A SCRUTINY panel has announced it is disbanding, with a change in approach to monitoring the government’s Covid response reflecting the switch to longer-term management of the virus.
The Safer Travel Guidelines Review Panel, which was established in July 2020, is being brought to an end, with the Scrutiny Liaison Committee instead taking a broad oversight of the continued response to Covid-19.
Jersey’s government announced on Friday a major ‘de-escalation’ of its pandemic response, which includes removing mandatory mask-wearing and work-from-home guidance from tomorrow, the suspension of the Safer Travel Policy next week, and ultimately no legal requirement for isolation of positive cases by the end of March.
Each Scrutiny panel will also focus on examining Covid-related matters which fall under their remits, with the changes reflecting the virus becoming a part of daily life.
Deputy Rob Ward, who chairs the Safer Travel Guidelines Review Panel, said: ‘I would very much like to thank panel members Deputies Inna Gardiner and Mike Higgins for their valuable contribution to the scrutiny of the Safer Travel Policy, especially during the initial emergency response stage of the pandemic when new guidelines for inward travel were first introduced. Scrutiny will continue to monitor the government’s pandemic response, only with a broader focus.’
