Coronavirus cases in Guernsey rise above 100

The number of active coronavirus cases in Guernsey has risen to 107.

The bailiwick went into lockdown on Saturday after four unconnected infections in the community were found.

A decision on when to reopen schools to the children of key workers and vulnerable students by the Civil Contingencies Authority (CCA) is expected this week.

So far 39 cases have been traced to 11 education settings, with 24 among students and 15 staff affected.

Chairman of the CCA Peter Ferbrache said it was "much more likely than not" schools would remain entirely closed next week.

He explained the closures were designed to "minimise contact" between students and staff.

"We want to make sure when children go back to school they go back to a safe environment, both for them, for the teachers and for everybody else who works in those establishments," Deputy Ferbrache said.

"So please bear with us, we appreciate the difficulties that are being created, we sympathise with those and we genuinely are saying to you we'll get everything back to normal as soon as is practical."

The affected schools and nurseries are St Sampson's High School, Le Murier School, Hautes Capelles Primary School, Guernsey Grammar School, Amherst Primary School, Elizabeth College, Elizabeth College Junior School, The Ladies College, Maylands Day Nursery and Little Bears Nature Pre-School.

The eleventh setting has not been named by the States of Guernsey.

Director of Public Health Dr Nicola Brink said between 800 and 1,000 islanders were currently under compulsory self-isolation.

She added more were doing so voluntarily as a result of having Covid-19 symptoms, as well as being in the Ship and Crown pub or Crow's Nest restaurant between 18 and 22 January.

Dr Brink confirmed that nearly 3,000 tests had been carried out since Saturday.

She said while the rising case numbers were a concern, they were not growing out of control and each new case has fewer contacts to trace as a result of lockdown.

However Dr Brink warned she expected to see more cases and the island was "not out of the woods yet".

"I think we've got to wait another three or four more days to see the efficacy of the lockdown process."

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