Borders Set to Open 20 November
The Cayman Islands will reopen its borders for nearly all vaccinated travellers on Saturday, 20 November 2021.
Premier Hon. Wayne Panton announced this at a COVID-19 update press conference today at the Government Administration Building (GAB) and reiterated that the transition into Phase 4 means quarantine requirements for most vaccinated travellers will be removed.
He said the reopening will be well-planned and run according to the plan to ensure Government continues to take a “strong, sensible, pragmatic and safe approach to the reopening”.
“This now gives us the opportunity as a country to rebuild our reputation as a world-class tourism destination and get many families and businesses back to work," the Premier said.
Addressing the press conference with him were Minister for Health Hon. Sabrina Turner and Minister for Tourism Hon. Kenneth Bryan, Deputy Governor, Hon. Franz Manderson as well as the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Lee. Prayers were led by Pastor Steve Brady of First Baptist Church.
Noting that the reopening can create an increased risk of community transmissions and hospitalisations, the Premier pointed out that the pandemic is already in the Cayman Islands community and is being managed.
“COVID-19 will be with us for the foreseeable future but we know there is no better time than now to continue with our reopening plan. Our guiding principles will remain the same: safeguarding the health of our community, protecting our health services, and being guided by the best data and science,” the Premier added.
Thanking all in the community for their patience and those who have been working to make the reopening happen, the Premier noted that Government will continue to “liaise with our private and civic sector stakeholders for the finalisation of the details required for the operations and logistics of implementing the reopening plan. There has been a dedicated team of well qualified and highly experienced individuals working day in and day out.”
He emphasised, “Now is the time for us to come together as one Cayman and embrace the reopening of our country as an opportunity for a fresh start. However, this is going to require corporate responsibility, personal responsibility, and a sense of collective responsibility. We are moving forward with a safe and sustained reopening that protects our healthcare and education systems.”
He added, “I thank you for your time today and encourage you all to be responsible for your own health and safety. Get vaccinated and get your booster when it is your turn—I did mine today.”
For all details about the press briefing, visit the CIG YouTube live broadcast at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1WbAoAlN7U .
(GIS)
Minister Hon. Sabrina Turner's Remarks:
Good afternoon to everyone, and thank you for joining us.
As the Cayman Islands prepares for full reopening, I am here today to reassure you that the Ministry of Health and Wellness stands ready to ensure that the transition to full reopening offers as much protection as possible for our Cayman Islands community.
The critical preparedness and readiness measures that we have developed draw from the lessons of the last 18 months and, in particular, from the last several weeks of community spread.
First and foremost, we have strengthened our investment in Public Health, a large part of this being the critical area of staffing. As noted last week, we have already increased the staff complement to support the work of Public Health. The new staff members are employed over several different sections including swabbing/testing, the Flu Hotline, administration, data input, registration and contact tracing.
In total we have extended 29 temporary offers of employment. Sixteen have already commenced employment and three more will start next week. Ten others will begin shortly thereafter once onboarding has been completed.
I am happy to say that we have been able to recruit Caymanians, with twenty-two of the new team members being Caymanian, while two are permanent residents married to Caymanians and five are non-Caymanians. All are employed with the clinical team.
Another aspect of our critical preparedness and readiness measures is the necessary infrastructure we have put into place to support an escalation in community transmission.
Our modeling exercises have reassured us that we are well-equipped when it comes to available beds, ventilators, as well as medical personnel. Our modeling has also indicated what will be needed to increase capacity to meet a number of surge scenarios, and we are poised, prepared and funded to procure and allocate these resources in short order. To do so the HSA has continued to procure additional staff by:
Partnering with nurses and physicians in private practice on-island and
Partnering with other government entities to provide staff for additional temporary administrative roles.
My Ministry will continue to work alongside Public Health, the medical sector, the Civil Service’s Programme Board, and a wide range of stakeholders, to ensure that we have surge capacity to monitor, test and manage the demands of the most likely scenarios.
As part of an ongoing collaboration with the private sector, Public Health will begin making presentations to the business community on the 28th of this month. These sessions will aim to ensure that large and small business-owners are clear on the necessary preparedness measures to assist us to move into the next phases of reopening our borders as safely as possible.
Of course, the arrival of lateral flow testing, also known as rapid antigen testing, has proven to be a game changer within the past week. Our critical preparedness and readiness plan will use lateral flow testing as a part of a layered approach to manage COVID-19 including other safety measures such as vaccination, mask wearing and social distancing.
The potential of such testing to reduce the impact of COVID-19 ion schools, and on our Islands, has become clear. As the number of people on-island increases it will become even more central to our living with and managing COVID-19.
For example, we know that 3 out of 220 individuals tested positive in the very first lateral flow testing pilot on Saturday. This meant that, of 62 families taking part, 59 were able to immediately leave quarantine. While 9 persons out of 216 participating tested positive in the second pilot, this still meant that a further 55 families could leave quarantine right away and get back to their lives.
The Ministry of Education, a key partner for the Public Health team, is in the process of implementing a national lateral flow testing policy for education, to ensure safety and continuation of learning at our schools. You will hear more directly from the Ministry of Education. However, I am pleased to report that the Ministry of Health & Wellness has today made available to the Ministry of Education an initial supply of 20,000 tests for all schools for the commencement of lateral flow testing.
I can tell you that the layered COVID-19 prevention protocols deployed throughout the education system will happen in tandem with contact tracing, isolation and quarantine where needed, managed by the Public Health Department.
Parents and students alike have commented on the ease and comfort of using lateral flow tests. The instructions are clear and simple, and the demonstrations during the pilot were well received. Even the children were enthusiastic.
I would like to congratulate the Public Health Department on a job well done, with their implementation of the pilot programmes and the education of participants on how to use the tests.
As at the middle of this week the Public Health team are managing 579 people from 129 households in quarantine. Given the potential, should cases rise of having thousands of people physically away from work and school for two weeks at a time, the benefits of rapid testing using lateral flow tests are clear.
The ability for individuals who suspect they may have been exposed to a positive case to quickly self-administer an accurate test before interacting with others is, in fact, life-saving.
Taking this process one step further and engaging in routine surveillance testing, of both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents, even if they are asymptomatic, is an important part of our toolbox to protect the vulnerable among us.
With regard to this kind of testing, I think it is important to remind the public that in accordance with Section 19 of the Public Health Act (2002 Revision), COVID-19 is a notifiable disease and persons are obligated to report their status.
Of course, as is said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. We urge you to continue to follow the COVID-19 prevention protocols of mask wearing, social distancing, and hand washing. Of course, please do get vaccinated if you haven’t yet done so!
We have also opened up the booster programme to persons aged 50 and over, healthcare workers and the extremely vulnerable. Visit HSA.ky for the most up to date details of clinics times.
I strongly urge everyone who is still unvaccinated and eligible to receive the vaccine to talk with your trusted healthcare provider about the risks and benefits in your personal situation and consider taking the vaccine. Please help to protect those vulnerable ones amongst us who cannot take the vaccine.
Finally, I would like to end my message to you today by thanking the Ministry of Health & Wellness and the Public Health teams for everything that they continue do every day to keep our community safe.
Minister Hon. Kenneth Bryan's Remarks:
Good afternoon to all who have tuned in to this broadcast, as well as to those joining us in the studio.
As you heard from the Premier, within a few weeks the Cayman Islands will move to phase 4 of the reopening plan and quarantine restrictions will be removed for all fully vaccinated travellers arriving to our shores.
From Nov 20th, after showing proof of vaccination and a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival, visitors will be allowed to head straight to their hotel to begin enjoying all that a Cayman Islands vacation has to offer.
It’s been a long and challenging year-and-a-half since we have been able to receive leisure travellers. With the reopening date now announced, the Ministry, the Department of Tourism, and private sector partners will continue working closely together, to fine tune the preparations to safely welcome visitors; and greet them with our famous Caymankind hospitality.
Safety First
The goal of the phased reopening is not just to safely reopen the borders, but to stay safely open. The slow and steady approach undertaken thus far has been the hallmark of how the Cayman Islands has handled the pandemic.
Taking the necessary steps to consult and collaborate has allowed us to review the lessons learned from other countries, and incorporate best practice protocols for keeping residents and visitors safe, while re-introducing tourism to our destination.
DoT Focus groups
Earlier this week, the Department of Tourism hosted focus groups, and further meetings are planned with industry stakeholders to dive deeper into scenario planning, and to gather feedback to further round out our tourism preparedness strategy.
All of this heightens the governments, and the tourism industrys capacity to manage the risks associated with quarantine-free travel. And indications from our tourism partners signifies that they are ready, and waiting, to welcome tourists back to our shores.
But in order for visitors to return, international airline service has to be in place, and there is good news to share in that regard.
Jet Blue
This past Saturday, October 16th, was a significant day for the Cayman Islands which was marked by the return of commercial flights between the Cayman Islands and two U.S. Gateways.
JetBlue resumed service from JFK, New York, earning recognition as the first U.S. based airline to return to the Cayman Islands since borders closed in March 2020.
The return of the New York service, which traditionally is our best performing U.S. gateway, marks a significant step forward in the governments efforts to rekindle tourism in the ‘new normal’ travel environment.
Airlines are strategic partners that play an important role in our ability to rebuild the industry, because they make the Cayman Islands accessible to the rest of the world. As the service from JFK has only just returned, passenger loads are expected to be low initially, and will gradually increase as the service becomes re-established and public confidence builds.
JetBlue are operating two flights a week – on Saturdays and Tuesdays – demonstrating tremendous commitment to the Cayman Islands. And I sincerely thank them for their outstanding show of confidence.
Cayman Airways - Tampa
On Saturday, Cayman Airways also relaunched their weekly nonstop service between Grand Cayman and Tampa, Florida. The Tampa service is a popular route with visitors as well as local residents, and gives travellers the option of getting to Cayman from two convenient locations in Florida.
The return of these fights has started the ball rolling to grow stayover arrivals from the U.S., and signifies a great show of support for our destination.
Air Canada
I would also like to take this opportunity to say that we look forward to welcoming Air Canada’s service from Toronto which is due to begin on December 4th. I am advised that anyone wishing to travel on Air Canada can book their reservations directly with the airline now.
The return of Air Canada means that there are four airlines with confirmed routes to the Cayman Islands; namely British Airways, JetBlue, Air Canada and Cayman Airways. I thank these airlines for the confidence they are showing in the governments reopening strategy and I hope that following today’s announcement, other international carriers will consider bringing their return dates forward, in line with governments commitment to reopening.
Industry Readiness – ORIA and local transport providers
While I was at the airport on Saturday for the arrival of JetBlue, it was clearly evident that the airport facility and staff are ready to welcome tourists.
The airport is spotless, and offers a safe environment to manage the flow of travellers from arrival, through to customs and border control, and on to public transport providers.
Local driver’s sanitation protocols
The process is efficient and effective, and as it currently stands, taxi drivers who transport passengers from the airport, de-contaminate their vehicles at stations located at the perimeter of the airport.
As part of the preparations for handling an increased volume of travellers, the Ministry is looking at other options, that would give public transport operators the ability to manage the sanitation process themselves; such as using an electro-static spray to de-contaminate their vehicles. This process is in effect in other jurisdictions and by all accounts seems to work well.
I am hopeful that de-centralising the process, will encourage more taxi drivers and transport operators to return to service, providing transport to returning visitors. Right now, government is managing and meeting the cost of vehicle de-contamination, but as passenger numbers increase, having centralized de-contamination stations will become a bottleneck.
My view is that this process should transition to the transport operators and taxi drivers. Self-sanitising will enable a faster, more efficient operation, and will allow drivers to make more trips and increase their earnings. Options are still being explored and further updates will be provided to keep the public, and our transport operators informed, once a new process has been finalized.
Industry preparedness – Tourism partners
The PACT Administration, tourism stakeholders, private sector businesses, and the wider public are all in agreement that the priority when it comes to reopening, is to use the best procedures possible, to keep residents and visitors safe, while reintroducing tourism to the destination.
Since I became the Minister for Tourism I’ve met with many operators and I’ve seen the competency, passion and professionalism within the industry.
Many tourism-based businesses and accommodations have already been practicing safety protocols, because the reality is, until Covid moves from pandemic to endemic (like the common cold) or disappears altogether (like smallpox), the way that we once went about our lives has changed.
Whether that’s eating out, visiting gyms and spas, going to the cinema, taking public transport - Covid awareness is at the forefront of every activity and interaction. Consequently, staff are being retrained; mask mandates are in effect; I understand that vaccination levels within the industry are high, and there will be ongoing monitoring from managers, and testing through public health. This is the reality of living with Covid.
Aside from this and perhaps more importantly, welcoming visitors back means people can get back to work.
As part of the National Training Programme, the Department of Tourism has hosted several training opportunities to help people upgrade their skills to re-enter the workforce.
I am very excited to share the news that two new training courses will be offered in November, but you have to be aged 18 and over. The courses are the Shaker International Bartenders course, and the Front of House Servers course, which are taught by Wine school 3.
These internationally accredited courses are sponsored in part by the Department of Tourism and are being offered free of charge to participants. Even the bartending kits will be provided at no cost!
I encourage anyone, especially displaced tourism workers, who either wish to launch a career, or develop their skills in the beverage and hospitality industry, to please register. More details about these courses, and how to sign up will be released next week, so please look out for more information coming from the Department of Tourism.
DMS Vaccine Raffle
Before wrapping up I would also like to provide an update on the DMS $100,000 vaccine raffle. I am informed by DMS that the selection, verification and administrative process is now underway and a winner will be announced on Nov 22nd.
The process for finding the single prize winner involves verification of being fully vaccinated by the HSA, the random selection of a name, and verification of Caymanian, Permanent or legally resident status in the Cayman Islands.
Persons who have submitted a ‘Refer-a-Friend’ into the dropbox at the HSA clinic received an additional entry into the drawing for each referred submission.
To date, DMS has already awarded over $20,000 in cash as random spot prizes for vaccine recipients and referrers, in support of the government’s vaccination goals.
Ladies and gentlemen, while there are a number of other initiatives happening within the Ministry of Tourism, as well as extensive marketing efforts being led by the Department of Tourism that I would like to update the public on; as time is of the essence today, I will leave it here in terms of updates for this briefing. I will provide those updates in a future forum, as I expect the media is patiently waiting for the opportunity to ask their questions.
I know that our tourism partners and workers in the industry will be pleased to have a reopening date, and I thank them for their patience and understanding while we journeyed to this point.
Thank you.
