• Changes to COVID-19 testing in health, care, and emergency settings
• Changes to mask wearing policy
• Changes to isolation guidance
The Government has announced a number of changes to its COVID-19 response as part of the continued de-escalation which aligns the Island’s response more closely with that of other comparable jurisdictions.
The changes will come into effect on 1 April and include:
• Health, care, and emergency services will now make their own decisions on mask wearing for their staff and in their premises
• Pre-admission screening for healthcare settings and enclosed communities will move from PCR to LFT
• All other asymptomatic screening will stop
• Stay at home guidance following a positive test will be reduced to five days
LFT kits are still freely available to order online, however, it is anticipated that the universal offer of LFT kits will be removed, and all non-diagnostic testing will stop from the 30 June.
These changes follow those that were announced in January and the latest guidance we are issuing is considered proportionate to the level of risk COVID-19 currently poses to the Island and reflects an overall fall in demand and need for testing.
Director of Public Health, Professor Peter Bradley, said: “Our priority is and always will be the health and safety of Islanders, and these changes that we are announcing today continue to reflect our approach to the sustained management of COVID-19.
“I want to reassure Islanders that we will continue to support them if they are unwell or concerned about COVID-19. I urge everyone to continue following the guidance by staying at home and doing an LFT if you feel unwell.”
Mask wearing
Health, care, and emergency services will have autonomy to determine the requirements for masks for their staff and in their premises, based on the current level of risk.
Pre-admission and staff/inpatient screening
Islanders will no longer be required to have a PCR test when being admitted to hospital or other care settings but will instead need to take an LFT.
Asymptomatic staff and inpatients will no longer be tested daily, but anyone with symptoms will be managed in line with standard guidance.
Isolation guidance
Following a positive COVID-19 test, all Islanders will be advised to stay at home for 5 days, and to avoid vulnerable people for 10 days if possible. There will no longer be a requirement for two consecutive negative LFTs before returning to work for any employees.
Anyone who is unwell should contact their GP for further advice.
Government of Jersey News Release