Monday 26 July 2021

The Civil Contingencies Authority said last week that it would be undertaking further work over the weekend to examine how best it could implement proposals to provide greater levels of protection to our small communities.

Further work is needed and as a consequence the planned changes on Thursday this week (29^th July), requiring fully vaccinated travellers to have a pre-travel test, have been put on hold.

The Civil Contingencies Authority met this morning to consider the feedback and concerns expressed by the community to the changes announced on Friday, review the current and changing circumstances – including prevalence rates in neighbouring jurisdictions, and examine other potential mitigation options.  Further options have been developed over the weekend which it wishes to consider carefully and in full that may assist residents returning to the Bailiwick.

Among the concerns reported was the potential for people to get stuck in the UK if they test positive, which is causing some to become anxious.  It should be remembered this equally applies to visitors to our Bailiwick who will also have to stay here if they test positive whilst in the islands.  Consequently, and in the interim the CCA strongly recommends anyone who is not ordinarily resident in the Bailiwick to take a pre-travel test to protect them and their families from the costs and difficulties they will experience if they subsequently test positive after arriving in the Bailiwick.  In addition, this will afford additional protection to those who travel with them on the same flight or ferry and to others within the Bailiwick.

The CCA will meet again tomorrow (Tuesday 27^th July) to make a final decision but wanted to inform the community and travellers as soon as possible that, based on the latest available information, it has taken the decision to no longer go ahead with the pre-travel testing changes due to come into effect on Thursday.

A further announcement will be made tomorrow, once the CCA has made a final decision on whether any other mitigating measures are required.

Deputy Peter Ferbrache, Chairman of the Civil Contingencies Authority, said:

‘We said over the weekend that we were listening to the feedback from our community, with many legitimate concerns raised about pre-travel testing particularly by local residents due to travel back to the island from the UK. We have listened but we have also examined the latest available information, and as we all know the position continually changes with this virus and we need to be likewise adaptable, and as such the CCA took the decision this morning that the planned changes for this Thursday will not come into effect.

‘We wanted to make sure the community and visitors were made aware of this decision as soon as possible. The CCA will meet again tomorrow to further consider other potential mitigation factors before making a final decision. I recognise this may cause a short period of uncertainty for some but as ever we make decisions with the best interests of the whole community at heart and will change our position when we feel it is the right thing to do.  As I said on Friday full details will be published tomorrow.’