Alderney queries lockdown powers

Wednesday 22 April 2020

Politicians in Alderney are asking for more involvement in how the island deals locally with Coronavirus restrictions and with planning for its economic recovery.

Some politicians feel it is time that Bailiwick wide restrictions are tailored for the island's own circumstances.

Like Sark, which also operates under Health and Social Care guidelines, applied under Civil Contingency Authority regulations, Alderney has remained virus free.

Recently the Government of Sark put forward a case to President of the HSC, Deputy Heidi Soulsby, for a partial exemption, requesting that residents were permitted to resume paid outdoor work by themselves or in pairs if neccessary, outdoors, and monitored by the police.

The plea was granted, recognising Sark's 'specific circumstances, travel restrictions and the extra steps taken by residents to date'.

Pictured: Sark and Alderney both want lockdown measures tweaked to fit their needs, rather than have to follow Guernsey. 

When an Alderney resident contacted Deputy Soulsby asking why outdoor work was not similarly permitted on their Island she replied it was simply because Chief Pleas had made the request and - and she had received no request from Alderney to do likewise. 

Alderney's Policy and Finance Committee Chairman, James Dent, recently wrote to Deputy Soulsby asking for the recognition of the Island's different circumstances, and the general power to vary certain restrictions, subject to approval of the Director of Public Health.

The proposal was not approved.

Several politicians believe it is time that elected Members were able to offer greater input to the implementation of restrictions locally and in planning for economic recovery.

Currently Alderney has James Dent on the Civil Continency Authority. A local operational group  headed up by the States CEO and consisting of stakeholders such as the medical services, the police and the States Works, meets daily by video conference.

There was no Policy and Finance Meeting in March.

Mr Dent said the regulations set down by the CCA had been carefully considered and highly effective, and resulted in Alderney remaining virus free.

But he added: "Alderney many now need more bespoke rules, either stronger or weaker depending on the Island's situation, for example in terms of travel restrictions and allowing certain businesses to reopen. We also need to show how any variation would be monitored. The government needs to discuss bespoke solutions."

Chefs on Alderney are still in limbo, after the Committee for Health and Social Care "answered a different question" to a request for the resumption of delivered pre prepared meals.

Pictured: States of Alderney CEO, Andrew Muter. 

Alderney's Policy and Finance Committee Chairman James Dent, together with States of Alderney CEO Andrew Muter, also asked specifically for permission for four local restaurants, who had each detailed how social distancing and hygiene requirements could be met during cooking and transportation, could resume limited business on delivered preprepared meals.

At the last press breifing HSC President Deputy Heidi Soulsby advised that the restaurants could open purely to augment the Meals on Wheels service, with chefs preparing the same meals, selling them at the same prices and having them delivered by Meals on Wheels at lunchtime. In fact Meals on Wheels is believed to still have resilience and does not currently require that aid.

President William Tate, who is updating the public regularly on the radio with regard to covid 19, said that while a specific question had been asked of HSC, they got an answer to a "different question".

"We are still waiting for clarification at how they [HSC] arrived at that decision. We asked a specific question and we got an answer to a different question.

"No doubt we will be able to come to a reasonable solution."

Pictured top: Alderney and (inset) CEO Andrew Muter.