Breach of gathering ban could mean jail
Government has said that it is serious about the ban on public gatherings where more than 50 people are in the same place at the same time. The ban aims to slow down and limit the inevitable spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in Cayman. People breaching it, unless in an exempted place such as supermarkets, could be fined up to $1,000 or even jailed. The ban is already in effect and will remain in place until further notice.
Hospitals, pharmacists and supermarkets are exempt, but work places are not considered public gatherings so offices and construction sites are not included in the ban. However, employers are strongly encouraged to implement flexible working arrangements to limit the number of employees who will be in the same place at the same time.
The restriction on liberty impacts government events, such as inter-school sports days, the Cayman Brac Agriculture Show and the Deputy Governor’s 5K Challenge walk/run, which will all be postponed or cancelled. Other gatherings, such as sporting events, church services, cinema showings, bars and restaurants with more than 50 people will also no longer be allowed.
Coming into close contact with someone who has coronavirus increases the chances of a healthy person catching the disease. Advice from the Ministry of Health is that limiting opportunities for large groups to congregate is one way to halt the spread. The goal is to delay the peak of confirmed cases in order to lessen the strain on the health sector.
“A sudden increase in the number of people who need to be hospitalised will add additional pressure to hospitals to respond,” government officials explained in a release following the premier’s announcement about the public gathering ban and other measures to limit the impact of this pandemic.
This attempt to “flatten the curve of infection” has been used by other countries and some US cities where it has helped to curtail peaks in infections. “Evidence shows that this approach has slowed the spread in countries where it has been implemented,” government officials stated.
The restriction on liberty impacts government events, such as inter-school sports days, the Cayman Brac Agriculture Show and the Deputy Governor’s 5K Challenge walk/run, which will all be postponed or cancelled. Other gatherings, such as sporting events, church services, cinema showings, bars and restaurants with more than 50 people will also no longer be allowed.
Coming into close contact with someone who has coronavirus increases the chances of a healthy person catching the disease. Advice from the Ministry of Health is that limiting opportunities for large groups to congregate is one way to halt the spread. The goal is to delay the peak of confirmed cases in order to lessen the strain on the health sector.
“A sudden increase in the number of people who need to be hospitalised will add additional pressure to hospitals to respond,” government officials explained in a release following the premier’s announcement about the public gathering ban and other measures to limit the impact of this pandemic.
This attempt to “flatten the curve of infection” has been used by other countries and some US cities where it has helped to curtail peaks in infections. “Evidence shows that this approach has slowed the spread in countries where it has been implemented,” government officials stated.
