CCA in bid to save Christmas

Wednesday 15 December 2021

The Civil Contingencies Authority has told the Bailiwick that it “won’t be able to stop a wave of omicron” infections. But it hopes that additional restrictions and guidance in place from today will “ensure that people can have a satisfactory Christmas”.

From this morning, people are asked to work from home if they can. Compulsory face coverings will be extended to a range of public buildings, including theatres and churches. States’ schools are to end their term on Friday rather than next Wednesday. And there is a renewed effort to encourage people to get a third vaccine after a mixed initial response to the booster programme.

The Medical Officer of Health, Dr Nicola Brink, said the objective is to delay and spread out an inevitable large rise in cases of the omicron variant of covid-19.

“Our strategy is not to stop a wave of omicron. We won’t be able to do that,” said Dr Brink.

“We need a realistic strategy which looks at harm reduction. We want to slow the spread, we want to flatten the curve, to elongate it, and to try and keep the number of cases at a level that we can cope with.”

Pictured: At a public briefing last night, Dr Nicola Brink talked through slides, such as the one above, which explained the challenges now facing the Bailiwick and a range of responses to them which she said represented an approach which is "calm, measured and proportionate". 

Deputy Peter Ferbrache, the Chairman of the Authority, and Dr Brink all but ruled out restrictions on family and domestic gatherings over the holiday period.

“We want everybody to have as pleasant a Christmas as they can,” said Deputy Ferbrache.

“We believe they will be able to enjoy a good Christmas. Nothing we’re saying today is going to impinge upon that. In fact, what we are saying hopefully will try and ensure that people can have a satisfactory Christmas.”

Pictured: Deputy Peter Ferbrache (right), Chairman of the Civil Contingencies Authority, and Dr Nicola Brink (left), Medical Officer of Health, spoke to the Bailiwick last night to explain additional restrictions and guidance being introduced by the Authority and why they hope it will help families enjoy Christmas together.

Dr Brink said: “We’re not intending to limit domestic family gatherings. This is exactly what these measures are designed for. They’re designed to try and keep the island running and keep families together.

"We have no plans to restrict domestic family gatherings at all. Quite the opposite. We’re looking at how we can enable these to occur.”

In previous waves of covid-19, the States’ main concern was preventing the Princess Elizabeth Hospital from being overwhelmed. The relatively high take up of first and second vaccines has helped to keep hospital admissions low even as infections have surged.

But the Authority is now concerned that the size of what it calls “the omicron wave” could, if left unchecked, shut down much of the Bailiwick’s infrastructure. 

Pictured: Dr Nicola Brink used last night's public briefing to remind the Bailiwick of how to limit the spread of covid-19 and she placed particular emphasis on her advice for people to get booster vaccines.

“Now not only are we concerned about any potential impact on our hospital infrastructure, but of course we have to think more broadly than that,” said Dr Brink. “We have to consider our island infrastructure from staff absence and sickness.”

Deputy Ferbrache said: “We’re also wanting to avoid a situation where the sheer number of cases alone shuts down the Bailiwick. So all of us have the responsibility – each and every person has the responsibility – to follow all of the practice that we know we can to slow the transmission of this new variant.”