New laws to ensure you comply

Friday 20 March 2020

The States will, today, be asked to approve emergency regulations, giving the Medical Officer of Health power to enforce restrictions on people who could have the corona virus.

Although the regulations did come into force when they were first announced by the Civil Contingencies Authority earlier this week, they have to now be approved by deputies, retrospectively.

The changes were announced along with plans to ban all non-essential travel and introduce a mandatory 14-day isolation period for everyone returning to the island.

The new laws will allow the Medical Officer for Health, Dr Nicola Brink and her team to enforce the testing and isolation of anyone they believe could be carrying covid-19.

Pictured: Head of Law Enforcement, Ruari Hardy.

"Any individuals coming into our islands from outside, including Jersey, are being met by officers from the Border Agency," explained Head of Law Enforcement, Ruari Hardy. "The stance we are taking is about giving them clear information as to what is expected with regard to the 14-day isolation. Staff at the borders are also confirming the identity of everybody coming in and also ensuring we have contact details, in case further medical advice or information needs to be passed to them."

While the regulations will give Public Health emergency powers, they will also allow local police officers to take action if they see fit.

"The vast majority of people, when given the correct information, will comply," Mr Hardy added. "The legislation will be adopted in a progressive way and a proportionate way, and if we receive information that someone who is in isolation isn't complying, there will be an approach primary from Public Health initially. If further steps have to be taken, it then may mean Law Enforcement have to become involved.

"Our strategy at the moment is to make sure everyone has the right information and that we do everything we can to get people to understand why they have to follow the isolation rules. The actual enforcement aspect, we sincerely hope, will maybe not ever be used. But, if it has to, it is there.

"We suspect that most people within our community get that this is about keeping their loved ones safe and they will, for those reasons, comply."

Pictured top: Dr Nicola Brink.