N4 - is there a date?

Assuming the data entry there was any more correct. ;)

 

Well, DHL estimated that I'd get my copy of N4 today, then tropical storm Delta decided to do this:


Wednesday maybe?

 

You're still gonna get it before me. My N4 date is 14 Oct according to Canada Post.

 

It's actually on the island, I'm just waiting for DHL and customs to actually talk to each other and work out how much I owe.

 

Looks like it ramped up pretty quickly, but went further away from you, so bad and good I suppose. Not sure what the rules are there, but most of the companies still work here (Florida) under TS Watch, so maybe something will get done, but more likely you'll hit Friday I'll bet.
Since I've still no word on my copy, you'll probably still get it before a bunch of US buyers.

 

Yeah, it was barrelling right for us, then decided to suddenly change direction. Plenty of wind and rain but nothing more than we sometimes get at this time of year.

This island hasn't had a direct hit since hurricane Ivan back in 2004, but the government is paranoid and most businesses follow their lead, most places are closed for the rest of today. Got to admit I don't mind their paranoia as that's also how we got COVID-free.

 

Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman specifically.

We're letting a few people in now, but only those who can get a work permit (not easy unless you're an accountant or lawyer) or can afford to stay for an extended period in a hotel. Anyone returning also needs to quarantine for a minimum 14 days and then pass two negative tests 48 hours apart (which is how we're still free, we get 2-4 people a week treating positive in quarantine and they have to stay in isolation until they test negative).

 

Though admittedly I avoided the work permit issue by being married to a Caymanian.

We locked down hard to get this way too. The govt started with a complete 3 day lockdown in March, no one allowed out for any reason except the emergency services and people with a letter from the Governor. After that it was very slow letting people back out, they kept a 9pm-7am curfew for months, you could only go to supermarkets and banks on Mon-Wed-Fri if your surname began A-K, or Tue-Thu-Sat if you were a L-Z. Police and CBP checking IDs at the supermarkets (though there are only 10 supermarkets on the island). Restaurants, hotels, and bars were closed, most food places changed to delivery, mask mandates were in place from some time in April when we managed to get enough masks out was practical.

The borders closed in mid March along with the mandatory 2 week isolation (I came back from a trip to Canada the day it started) and offices had to work from home until June. Construction was banned until May, use of the beach was entirely banned from April to June as people wouldn't stop congregating there (which is a hard blow when the beaches are white sand with turquoise water).

We've not had community transmission in 3 months now, mask mandates finished about 5 weeks ago, name days at the supermarket ended about 3 months ago too. Bars and restaurants are fully open. Hotels are open for locals to staycation and a few people from abroad who can afford it (though several hotels are still being used as quarantine facilities).

Then there's the story of the COVID test8ng kits the govt managed to get from a South Korean company via a local business man's cousin who is a Mexican official, that had to be flown here by private jet, which couldn't fit all of them inside it, so the rest were sold or donated to other islands.

 

Yeah, hurricanes like to tease like that.

Florida is always prepared for the last hurricane. We had people go out of power, so then everyone got generators the next time, so we ran out of gas, so the next time they had requirements for stations to have generators. Also the habit of over-reacting to a couple hurricanes, then relaxing and getting hit. Infrastructure is pretty good, building code post-andrew is pretty good, so not a big deal overall.

COVID we did pretty well with through most of the start, then had a spike which everyone wants to blame on the other party, whichever it might be. We have mask mandates in some areas, which are enforced, and which are also the spot where the spikes occurred... crazy times.