Any provisional dates would be dependent on progress made in the Island’s vaccination programme and infection rates remaining low.
This week UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a provisional end date for England’s lockdown – with nightclubs and larger-scale events potentially being permitted from 21 June.
And, given Jersey’s strong position, it is understood that freedoms could be granted sooner than that date for Islanders.
The JEP understands that a press conference is set to be held by the end of next week for a clearer pathway towards freedom.
Earlier this week, restaurants were allowed to reopen following a large drop in the number of known active cases. Yesterday the figure dropped to 29, having peaked at more than 1,000 in December. On Monday, Guernsey entered its first phase of lifting lockdown restrictions by allowing two households to form a bubble and allowing people to meet outdoors in groups of five or fewer.
England was the first UK nation to announce a roadmap out of lockdown on Monday, including an earliest date of 21 June for all legal limits on social contact being removed and reopening nightclubs. These are dependent on coronavirus case rates.
Jersey events organisers have formed a stakeholder group to liaise with the government over reopening dates, and called for a ‘fluid roadmap’ (See page 8).
In another sign of Jersey’s lockdown easing, visiting across health and community services resumes today. This includes the Hospital, mental-health services and maternity for partners attending antenatal scans.
Scotland announced its own framework for lockdown easing on Tuesday, ‘with a view to a more substantial reopening from late April onwards’, according to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Wales is yet to announce a date for lockdown restrictions to end, but First Minister Mark Drakeford has indicated that non-essential shops could reopen in March. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland’s current lockdown will be reviewed on 18 March.
