Health Minister Richard Renouf revealed that the Island’s estimated R-rate – the reproduction and growth rate of the virus in the community – was as low as 0.9 and up to 1.1.
A rate of below 1 would signal the spread of the outbreak was slowing. It was also announced that a care home resident with underlying health conditions had died with Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister John Le Fondré claimed that if the Island were testing at UK levels, then Jersey – which is swabbing a higher proportion of the population – would have around 160 to 200 cases per 100,000 people, much lower than the number of known active cases of 876.
He added that testing in Jersey rose by 40% last week, with around 14,000 tests carried out, and insisted the figures ‘do not mean we have more of this virus’ than other places.
And he said that the effects of the hospitality circuit breaker should start to take effect from today – but warned that if scientific advice showed that the outbreak was spiralling, tougher action would be taken.
‘What we are finding is over 800 [cases]. That doesn’t mean we have got more of this virus – it means we are finding it more than any other jurisdictions.’
He added: ‘I do understand the concern of people but let’s be absolutely clear: we are following the best advice we have got.’
Deputy Renouf, meanwhile, insisted that the R-rate was a ‘complex’ figure and was only an estimate, and said Members would be briefed in detail at a private meeting later in the day.
The UK equivalent R-rate is currently 0.9–1.0.
The Health Minister also came under pressure from various Members to consider reversing a decision to prevent pregnant women having another person with them at their scans.
The ban was announced just two days after the NHS released new guidance saying that expectant mothers should be allowed to have someone with them at all stages of their pregnancy, including at scans, even during the pandemic.
Deputy Renouf was repeatedly forced to defend the decision of his department, saying it was to reduce the risk of staff being infected with Covid-19, which he said was ‘double’ if two people were in the scanning room.
Various Members, including Senator Sam Mézec, took issue with that comment, however, arguing that many partners already lived with or had close contact with the mother-to-be and the risk profile was therefore lower.
Asked if he would consider allowing partners to attend planned scans if they had a clear Covid test beforehand, the minister said: ‘I will ask that an assessment be made around this to see if it is possible to introduce any changes in that.’
Deputy Rob Ward told the minister that it was ‘okay to change your mind’, saying that fathers were ‘an integral part [of a pregnancy] and want to be involved’.
And Deputy Louise Doublet, whose urgent oral question sparked the discussions initially, said that research carried out in the UK following the first lockdown showed that bans on allowing partners to accompany them had negatively affected 90% of pregnant women.
And she asked the minister to accept that allowing a second person to attend presented ‘minimal risk’ but achieved an important benefit in caring for pregnant women.
‘No, I cannot accept that it is minimal risk,’ he responded.
Meanwhile, a teaching union has called for the reopening of schools after the Christmas holidays to be delayed to enable mass testing of all Jersey pupils. On Wednesday, just 40% of pupils were in school – there was a 52.1% attendance rate in primary schools and 24.9% attendance rate at secondary schools. Almost 10% of teachers and non-teaching staff in the Island’s schools were isolating, shielding or waiting for a Covid test.
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: ‘Given the extremely high prevalence of Covid-19 in Jersey, which is only likely to be exacerbated by greater household mixing over Christmas, we believe a co-ordinated plan for mass testing should be implemented prior to the return of pupils in January and as part of a tougher package of measures to protect staff and pupils in schools.’
