Things have changed a lot on our little island since we last spoke. The number of positive cases being identified weekly is dwindling; in fact, we haven't had a positive case in over a week! The island is still testing at a rapid rate and at this point, almost half of Cayman has been screened. Although they were still finding positive cases up until a week ago, no one has been exhibiting any symptoms or has been admitted to hospital with Covid in months. In addition, our only death continues to be patient zero, the unfortunate man who passed away in our hospital when he fell ill on a cruise ship in February.
So, overall, Cayman is in pretty good shape. I mean, compared to the rest of the world, we are flourishing. We have moved to Level 2 suppression which means that all of our businesses are now open, we are permitted to shop, eat, drink, scuba dive, and staycay in hotels. Groups of 25 or less are allowed and there are definitely small groups congregating at the beach, pools, etc. On July 19, restrictions relax further and we are allowed to sing Karaoke and wait for it....dance - which I think is hilarious! I know Evan can't wait as he's been holding his hips back for months now! 😂(It's like we are living the Caribbean version of "Footloose").
Masks are mandatory in indoor spaces, and we must wear our masks when we are en route to be seated in outdoor bars and restaurants. Even though it's HOT AF right now, no one is really complaining about wearing a mask, and many are donning fashionable face coverings with palm fronds, Cayman Island flags, and even sequins! I do feel for the servers who are working outdoors and dripping in sweat under their face masks -but I think at this point, people who are working in hospitality are fricken happy to still have a job.
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| Staycay at the Kimpton |
The plan continues to be to open up the schools at the end of August, which I feel comfortable with - although it will be challenging to navigate social distancing and masks with 500+ children. We really are living in a relatively safe little bubble isolated from the rest of the world. With our borders still closed, I certainly do not feel vulnerable to the virus - although I am happy to wear my mask and sanitize the crap out of my ugly chapped hands. The concern, however, is the re-opening of our borders. There seems to be a division of opinion on this one. There is something to be said about segregating ourselves from the rest of the world and having the ability to basically live life as "normal" without worrying about becoming ill. However, our island relies heavily on tourism. Given that most of the Caribbean has opened it's borders, Cayman is definitely feeling the pressure to open to tourists as well, in order to keep our once thriving economy going. It will be interesting to observe our Caribbean neighbours as they open up their borders.
The present theory is that whatever strain or version of Covid that we are experiencing in Cayman is much weaker than what they are experiencing in New York, for example. The concern is that if a stronger strain enters are safe little space, it may spread quickly, making us sick and overwhelming our few hospitals on island. My worry, from an "educator's" standpoint is that our borders will open soon after our schools and we will be in jeopardy of school closures again. Our poor little kiddos are in desperate need of structure and consistency, and it would be such a shame to be finally settling into school routine again and then suddenly reverting back to "home schooling" (I put this in quotations because very few of my students were legitimately participating in home schooling). We have worked so hard maintaining compliancy for 4 months to get to this safe place - it would be so unfortunate to regress back as a result of opening our borders. We shall see.
In the meantime, although I am thoroughly enjoying the freedom of dining out, attending beach BBQ's with friends, and even partaking in a Kimpton staycation, I am homesick. I am really really really homesick. I know... I know - I am so grateful to be living in such a beautiful and safe space, especially when so many in the world are essentially back in lockdown mode. I have no right to complain, but I'm just being honest. I am so homesick that it hurts.
Everyday I realize something else that I miss about being home. Here's a sampler:
- I miss sleeping with our windows open and breathing FRESH AIR
- I miss tea and cookies with my Grandma
- I miss my daily Paddle board workouts with Kayla
- I miss lounging on mom's couch while we watch some version of 90 day fiance
- I miss stopping at the farm to see Baba
- I miss the smell of pine trees and campfires
- I miss riding my bike to Dad's for a deck beer
- I miss surfing with the Hunters - and I really miss Darren's loud boat tunes ("Jason Derulo!" ;)
- I miss my morning coffee visit with Janna
- I miss sunset beach floats with Linds and Brad
- I miss cheering on Evan and Peg during a corn hole champion match
- I miss not sweating straight through every damn outfit 10 minutes after going outside
- I miss shopping at Winners and celebrating the exchange rate ("This is practically free!")
- I miss laying on the dock and watching the Northern lights
- I miss the random stop-bys - we always have friends and family stopping by for a visit
- I miss the sound of the loons echoing across the lake
- I miss Tim Hortons and the really nice Filipino man who says "Here you go pretty lady," when he hands me my tea
I mean...I could go on and on. You get the point. I miss home. I have anxiety about not being able to get back home if something happens or if someone becomes ill. I also feel a bit panicky about hurricane season. It is predicted to be a bad one and we have been warned that evacuation flights in the event of a hurricane will likely not be an option for us. EEEEKS. But man, everyone in the world is experiencing heightened anxiety right now, hey? I miss precedented times!!!!
Well that's the update for now. To my Canadian buds - I miss you so much, please do not have any fun without me 😜, and I look forward to the day when we can be reunited.
Stay cool - or HOT AF like me! 😝
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| This is as close as I could get! |
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