FOCUS: Raising the ramparts on Fortress Guernsey - too soon or not soon enough?

Thursday 01 July 2021

The Bailiwick is dropping all isolation and testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers, starting from today.

Not only does today’s relaxation in border restrictions mean we’re welcoming fully vaccinated Common Travel Area travellers in, but more importantly it means some of us can leave and return with no fuss.

Adults who had their second dose of Covid-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior can now travel into the Bailiwick from the UK, Jersey, Isle of Man with no test on arrival and no self-isolation requirements. 

Those members of the public not yet fully vaccinated will have to continue abiding by country and region categorisations for the foreseeable future, with isolation times based on Covid prevalence rates. 

It’s the biggest easing of restrictions since covid began, and it has split opinion in the community. 

Last week the CCA announced that it was full steam ahead with the ‘blue channel’ – with additional testing for 12 -17s- and that the probability of a third lockdown remains “very low”, despite calls from some States Deputies that it’s too soon.

Pictured: Former Head of the CCA, Deputy Gavin St Pier, argued that the risk of opening on 1 July far outweighs the benefit.

It’s now time to “live with covid”, says the CCA, by continuing to be vigilant if experiencing symptoms and by washing our hands - ‘catching it, killing it, binning it'.

The UK is recording around 20,000 new cases a day, with the Delta variant being 60% more transmissible than others, and 99% of new cases in the UK being recorded as the more vaccine resistant variant.

Jersey is part of the CTA and currently has 196 positive cases, with 1,892 direct contacts, and one person in hospital.

In yesterday’s Jersey States Assembly meeting, Chief Minister Senator John Le Fondré said that the virus's spread at the moment was “mostly around younger people, households and areas of what we call social contact.”

This comes as more than 60% of Guernsey’s population have now received at least two doses of the vaccine.

"The vaccine does not prevent people catching and spreading Covid-19," said Public Health. "It does, however, prevent individuals suffering from the serious side effects, or dying as a result of, the virus."

What this means for unvaccinated people here, of which young people make up the majority, has been a point of contention.

I wrote an email to the powers that be RE: the relaxation of restrictions from tomorrow. For what it's worth I'm not one of the 'lock us all inside forever' band of people, but I would like the same respect shown to my generation as has been shown to the older ones. pic.twitter.com/nkd9l7xkNC

— Sam Bellis (@breakingbellis) June 30, 2021

Pictured: 27-year-old Sam Bellis highlighted his concerns to Public Health in a letter posted on Twitter and shared by Deputy St Pier. 

Deputy Aidan Matthews recently added his concerns about opening up to soon: "We made a decision to "bubble" with the UK when cases were low/falling and before Delta variant became widespread. It's a very different picture now."

“Guernsey is still in a good position,” said Deputy Yvonne Burford, during an exchange on social media about Jersey’s positive cases. “But for how much longer?” she asked.

When asked if 1 July date could be delayed during the latest briefing, Adviser to the CCA, Deputy Heidi Soulsby, said it wouldn’t make any difference if it was.

Pictured: “We follow the evidence as we always have,” said Deputy Soulsby, when doubling down on the CCA’s intention to open the borders.

For all the noise against today’s reopening, there are plenty who feel it is well-overdue. 

Active cases continue to be reported by Public Health Guernsey; as of writing we’ve got 13 known active cases and 40 people waiting on results. These numbers will rise and the Head of the CCA, Deputy Peter Ferbrache, made it clear that we will see covid enter the general population.

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

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

Deputy Soulsby took to Twitter to reassure Mr Bellis and others that the risks are fully understood and that “27-year-olds are at a very low risk of getting ill.”

“We are not stopping testing for anyone, the only people who will not be tested at the borders are those who have been fully vaccinated – we are doing this as there is less risk someone who is fully vaccinated will transmit the virus,” she said.

“Neither of my children have been vaccinated yet and I would not expose them to unacceptable risk.”

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

The CCA said the advice from experts has been unequivocal and forms the basis of the authority's decision. 

“If we’re doing it wrong, if that’s the idea, then that’s the first time we’ve gone against the views and recommendations of our experts," Deputy Soulsby concluded. "This would be rather strange."