Covid-19 restrictions lifted in Guernsey
Guernsey has become one of the first places in the British Isles to lift all Covid-19 restrictions.
Positive cases are no longer legally required to self-isolate, although they are still being encouraged to do so to prevent further outbreaks in the community.
Travel restrictions have also been scrapped, meaning there is no need for arriving passengers to fill in the Travel Tracker or undergo testing at the border.
What has changed?
PUBLIC HEALTH
Scrapping of mandatory self-isolation for people who test positive for Covid-19.
End to Public Health-led contact tracing.
Free packs of LFTs will continue to be available for anyone who wants to use them
Coronavirus case numbers will be published weekly instead of daily on gov.gg.
TRAVEL
Border testing scrapped.
No need for passengers to fill in Travel Tracker, although the website will remain active for islanders to access their proof of vaccination when travelling abroad.
EDUCATION
The use of Lateral Flow Tests will continue until half term, with staff and students being asked to take a test on the first three days after their return.
Surveillance testing for primary school students will end on Thursday 3 March.
Surveillance testing for staff (primary, secondary and post-16) and all secondary and post-16 students will be reduced to a request to take Lateral Flow Tests twice weekly, with anyone who has symptoms asked to stay at home.
School contact tracing will end.
Large events will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Dr Nicola Brink, Guernsey's Director of Public Health, described the changes as a 'huge step forward' for the Bailiwick, after four waves in the Bailiwick since the pandemic began.
She said: "The support of islanders, including the huge take-up of the vaccination programme, has put us in the position where we can now move with confidence towards the ongoing management of the virus outside of emergency regulations.
"We have said this previously but it is not within our gift to say the pandemic is over; it is for the World Health Organization to make that distinction. But what we can say is that we, in the Bailiwick, are now moving towards treating COVID-19 as an endemic disease. This is a huge step forward for us."
Dr Brink's comments were echoed by Alderney's President William Tate.
He said: “There will be people who are anxious about the legal restrictions being lifted but we had to do this at some point. With public health and the economy well balanced in our pandemic response, the time to move forward is now."