Premier sends condolences on Covid death

Premier Wayne Panton sent out the following message of condolence as Cayman sees its first Covid death of 2021 and its third since the pandemic began.

“It is with great sadness that I must share with you today that the Cayman Islands has experienced its first COVID related death in 2021 and third death in total since the beginning of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Last night, Saturday, 13 November, a 73year old male Covid-positive patient at the Health Services Authority George Town hospital passed away.

While the cause of death was unrelated to Covid-19, his passing must be counted among our pandemic-related statistics due to his positive status.

Sadly, the patient had pre-existing health conditions with recurring hospital admissions over the past year. He was most recently admitted on 11 November with health issues unrelated to Covid-19. His case was reported in the daily Covid-19 figures as one of the patients in the Critical Care Unit on Friday, 12 November. He was unvaccinated against Covid-19.

Regardless of the circumstances, this is a day that none of us wished to become a reality, and truthfully there is nothing that can sufficiently prepare a family for the death of a loved one.

On behalf of my wife Jane, my family as well as the Government and people of the Cayman Islands I wish to offer my sincere condolences to the family and friends of this beloved member of our community who has left us.

We live in a community that places the highest value on life. We are all interconnected and our lives intersect in countless ways. No doubt, this individual leaves behind family members and loved ones who are deeply impacted by this loss. Because we value each life and each individual, now is not the time to reduce his life to a mere statistic.

Let us set aside the arguments, debates and division and focus instead on displaying our empathy, care and kindness to those who are grieving right now. I ask that in a display of humanity and compassion we respect the privacy of the bereaved family as they mourn.

And speaking directly to the family, I would like to assure you that you are not suffering this loss alone. While I fully acknowledge that at this moment there are no words that can truly ease the pain you are feeling, the Cayman Islands is still a closely connected community and I am certain that you will no doubt receive an outpouring of support from the community.

This is a poignant reminder for all of us in our community. Let us commit ourselves to doing everything we can to protect those who are vulnerable. Know your Covid status. Adhere to the regulations and practice the well-known Covid safety measures.

Even though our numbers of hospitalisations and serious illness have remained low throughout the pandemic, the loss of even one life is too great. I wish to acknowledge the hard work and care of the medical team who have been fighting valiantly to care for each and every patient in our hospitals. There is no doubt the past few hours have been tough for them as well.

This is indeed a difficult moment for us all, but let us remember above all that amongst us there is a family in pain. May our thoughts and prayers remain with the bereaved and may the soul of the deceased rest in peace.”