Coming Back To Cayman – July, 2020
To all who love the Cayman Islands:
In our July 2020 edition of Coming Back to Cayman, we’ll look at safety, safety, safety! We all know that Cayman stopped cruise ship travel and air travel to 
their island earlier than most destinations out of an abundance of caution. It wasn’t our favorite news when it happened, but now we appreciate their cautious nature which has contributed to the low case count, hospitalizations, and death rate on Cayman. Cayman has certainly maintained its focus on the safety of its citizens, and this focus has given them the confidence to begin a gradual reopening of the islands to the local market. The next step is a projected full opening on the first of September. “Projected” is the important word as you well know! A June 18 article in Cayman Compass presents the cautious concerns of Premier Alden McLaughlin.
In this edition of Coming Back to Cayman, let’s focus on SAFETY regarding our return to Cayman, SAFETY regarding our airline travel, and the usual SAFETY standards on the island. I’ll share some helpful websites so that you can keep up with Cayman’s progress for yourself. It’s even easy to track Daily COVID-19 Statistics if you’re interested! Finally, you can read an interview with the great folks at DiveTech to learn how they have been doing through this pandemic.
1. SAFETY regarding our return to Cayman: I am so excited about Coming Back to Cayman—whenever my return happens! When I think about this beautiful place and the lovely people, I know that the leaders are right to take every precaution to protect this island paradise! You’ve seen these websites in previous editions of Coming Back to Cayman, but I’d like to focus on them. As always, make sure that the information you are reading is the most recent information. A simple internet search of “Cayman Islands coronavirus” gave me a few articles from March—not very helpful! These three consistently provide updated information specifically related to Cayman and its handling of COVID-19:
Cayman Islands Airport Authority–Dated Press Releases make it easy to find recent information. For example, the June 3 advisory details the steps taken at Owen Roberts International Airport after one team member tested positive for COVID-19. New procedures and safety measure are explained, too. Reading this Press Release gave me confidence that the airport is working hard to maintain a high standard of cleanliness for the safety of both its team members and its customers. Procedures for entering the airport terminal are listed, so passengers will know what to expect. Like other websites, this one reports the airport’s closure to international passenger flights through 31 August 2020.
An overview of COVID-19 in the Cayman Islands is given within the website of the Cayman Islands Government. You can watch the latest live update through a link from this overview page. Also, details are given regarding a variety of topics. I can’t think of any COVID-19-related 
question that isn’t answered within this comprehensive website! It’s a great one to bookmark if you’re interested in watching the developments on Cayman before you’re able to return.
Finally, updates are provided on the home page of the government’s website. The Cayman Islands COVID-19 Dashboard shows the latest figures regarding COVID-19 testing on the Cayman Islands, daily confirmed cases (if any), total confirmed cases, total recovered, the number tested, the number of deaths (1 as of 26 June), and worldwide confirmed cases.
2. SAFETY regarding your airline travel: If you’re used to flying, then you might have your own “auto-pilot” routine regarding packing, arriving at the airport, going through security, boarding, etc. Keep your routine, but be flexible as you learn of procedures that have changed in an effort to keep everyone safe! Some of the highlights for flying to Cayman on Delta Airlines include wearing a required facemask during the entire flight, boarding from the back to 
the front, being given prepackaged snacks, and flying with fewer passengers. You probably have questions unique to your situation, so I want to share some of Delta’s web pages where you can find the most recent updates. And even if you’ll fly another airline, looking at Delta’s extensive details will give you an idea of guidance to look for on your airline’s website. It’s also a good idea to look at your departure airport’s website so that you’ll know what to expect inside the facility. (NOTE: Once Cayman is able to confirm their re-opening date, we’ll be paying close attention to any health requirements for visitors upon arrival in Cayman. At this moment, we don’t know if they will require a temperature check before entering customs in GCM airport.)
Begin with Delta’s Travel Update Center that provides a great overview along with links to a variety of topics such as travel safety and travel flexibility.
Also, Delta provides specifics for each step of your journey with them as they explain how they set the standard for safer travel. From before you go to the airport until when you end your trip at baggage claim, you can know exactly what to expect! Diagrams and explanations make each step clear.
Delta is committed to providing a safe environment for their customers and employees. These six steps show how Delta leads the way in safety. Perhaps you’ve seen the news reports of crews using electrostatic sprayers to sanitize aircraft interiors after each flight. Delta also makes sure that their employees have all the necessary supplies and facts related to this pandemic.
Destination Information: For the folks who want information about travel restrictions for states and for travel outside the US, Delta provides that, too! Once on that page, you can also find specific destination information regarding international travel on an interactive map.
3. SAFETY standards on the island: One of the things we love about Cayman is the sense of safety and security for our families and friends. From our first moment back in Cayman, we know that we are in a place that values customer service. We can gather needed information at the tourism booth before we leave the airport. Solicitation is strictly not permitted, a policy that guards us against strangers trying to sell us time-shares or trinkets. When we’re on the beach, we can simply enjoy the lovely view without any disruptions! Of course, those of us who rent a car during our vacation want to add to the safety of the islands by carefully following the “rules of the road”. 
Honestly, those roundabouts make my head swirl every time, and I’m the passenger in the car! As guests, we can review the guidelines regarding things such as texting while driving (don’t!), drinking and driving (don’t!), and dealing with four-way stops.
Cayman police are very visible and exceptionally polite. Imagine being unable to locate your rental car during a crowded Pirates Week Festival in downtown George Town! Yes—we were those people! We mentioned our problem to local police officers, showed them our keys with our license plate number, and they rode around on bicycles until they found our car for us! What a wonderful addition to our memories of CaymanKind! And, I might add, how wonderful for us that we hadn’t been drinking at the time!
I hope that this newsletter helps you. We are all in this waiting game together, and it helps me to share these thoughts and websites with you. Enjoy the interview below with Tony Land, and reach out to DiveTech if you’d like to help them through donations and/or through purchasing beautiful photo gifts from their website!
PP: Besides the quarantine on the island how has the Corona Virus affected you and your team as they wait to dive again? What things have you done to keep sane through these crazy times?
TL: Lots of us have longer hair now, since no barbers or salons were open. I kept very busy with a number of things. I took some online classes in computer-aided modeling and design, built a new website for KISS rebreathers, and got back into running as a daily form of exercise and managed to shave a few minutes off my 5K time. I also spent quite a bit of time looking for photo opportunities. This was the hardest because, with our curfew in place, I was limited by where and when I could go take pictures.
PP: Since most of your revenue comes from the tourist industry, how has DiveTech survived?
TL: The first and foremost thing I cannot stress enough was that Joanna continued to pay the entire staff their full wages during the shutdown. No one else on the island did this. It was unprecedented, very generous, and took a tremendous weight off everyone’s shoulders about how to survive. (PP: If interested in supporting DiveTech before you can visit in person, you can buy one of their beautiful photos and provide them with some greatly appreciated income!)
PP: How will things need to change in the future as far as social distancing on your boats and how your operation will run?
TL: Like other operations, we’ve made many changes for distancing, sanitation, and cleanliness. We’ve always been a clean operation, and regular cleaning is on our staff checklists for their daily routines. Some new things include a digital waiver system which you can do easily from your phone, tablet or computer—without printing anything. This is something that has been highly received, and that we will continue to do after things return to normal. (PP: A full list of DiveTech’s protective measures should answer any questions!)
Be safe and share your CaymanKind wherever you are!
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