Jersey will not go into lockdown like UK says Chief Minister
Jersey's Chief Minister says the island is not in a position to impose a lockdown like UK has.
It comes as Boris Johnson announced that England would go back into lockdown, as coronavirus case numbers continue to rise rapidly. The Prime Minister said it was alarming to see how the new variant of Covid-19 is spreading in the UK. He said hospitals are now under more pressure than at the start of the pandemic.
Meanwhile Senator John Le Fondré says he does not know if the new variant of the virus has emerged in Jersey. However he says the island's government is continuing to follow medical advice from the Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell (STAC) on what approach should be taken.
STAC is set to meet again tomorrow (05 January) to discuss the ongoing fall in active cases in Jersey, and the measures proposed for when children return to school. The Chief Minister says members of STAC will be looking at concrete trends before advising on when non-essential retail, contact services (like hair and beauty), indoor recreation, hospitality, and gyms can reopen.
Senator Le Fondré also said presuming the new variant is in the island means "we will be in the best place to suppress it if we get that confirmation from the UK labs." He said that the government will ensure that patients who need to go to the UK for medical treatment will still be able to do so, and islanders will not be left stranded in the country due to the lockdown.