Covid latest: number of cases down - nearly 1m lateral flows provided

Thursday 25 November 2021

More people recovered from covid-19 than there were new cases identified in the latest testing results released late yesterday.

On Tuesday, there were 678 known active cases. Late yesterday, after 37 new cases were identified and 59 people recovered, there were 656 known active cases. However, 267 people are awaiting test results.

Case numbers were rising significantly before the welcome drop in the latest results.  

Pictured: The latest testing figures, released by the States late on Wednesday, showed that over the past 24 hours there had been a slight fall in the number of known active cases of covid-19. 

The States are reminding islanders that two lateral flow tests should be taken each week. They said that more than 37,000 lateral flow test packs - about 925,000 individual tests - have been distributed to the public since the packs were made widely available approximately five weeks ago.

In a statement, the States said: "There are approximately 27,000 households in Guernsey, so the take up from the community has been excellent.

"The Public Health guidance remains that islanders should aim to take a lateral flow test twice a week, taken in the mornings if possible.

"Through discussions with people collecting packs, there appears to be some islanders who are testing themselves far more regularly – some as much as twice a day. While the response team have been delighted by the community’s response to taking lateral flow tests as part of wider measures to reduce the spread of covid-19, this is unnecessary and not a good use of lateral flow tests, so we would ask islanders to test twice a week."

Lateral flow test packs remain available for collection from the Guernsey Information Centre between 09:00 and 15:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10:00 and 14:00 on Saturdays. They are given out free of charge, but people are asked not to stockpile lateral flow tests.

Meanwhile, the latest event to become a casualty of covid-19 is the popular Winter Wonderland, which is hosted by Peter and Frankie Bachmann in the grounds of their home in St. Saviour's. It was scheduled to take place on 1 December. Details will be available soon about how to claim refunds on tickets. Alternatively, money paid for tickets will be treated as a donation to Cancer Research UK and the Lions Club of Guernsey.