Pilot scheme to see if quarantine can be cut
GUERNSEY will become one of the first countries in the world to test a seven-day quarantine period for travellers, as the island continues its long streak of no known cases of Covid-19.
In another turning point in the path to recovery from the pandemic, a pilot scheme will be held next month to investigate whether the current 14-day quarantine requirement can be eased.
Passengers who arrive in Guernsey between 5 and 10 July will still be required to self-isolate, but some will be tested for coronavirus on the seventh day after their arrival.
If they test negative they will be released from the 14-day mandatory self-isolation, and for the next week they will be in a phase called ‘passive surveillance’.
This means that they should limit their contact with other people, such as avoiding going to restaurants or gatherings.
The idea of testing on arrival at the airport and harbour was rejected because, while it would offer public reassurance, it was not deemed to be based on the epidemiological evidence.
Day 7 has been found to be the most effective time to test someone for coronavirus, and the working theory at this stage is that just a fifth of statistical outliers would fall through the cracks of this potential alternative model.
At yesterday’s press conference the chairman of the Civil Contingencies Authority, Deputy Gavin St Pier, stressed that the priority remained the safety of islanders.
‘We are not going to open our borders yet, we know that this is, and it will be, a point of tension in our community.
‘Some clearly want much more freedom to travel on and off the island, and absolutely we do understand that, whilst, of course, the vast majority want the borders to remain firmly closed.
‘I want to reassure you that the Civil Contingencies Authority will not make any changes to the 14-day mandatory self-isolation policy, until we are confident that the pilot study has been a success and has provided the evidence required to offer a safe, alternative way forward.’
The decision to look at relaxing the border restrictions was prompted partly by the big expansion in the island’s testing capability.
New equipment is up and running so that up to 400 tests can be carried out per day.
On top of that, yesterday marked 54 consecutive days of no new cases, and a team of well-trained contact tracers are on standby if needed.
The Director of Public Health, Dr Nicola Brink, said the pilot project was thoroughly evidence-based and risk-assessed, and she was very confident the island could cope if new cases popped up.
‘Small is beautiful, we are actually able to contact people, they are not dispersing hundreds of miles so I think our unique geographical location and our unique smallness makes introducing such a programme feasible,’ she said.
The pilot project was described as a ‘stress test’ for the new testing equipment because up to 1,376 passengers could be tested over a five-day period.
