Grand Cayman – Monday, 26 September 2022, 9pm

“Good evening to all people of the Cayman Islands, This is Premier Panton.

As you may be aware, the National Emergency Operations Centre has issued the all-clear for our three islands, effective 3pm today, Monday, 26 September. I join with all those who are giving thanks to God for His goodness and mercy towards the Cayman Islands once again. Those of us who have lived through previous hurricanes will understand that it could have been much worse and so we are grateful.

I want to emphasise that even though the all-clear has been given, we must all continue to heed the advisories from Hazard Management, the National Weather Service, the National Emergency Operations Centre and other official sources to ensure that we and our loved ones remain safe. The clean-up has begun, and we need to allow those entities who are handling that process to do their jobs without hindrance from members of the public. I thank you for your cooperation and I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the men and women who are working hard to ensure that life returns to normal as soon as is possible.

Government schools will remain closed tomorrow, Tuesday, 27 September to allow the Department of Education Services to conduct a comprehensive assessment of all facilities, some of which were utilised as shelters, and to properly prepare for students to return to classes on Wednesday, 28 September. Teachers, however, are asked to report to work at 9:30am on Tuesday.

I know that unexpected school closures cause difficulties for many families, specifically as it relates to childcare. I am therefore asking all employers to exercise both discretion and grace by allowing employees to work from home wherever possible – especially those with children in school. The events of the past two days can cause significant stress. Furthermore, they were unexpected and beyond our control and so I hope that employers will keep this in mind and not penalise any employees financially for time lost on the job due to the current circumstances and any complications arising from them.

I also encourage employees to see if they can work with other family members and individuals in their support system to arrange alternative childcare which would allow them to work from home or in office, even if it is just for a half day. Be sure to keep your employer updated to avoid as much disruption to the workplace where possible.

May I also take this opportunity to thank all of the various Government departments, agencies, private sector companies and volunteer groups who worked diligently during the storm and afterwards to help us prepare. A special thank you to all of the members of the PACT team who worked diligently as a team and individually as we prepared our communities for the potential impact of the hurricane. Community Creates Country.

There are still two months remaining in this hurricane season. I urge everyone to be continue to be vigilant over the next few days and follow the instructions from the authorities as they are given.

God bless you all and God continue to bless our wonderful Cayman Islands.”