From 26 October to 8 March, the Contact Tracing, Monitoring and Enforcement Team granted 711 exemptions for critical work, 74 for compassionate reasons and 43 for medical reasons.
The information was revealed in an answer to a written States question from Deputy Mary Le Hegarat to Health Minister Richard Renouf, asking for details on how many people had been exempted from the need to isolate when arriving in the Island and the circumstances that surrounded each case.
Deputy Le Hegarat said she had expected there to be ‘fewer’ categories in which exemptions could be granted, and that she would be seeking further clarification on how each situation was being defined.
‘I suppose I had anticipated that it would be more strict [in terms of] the rules,’ she said. ‘When they were giving the exemptions would they have looked at who those individuals were going to be in contact with?’
Exemptions are only granted for a specified reason such as travelling to and from work and the individual must self-isolate as required by the guidance at all other times.
Dr Ivan Muscat, deputy medical officer of health, said: ‘There are jobs which are critical to the functioning of the Island and it is for this reason exemptions are put in place, alongside a range of supporting mitigation measures.
‘It is not the case that an exempt individual can freely move around Jersey.
‘People are only granted isolation exemption under very specific circumstances following application.’
Fewer than five individuals granted exemptions from some element of their isolation period tested positive for Covid-19.
‘These cases were picked up and swiftly dealt with by Contact Tracing to avoid clusters. As a result, there have been no concerns with the continuation of this necessary and essential policy.’
A government spokesperson said that healthcare workers were deemed critical workers and applications to work in higher-risk Covid-19 environments such as hospitals, healthcare, residential or care homes or enclosed community settings would only be granted ‘in exceptional circumstances’. Healthcare workers who are given an exemption to work are swabbed daily for Covid.
Additionally, critical workers are required to submit a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of travelling to the Island.
‘Mitigating against the increased risk of Covid transmission and protecting the health of Islanders has been the primary concern throughout this pandemic,’ said Dr Muscat.
‘We have aimed to reduce the spread through many restrictions, which has impacted on every sector of Island life.’
