England Lockdown 'Won't Alter Guernsey's Covid-19 Response'

The announcement that England is to go into a second national lockdown on Thursday will have no effect on the Bailiwick's response to Covid-19.

The Civil Contingencies Authority says there will be no change from the move into phase 5c of our ‘exit from lockdown’ framework, which came into effect last week, or any planned changes to the rules.

Authority chairman Deputy Peter Ferbrache says the escalating situation in neighbouring jurisdictions and England's decision to introduce a nationwide lockdown this week is bound to cause concern for some, but it does not change Guernsey’s response.  

He says the decisions made for the Bailiwick are based on our own situation, our own risks and our own measures for testing and tracing and most of all, preventing the spread of the virus locally. 

"The decisions made for this Bailiwick are based on our own situation, our own risks and our own measures for testing and tracing and most of all, preventing the spread of the virus locally.

 Our circumstances have not changed at this stage.  If at any point they do, we will of course assess rapidly what new measures if any are needed, but we are not in that place right now." - Deputy Ferbrache

The States says it's asked the UK for clarification on the potential impact its lockdown measures, which begin on Thursday, will have on people travelling to, from or through the UK.

There are already indications are that more people are making arrangements to travel to Guernsey before the UK lockdown comes into effect. We're told that the testing facilities at Guernsey Ports are ready and able to cope with any additional numbers of arrivals.

Work is also continuing to make sure local students studying in the UK will be able to return home and that they are fully aware of the requirements on all arrivals for testing and self-isolating. 

Students have been reassured that the additional flights scheduled from regional airports in the first week of December will operate as planned.  
 
They've been told that the States is closely monitoring the situation in the UK regarding the recently-announced national lockdown, but at this stage there are no plans to bring the scheduled additional flights forward.

This is because the UK Government’s position is very clear that universities are to remain operating until the end of term, with more learning online and a direction that students should not return home before the end of term. 

ESC officers say feedback they've received so far from students has been very positive.

On Tuesday morning there were 12 people in the Bailiwick with Covid-19.