Swift action to tighten borders against variant

They hoped – as did islanders – that with the October cluster contained, UK cases rising and the Bailiwick comfortably settled into the 14-day quarantine period there would be no need for another briefing this side of the festive break.

Unfortunately, Sars-CoV-2 had other ideas and the discovery of a variant of the virus – which scientists are increasingly confident is a much more transmissible version – brought them back to Beau Sejour.

With countries across the world rushing to isolate themselves from VUI-202012/01 by simply blocking off flights and ferries from the UK, the Bailiwick sought a more proportionate approach.

Cutting off our major trading partner, source of expertise and home to many friends and family members would have been a drastic step. For that to happen Public Health would need to be convinced that the dangers should the new variant get a toehold were too great.

As it is, there is no evidence that VUI-202012/01 is either more deadly than other variants or likely to be resistant to any of the vaccines in the pipeline.

However, scientists do suspect that it is up to 70% more easily transmitted.

If that proves to be true, its spread across the UK – and to countries across the world – seems inevitable, regardless of travel bans.

Not for the first time, however, Guernsey is in a good place. Through decisive, rapid action it has stuck with the cautious and pre-emptive approach to Covid-19 that has proved so effective throughout 2020.

In that light the new measures bring comfort on two fronts. Firstly, by ensuring that the third of travellers who choose not to take the day 13 test do not risk spreading infection once they leave the home. Secondly, by applying the same standards of risk to family members who choose to share their house with new arrivals rather than enforce strict self-isolation protocols.

It is a marginal tightening – but it could be key.