The recently formed Safer Travel Guidelines Review Panel has today released an interim report on the Government’s Safer Travel Guidelines.
The Panel found that the Government may have rushed to open the borders and that economic interests appear to have played a key role in the decision-making process.
The Panel has recommended to Government that the Guidelines should require all incoming passengers to Jersey to isolate in Government-provided facilities until they have received a negative test result.
A further recommendation of the Panel is that, if the Government is to continue with its position of not requiring isolation whilst awaiting test results under the Guidelines, then every resource should be put into increasing on-Island testing capacity and reducing test turn-around times.
Analysis by the Panel of other island jurisdictions around the world also shows a stark difference between Jersey and most others, with the majority either requiring 2 weeks quarantine or self-isolation whilst awaiting test results.
Deputy Rob Ward, Panel Chair, commented:
“The Panel has worked quickly and constructively to finalise this interim report and we thank the Minister and his officers for working in a collaborative and time-effective way with the Panel through this process.
Our aim is to produce interim reports at speed in recognition of the rapidly changing situation regarding Covid-19 and related travel rules. As such, the findings and recommendations contained within this report are timely and targeted to address issues that the Panel has identified in its work to date. Our underlying aim is to provide constructive scrutiny that informs future decision making in this vital area of the Island’s policy making.
The Panel intends to release a final report as more evidence comes to light and encourages the public to stay involved in this important debate. We look forward to hearing these views and also to the response of the Minister to our findings and recommendations”