Ministers have agreed policies for Jersey children returning home from overseas. This will include a test on arrival in Jersey, isolation until a negative result is returned, and a follow-up test on day five if still in Jersey. This is the regime followed by adults arriving from green regions.
Ministers agreed the recommendations of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell (STAC) for the isolation requirements of pupils returning home. This followed the latest reclassifications of countries and regions, which saw most designated as amber or red under Jersey’s classification system.
Ministers agreed that the ratings applied to the locations of boarding schools and residential placements do not reflect the level of risk for children returning to Jersey, because of the measures put in place by the schools and residential settings to reduce the risk of infection.
Ministers have agreed that all returning children should be tested on arrival in Jersey (or arrive with a valid PCR negative dated within 72 hours) and treated as if they are arriving from a green region, if they have written confirmation from the parent, supported by the school or setting that:
- The child has spent the previous 14 days at the school
- There have been no positive test results in the school for the previous 14 days
- The child has not stayed overnight anywhere else on the way to Jersey
- The child has had no symptoms in the past 14 days
The number of children studying at UK boarding is thought to be below one hundred. There are a small number of returning children who have been in residential settings due to additional needs (e.g. autism).
Full guidance is available on: https://www.gov.je/Health/Coronavirus/Travel/Pages/JerseyChildrenPermissionNotToIsolate.aspx
Government of Jersey News Release.