Health officials today reported another two persons, both with travel history, have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

·         The Cayman Islands Government will implement a curfew for all three Islands from 7pm tonight (Wednesday, 25 March 2020) until 5am Saturday, 28 March.

·         Anyone with enquiries as to whether they are an essential business, exempt from the curfew, and how they can be so designated should contact curfewtime@gov.ky.

CAYMAN ISLANDS (GIS) – The Cayman Islands Government will implement a curfew for all three Islands from 7pm tonight (Wednesday, 25 March 2020) until 5am, Saturday, 28 March.

The extension of curfew measures prohibiting movement outside the home by all but essential personnel, comes in the interest of the public health and the welfare of the community. Health officials also today reported that another two persons, both with travel history, have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

Urging Caymanians and residents to strictly abide by the curfew, Premier Alden McLaughlin, said the decision to extend the curfew was taken as an immediate solution in the interest of the health and welfare of the community, to suppress transmission of COVID-19 as quickly as possible.

Officials are still working out the details of a shelter in place order as the initial number of requests for exemption (850 requests for a total of 20,000 workers) would have negated the public health benefits of such an exercise.  A list of all currently exempted persons can be found on www.gov.ky/coronavirus.

During the curfew period Government will continue to develop the details of a shelter in place order, allowing reasonable movement of persons for essential activities such as access to supermarkets, pharmacies, banks or exercise in groups of one or two. A plan is expected to be presented to the community later this week.

“We understand how restrictive the current measure is and fully appreciate the impact it will have on people and on economic activity”, commented His Excellency, the Governor Martyn Roper, “but we believe it is absolutely necessary given the public health emergency the world is facing”.

Premier McLaughlin concluded on a hopeful note, “With our borders having been locked since last Sunday, if our strategy is successful in suppressing community spread, in a matter of a few weeks we may be able to relax these restrictions and return to some level of normalcy”.

RCIPS will actively be enforcing the curfew, and has already implemented significant community patrols. Anyone with enquiries as to whether they are an essential business and how they can be so designated should contact curfewtime@gov.ky.

Government’s daily press briefings will continue through the extended  curfew to provide vital information to the community.

Categories for Curfew Exempt Organizations

These are the ten
categories under which curfew exemptions may be granted.
Organizations must request official exemption by emailing
CurfewTime@gov.ky
.

1. All Emergency and
   Essential Service, including
   
   Police and Licenced
   Security Services
   911
   
   Fire
   
   Prison Service
   Customs and Border
   Control
   Department of
   Environmental Health and
   
   Island Waste
   Carriers
   
   JUNK
   Cleaners at Medical
   facilities and Isolation Centres
   
   Emergency Medical
   including HSA, Health City, Doctors Hospital, Medical Testing
   Laboratories & Ambulance Services
   Doctor’s Offices
   for Personal Emergency care
   Dept. Environment-
   Marine Enforcement Unit
   MRCU – spraying
   and mosquito control only
   DCFS – Emergency
   Social Work only
   
   Weather Service
   
   CIAA – to
   facilitate runway works
   Island Paving
   CAA
   DVES – Emergency
   Vehicles service only
   NEOC Members
   Ministers and
   Members of Cabinet and Legislative Assembly
   Premiers Office
   Staff
   Governor’s Office
   Cabinet Office
   Portfolio
   Office of Public
   Prosecution
   
   Judicial
   Administration
   
   Attorney General
   Chambers
   
   
   
2. Utilities and
   Infrastructure, namely:
   Port Authority
   Water Authority
   Cayman Water Co.
   CUC