Covid Update: What we know today

Wednesday 06 January 2021

As national statistics top 60,000 daily cases of corona virus, and the UK now fully locked back down, 2021 has had a difficult start.

We’ve now learnt of the Isle of Man re-entering a state of lockdown from midnight tonight as well, as the latest strain continues to prove itself more transmissible.

Despite our internal freedoms and strict border controls, the effects of a third national lockdown in the UK have been felt in Guernsey. An update from the States of Guernsey will be given this Friday.

It hasn’t been confirmed, but we can expect the schools to follow suit, after it was decided in the UK to cancel A levels and GCSEs in 2021.

Pictured: Condor now requires a negative test within 72 hours of departure if leaving the UK or Jersey.

Condor took the bold move of changing its security protocols at short notice. People now have to provide a negative Covid-19 test before travelling anywhere except out of Guernsey.

Aurigny says it expects to have an update once it knows whether or not students have started returning back to the island.

The third UK national lockdown has dealt a serious blow to businesses in the UK, seeing Paperchase circulating administration and putting the future of its local branch into uncertainty. 

It has seen calls from a standing Deputy and an ex-politician for an update as soon as possible regarding Guernsey’s stance on border controls and a vaccine update. We now know that a briefing will be held this Friday at 1pm and will return fortnightly.

@gavinstpier I know your point is about our borders. I'm equally interested in our vaccine plans & wondered whether you were aware of anything released about numbers vaccinated already or numbers anticipated in the next few days pls? I see the UK has now vaccinated 1.3million.

— Matt Fallaize (@matt_fallaize) January 5, 2021

It has been confirmed by the Isle of Man government that the latest lockdown comes after someone completed their 14 day isolation period, returned to the community, but was unknowingly still infectious.

Meanwhile in Jersey, restrictions have been extended by a fortnight.

Guernsey currently has 5 active cases and is still waiting for the medicines committee to approve the ‘Oxford Vaccine’.

Pictured top: Guernsey continues to enjoy complete freedom within the island, as the rest of the British Isles continue to lock down.