In a series of developments which will bring hope to the devastated travel industry, the French government said it might open borders to Islanders as early as next month if Jersey could continue to maintain low levels of Covid-19.
Manche-Iles Express, which operates ferries between Jersey and three Normandy ports, has announced its intentions to restart operations from 2 July.
Condor, meanwhile, has described France’s announcement as a ‘welcome and positive development’ and said it was in regular contact with the country’s government, as well as officials in the Channel Islands and the UK over restarting services.
The operator is currently hoping to launch a limited service early next month.
But travel will only commence when Jersey has lifted the restrictions it imposed when the Island went into lockdown at the end of March.
Chief Minister John Le Fondré last week said he hoped that the Island would move to Level 1 of its safe-exit strategy at the start of July, enabling the ban on non-essential travel to be lifted.
A statement issued by the French government said: ‘France will progressively start to open its Schengen [free movement] Area external borders from 1 July.
‘This will occur gradually and in a differentiated manner depending on the health situations in third [origin] countries, and in line with the European procedures to be issued by that time.’
Announcing its plans, Manche-Iles Express said: ‘The French president announced that from 1 July, passengers will be able to travel outside of Europe to countries where the pandemic is under control.
‘The Covid-19 situation in the Channel Islands has improved drastically, with encouraging results as regards to the extremely low number of cases, and Jersey is considering opening their borders in early July. Manche-Iles Express hopes to resume ferry services on 2 July, with a revised ferry schedule.’
The company added that Covid-19-prevention measures, such as the compulsory wearing of face masks for passengers above 11-years-old, and social-distancing, would be in place on its vessels.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Condor said: ‘The news that France is starting to reopen its borders is a welcome and positive development.
‘We are in regular dialogue with governments in both Islands, France and the UK, as any resumption of passenger services can only take place once agreement on border opening and testing is in place, which also, realistically, requires further easing of quarantine restrictions.’
Air travel also took a major step forward this week as easyJet launched a limited domestic and European schedule and announced plans to have 75% of its services running by August.
The airline, which operates between the Island and several UK destinations, including Manchester, Gatwick and Liverpool, has previously indicated it would launch Jersey flights when the government eased travel restrictions.
British Airways, which runs services between Jersey and Gatwick, said it was hoping for a ‘meaningful return to service’ in July.
Developments will be watched closely by hospitality industry leaders, who this week warned that a successful season of staycations would not save all of the Island’s hotels.
Currently, anyone arriving into Jersey on the lifeline services – such as the small number of Blue Islands flights – either have to self-isolate for 14 days or opt into the trial border-testing regime.
Under the programme travellers are tested on arrival and have to self-isolate until they receive their first negative result, which is usually within two days. They are then tested again twice during their first week here.
The government has been unable to inform the JEP how many checks have been carried out on people who have travelled into the Island to ensure they are self-isolating.
In a statement, the government said: ‘Passengers receive clear information on what is required of them before flying and, in order to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in Jersey, it is important to ensure compliance for both options.
‘In the short term we will focus on establishing a system to monitor and enforce compliance with self-isolation.
‘We need to ensure we are supporting individuals who are self-isolating whilst also investigating any breaches in compliance. Further information will be shared in the coming weeks.’
And despite being asked to do so nearly three weeks ago, the government has also not been able to put anyone forward to field questions about how a new permanent testing regime for arriving passengers would be funded, policed and how it might affect tourism.
In a statement the government said: ‘The trial needs to be completed and the results analysed before ministers make decisions about any future expansion of border testing.’
However, they have revealed that so far at least 60 people have been refused permission by Customs to travel into or out of Jersey, and that just under 1,000 people have entered the Island since 20 April.
