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Covid: Guernsey to have fewer restrictions for visitors

EPA Lateral flow testEPA
From 4 October, any traveller from the Common Travel Area into Guernsey will only have to take lateral flow tests

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is to have fewer restrictions for visitors.

Changes would see border rules aligned much more closely with the UK since the pandemic started, the States said.

The Civil Contingencies Authority (CCA) said from 23 September anyone who could prove they were fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna and Jannsen would see fewer restrictions.

From 4 October any traveller from the Common Travel Area will only have to take lateral flow tests, it added.

The CCA said the first set of changes would see anyone with a full course of AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna and Jannsen from all international jurisdictions being eligible to "benefit from reduced restrictions".

Until then it is still only accepting Covid status certificates, so-called vaccine passports, from the Common Travel Area (CTA: the UK, Republic of Ireland, Jersey and the Isle of Man).

The October change would see anyone from the CTA, regardless of vaccination status, treated as a "blue" arrival, it added.

States of Guernsey States of Guernsey graphic about Covid rules changesStates of Guernsey

Travellers classed as "blue" would need to purchase and complete a course of lateral flow tests, but there would be no other restrictions unless they tested positive.

Those who would need to isolate would do so for only 10 days, compared to the current 14, the CCA said.

The bailiwick will apply its highest level of restrictions to arrivals from countries on the UK's red list who have not passed through the UK.

They will need to carry out a self-swab PCR test on arrival and self-isolate until a second PCR test on day nine came back negative.

Travellers from a red-list country who completed a 10-day quarantine in the UK before travelling on would be "blue" arrivals, the CAA said.

Deputy Peter Ferbrache, of the Civil Contingencies Authority, said the changes would mean "even fewer restrictions" but it was "still not travel as it was in pre-Covid times" and it "may be a long time before we get back to that".

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