The change – which follows consultation with the government’s Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell – means that from 26 April returning students under the age of 18 will be tested on arrival and will have to isolate until they receive a negative result. They will take a follow-up test on days five and ten if they are still in Jersey.
However, in order for them to be eligible for green-arrival status, their parents or guardians will need to apply in advance. They will need to provide evidence from the child’s school confirming that the child has spent the previous 14 days at the school, that there have been no positive test results in the school’s population for the previous 14 days, that the child has not stayed overnight anywhere else on the way to Jersey and has had no symptoms in the past 14 days.
Health Minister Richard Renouf said: ‘While we will need to reconsider this policy if there is a deterioration in the Covid-19 situation in the UK, it is my hope that local students attending UK boarding schools, and their families, will be able to make arrangements for school-holiday periods. At the same time, we will continue to provide the Island with the reassurance that results from a robust testing regime.’
The application process for children returning for Easter will close at midday on Tuesday 30 March, with applications for holidays during the
summer term due to open from early May.
Students returning for the Easter holidays before 26 April can apply to have their isolation requirement varied from the blanket red classification to the current government-assessed rating for where their school is
located.
Islanders should visit the gov.je website to apply.
