Border closure "was always a temporary measure"

Friday 22 October 2021

Yesterday’s media briefing revealed the areas classed as causes of the current Covid pressures - however the relaxation of the island’s borders did not appear on the list.

Dr Nicola Brink, Director of Public Health, said that since opening the borders on 1 July, there have been few Covid cases identified as travel-related.

The Director of Public Health says the current pressures are caused more often by indoor mixing in crowded locations. The hospital is close to full occupancy and that has been exacerbated by seasonal illnesses such as the flu.

Chair of the CCA, Deputy Peter Ferbrache, elaborated: “Our concern isn’t about importing cases, it’s about keeping the level of cases and the spread of them within our local community down.”

“Some people will say, ‘We would never have had community seeding if the borders closed.’ I do not regret opening the borders, or keeping them open now."

Pictured: The mitigations recommended by the CCA do not include any travel-related measures.

Dr Brink and Deputy Ferbrache reiterated that closing the borders was always a temporary measure until another remedy, such as mass vaccination, could be found.

“It isn’t about putting money before health, or the economy," said Deputy Ferbrache. "It’s about recognising that we now need to adapt to a long-term way, and it will be a long-term way, of living with Covid.” 

It was reassured by Dr Brink that the current border regulations are subject to change if there is a visible change in evidence. 

“I look at the attribution of every single case. If we’re shifting to a greater number of travel attributions, we’ll have a discussion over what mitigations we should put in place. We need to be flexible in our response.”

Despite being asked directly about the travel between the island and the mainland during the Christmas period, neither Dr Brink nor Deputy Ferbrache appeared to be concerned.

“Everything is under review,” said Deputy Ferbrache. “We’ve got to be cognisant of what happens elsewhere. I doubt that we’ll be making in the next two months or so any significant changes in that regard, but it will be kept under review.” 

For now, travellers arriving from the Common Travel Area can continue into the island without a requirement of getting tested or self-isolating, regardless of their vaccination status.