CAYMAN IN THREE-DAY TOTAL LOCKDOWN

CAYMAN IN THREE-DAY TOTAL LOCKDOWN

The Cayman Islands is being placed on a full 24/7 shutdown with a curfew starting at 7pm today until 5am on Saturday 28th March.

This rapid escalation of the restrictions being put in place to suppress the spread of the COVID-19 here comes as the number of positive cases has increased to eight.

The announcement by Premier Alden McLaughlin follows an initial 7pm to 5am curfew put in place last night and further attempts aimed at implementing a Shelter In Place/Stay At Home policy to prevent the further spread of the disease in the islands.

That policy exempts persons designated as essential workers.

Premier McLaughlin had warned yesterday that if there was no resolution to the flood of requests the Government has been receiving from businesses for their employees to be designated essential workers, there would be no alternative but to institute a total shutdown.

He reported today that the number of requests continued to flood in.

Over 850 businesses had submitted requests for around 20,000 employees overwhelming the Government's system to process them.

“What we are trying to take every measure we can to lower the risk of community transmission. That means keeping people apart from each other as far as possible," Premier McLaughlin stated.

“Our concern which has brought about this result is only heightened today by two more positive results, albeit not community transmission.

Noting that the number of cases in the community continues to grow, the Premier announced that "Government, in consultation with His Excellency the Governor and the agreement of the Commissioner of Police, has decided that with effect from 7pm tonight the country will go into 24-hour curfew, all three islands.

"And so from 7am tonight until 5am Saturday morning the country is un lockdown.”

Mr McLaughlin said during that period the Government will continue to work on the Shelter-in-Place program and will involve the Opposition in the consultations.

The lockdown will be reviewed on Saturday after the curfew is lifted.