Emergency laws that have been introduced since March to help combat Covid-19 were extended, suspended or repealed this week following a series of votes by Members.
Since the outbreak started, the States has had to rapidly pass waves of temporary legislation to deal with matters such as forcing Islanders to self-isolate, placing physical-distancing restrictions on organisations and relaxing regulations so health-care staff could be redeployed.
With many of the laws due to expire on 30 September, Health Minister Richard Renouf tabled a proposition aiming to extend or suspend them, or repeal them if they are no longer deemed necessary.
The proposals were passed by the States with little opposition.
‘These draft regulations set out the treatment of the emergency legislation that the Assembly has brought into force since March 2020 to manage the coronavirus pandemic,’ said the minister, outlining the proposition.
‘I do acknowledge it is a complicated piece of legislation but the indication that the Council of Ministers has had from the Assembly is that it is keen to see an overview of the legislation in force rather than to address all the items in a piecemeal fashion.
‘There are currently 24 pieces of legislation in force to address the coronavirus pandemic, not counting those that have been superseded and repealed during the pandemic’s own path.’
Laws that have been extended include those enabling the screening/testing of Islanders, forcing people to self-isolate, the imposition of restrictions on how businesses can operate and regulations applying to how courts can function safely.
Meanwhile, regulations concerning Islanders needing to physically distance by two metres, which are currently not in use because the restriction is now one-metre, have been suspended, as have those relating to school closures.
Examples of laws that have been repealed include those introduced to protect tenants from rent increases during lockdown and those allowing retired medical workers to return to active duty, which was not needed.
