Archive for July 30th, 2014
Five cases of Chikungunya confirmed in Cayman
(CNS): Public health officials say that since the first test case for the chikungunya virus in June, they have seen at least ten suspected cases. While blood sample tests for two of those cases are still pending, five have proved positive and three negative, but only one has been confirmed as a local transmission as the other four patients had all travelled to areas where the mosquito borne disease has taken a hold. The sole local transmission was in a patient from Bodden Town. The health department said Wednesday that since the last public update on 21 July there have been three new casessent for testing from a residents in West Bay, George Town and Cayman Brac.
Officials stated that one result was received this week from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), which tested positive for chikungunya and that patient has a travel history to the Dominican Republic. In total so far, out of eight cases tested, five have come back positive and three negative. Two results for blood samples sent on 28 July are pending.
With the exception of the local transmission, four people who have acquired the virus had travelled to the Dominican Republic and two to Guyana. In all cases residents have come from the four districts of George Town, Bodden Town, West Bay and Cayman Brac. So far, no one in either East End or North Side has presented with a suspected case of the disease, for which there is no vaccine or specific medication that can cure the virus but physicians can treat some of the severe symptoms.
The number of Caribbean countries/territories reporting cases of chikungunya continues to increase. To date, cases of chikungunya have been confirmed in 36 countries/territories in the Caribbean region. The total number of confirmed/probable cases has reached 5,824. Regional updates can be accessed by visiting the CARPHA website or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Key Facts on Chikungunya
- Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, similar to dengue. Chikungunya causes fever and severe joint pain. Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash.
- The disease shares some clinical signs with dengue, and can be misdiagnosed in areas where dengue is common. Joint paint is predominant in chikungunya, while muscle pain is predominant in dengue.
- There is no medication against the virus. Treatment is focused on relieving the symptoms- bed rest, over the counter pain killers, and plenty of fluids.
- There is no vaccine against chikungunya or dengue. Prevention of these diseases is through protective measures against mosquito bites by use of mosquito repellents on skin and clothing, and when outdoors during times that mosquitoes are biting, wearing long- sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into socks.
- The proximity of mosquito breeding sites to human habitation is a significant risk factor for chikungunya. People can greatly assist in reducing the local Aedes aegypti population by clearing their yards of containers that can hold water as these are favourite breeding sites for this mosquito.
- Since 2004, chikungunya fever has reached epidemic proportions globally, with considerable morbidity and suffering.
- The disease occurs in Africa, Asia and the Indian subcontinent. In recent decades mosquito vectors of chikungunya have spread to Europe and the Americas. In 2007, disease transmission was reported for the first time in a localized outbreak in north-eastern Italy.
For more advice on how to control mosquitoes in your yard, contact the MRCU on 949-2557 in Grand Cayman or 948-2223 in Cayman Brac; and DEH on 949-6696 in Grand Cayman or 948-2321 in Cayman Brac.
Government clamps down on school uniforms
(CNS): Youngsters wishing to express their style, fashion sense and individuality won't be doing so in school next year as government is clamping down on how kids look at school and adhering to their uniforms. The education ministry has issued a national uniform and dress code for all government schools, which bans everything from coloured hair bands to boots. In strict new guidelines on top of each school's own policies outlining expectations regarding the uniform and PE kits, students are being told how those uniforms should be worn and limiting accessories and removing any flexibility with students appearance.
The code states that all uniforms should be properly fitting and skirts can be no shorter than one inch above the knee. All students are required to wear black shoes/sneakers that do not contain
other colours and boots, sandals and slippers are banned.
Students are limited to small plain stud earrings, without gem stones, only on the lower ear lobe. And with the exception of watches, all other jewellery is banned. For health and safety reasons government said all jewellery is banned at the lighthouse school.
Items that display connection with gangs, such as badges, tags and tattoos, are banned, though the ministry gives no indication what happens to kids already tattooed.
Dictating that hair should be groomed and, if worn long tied back with just black or brown hair bands and no beads, students are also being told their hair must be a 'natural colour' and no extremes of hairstyles, such as a Mohawk, shaved lines/words, will be permitted.
Shaved eyebrows are also not permitted. In addition, the authorities are clamping down on make-up, nail polish and false nails.
Forbes and Morgan brothers fail to make grade
(CNS): Ronald Forbes missed out on qualifying Tuesday at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow when Cayman's 110 metre hurdler came in a disappointing 5th place in his heat with a time of 13.89. Carl and Carlos Morgan also failed to advance in the long jump with the brothers leaping 6.99 and 7.41 respectively. However, Team Cayman's athletic hopes are still not finished as both David Hamil and Tyrell Cuffy will run in the men's 200 metre sprint tomorrow in a bid to make it through to the semis. The athletics team will then round up the games with the 4 x 100 metres relay later this week.
For more on the games, results and information log onto www.glasgow.com
Plant Health Directors meeting in Cayman
(CNS): Plant Health directors from 34 countries and territories in the Caribbean along with delegates from regional and international organisations, government entities and universities gathered on Grand Cayman Tuesday morning to kick off the 7th Caribbean Plant Health Directors Meeting. The CPHD Forum will be held over four days to address issues relating to the health of and threats to flora in the Caribbean. Premier Alden McLaughlin told those in attendance that agriculture has always played a pivotal role in the Cayman Islands. “Here in the Cayman Islands we have a deep interest in the welfare of agriculture,” he said. “Ourfore bearers understood what it was to farm.”
The premier said the forum is important to bring the region together. “It is understood that each of us must be able to compete in the international marketplace, but unless we come together through venues like this forum, we cannot do so effectively,” he said. “It is because of working with others and sharing technical information that we were able to successfully combat pink hibiscus mealybug in 2006. Today we have a new pest, croton scale or sooty mold, to combat.”
Minister of Agriculture Kurt Tibbetts said the forum helps those in the region establish and maintain common standards when it comes to agriculture.
“The unity of purpose is an overarching concept that the Cayman Islands wholeheartedly endorses, as it has been critical to our success over the years,” Minister Tibbetts said. “Therefore, our government’s decision to host this meeting shows the extent of our commitment to these ideals.”
He said that agricultural issues encompass the cultural, economic and health concerns of everyone in the Cayman Islands. “As a result, we cannot overstate the importance of food and nutrition security,” he said. “The central role of agriculture includes reducing our dependency on imports and providing fresh, healthy food choices.”
He reiterated that it is important for the countries and territories to share information about threats to agriculture and said the Cayman Islands remains committed to maintaining a strong and effective plant protection and quarantine regime.
Because of the country’s vigilance in agriculture, the Cayman Islands was recognised by the Greater Caribbean Safeguarding Initiative and the Caribbean Plant Health Directors as the recipient of the Inaugural GCSI Safeguarding Award last year.
“But regional cooperation is more than a convenient activity … It is essential for us all, for none of us are immune from threats posed by new pests or invasive flora and fauna,” Tibbetts said.
One Man One Vote – the Belly of the Tiger
Recent events with regards to One Man One Vote (OMOV) reminded me of this line from JFK’s 1961 inaugural address where he said “those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.” It is said that one of the purposes of election is to determine the will of the people.
I believe it is fair to say that a majority of electors in this country supports One Man One Vote (OMOV) and that their will is clear both in the 2012 referendum and the general election of 2013.
While some may argue that the referendum held in 2012 did not meet the criteria for passage into law – and legally they would be right – it does not change the fact that more people came out and said “Yes” than those that came out and said “No”. If the same scenario had taken place back in 2009 when we voted for a new constitution – the constitution would not have passed. Why? Because, like many other democracies around the world, the only vote that truly counts is the one that is cast. If we were to even try to attempt to determine how some people would have voted if they came out, no one would truly be elected.
But here is something I want you to consider and also ponder. Why was the benchmark for the referendum set so high? And more importantly, why was this benchmark not challenged by the PPM members? While the constitution is clear that a people’s initiated referendum requires a majority of 50% + 1, the minute the Government of the day decided to call the referendum, it became a government initiated referendum and at a minimum the government should have considered using the benchmark established for the 2009 Constitution referendum, and equally so, the PPM members should have insisted or fought for that benchmark to be used.
They did not. I am sure that many people would agree that it is a retrograde step in our democracy to have the passage of a law held to a higher standard than our constitution. This is hypocritical and goes against the principles of democracy and the purpose of elections in determining the will of the people.
But the real truth in this matter is not tactics used by Premier McKeeva Bush at that time that would have made Machiavelli proud. The real truth is the sinister way in which those that did not support OMOV jumped on the band wagon to say that they supported OMOV when they did not.
Everyone and their aunty knew that, based on previous political trends, the real number that would have been required for the referendum to be successful was closer to 70% when considering average voter turnout. There were people in the UDP at that time that was urging Premier Bush to keep the referendum on a Monday instead of during the week just to create a “long weekend” and ensure that the voter turnout would have been even lower to ensure that the referendum failed.
While the position of the UDP’s elected government was clear with regards to OMOV, the PPM on the other hand took a calculated approach in supporting it knowing that it would have failed. In doing so, not only did they mislead their own members and some new candidates, they also misled the public. Credit should be given to Al Suckoo and Anthony Eden for their principled stand and we should not only commend them but support them in this endeavor. Some of the old guard politicians in the PPM saw a political opportunity and took advantage of it and in doing so foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger, and we now find them being chewed alive and the public is preparing to digest them, literally.
They have once again been given the power and responsibility to lead this country, and like many before them, the power as gone to the head of their Head and the only focus now is to retain power at all costs. Why are they doing this? If I was to make a political guess, I would say that they need to keep the 2 seats in the Sister Islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman at all costs if they want to be returned as a government in 2017. In their ranks they have the Deputy Premier that was elected with over 75% of the votes, and since the election, his only true political opponent that was re-elected with over 55% of the vote has joined forces with him giving the PPM a formidable advantage in the Sister Islands.
Lately, I have listened to some PPM politicians used the term “equality of votes” in an attempt to bastardize our electoral system with “at large candidates” to try and eke out as much seats as possible from their George Town leader. There is however one problem with their argument with regards to equality of votes and that remains the Sister Islands. The real issue that OMOV as well as the equality of votes will highlight is that George Town will remain under represented and that the Sister Islands would be over represented and may be challenged by voters and/or other politicians in George Town.
While the PPM may have 4 seats in George Town, they too also recognize that their franchise and brand in George Town is diminishing day by day and at the current trend would be worth even less come 2017 when consider the record that they would have to defend. Their number one vote getter for the last several elections is the Hon. Kurt Tibbetts, and like the Hon. McKeeva Bush and Anthony Eden, have developed serious coat tails over the years with one exception in George Town.
While McKeeva and Anthony have maintained polling numbers around the 50% mark, Kurt’s numbers have not been holding up. At his peak, back in 2000, Kurt got 2,753 votes from 3,400 ballots that were cast. 13 years later, Kurt received 2,470 votes – 283 less despite 2,428 more votes being cast. He went from receiving 81% of the votes in 2000 to 42% in 2013. Clearly his coat tails are wearing thin as not only did 58% of the people in George Town not vote for him, 63% of the voters in George Town did not vote for Alden.
The credit that I give to Mr Eden in this regard is that by supporting OMOV he is actually opening his district for serious challenges as he is guaranteed to lose one seat in Bodden Town (Bodden Town East) where he has not topped the polls in that division for the last 2 elections and knows he has no coat tails there. He is also putting Bodden Town West and Newlands in play as the only safe seat that will be left is Savannah proper. Kudos to him for leveling the playing field and bringing more accountability in the process. All Bodden Towners should be proud of his stance.
The UDP also needs to let go of this position. In the past, they could count on 4 seats in West Bay simply from having a dominant position in 3 polling divisions. Quietly, we always knew that West Bay South was the Achilles heel and the last election proved that with Tara Rivers receiving 99 more votes in that division than Mr Bush. However, despite his other personal challenges, he was able to pull 3 seats and remains confident that he will pull all 4 once his challenges pass away.
Both political parties have their reasons for not supporting OMOV and maintaining the status quo. Afterall, why mess with a system that allows them to interchange power? Both have agreed in the past to leave Sister Islands alone as they were each guaranteed a seat. However, in these modern times where people are advocating for equality of all types of rights neither party can remain blind to the disproportionate level of representation that the Sister Islands receive compared to that of George Town. While some may argue that the same principles would apply to East End and North Side that they should be merged to ensure equality of voters – I beg to differ for 2 reasons.
Firstly, from a historical context we cannot have a district within a Westminster style democracy without any representation. Secondly, we cannot only use the number of registered electors in any district to determine the level of representation. We need to also consider the number of Caymanians living in a district. To do otherwise would imply that a Caymanian that is not registered to vote should not be entitled to any representation. The following table provides a breakdown of the population by district using the 2010 census and the number of electors as at July 1, 2014 per the elections website:
From the table above, it is clear that there is some alignment between the number of voters per each district and the number of Caymanians in each district for Bodden Town, West Bay, East End, and North Side. However, there is a clear anomaly between George Town and the Sister Islands that needs to be corrected to ensure equality of votes. Adding one seat in George Town and taking one from Cayman Brac would fix that anomaly. For the record, if one seat was added to George Town or one taken away from the Sister Islands, the table would look like this:
I am sure that you would agree that this would be better equality of votes both in terms of voters and number of Caymanians. Similar to the United States, we can revisit the boundaries and number of seats every 10 years after a census is conducted.
I don’t want anyone to believe that this article was intended to be an attack against Cayman Brac. Anyone who knows me and my family also knows that when my grandmother arrived here in the 1940s she first settled in Cayman Brac. Additionally, my own personal views have always held Cayman Brac in the highest of regards as they have created more Captains and Titans of industry and serves as an example for others to follow with achievements and accomplishments in the development of our islands too much to list.
The real truth is that the issue of OMOV has always been about electability rather than accountability. For too long in our political history there have been people that have been elected on the coat tails of others and know that they can’t stand on their own two feet if they have to face down a serious challenger. We have pockets within the multi member districts that skew the overall results of the districts and by doing so not only skew the quality of representation but more importantly distort the will of the people.
The reality is that our country and political landscape is changing. There are a lot of serious issues out there that needs to be addressed such as the direction of our country, cost of living, opportunities for all, and the overall quality of our lives. It is said that not even the march of a mighty army can be greater than an idea whose time has come. It is now time for OMOV to be implemented and put to rest. The result of the last election is clear with regards to OMOV. The result of the 2012 referendum is clear with regards to OMOV. The will of the people is clear with regards to OMOV. I therefore say to all the members of the political family, put your own personal views aside and respect the will of the people. If not, you can follow in the PPM’s footstep and find yourselves inside the belly of the tiger.
One love. Walk good.
WB teen not able to plead
(CNS): Robbery charges against a teenager from West Bay have been postponed after he was deemed not fit to plead to the allegations as a result of mental health issues. Tarrick Crawford (19), who was alleged to have been one of the getaway drivers in a courier van robbery that took place in the car park of a George Town insurance firm, will be placed under a treatment programme for twelve months. The court found at a recent sentencing hearing of four men involved in the hold-up of a Sprint courier van that Crawford was not able to answer the robbery charges and he will now be supervised by the courts and treated for his problems.
Crawford's bail was extended under new conditions for some twelve months while the courts as well as the probation service monitor his progress. He will be treated by the government psychiatrist, Dr Mark Lockhart, after he and another crown expert agreed with Crawford's defense attorney that he did not have the capacity to understand what he had done or the charges in the case.
The West Bay teenager will now remain under strict bail conditions as he goes through treatment. The judge also ordered that his legal aid support continues throughout the progress of his case over the next year so he can continue to have free representation during his court appearances.
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