Compulsory self-isolation for all travellers will apply from Tuesday

Compulsory self-isolation for all travellers will apply from Tuesday

The decision means that from next week, even those arriving from green-rated areas, who are currently advised to limit social contact until they receive a negative result, will have to isolate.

The States rejected an attempt from Deputy Inna
Gardiner to bring the measure into force from tomorrow instead, by just one vote – 24 votes to 23.

Instead, they unanimously approved a move by ministers – which was brought following a successful amendment to Deputy Gardiner’s original proposition – for the change to come into force on Tuesday.

There was no disagreement in the Assembly about the need to introduce the isolation period, but Members did differ about when it should become effective.

Deputy Gardiner said the sharp rise in cases this week, with 17 positive cases identified among travellers in two days bringing the total number of active cases to 38, showed that urgent action needed to be taken.

She said Members needed to ‘concentrate on the wellbeing of Jersey’s community’, and that included not just those who could catch the virus but those who may end up being forced to isolate, potentially unable to work, if they came into contact with a positive case.

‘It will not completely safeguard our borders but what it will do is reduce the risk and give the public more reassurance of safety and the feeling that we are listening to them and acting quickly in response to a changing situation,’ she said.

Health Minister Richard Renouf, however, said a rush to introduce compulsory isolation at a time when the risks were so low – 99% of arriving passengers are testing negative – would only cause disruption and confusion among travellers.

‘It is entirely disproportionate to the risk involved to bring forward the date for this change,’ he said.

Citing figures provided by deputy medical officer of health Dr Ivan Muscat, he said just one additional infectious case could occur without a requirement for isolation before Tuesday. He described the proposition as ‘well intentioned but unnecessary’ as the government had announced its plan to bring in compulsory isolation for all from 12 October, with the policy timed to coincide with an aim of processing tests within 12 hours.

‘She and ministers are
completely aligned in that we all wish to introduce the requirement to self-isolate,’ he said.

During the debate, the Chief Minister John Le Fondré refuted any inference that the government was not acting in the interests of Islanders.

‘The risk remains low; it remains really low,’ he
said. ‘That is probably the
most important thing to remember.’

He said it felt as though Members were ‘allowing fear to dominate our decision-making process’ when that fear was not supported by the scientific advice.

Day-five testing for passengers arriving from green-rated areas, which is also due to be introduced from Tuesday, would be the ‘most effective’ measure for ongoing protection, he added.

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