On Air Now Jo Lloyd 8:00am - Noon
Now Playing Mylo In My Arms

'Traffic Light' Travel Rules & 10-Day Isolation Scrapped

People coming into Jersey who are not fully vaccinated against coronavirus will only have to isolate until getting a first negative test, from Tuesday 13 July.

The rules have been simplified and the red, amber, green system for travel will end.

Arrivals into the island will be judged on their vaccination status, rather than where they've come from.

Fully vaccinated people, wherever they come from in the world, will need a test on arrival but won't need to isolate.

Vaccine certificates are sent out in the post two weeks after the second jab is administered.

Those who are not fully vaccinated have to get tested on arrival, isolate until that first negative test, and then get tested again on Day 8.

There are no benefits for people who have had just one dose. Full vaccination is needed to avoid isolation and the Day 8 test requirement.

Children under the age of 11 do not need to isolate or be tested.

Those who have a UK travel ban or red list country on their ten-day travel history who get to Jersey without quarantining in the UK would still have to isolate here for ten days and get tested on Days 0,5, and 10.

"These further developments to our Safer Travel Policy are in line with the recent changes Ministers made to the reduced isolation requirements for direct contacts in the context of Jersey’s vaccination coverage. As our vaccination coverage continues to grow, it’s important we ensure that all our policies are reflective of the progress. With increased protection comes increased freedoms for Islanders and a simplification of the policy. As such, the new Safer Travel Policy means that travelling to Jersey will no longer be based on the complexities of where a passenger has travelled from, but a binary approach based on their vaccination status. 

"We have an extremely low positivity rate through our borders with only 0.4% test positivity identified through inbound tests last week. We therefore know that the Safer Travel Policy has not exacerbated the level of transmission that we are seeing on-Island. Under our COVID Status Certification scheme, an increased number of passengers arriving in Jersey have been fully vaccinated, which also presents a much lower risk.

"As we continue to navigate our way through the pandemic response, we need to ensure that we’re balancing the ever-changing risk of the virus with the controls and restrictions that were imposed on Islanders at a time when the risk of severe illness and hospitalisation was greater.

"Ministers have acknowledged case rates will rise in the coming weeks, but we must reframe our thinking and look to vaccination coverage and the low rates of severe illness and hospitalisation. Our vaccination coverage continues to grow week on week and Ministers will keep monitoring our current policies in the context of this increased protection. It’s essential that we ensure we’re making appropriate and proportionate decisions that are relevant to our changing position." -Senator John Le Fondre, Chief Minister.

As has been the case, passengers who don't want to be tested have to isolate for 14 days.

8 in 10 Jersey adults have now had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

There are 820 known active cases of coronavirus. Four of them are being treated in hospital.

"The updates to our Safer Travel Policy will be welcome news for many Islanders and visitors to Jersey this summer and is a logical extension to the route we are taking in the context of increased vaccination coverage. I am particularly pleased the new policy will enable younger age groups, who are eligible for vaccination, to travel on equal terms. 

"It became apparent last weekend that the many thousands of people in isolation due to being identified as a direct contact was tipping the balance of harms for Islanders, businesses and schools. It is therefore important that we keep our policies proportionate and in line with our strong vaccination programme to ensure we’re affording Islanders appropriate freedoms.

"I know that many Islanders are keen to travel this summer, and to be reunited with family and friends. I also hope the updates will be welcome news to our travel and hospitality sector, who have been heavily impacted by the recent restrictions. Other than for a very small number of people who may have travelled from a high-risk country on the UK Government International restricted list, the simplification to the policy means passengers arriving in Jersey will not need to worry about the country or region where they have stayed in the 10 days prior to travel." -Senator Lyndon Farnham, Economic Development Minister.

More from Jersey News

Channel 103 VIP

Become a Channel 103 VIP!