About 400 students plan to return to Guernsey for Christmas

It follows a survey being sent out by the States of Guernsey to determine what students' plans were for the festive period.

Currently anyone returning from the UK to Guernsey has to self-isolate for two weeks.

The short survey got responses from 520 students. It found that almost 100 students were undecided about whether they will return home for Christmas, with many saying current self-isolation requirements were a contributory factor.

Of the 400 students who do plan to return, 300 are yet to book their travel.

In the survey, which was sent to all 532 students that are supported by the Higher Education grants team, students were asked whether they intended to return to the island, whether they had booked travel and any relevant travel dates.

The survey also sought to remind students of current self-isolation requirements, what self-isolation means in practice and asked if they would be able to safely self-isolate at home. It also gave students an opportunity to provide any other information that they considered relevant to their personal circumstances.

The Student Finance team also received about 150 email responses, following their public request for all students - including those not directly funded by the States - to make contact.

The information gathered has helped the States of Guernsey understand the level of demand for travel and students' understanding of self-isolation requirements. Plans are now being developed to ensure appropriate travel options are available and these will be announced as soon as finalised.