"We have to accept there will be outbreaks"

Saturday 26 June 2021

The public have been informed of the CCA's plans for Guernsey to 'live responsibly with covid’ and to expect more cases in the future, which may present new symptoms.

The Bailiwick will take its biggest step in relaxing our borders on Thursday 1 July, with fully vaccinated adults allowed free travel within the Common Travel Area.

This decision brings with it the near certainty that covid will enter the community, which the Chair of the Civil Contingencies Authority said must be accepted, not feared. 

“We’ve got to sadly accept that covid will be with us for a long time,” said Deputy Peter Ferbrache.

“We have to accept that there will be clusters of cases and there will be outbreaks in the community.”

Pictured: “We cannot exclude cases of covid in our community,” said Deputy Ferbrache during the latest CCA media briefing.

The news coincides with slightly different symptoms being recorded in patients with the Delta variant.

In national news, young people who’ve been using a symptom tracker launched by ZOE Global Limited have been reporting more cold-like symptoms.

“There have been reports that there’s a slightly different symptom emphasis on the Delta variant,” the Director of Public Health, Dr Nicola Brink, noted. 

“What they’re reporting [younger people] is that they’re seeing quite a lot of headaches, runny noses, sore throats, and other cold symptoms.

“If you have these cold symptoms, you should come forward and be tested,” she said.

Pictured: These symptoms are more prevalent in younger people. 

As 1 July looms, we’re being urged to continue washing our hands, use sanitiser when entering public places, and to avoid going to work if feeling unwell.