Unrestricted travel from 1 July - but only if you're fully vaccinated

Saturday 12 June 2021

People who are fully vaccinated will have completely unrestricted travel to the UK and Jersey next month, whereas those who are yet to receive both jabs will still have to isolate and be tested for Covid-19.

The Civil Contingencies Authority is changing the travel rules from 1 July, which were meant to deliver free travel within the Common Travel Area and a traffic light system for everywhere else.

However, rising prevalence levels of the Delta Variant across the UK have caused those plans to be postponed indefinitely. 

The decision-making Civil Contingencies Authority will instead maintain the current Categories 1 – 4 for countries and regions, based on 14-days’ prevalence data. The CCA has created a new 'Blue' travel category for the start of July for fully vaccinated people who had their second jab at least two weeks prior.

Pictured: The changes to future travel rules have been attributed to the rise in prevalence of the Delta Variant of Covid-19. 

Friday's announcement means that the majority of under 30s will not be offered their second jabs in time, while some people in their 30s and 40s will not have the chance to be vaccinated in time.  

“We’re very aware this decision may feel unfair for those who’ve not yet had the chance to be fully vaccinated," said CCA Chairman Peter Ferbrache.

"But we’ve made this decision, based on evidence, with the aim of allowing as much unrestricted travel as possible while ensuring we maintain reasonable measures to prevent people becoming seriously ill and requiring hospitalisation."

Data on the Delta Variant shows it to be more transmissible than other variants, and the efficacy of a single dose of a vaccine is reduced by approximately 17%. Current evidence indicates that the variant resists the vaccine around 8% of the time - one in every 12/13 cases. 

“Variants of concern such as the Delta Variant are one of the key variables we’ve known that have the potential to force a change in our plans," said Public Health Director Dr Nicola Brink. 

Pictured: By 1 July, everyone over the age of 50 will have had the opportunity for two doses of vaccine, but many below that age will not. 

"We still need to be able to react quickly as a community when faced with these developments. The next few weeks are going to be critical as we see if the current increase in infections in the UK stabilises or worsens."

As of Friday, 54% of the Bailiwick’s adult population have been fully vaccinated. It is expected that all adults in the Bailiwick who choose to have the vaccine will be fully vaccinated by mid-August