Covid-19 vaccines arrive in Jersey
THE first batch of Covid-19 vaccines have arrived in the Channel Islands.
Just under 1,000 doses have arrived in Jersey, with the island set to start vaccinating care home residents from Monday.
There is no public date yet for when the vaccine will arrive in Guernsey or when the first doses could be given.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine requires two doses, 21 days apart.
Jersey has introduced restrictions for people visiting care homes in a bid to ensure residents are healthy enough to receive the new Covid-19 vaccine. But the island will not be going into lockdown, because Jersey is in control of its response, Chief Minister John Le Fondre said.
Unlike Guernsey, Jersey has widespread community seeding of the illness and more than 500 positive active cases.
Jersey health officials have said care home residents were at high risk and needed to be kept safe, so people would not be allowed to visit care home residents until this group have been vaccinated, except for Christmas or for end-of-life care.
Any resident who leaves their care home to visit friends or family must isolate on their return to the home.
