Minister Defends Lions Isolation Rules

Public health and scientific advisors said the return of the British and Irish Lions to Jersey 'could be supported, subject to a number of mitigations', according to the Deputy Chief Minister.

Senator Lyndon Farnham emailed States members last night in response to heavy criticism of the rugby team's post-tour visit from red-list country South Africa.

Fully vaccinated members of the squad of 53 only had to isolate until getting a negative border test rather than the mandatory ten days for all other red list arrivals.

Two of the 53 are not double jabbed. They have to isolate for five days.

Minutes show STAC raised concerns in a meeting on 28 June about giving exemptions, but Senator Lyndon Farnham says, at a further meeting two weeks later, it was agreed they could come here.

The minutes from meetings in July have not been published yet.

Considerations included that the Lions have been in a bubble and tested regularly during their tour and are being tested daily for their first ten days in Jersey - plus evidence showing a dramatic fall in cases of the variant in South Africa.

The Minister says it's 'extremely unlikely' that this variant will be brought in by the Lions.

"It is extremely unlikely that the South African variant will be brought in by BIL given their scrutiny in both South Africa and in Jersey and that delta variant has very largely replaced the South African variant in South Africa.

"If the South African variant, as with any other variant, is noted every measure to contain this with isolation and surge testing and surge vaccination will be made. The source will need to be established given that the South African variant can be introduced via other countries including Europe."

In response to questions from politicians - Senator Farnham said the PCR tests are being paid for through government, the squad are free to move around after finishing their isolation period, and they arrived on exclusive charter flights that connected through Dublin.

If any of the squad test positive, they have to isolate for ten days.