Deputies will vote on end of Covid restrictions

After Tuesday’s announcement from the Civil Contingencies Authority of a de-escalation of restrictions, likely to follow from 17 February, the States published its blueprint shortly before 5pm yesterday as deputies were debating an amendment that the government should debate it.

Less than an hour later States members backed the amendment and so agreed that the Assembly will have final say. But it was not clear last night how this might be done, and what might happen to the 17 February target date.

The debate followed a small protest against a proposal to extend powers to the medical officer of health.

About 15 people with placards gathered, a show of defiance which inspired Deputy Charles Parkinson to proceed with an amendment which he had considered pulling.

He called for States scrutiny of the blueprint or future strategy as a ‘point of principle’.

‘Democratic accountability, where it has to be suspended, should only be set aside in exceptional circumstances and for the shortest possible time, and then restored at the earliest possible opportunity,’ he said.

‘There has been a lack of democratic legitimacy around the actions of the CCA and it is time for this Assembly to put its hand on the tiller and make sure we are all in agreement with the current plans for dealing with the Covid situation going forward.’

The protesters were agitating against proposals to give the MoH enduring powers to impose restrictions or requirements on people infected with Covid or other notifiable diseases.

‘The powers should never be held by one individual, I think the powers should be held by a committee of people. When you have a committee to run an organisation or a board of directors, there’s always a democracy so people have to discuss and vote on things,’ said protester John Ford.

Among the details included in the blueprint are a simplified testing policy, reviews of education measures and border policy for unvaccinated travellers from outside the Common Travel Area.

It also highlights the 17 February target date, if the CCA is satisfied on risks and the local and global picture.

The vaccination and booster programme is expected to continue to be central to the Covid response, and while contact tracing should be reduced over time, Covid will remain a notifiable disease, and masks will remain advisory.

The debate continues today, with four more amendments before deputies.