Guernsey happier with lockdown exit than Jersey

Friday 05 June 2020

Many more people in Guernsey have said they are happy with their island's approach to the corona virus crisis compared with people in Jersey, according to a recent survey.

Half of the Guernsey respondents who filled in the latest Island Global Research survey said they 'strongly agreed' with the Bailiwick's exit strategy, while a further 37% said they simply 'agreed'.

However, only five percent of Jersey respondents said they 'strongly agreed' with their island's plans, with 31% choosing to remain 'neutral' and nearly a quarter saying they 'disagreed'.

The vast majority of Guernsey residents who replied to the most recent weekly survey said they thought the speed of easing the restrictions was 'about right', while a third of Jersey residents said their government's choices had been premature.

Pictured: Responses from Guernsey residents are on the left, with responses from Isle of Man residents in the middle and responses from Jersey on the right.

Meanwhile, the idea of an inter-island bubble was popular with those in Jersey, with 45% of respondents saying they would like to see unrestricted travel between the islands and another 35% saying 'maybe'. But, respondents in Guernsey were not so keen, with 60% saying 'no' to the idea.

"Island Global Research has been undertaking research to understand the impact that coivd-19 is having on people in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man," a spokesperson for the company said. "This is our own research.

"Respondents have been rating the level of threat that covid-19 poses to their island and to the UK out of 10. The level of threat on our islands has been reducing over time, with respondents in Guernsey and the Isle of Man less concerned than those in Jersey.

"We continue to be more positive about the level of threat to our islands than to the UK."

The latest survey was completed by 1,436 island residents; 547 in Guernsey, 481 in Jersey and 408 in the Isle of Man.