While the majority of the UK is marked as green on the latest edition of Jersey’s indicative map, which shows how arriving passengers would be treated when border restrictions ease from 26 April, the Safe Travel Guidelines Review Panel is advocating a more cautious approach.
A proposition lodged yesterday would see the upper limit for the green category cut by half, from an average of 50 to 25 cases per 100,000 population over the previous 14 days, with panellists expressing concerns about the impact that inbound travel could have on the spread of the virus.
The panel said that while the success of the ongoing vaccination programme put Jersey in a very different position from that of 2020, it should be remembered that the pandemic was not over.
The report accompanying the proposition noted that: ‘While increasing numbers of Islanders have now been afforded a greater level of protection through vaccination, this coronavirus, in its number of variant forms, still poses a threat.’
The panel also wants to return to classification by ‘upper-tier’ local authorities, such as counties and metropolitan districts, claiming that this would provide ‘a better level of protection given the likely movement of potentially positive individuals between smaller regional areas following the relaxation of restrictions in the UK’.
It is expected that the panel will seek approval from States Members for the minimum lodging period to be waived so that the proposition can be debated at next week’s sitting of the States Assembly.
In recent weeks, the government has issued indicative maps which have seen increasing areas downgraded as active cases of Covid fall in the UK. The latest map shows that the majority of the UK would currently be classed as green, while only around 25 areas, out of a total of approximately 400, would have red status – requiring a minimum ten-day isolation period.
Under current terms, those arriving from an amber risk zone – where there is an average of between 50 and 120 cases per 100,000 population – would be required to isolate until they had received negative results from their arrival and day-five tests.
A government spokesperson confirmed that a further edition of the map was due to be published on Thursday 22
April, giving the definitive ratings that would apply from 26 April. Updated ratings are then due to be published every Thursday.
Some travel industry sources have expressed concern that some of the details for arriving passengers remain unclear.
Melanie Le Maistre, director of Freedom Holidays, said that while her booking charts were looking full for the summer months, there was a fear that some more risk-averse travellers could be deterred from making the trip.
‘Not everyone in the UK has been on the same journey as we have in Jersey,’ she said. ‘Some of our customers are desperate to come back to Jersey, and would swim here if they had to, but there are others who are more nervous.’
Mrs Le Maistre said there was a lack of clarity about what arriving passengers should do after arriving in Jersey and having their Covid test.
‘Those who arrive on flights at 8.30am are in a difficult position because their holiday let or hotel room won’t be available until it’s been vacated and cleaned at 2pm or 3pm,’ she said. ‘Last year there was guidance for them to avoid crowded areas until they got their test result, but now some people are worried that they could be breaking the law by not isolating.’
The government spokesperson said accommodation providers should ensure that holidaymakers had somewhere to stay from the time that they arrived in Jersey.
Meanwhile, Guernsey announced yesterday that it was to reintroduce country and regional categorisation for arriving travellers from 23 April. The announcement said that this would happen in a phased manner.
