US Teen Jailed for Breaking Cayman Islands' COVID-19 Quarantine Rule

An 18-year-old medical student from the United States is currently facing a four-month jail sentence after violating the Cayman Islands' COVID-19 quarantine protocols for visitors.

Skylar Mack's family has already appealed to President Donald Trump to help her, according to a Buzzfeed News report.

A State Department spokesperson told the news outlet that officials are aware of the reports of detention of a U.S. citizen in the Cayman Islands. However, the spokesperson did not further comment due to privacy considerations.

Mack flew to Grand Cayman on Nov. 27 to visit her boyfriend, Vanjae Ramgeet. Ramgeet is a 24-year-old resident who was participating in a Jet Ski competition.

Their attorney, Jonathon Hughes, said that Mack tested negative for COVID-19 on arrival. However, Mack was required to self-isolate for 14 days at a residential address upon her arrival based on the Caribbean nation's regulations.

She was issued a cellphone and was given a geofencing wristband to monitor her movements during the isolation period, according to the attorney.

Mack signed a document that prohibited her from removing her wristband, as well as leaving the residence during the 14 days of self-isolation.

But Mack removed her geofencing bracelet and left the assigned residence to watch Ramgeet compete at the populated Jet Ski event. This was two days after she arrived in the Cayman Islands.

Aside from violating the protocols, she also interacted with people at the event for more than seven hours, according to Cayman Compass. When police arrived at the event, she was not wearing a mask and not practicing social distancing.

The Sentencing

Director of Public Prosecution Patrick Moran said that the court's judgment was unduly lenient, and did not reflect the Parliament's wishes.

Moran added that it did not show the sentencing principles of deterrence and punishment.

"When it comes to a matter of deterrence, the sentence imposed are likely to have little to no effect on other like-minded individuals," Moran said in a report.

Under the previous rules, there was a sentence of up to one-year imprisonment and/or a fine of $1,000. The new regulations, however, increased the sentence up to two years imprisonment and increased the fine up to $10,000.

Justice Roger Chapple, who heard the appeal, said Mack's act was as flagrant a breach as could be imagined. The judge added that it was also borne of selfishness and arrogance.

"This was entirely deliberate and planned, as evidenced by her desire to switch her wristband the day before to a looser one that she was then able to remove," Chapple said during the sentence of Mack.

Chapple said he started with 15 months in prison before he set the four-month prison term. He noted that "this sentence requires a drastic reduction to reflect the strong mitigating circumstances, those being her age, previous good character, and her obvious remorse."

Chapple then turned to Ramgeet and said he should have known better than to have acted in the manner he did as he was a Caymanian who endured lockdown. Ramgeet was also sentenced to four months in prison for the same quarantine breach case.

Mack was a student at the University of Georgia. She will have to leave Cayman after the completion of her sentence. The court also recommended that she not be allowed to re-enter the country as long as the borders remain closed.