Cayman Jails Two People For Covid-19 Breach
An American college student and her boyfriend have been jailed for four months in the Cayman Islands after breaking their Covid-19 rules, with the news apparently causing quite some interest in the USA, with ‘Cayman Islands’ trending as high as fourth in the U.S. rankings on Twitter this morning as people discussed the matter.
Cayman — a British Overseas Territory like Bermuda — has regulations [PDF] that state a person who contravenes them “commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of ten thousand dollars and to imprisonment for two years.”
Video report from ABC’s Good Morning America, which called it ‘jailed in paradise’
A story on CNN said, “An 18-year-old college student from Georgia has been sentenced to four months in prison in the Cayman Islands after breaking the British Caribbean territory’s Covid-19 protocol while visiting her boyfriend for a jet skiing competition, according to her family.
“Skylar Mack, a pre-med student at Mercer University, left for the Islands November 27 after testing negative for Covid-19 at home, her grandmother, Jeanne Mack, told CNN.
“When Mack landed, she was given another Covid-19 test, which came back negative and she was told to remain in isolation for two weeks. Instead, she decided to attend her boyfriend’s jet ski competition two days later.
“She did wrong. We’re not doubting what she did wrong. I just don’t think the punishment meets that,” Jeanne Mack told CNN.
A story in the local press in the island, the Cayman Compass, said, “Skylar Mack and Vanjae Ramgeet were immediately taken into custody Tuesday to begin their four-month prison sentences for breaching mandatory quarantine, after the government successfully appealed an earlier judgment that imposed community service and the cost of isolation accommodation.
“Mack, 18, and her boyfriend Ramgeet, 24, each pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with COVID-19-suppression regulations.”
“The charge stems from an incident on 29 Nov., when Mack attended a crowded jet-ski event in South Sound, in which Ramgeet was participating. Mack, who had arrived on island two days prior to the breach, was required to self-isolate for 14 days before she could leave her home or interact with the public,” the Cayman Compass report.
“Despite these requirements, on the day of the breach, Mack is said to have interacted with the public for more than seven hours. When police arrived at the event, she was not wearing a mask and was not practising social distancing.”
According to their latest official figures, the Cayman Islands currently has 311 confirmed cases to date, with 27 active cases.
As the island and world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic, we are doing our best to provide timely and accurate information, and you can find more information on the links below.
- All: Our coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic here
- Official: The Bermuda Government website here
- World Stats: Live graph of all cases worldwide here
- Bermuda Stats: Chart of the Bermuda stats here
- Timeline: Visual look at the timeline here
- Comprehensive: Our BermudaCovid.com website here
- Live Updates: Continuous updates of the latest news here.
““She did wrong. We’re not doubting what she did wrong. I just don’t think the punishment meets that,” Jeanne Mack told CNN.”
Oh, really? The accepted medical wisdom at this time is that the incubation period for COVID-19 can be up to 2 weeks.
But only 2 days after arriving in Cayman, and being told of the Regulations, this girl decided to see her boyfriend at a “crowded jet-ski event in South Sound”. When found at the beach “Mack is said to have interacted with the public for more than seven hours. When police arrived at the event, she was not wearing a mask and was not practising social distancing.””
Miss Mack has potentially exposed everyone she interacted with at the “crowded jet-ski event” but she should be treated differently because she is American?
That’s what this Gov needs…..Testicular fortitude
She knew what she did was wrong. She knew the penalties. She should be grateful she only got 4 months. Serve the sentence and shut up.
Yup, lose that “I’m American, I can do whatever, whereever I want” attitude! A teen in England was fined £6000 a month or so ago! People insist on learning to follow the rules the hard way!
To all above,
Rather obvious your distaste for Americans. So by your standard and the report today that 10 Bermudians found in violation of the Covid curfew in Bermuda I trust all 10 Bermudians are behind bars? NOT!!!!
What a ignorant two faced people you really are…smh.
Crickets……