerald are facing a multitude of other expenses as well, including accommodation while they stay in the US with their daughter. They will remain there for at least three months after the drug has been administered, while weekly blood tests and other follow-up checks are done. After that, there will have to be more trips and visits to the hospital. Friends, family members and other supporters have already donated $45,000 via a GoFundMe page. Brooke said BritCay has agreed to pay 80% of other medical non-gene-therapy costs associated with her daughter’s treatment. Once the drug is given to Violet on Tuesday, the family and the doctors will have to wait and see how effective it is, as each child reacts differently to it, Brooke said. “She’s 11 weeks old and weighs 11 pounds, and she cannot support her head at all,” she added. “We don’t know when we’ll start to see an improvement. It might be over each month, little by little. ... We’re hoping she responds well and gets stronger day by day.” Brooke and Dan Fitzgerald with their newborn daughter Violet in December. 11-week-old Violet Fitzgerald is examined by a specialist at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia on Wednesday, 9 Feb. - Photo: Submitted The GoFundMe page for Violet can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/violetSMA World’s most expensive drug only hope for baby Violet cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2022Butterfield Bank (Cayman) Limited is licensed to conduct banking and investment business by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. Address: 12 Albert Panton Street, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. butterfieldgroup.com Monitor your activity with real-time transaction alerts and usage controls on your credit card. Download the Butterfield Card Alerts app now for added protection and greater visibility into your day-to-day spending. Customised credit card controls, by . 200601-Ad-Compass-FP-Card-Alerts.indd 11/25/22 5:54 PM cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 20222022 As an employer of choice, and one of the largest employers of Caymanians, CUC is committed to attracting, developing and retaining high potential employees by providing opportunities for Caymanian students to succeed in the electric utility industry. CUC is proud to offer a scholarship to an accredited university for students who are interested in completing an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in related fields of study, which represent areas important to CUC including engineering, electrical technology, mechanical maintenance, information technology, occupational safety, health and the environment, regulatory and sustainability, corporate governance, finance, human resources and customer service. Applicants must: have already obtained, or expect to obtain, during the current school year, adequate academic qualifications to be accepted by a university; be Caymanian or hold Caymanian Status; have a current GPA of 3.5 or higher; have a minimum of seven (7) GCSE/CXC/IGSE passes including English, Mathematics and Science(s) or the equivalent in the American educational system. Preference will be given to students with higher level passes (A level, AP, IB, etc.) in Mathematics and Science(s). The successful applicant(s) will have an opportunity during school holidays to gain hands-on work experience and may be offered full-time employment with CUC upon completion of his/her studies. To review the General Rules and Guidelines and apply, visit the “Scholarships” page under the “Careers” tab on CUC’s Home Page (www.cuc-cayman.com). Click on the “Apply Here” link, complete the appropriate online form and follow the instructions. Applications must be submitted not later than Monday, February 28, 2022. Hard copies will not be accepted. For more information on these and other scholarship opportunities, please contact CUC’s Human Resources & Employee Development Department via e-mail at careers@cuc.ky. We’re looking for the brightest minds Applicants invited to apply for a CUC Scholarship RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Auditor General Sue Winspear’s office has carried out an audit review of the contract between government and a Dart consortium on the stalled ReGen project. The public-private partnership between the Dart-led DECCO consortium and the government was formalised in March 2021 under the Progressives-led administration, weeks before the 14 April general election. That contract was subject to an audit review, Winspear has confirmed. “We have undertaken a short performance audit on the ReGen proposed contract and that draft audit report is currently in clearance with relevant officials,” she told the Compass this week. “Therefore, it is not yet either complete or available. "When we have gone through the clearance process and do have a final document, we will need to take legal advice on what we can make publicly available due to commercial sensitivities.” As the ReGen contract has not yet been finalised, she said, a lot of the report’s contents cannot be made public, to avoid impacting the contractual process. When the Progressives-led government signed the ReGen contract with Dart last year, both parties became contractually committed to implementing the project. After a public-private partnership contract is signed, additional steps are required before the project can begin, including reaching a ‘financial close’. The PACT government, after taking office, was expected to finalise the financial close on the project by a 30 Sept. 2021 deadline. However, Premier Wayne Panton, in an October statement, said that deadline had been “at best, an ambitious target”. Delays continue Parties involved in the ReGen project remain locked in talks, and there is no indication of when those will end. “Discussions with the contractor are continuing and further updates on the project will be provided as we are able to do so,” a government spokesperson told the Compass on 9 Feb., in response to a request for a project update. In October, responsibility for the multimillion-dollar project was moved from the Ministry of Health and Wellness to Panton’s Sustainability and Climate Resiliency Ministry, and the government’s Environmental Assessment Board concluded setting the terms of reference for an environmental impact assessment of the project. Deputy Opposition Leader and George Town North MP Joey Hew said the premier has had four months since his October statement to address the deal's financial close. ‘Free-for-all dumping’ “It is a real disappointment that the Government that touts itself on having a sustainability focus is allowing one of the most environmentally necessary projects to wither on the vine. Nothing is happening on the ReGen waste- to-energy plant. At the current rate, the George Town landfill will have three years at best before it is completely full,” he said. Hew added that he was worried about what he described as “free- for-all dumping at the remaining ‘temporary’ mound at the landfill”. He said, "We have gone back to bad days of dumping and not compacting and covering the garbage. The international standard is to compact and cap every 24 hours – we have gone away from this. This reduces chances of fire, reduces leaching, and extends the lifespan of the landfill. It also seems we are now mixing vegetation in with other refuse. The lack of what seems to be clear direction and oversight at the landfill presents a possible life safety issue.” Fire concerns Hew contends that a poorly managed landfill is a recipe for another ‘dump fire’. “It is my constituents in George Town North who feel the real brunt of the flare-ups that become massive fires,” he said. “I hope that the Government understands that they are taking chances with people’s lives.” In recent years, there have been several major fire outbreaks at the landfill, which was being addressed by remediation and capping of the dump site. The Opposition, which consists of members of the former administration, has been calling on PACT to inform the public about what is happening with the ReGen project, which they say is integral to a greener and cleaner Cayman. “If the government is serious about sustainable waste management, it will embrace the ReGen waste to energy solution,” Hew said. Auditor general examines ReGen contract cayman compass 8 FRIDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2022 news N newsNORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky The Cayman Islands this year is aiming to reach up to 40% of 2019’s stayover tourism levels, which equates to between 175,000 and 200,000 visitors, according to the islands’ director of tourism. Rosa Harris, in an online presentation to the Caribbean Tourism Organization on 8 Feb., said it was unclear right now if that target would be met, as it depends on the take-up of increased airlift which will be occurring this month and in March. In 2019, which was a record year for stayover tourism in Cayman, 502,739 passengers arrived by air. Harris said the government’s goal was to take in up to 40% of 2019’s accommodation tax remittances. The revenue from tourist accommodation charges in 2019 was $36.5 million, according to Economics and Statistics Office data. She said it was not possible to extrapolate, based on January’s arrival statistics, on whether the target would be reached until “we see air arrivals ramp up… in February and March”. However, the government is anticipating that if arrivals go as expected, the numbers for the summer months will be “very strong”, she said. A number of airlines have already restarted routes between Cayman and the US, after an absence of almost two years, and additional routes from United Airlines, American Airlines, Jet Blue, Cayman Airways and Southwest are coming online over the next few weeks. Currently, stayover tourism numbers remain low, due to limited airlift and continuing COVID regulations that require pre-arrival testing and antigen testing two, five and seven days after arriving. Last month, government moved into Phase 5 of its border- reopening plan and eased some of the entry requirements for tourists, including allowing unvaccinated children under 12 to come here on their parents’ vaccination status without the need for quarantine, paving the way for more families to visit Cayman. Harris said that when tourists do return in larger numbers, there will be plenty of accommodation for them. In an update on Cayman’s room capacity, she explained that, as of January 2022, there were a total of 7,086 bedrooms available for tourists across all three islands – 3,269 in condos, 2,668 in hotels and 1,149 in villas. The tourism director said discussions on cruise tourism were continuing between the cruise lines and the government, and the return of cruise ships would be “imminent” once a consensus on health and safety protocols could be agreed upon. She added that regulations regarding the current ban on cruise ships were being updated on a month-by-month basis. Cabinet recently extended the ban on ships until 28 Feb. The government has requested that only ships that have Grand Cayman as their first port of call visit the island, and that passengers undergo lateral flow tests before disembarking here. Michele Paige, president of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, who was among the cruise representatives who met with government officials last week, has said that testing disembarking passengers is not a practical option, but that cruise lines would look at whether Cayman could be a first port of call for some ships. Harris, in a question-and-answer session following her presentation, said that as well as allowing back ships that had Cayman as their first port of call, the government was considering also granting access to cruise ships that have visited privately owned islands immediately prior to coming to Cayman. “Those would be our initial terms,” she said. Tourism chiefs predict that stayover tourism levels in the summer may be 'very strong'. - Photo: File Director of Tourism Rosa Harris Cayman aiming for 40% of 2019’s record numbers US flights coming online in February and March From 12 Feb.United AirlinesChicago, Houston, Newark and Washington DC From 17 Feb. American AirlinesMiami Jet BlueFort Lauderdale From 26 Feb.Cayman AirwaysDenver From 5 March American AirlinesCharlotte DeltaAtlanta From 10 MarchSouthwestFort Lauderdale From 12 MarchSouthwestBaltimore bedrooms in hotels, villas and condos available to tourists across all three islands Stayover tourism In 2019, which was a record year for stayover tourism in Cayman, 502,739 passengers arrived by air. cayman compass 9 news N news FRIDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2022Next >