1. 
   Cayman Islands
   is prepared to deal with what is now Hurricane Delta, which
   currently has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.
   
2. 
   Persons in
   quarantine for COVID-19 are taken care of to ensure their safety
   during the passage of Hurricane Delta.
   
3. 
   All are
   advised to stay home and practise caution.
   
   

Grand
Cayman (GIS) – Government
leaders, at a press conference today, Monday, 5 October, 2020 briefed
the Cayman Islands about preparations underway, as well as the
possible impact of now Hurricane Delta, the 25th
named storm of a highly active 2020 Hurricane Season. The Cayman
Islands is currently under a Tropical Storm Warning.

CI
Government offices closed at 4 p.m. today (Monday, 5 October 2020),
to reopen on Wednesday morning (7 October 2020). That decision was
taken by the National Hazard Management Council this morning. Council
members also heard that the newly formed Tropical Storm Delta had
shifted direction and slowed overnight, pushing back the timing of
the arrival of tropical storm conditions to the Cayman Islands area.

The
leaders at the press conference urged people to get their information
only from the official sources on www.gov.ky,
www.caymanprepared.ky
and www.weather.gov.ky
as well as to tune into
Radio Cayman.

Government
leaders addressing the press conference were His Excellency the
Governor, Mr. Martyn Roper, Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, Minister
Hon. Tara Rivers, Deputy Governor Hon. Franz Manderson as well as
Director General of Weather Services, Mr. John Tibbetts and Director
of Hazard Management Cayman Islands, Ms Danielle Coleman.

All
fifteen (15) shelters in Grand Cayman are ready for activation if
required and shelter teams have been placed on standby. The Red Cross
shelter is open at 7pm. Similarly, the Ashton Ruddy civic centre in
Cayman Brac and Public Works Department building in Little Cayman are
both on standby to be used as public shelters if needed.

The
247 people in COVID-19 quarantine in government facilities and the 79
in home isolation are being monitored closely by the authorities,
including shopping for some who needed supplies from supermarkets.

For
all details of the Government response to the storm, visit www.gov.ky
and stay tuned to local media, including www.radiocayman.gov.ky.
For the latest weather information persons should visit
www.weather.gov.ky.
Information on severe weather preparedness is available from
www.caymanprepared.gov.ky.

The
National
Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC)
call taking centre will be activated from 9pm this evening.
Individuals with non-urgent enquiries about the storm can call
949-6555. Emergency calls should still be directed to 911 for fire,
police or EMS dispatch.

The
NEOC and Hazard Management Cayman Islands are monitoring the
conditions overnight. People should stay tuned to the official
websites and local media for overnight developments.

For
the leaders’ remarks, please see
sidebars below.

Sidebar:
Premier Reassures Cayman Ready to Deal with Tropical Storm

The
Atlantic Hurricane season this year has already proved to have been
“above normal.”

So
many powerful storms have formed over the Atlantic since the season
began that for only the second time the US National Hurricane Centre
has used all of the approved names for storms, and we’re now using
letters from the Greek alphabet to name any new storms hence Tropical
Storm Delta.

Thanks
to Director
General of the Cayman Islands National Weather Service, John Tibbetts
for the latest update on Tropical Storm Delta. I urge everyone to
follow the advice provided and to get regular updates by tuning into
official news sources such as Radio Cayman, gov.ky and the
government’s
social media pages.

Public
safety is our top priority, while the government and the public
service is pulling out all the stops to ensure that we safely
navigate this storm, each member of this community needs to take
personal responsibility for their own safety. Conditions in the sea
and on land during storms can change suddenly and become quite
hazardous. Therefore, please stay away from the beach and out of the
water and avoid areas that are flooded. I urge you to stay home and
stay safe until the storm passes.

These
types of storms can be unpredictable despite everything we do to try
to predict them. Tropical Storm Delta has already thrown us a few
curve balls as Director John has just indicated. Whilst this is
expected, to be a tropical storm and not a hurricane when it passes
us, it is none the less a strong tropical storm.

It
is therefore very important as I have said that we continue to pay
close attention to its development as it passes our islands. Radio
Cayman, as it has always done will be providing invaluable updates
throughout the night and through tomorrow.

As
part of this briefing today, the Deputy Governor will provide an
update on the preparedness of the public service and will provide
further information about shelters, if that is a safer option for
you. He will also, I am sure, advise on Government’s plans for
closing its various offices. Despite some closures there are many
Civil Servants who will be working throughout the night and day
tomorrow to ensure that the public are kept safe.

I
encourage all private sector employers to be understanding at this
time, as we face yet another challenge this year. Wherever possible,
have your staff work from home and minimize travel on the roads.

Once
the storm has passed there may be debris such as fallen trees or
downed power lines so I urge everyone to please stay off the roads
until the all clear is given.

2020
has been a challenging year, to say the least, and we’re weathering
two storms at the moment, with Tropical Storm Delta and COVID-19 but
we are used to facing challenges, Caymanians and all who call these
islands home are resilient people and we’ll come through once
again. Despite the additional challenges that COVID presents, the
Cayman Islands is prepared and ready, as usual, to weather Tropical
Storm Delta.

Stay
Safe Cayman.

Sidebar:
Governor Urges All Not to Let Guard Down

I
recognise that there is concern and anxiety out there with the
approach of Tropical Storm Delta, particularly as we’ve had our
fair share of difficult events this year!  

Despite
the better news regarding the forecast path of the storm drifting
away from the Cayman Islands, we shouldn’t let our guard down. It’s
always better to over prepare in any crisis and then pare back,
rather than be caught out. We prepare for the worst and hope for the
best.

Government
has acted quickly and decisively. There is always an element of
uncertainty with these events, so that was the sensible and prudent
thing to do.

I
spoke to the Police Commissioner and the Prison Director about
security aspects this morning. They have very well prepared
contingency plans in place.

The
Commissioner asked me to reiterate the request for people not to go
out on the roads later today and tomorrow morning as it could be
hazardous, and people should also avoid going to the shore to take a
look.

Another
plea to please only put things on social media if you know they are
accurate and follow official government information. Our two police
helicopters, a huge asset in this situation, will be going up
tomorrow as soon as it is safe to do so.

I
have been in touch with London this morning (the UK Met Office, the
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of
Defence) who are watching developments very closely. We do of course
have the two Royal Navy ships in the region – Argus
and Medway,
though highly unlikely we will need them to deal with this storm. But
reassuring to know they are in the region for now and future. 

At
the moment there is no requirement to deploy the Regiment, however
they are there for us to call on if needed, an additional asset
offering extra resilience and support with skills sets that we do not
have elsewhere.

Cayman
has a reputation for resilience in the face of such challenges. I am
sure this will be no different.

Please
stay safe Cayman Brac, Little Cayman and Grand Cayman.

Sidebar:
Deputy Governor Expresses Happiness at Preparation Levels

Current
status:

1. 
   The
   Port Authority closed to the public at 12pm today and will re-open
   at 1pm on 7 Wednesday.
   
2. 
   The
   Airport will be closed as of 3pm today until 3pm Tuesday 6th.
   
3. 
   Shelter
   teams are on standby and if the decision is made to activate
   shelters, the Red Cross shelter along with one shelter in each
   district will be activated. The proposed shelters are as follows:
   
   
4. 
   Red
   Cross
   
5. 
   WB
   –
   John A Cumber Hall
   
6. 
   GT-
   John Gray Gymnasium
   
7. 
   EE-
   Civic Centre
   
8. 
   NS-
   Clifton Hunter
   
9. 
   BT-
   Savannah Primary
   
10. 
    Damage
    Assessment teams are prepped and ready to activate to conduct
    preliminary damage assessments once the all clear is given.
    
    
11. 
    National
    Roads Authority (NRA) have been actively clearing wells and trimming
    in high risks areas. The number to call for well clearing is
    525-1251.
    
12. 
    NRA
    will facilitate the clearing of fallen trees/debris removal after
    the all Clear.
    
13. 
    All
    utility companies have activated their plans and preparing their
    facilities.
    
    
14. 
    Water
    Authority does not intend to cut their service during the storm.
    However, this is subject to change depending on the movement and
    intensification of the Tropical Storm.
    
15. 
    CUC
    does not intend to cut their service during the storm. However, this
    is subject to change depending on the movement and intensification
    of the Tropical Storm.
    
16. 
    PWD
    has carried out a check on all shelters and shuttered a few based on
    requests.
    
    
17. 
    HMPS
    has implemented their plans and transported all prisoners to
    Northward prison.
    
18. 
    RCIPS
    has confirmed they have activated their shelter deployment teams,
    helicopter is secure and the crew is ready for rapid deployment and
    the preliminary damage assessment if needed
    
19. 
    The
    Call Takers are reporting to the NEOC at 9:00pm tonight.
    
20. 
    The
    mental health hotline remains active and the number to call is
    1-800-534-6463.
    

The
Cayman Islands Coast Guard has secured all vessels.

Education:

All
schools are closed Monday, 5 and Tuesday, 6 October 2020.

Update
on Cayman Airways:

1. 
   CAL
   6 October Miami flight is cancelled and rescheduled for 7 October in
   the evening (subject to weather). Travel Cayman has notified
   travellers via email and advised that Cayman Airways will provide
   them with flight details.
   
   
2. 
   The
   Travel Cayman Team is working round the clock processing travellers
   arriving on the remaining flights scheduled for October.
   
   

Travellers
in Home and Facility Quarantine:

1. 
   All
   travellers in Quarantine at Residence have been contacted via email
   and phone to ensure they are in a location that can weather the
   storm and to ensure they have sufficient provisions.
   
   

o  
Only one traveller has asked to be moved to a quarantine facility.
That traveller has been moved.

o  
There were a couple of travellers that had no one on-island to drop
off extra provisions to them. The Travel Cayman team is out making
deliveries now.

1. 
   Where
   necessary private facilities where travellers are in quarantine have
   moved travellers to a higher floor or relocated them to another
   facility. Where it was necessary to transport travellers this has
   been through authorised transport.
   
   
2. 
   Prospect
   Primary has been set aside as a shelter for travellers in quarantine
   should the need arise.
   
   
3. 
   Travellers
   in home or facility quarantine can call
   946-7858 or 945-0556
   if they need assistance. If it is an emergency they should call 911.
   

Health
Services Authority Update:

• Due
  to the approach of Tropical Storm Delta, the Cayman Islands Health
  Services Authority (HSA) has cancelled all regularly scheduled
  out-patient clinics including health centres, general practice,
  specialist, physiotherapy, mental health, dental and eye clinics for
  Tuesday, 6 October 2020. Services including pharmacy, phlebotomy,
  radiology, COVID-19 testing clinic will also be closed. Patients
  will be contacted directly to reschedule appointments effected by
  these closures.
  
• The
  Cayman Islands Main Pharmacy and Smith Road Centre Pharmacy will
  remain open until 7pm on Monday, 5 October, but will be closed on
  Tuesday 6th
  October.
  
  
• Acute
  Care Clinic will be closing at 6pm, Monday, 5 October and will be
  closed all day Tuesday.
  
• Medical
  records will be closed as of Monday at 4pm.
  
• A&E
  will still operate 24 hours but persons are reminded to stay home
  unless it is a true medical emergency.
  
  
• Sister
  Islands: Walk-in
  clinics at Faith Hospital will be closed on Tuesday, 6 October. A&E
  will remain open for any emergencies. Little Cayman Clinic will be
  open for emergencies only.
  
• 
  The
  HSA will continue to update regarding any closures. All updates
  will also be available on www.hsa.ky.
  If you have questions regarding your appointment, please call
  345-949-8600. 
  

Sidebar:
Minister Rivers Notes Teams in Best Position to Respond

Firstly,
I would like to acknowledge that arguably our national emergency
operations are in the best position possible to respond to this
severe weather event following our sustained efforts tackling
COVID-19 over the past several months.

The
track record of our first responder and emergency operation teams has
been world class and we sincerely thank them for their efforts and
resilience thus far during this unprecedented year.

In
response to Tropical Storm Delta and following the meeting of the
National
Hazard Management Council yesterday, work has been and is well
underway to put into action the necessary national preparedness
measures.

Particular
consideration has been given to maintain the integrity and security
of COVID-19 isolation conditions, including those at government
facilities and private residences. Arrangements are being made to
securely relocate individuals isolating at home who are at risk of
flooding and to move them to appropriate government facilities. The
monitoring of those in home isolation by the Department of Public
Safety Communication through geo-fencing technology is robust and
capable of withstanding weather conditions far more intense than is
expected to impact our shores.

Warning
flags have been raised in Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little
Cayman. Regular public announcements have also been broadcast widely
with weather updates and preparedness information. The public is
advised to continue to monitor official sources including gov.ky,
weather.gov.ky and caymanprepared.ky for the latest, accurate
information.

Emergency
contingency plans have been activated across our first response
agencies to ensure business as usual is maintained while the
necessary preparedness measures are in place.

Surge
resourcing capacity is being deployed at the Cayman Islands Fire
Service in both Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac to respond to an
expected increase in incidents due to the severe weather. Fire
Service crews will also join colleagues from the Coast Guard in a
joint effort for all inshore search and rescue operations.

The
NEOC call taking centre will be activated from 9pm this evening.
Individuals with non-emergency enquiries about the response to the
tropical storm can call 949-6555. Emergency calls should still be
directed to 911 for fire, police or EMS dispatch.

A
second shift of call takers is being deployed for 911 in case of an
increase in emergency calls.

A
situational assessment is already underway with low lying areas being
mapped and monitored for flooding. A comprehensive damage assessment
will commence tomorrow once weather conditions allow first responders
to move around safely.

Community
Emergency Response Teams have been deployed across the three islands
to distribute vital preparedness information to residents and conduct
wellness checks on the most vulnerable people in our communities.

All
fifteen (15) shelters in Grand Cayman are ready for activation if
required and shelter teams have been placed on standby. Similarly,
the Ashton Ruddy civic centre in Cayman Brac and Public Works
Department building in Little Cayman are both on standby to be used
as public shelters if needed.

Anyone
needing to shelter at a facility is asked to bring their own personal
protective equipment, including face masks and sanitiser, as a
COVID-19 prevention measure.

Finally,
the national emergency response team remains in regular contact with
CDEMA (the Caribbean Disaster and Emergency Management Agency) to
keep them informed of the situation on the ground in the Cayman
Islands should their assistance be required to be coordinated.

The
Cayman Islands has been tested many times but remains steadfast and
resilient. We stand ready to respond to what lies ahead as we have
done countless times before, thanks in no small part to the men and
women of our response agencies and their tireless and selfless
efforts.

May
God continue to bless and protect these Cayman Islands.