Workers in the Cayman Islands tourism industry who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, will this week, have another opportunity to sign up for the government’s temporary stipend when a new round of registration begins Tuesday.
In a recent statement, the country’s Ministry of Tourism said the stipend program is aimed at assisting jobless Caymanians affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with 2,898 tourism workers to date receiving the monthly funds.
In December, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell announced the $1,000 stipend for displaced workers would be extended to June 2021.
Since March 2020, the government has spent $15.6 million on tourism stipends to help affected workers.
Kirkconnell, in a statement to Parliament in December, said the government expected to spend another $18 million on the programme that supports tourism workers who have lost their source of income with the closure of Cayman’s borders.
Once the deadline has passed the verification process will begin.
The Ministry added that applicants are encouraged to respond to missed calls, voicemails, and emails as representatives from the Ministry and Department of Tourism may be in contact for further information.
To qualify for the stipend, applicants must be Caymanian, married to a Caymanian with Residency and Employment Rights Certificate (RERC), or be a permanent resident.
They must also have worked in the tourism sector before the pandemic and are no longer working full-time, and did not apply previously.
CMC
