BBC Radio Guernsey

Image source, Condor Ferries

Condor is to begin redundancy talks with a number of staff based aboard its fast ferries the Rapide and Liberation, due to the financial pressure of the Covid-19 pandemic, bosses have said.

Because they effectively live on board, at sea, they are not covered by furlough arrangements put in place by the States of Guernsey and Jersey.

CEO Paul Luxon said the decision has been made with a heavy heart and the company would try to make the most appropriate arrangements for those affected.

The company added it could not go into detail on the number of staff affected.

Guernsey has had 20 consecutive days with no new Covid-19 cases, the States has said.

Two people still have the virus and eight people are awaiting tests results, it added.

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Sark's annual sheep racing weekend has been cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak.

In a post online, external, organisers said they would not "pull the wool over your eyes" about it not being able to go ahead and they were hoping it would be back in 2021.

Aurigny has reduced its expenditure by £450,000 a month following its decision to cancel all non-lifeline flights until September, Deputy Peter Ferbrache has revealed.

In a statement to States members, the president of the States Trading Supervisory Board said the government-owned airline was saving the money by furloughing staff, reducing wages and cancelling scheduled flights.

Every employee still working has had their pay reduced to 80%, while 170 staff are currently furloughed, Mr Ferbrache said.

He added the airline had made the decision to call off its services for the summer to be fair to its customers, as they couldn't guarantee when border restrictions would be lifted and flights could resume.

Flights to Southampton and Alderney are still running, as these routes are essential for the running of the Bailiwick.

The head of Condor Ferries says he hopes high-speed passenger sailings between Jersey, France and the UK will resume next month.

However, Guernsey sailings will not be included because of ongoing travel restrictions in the island.

Condor stopped all passenger sailings in March following restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. But, with a relaxation of the rules in Jersey, France and the UK, the company's hoping to reintroduce weekly sailings from June: three between Jersey and St Malo and a further two between Jersey and the UK.

Sailings to and from Guernsey are not expected to resume until later in the year when local border restrictions are removed.

But the global crisis has come at a cost for Condor, with a consultation expected soon on plans to reduce crew numbers onboard its high speed vessels, something CEO Paul Luxon described as "unwelcome news" and a decision that's been made with a "heavy heart".

Euan Mahy
BBC Radio Guernsey

Managers at Specsavers' headquarters in Guernsey have done everything they can to avoid job losses, the company's boss has said.

It is one of island's biggest private employers, with more than 500 staff on the payroll. Up to 70 office workers are at risk of redundancy.

In addition, the eye care company said 380 jobs were at risk across the UK.

Specsavers CEO John Perkins said the firm had done everything it could to avoid this situation, including salary cuts and introducing part-time working arrangements.

Deputy Gavin St Pier says the impact of 19 consecutive days with no new cases on the speed of the Bailiwick's exit from lockdown is being considered.

However, he warns no hasty decisions will be made.

BBC Radio Guernsey

Up to 70 support office jobs at Specsavers headquarters in Guernsey are at risk, bosses have said.

The company, which is one of the island's biggest private employer, said it had let staff know they were at risk of redundancy because of a sizeable global downturn in business as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

A further 380 support staff in the UK are affected, although those employed in Specsavers' 900 UK stores are not.

BBC Radio Guernsey

The manager of a recently opened hotel in Alderney says the lockdown has been devastating for them.

The Blonde Hedgehog Hotel, formerly the Rose and Crown, opened in November last year.

General manager Tracey Farquhar-Beck said they were at a critical stage as a company and were trying to save the business and support as many staff as possible after "struggling our way through the winter and early spring and then this happens".

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Construction work on the proposed 100-bedroom Premier Inn development at Admiral Park is going ahead.

Watts Property Consultants, which helps manage the site, said the work was in line with States' guidelines on Covid-19.

The works were able to restart on a limited basis as part of phase two of the exit from lockdown.

But now the island has entered phase three, the site can be fully staffed as long as they keep to 2m (6ft 6in) social distancing and hygiene measures.

No completion date has yet been given.

Image source, PA Media

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The Covid-19 lockdown has interrupted normal life in Guernsey to such an extent that some people have been referred to adult mental health services, the clinical director for mental health and adult disability services has said.

Dr Dominic Bishop said it was not necessarily a fear of the virus but more the sudden loss of all normal routine.

The consultant psychiatrist also said many might struggle to get back to normal life after as the Bailiwick moves out of lockdown.

Dr Bishop said some islanders with high levels of anxiety would have enjoyed the lack of social contact in recent weeks and the longer lockdown went on the harder it would be for some to adjust to normality.

Another day without any new coronavirus cases in Guernsey and another person has recovered.

Just 17 people are awaiting test results.

The annual sea of pumpkins seen in Kings Mills, Guernsey, will be no more.

The owners are retiring so have not planted a crop for this season.

They have put on a display involving the pumpkins every October and sold thousands of pumpkins and squashes annually.

BBC Radio Guernsey

People in the Bailiwick of Guernsey will be encouraged to holiday at home while current Covid-19 lockdown measures continue.

As the opening the island's borders is one of the last stages in the lockdown exit, external, Visit Guernsey said it was working on a campaign with the States to promote so-called stay-cations, to encourage islanders to stay within the Bailiwick and make use of restaurants and hotels on island as soon as they can reopen.

The States said this approach was being taken due to the risks of new clusters of Covid-19 - or a second wave - which could set the island back to the first phase of lockdown.

It also said that "bubbling" with other jurisdictions in the future was being considered, but the other territories would need to be in a similar position to Guernsey with similar controls over their borders.

A survey has found 84% of 601 respondents from Guernsey agree or strongly agree that the island has taken the best exit strategy approach.

Island Global Research found that in comparison, only 38% of 555 people from Jersey felt the same about their island's plan.

When asked about the future, 40% of Jersey respondents think it will take more than 12 months for things to "return to normal".

It compares to 23% of people who feel the same in Guernsey, and 26% of Guernsey residents who believe "normality" will return in three to six months time.

Image source, Island Global Research

Of Jersey respondents, 62% perceive the threat of coronavirus to be high or very high, in comparison to only 44% of Guernsey residents.

Travelling off-island was a particular concern for residents of both Channel Islands, with 45% of people from Jersey and Guernsey answering they would not be comfortable with a trip even when restrictions were lifted.

The Red Cross shop manager is urging islanders to hold on to items until it and other charity shops reopen.

Donations have been left outside the shop, which would have been ruined if it has rained and "dumped at the expense of the charity".

Caroline Edwards urged islanders, especially those having a clear out, to store donations at home until charity shops are up and running again.

The Guernsey Household Waste and Recycling Centre is now accepting more items including general waste, wood and bulky items.

However, all items must be able to be unloaded by those bringing them to the site to ensure social distancing.

Recycling officer Tina Norman-Ross said this was part of the phased reintroduction of services.

"Unfortunately we still can’t receive everything we normally take," she said.

"We think islanders will welcome this, as we know a lot of households have taken the opportunity during the lockdown to have a clear out at home."

• Blue & clear kerbside recycling bags
• Bulky cardboard
• Clothing & shoes
• Domestic appliances
• Food waste
• Furniture (unsuitable for reuse)
• General waste and bulky waste
• Glass bottle and jars
• Inert waste (e.g. bricks, stone, ceramics.)
• Rigid plastics
• Scrap metal
• Small electric items, including computers
• Wood

The usual charges will apply for disposal of general waste, which will be based on £2.50 per black bag charge or equivalent. Staff will only be able to take card payments and contactless transactions are preferred.

Deputy Gavin St Pier has welcomed the news of the continuing lack of new cases of coronavirus in the Bailiwick of Guernsey but says it does not mean accelerating the lockdown exit plan.

As the Bailiwick of Guernsey enters its 18th consecutive day of no new cases of the virus the number of active cases is now four.

The organisers of Alderney Week 2020 have "with great disappointment" announced its cancellation due to the coronavirus lockdown restrictions.

During the week in August, which normally sees visitors flock to the island, they will use social media to showcase events from previous years - and will be asking the community to get involved.

The team hopes the event will return in 2021 "even bigger and better".