Guernsey brings an end to formal Covid-19 rules

From now on, there is no longer mandatory self-isolation for those who test positive and all border restrictions will fall away, with travellers arriving here no longer required to buy lateral flow tests or do a PCR test.

In place of legal restrictions come ‘strong requests’ for islanders to test if they feel ill and self-report a positive result to Public Health.

Two people who have been at the forefront of the island’s response to the pandemic are calling for a change of attitude to such symptoms as a sniffle or a sore throat.

Deputy Heidi Soulsby, a constant presence on the Civil Contingencies Authority throughout the pandemic, said the days of people struggling into work with the symptoms of a cold should end.

‘We’re trying to change this behaviour,’ she said.

‘Don’t be a martyr to the cause where you could actually be impacting other people.’

Dr Nicola Brink, director of Public Health, said a review of the use of LFTs will take place in a few weeks.

‘We’ve thought about what we’ll do from now to the 31 March and we’ll monitor that very carefully. After 31 March, we’ll assess what’s happened over the last six weeks.’

Rather than a focus on testing, there could be a change to a message of ‘stay at home if you’re unwell’.

‘I think it’s looking to protect the community as a whole and continue working together as we’ve done through the whole pandemic.’

Fears that people might not report their negative tests were unfounded so far, she said.

Deputy Soulsby and Dr Brink said they both expected islanders’ good response to the various pandemic requirements to continue as restrictions came to an end.

‘I’m glad we’re here,’ said Deputy Soulsby.

‘It feels like it’s been a long time coming but I think we’ve reached a natural conclusion in terms of regulations. We’re all older and wiser for what we’ve been through.’

While changes do not signal the end in terms of monitoring and managing Covid, she hoped it was the end of the need for emergency regulations.

A new more virulent variant or even a different pandemic could change all that, however.

‘We’ve always known that. That’s why we did the pandemic flu exercise in 2019. We knew there was a likelihood of something like that happening.’

Now the island has a highly vaccinated population and on-island testing, including the ability to sequence and detect variants of concern.

‘That’s why we feel that it’s the right time to move from legislation to working with community engagement,’ said Dr Brink.

‘We’re not saying the pandemic’s over, what we’re saying is that we feel it’s time to change the way that we manage it and manage it in partnership with the community through community engagement, and really focus as much on the wider determinants of health.

‘To me, as a community, the Bailiwick has responded so well and has, in essence, managed the pandemic, so we think it’s only right to take that step forward and end restrictions.’