Public Health regulations have been changed making Covid-19 a ‘notifiable disease’; requiring doctors, nursing and care staff to report and provide patient information for clinically suspected cases of Covid-19 to the Medical Officer of Health.
The Health Minister Deputy Richard Renouf said “The move to make changes to the existing law are to ensure that we take every reasonable step to ensure that our health services can respond quickly to suspected cases of Covid-19.
“This latest step is part of our wider plans in readiness to reduce the transmission of the virus and level of illness in the increasingly likely event that we start to see cases of Covid-19 in Jersey.”
The Order, signed by the Minister and bringing the change into law, comes into effect from Saturday 7 March.
To date there have been no confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Jersey. There have been 51 tests with 0 positive results.
Deputy Medical Officer of Health Dr John McInerney has written to all doctors and health and care providers to ensure awareness and understanding of these changes.
Dr McInerney said: “We have plans in place and our health services are well prepared to be able to respond quickly to both suspected cases as well as the likelihood of confirmed cases of Covid-19. We are now acting on our existing and well tested plans to respond to contagious infections of this kind.”
Government of Jersey News Release.