Guernsey States to review its handling of pandemic

'We Got This' Sign in Guernsey and Peter Ferbrache
The review will look at how well prepared the government was to deal with a pandemic as well as how it reacted. Credit: ITV Channel TV

Guernsey politicians will review how well it handled the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, focusing on how prepared it was to deal with it, as well as how it reacted.

Guernsey's Policy and Resources Committee has been looking at what form a review should take, and says the Bailiwick should ask tough questions so it can learn from both errors and successes.

Deputy Peter Ferbrache, President of the Policy & Resources Committee says: "We cannot ever forget that we lost friends and family to this pandemic. So it is of course right that we look back carefully at how we responded and ask ourselves tough questions, to see what we could have done differently, and learn from both our errors and our successes."

The Committee will present two options for a review to the States:

Option one

The first option would build upon several internal audits already planned or have been completed as part of the States’ debriefing for their key service areas.

It would include a factual record summarising the impact on the Bailiwick. The Committee says option one would be a faster and more cost-effective option and is recommending this to States members.

Option two

The second option is for an individual or body to be commissioned to hold an entirely independent review.

The Committee says this is likely to come at a cost of up to £250,000 and could be even greater if a cross profession panel is set up to carry out the review.

The Committee says it does not believe these costs are proportionate given the world remains in pandemic status and the response is not yet over.

Guernsey became one of the first places in the British Isles to lift all Covid-19 restrictions.

From February, positive cases were 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.