Covid isolation times reduced to seven days in Jersey
People in Jersey who are fully vaccinated and test positive for Covid-19 will be able to leave isolation early under new rules.
The island's Health Minister hopes it will lift the burden on businesses and frontline services which have been impacted by staff shortages.
It brings the island in line with the policies in both Guernsey and England.
The changes also apply to children under the age of 12.
Positive cases will be free to leave quarantine if they test negative on days six and seven through lateral flow tests if:
Two negative Lateral Flow Tests (LFTs) have been registered via the online portal at day 6 and day 7, at least 24 hours between each test.
Have remained free of coronavirus symptoms for 48 hours.
People who work in health and social care are being asked by the government to carry out daily Lateral Flow Tests on day eight, nine and ten, following a positive Covid test result result.
People who are not fully vaccinated must self-isolate for a full 10 days following a positive Covid test result.
For the purposes of isolation, 'fully vaccinated' direct contacts will be classed as those who meet the following criteria:
Aged 18 years and over: Three doses and two weeks since last vaccination
Aged 12 to 17 years: Two doses and Two weeks since last vaccination
The same definition of 'fully vaccinated' for travellers to Jersey will come into effect on Tuesday 4 January.
Changes to the isolation period have been introduced because of the following:
Evidence shows the risk of infecting others reduces quicker in those who are fully vaccinated, and that the greatest risk of infectivity occurs early on - just before, during, or just after the onset of symptoms. It is also early on in asymptomatic individuals.
Evidence shows lateral flow tests are highly effective in detecting the infectivity of a person.
The balances the harms associated with the physical and mental health of isolating islanders.
To support essential public services and the resilience of the island’s Critical National Infrastructure, while still limiting the spread of the virus.
The government's Covid Safe team will be contacting people who are currently on day six, seven, eight or nine of isolation, over the next 24 hours to allow them to be released from isolation if they fulfil the criteria.
Going forward, people who test positive will get an email from the Covid Safe team on day zero and on day six of isolation to remind them of the rules.
People will then be asked to email the Covid Safe team with confirmation they meet the criteria, including their vaccination status, being symptom-free and having successfully uploaded their two negative lateral flow test results.
Changes for direct contacts
From Saturday 1 January, islanders who are a direct contact of someone who is positive with Covid-19 will no longer need to have a PCR test, followed by 10 days of lateral flow tests.
Instead they will only have to take 10 days worth of lateral flow tests.
People will continue to be notified by the government by text, phone call and/or email if they are a direct contact.
Islanders who test positive on a lateral flow test will need to have a PCR test to confirm the result. This can be booked online or by calling the Coronavirus helpline.
People with symptoms should also book a PCR test.