Jersey's Health Minister dismisses accusations lockdown came too late

• Video report by Jess Dunsdon

Jersey's Health Minister has dismissed accusations that lockdown was introduced too late in the island.

As he prepares to retire, Deputy Richard Renouf has spoken to ITV News in a detailed sit-down interview.

There was criticism the initial response to coronavirus was too slow, coming three weeks after Covid arrived in Jersey, and a week after the UK's lockdown.

He says he feels that the balance was right:

"We were worried that if we went too early, the emergency nature of it would wear off before the real threat came.

"Trying to find the right moment was the key - because we had to recognise it would cause all sorts of other difficulties to families, to children suddenly pulled out school, to the hospital and essential services.

"Ultimately I don't think we were too far wrong at all."

Deputy Renouf does, however, admit to being wrong when it came to the ban on festive gatherings on Christmas eve. These inadvertently discriminated against Polish and Portuguese islanders, as this day is the most important in their festive calendar.

"We failed to take account of the significant Portuguese and Polish population in the island who wanted to celebrate on Christmas eve as they traditionally do and we just didn't recognise that and had everything close down on Christmas eve and said people can celebrate on Christmas day and boxing day, but that, I think was a mistake."

He also says that the £11m investment in the unused Nightingale facility was worth it and that healthcare needs to be the next Assembly's top priority.

"We need to keep those resources going not just for the possibility of a future pandemic but to understand how important public health is to the island - just keeping people well keeping people living independently, providing the best schooling and the best housing we can - that's wrapped up in public health."

The countdown is on to find out who will take up the Health Minister role - with just over two weeks until Jersey's election.