BBC Radio Guernsey

The Guernsey Community Foundation has donated £35,000 to a new cancer support centre in Southampton.

The Maggie's Centre, part of a network of centres across the UK run by the Maggie's charity, is being built within the grounds at Southampton General Hospital, where many islanders diagnosed with cancer travel to for specialist treatments.

The centres are specially designed and built in order to be a comfortable environment for patients and their loved ones to either receive emotional support, speak with health professionals, or just have a cup of tea with their relatives.

Jim Roberts, chief executive of the Guernsey Community Foundation, said the new centre would be a real asset to anyone in the bailiwick who received treatment at the hospital’s oncology centre.

Guernsey Police are appealing for witnesses to an assault involving a man and woman on the first night after all non-travel related coronavirus restrictions were lifted.

Officers said the incident on Pier Steps, St Peter Port, took place between 22:12 and 22:17 on Saturday.

The States of Guernsey has released new posters and graphics extolling the health messages of phase five.

While strict social distancing is no longer the key message bailiwick residents are being asked to give each other a bit of space.

Adam Durbin
BBC News Online

Guernsey's States of Deliberation has resumed physically meetings for the first time since they were moved to being held remotely in March to comply with coronavirus lockdown.

Deputies are currently debating reforms to Guernsey's abortion law, external, which would double the gestational time limit to 24 weeks for most abortions and at any point in cases of diagnosed foetal abnormalities.

The changes would also remove the need for two doctors to approve the procedure and allow women to have early term abortions at home.

Pro-choice and anti-abortion campaigners gathered outside the Royal Court ahead of the start of the meeting.

BBC Radio Guernsey

A former Paralympic athlete believes plans in Guernsey to modernise the island's abortion law would affect people like her.

The States is due to debate the Committee for Health and Social Care's (HSC) proposals to update Guernsey's 1997 abortion law.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, who is also a patron of the Guernsey Disability Alliance, said while modernising the law was important, the rights of disabled people also must be protected

She said that "many jurisdictions" allowed the termination of of unborn children with non-fatal disabilities and, "people like me ... would fit into that category".

She said: "There are many diverse opinions out there and the voice of disabled people needs to be part of that discussion."

HSC member Deputy Rhian Tooley, said striking a balance between a woman's right to choose and protecting those with disabilities was challenging.

HSC said the proposals looked to improve clarity in the existing law, ensuring it remained evidence-based and demonstrated good medical practice. It also aimed to "protect and promote" the health and safety of women.

BBC Radio Guernsey

Alderney Week in 2020 will be going ahead, organsiers have said.

After it was announced social distancing would no longer be required as part of phase five of the bailiwick's lockdown exit, organisers have said Alderney Week is "definitely happening".

The event will start on Cavalcade Day – Monday 3 August – and finish on Saturday 8 August, with the traditional Torchlight Procession.

Organiser Ronnie Cairnduff said he and his team were looking forward to welcoming other Channel Islanders and anybody outside the bailiwick who was able to come to the island - while adhering to current travel and quarantine restrictions.

This year's theme is "The 1920s" and all events will be free to attend.

Eighty years ago this week the residents of Alderney were leaving the island as part of a mass evacuation ahead of the expected German invasion of the Channel Islands.

On Sunday, 23 June, 1940, the majority of islanders left their homes with just what they could carry.

Although he was only five at the time John Simonet remembers sleeping in a school hall in Weymouth and seeing his first train.

After some time in Glasgow the family went to Yorkshire for his father to take up an offer of a job.

• Evacuation memories: 'Last minute shopping before leaving'
• Evacuation memories: 'Thankful to those who took us in'

With the success of the German armed forces in Europe in 1940 the Channel Islands were under threat.

As well as the decision to demilitarise the islands it was decided to evacuate the whole population of Alderney - except a handful of people - to England.

Hira Moore remembers her sister Beda was offered a place with a foster family but she would not go without her.

She said: "It was brace of the English people really, as they didn’t know us, we could have been little horrors - perhaps we were!"

Later their parents joined them in Green Mount, near Bury in Lancashire, and they moved into a house together.

• Evacuation memories: 'Farmers had to put down animals'
• Evacuation memories: 'Thankful to those who took us in'

Beda Thompson, who was 12 at the time of the evacuation of Alderney 80 years ago this week, still remembers leaving and the days that followed clearly.

Islanders were told to leave as invasion of the islands by the German armed forces was expected after the Allied forces had been forced out of mainland Europe.

The foster family she was living with in Green Mount, near Bury in Lancashire, heard from her father about an empty house in the village.

Beda, her sister Hira, her parents, her grandfather, two cousins, her aunt and uncle and her aunt’s sister all moved into this one house.

She said the house was completely empty but the villagers supplied everything they needed including beds, linen, tables, knives and forks.

• Evacuation memories: 'Farmers had to put down animals'
• Evacuation memories: 'Last minute shopping before leaving'

An 'air-bridge' between Guernsey and the Isle of Man is still under discussion between the two jurisdictions, Deputy Gavin St Pier has said.

The President of the Policy and Resources Committee said both governments supported the idea "on a political level", but the practicality of the move remained under consideration.

Director of Public Health Dr Nicola Brink said she was "confident" in the levels of data published by the Isle of Man.

"I think you have to be happy with their testing rate, with the laboratory services, with their contact tracing and so on," she said.

She added the Isle of Man had demonstrated a similar strategy to that of Guernsey.

Tourism's peak summer season has been "largely lost" already, according to Deputy Gavin St Pier.

Last week the States announced funding targeted at aiding the industry would be extended until the end of September.

Deputy St Pier said it was "unlikely" the sector could recover this season "even if we take away all border controls tomorrow".

His comments follow the news that some travellers could see their mandatory quarantine period cut to seven days.

Deputy St Pier said the States would continue to "support" the industry as best they could.

Guernsey could be the only jurisdiction pursuing a seven-day quarantine period, the director of Public Health has said.

Dr Nicola Brink said she was "not aware" of any other countries that had also trialed it.

The States announced the pilot scheme, which could cut the quarantine period for some travellers from 14 days to seven, dependent on them returning a negative test result on day seven.

Dr Brink said the initiative relied on the idea that "small is beautiful", making contact-tracing easier within the island.

"Our unique geographical position and our unique smallness makes introducing such a programme feasible," she said.

Aurigny has welcomed news of a trial that may see arrivals released after seven days of self-isolate rather than 14 days.

The airline said since the initial ban on all but essential travel and the subsequent mandatory 14-day self-isolation, travel to and from the island has reduced to a very low level.

It is currently only operating "lifeline services" to Southampton and Alderney.

Mr Darby said: "It will be a good opportunity to see what underlying demand there is for travel both to and off the island and is a positive step towards phase six."

In addition to the current daily lunchtime service to and from Southampton an extra evening return flight will operate four days a week from 6 July.

Aurigny said it continues to adhere to strict hygiene procedures and those travelling will be required to wear a mask.

Passengers on services from 6-10 July will be asked to take part in the trial.

A pilot testing scheme in Guernsey will provide data on how many positive cases of coronavirus are entering the island, the director of Public Health has said.

At present, anyone entering the island is required to self-isolate for a period of 14 days.

Under the pilot scheme arrivals could leave self-isolation on day eight if they returned a negative test result.

Dr Nicola Brink said: "If we test over 1,000 people, and say for example 100 come up positive, we'll say 'that doesn't look good', and then we can have justification for going back to a 14-day self-isolation period."

She added a lack of positive results could also allow the island to fully implement a reduced quarantine period.

Arrivals could be released early from self-isolation if they return a negative test result.

The States of Guernsey "has a duty" to protect islanders against both the physical and mental health implications of the coronavirus crisis, Dr Nicola Brink has said.

The director for Public Health said these principles influenced the decision to try to reduce the quarantine period for some travellers arriving in the island.

Under a pilot scheme, a limited number of people could be released from self-isolation after seven days if they return a negative test result.

Dr Brink said the scheme had also been approved by a range of health professionals from the island's Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell (STAC).

She said: "It was really important that we had proper governance associated with the decision-making process".

Deputy Gavin St Pier has said Guernsey "will not" be reopening its borders just yet.

The chairman of the Civil Contingencies Authority said a "cautious and conservative" approach had served the island well, and had allowed it to reopen its economy "so much earlier than other places".

He said the island had to assume there will "never be" a vaccine in order to move forward, ensuring residents could "learn to live with the coronavirus".

It follows the announcement of a pilot testing scheme being launched for some travellers arriving in the island.

Mr St Pier said policy-makers had received legal advice about acting "proportionally" to the threat of the coronavirus, and asked islanders to "trust us".

It means the States are obliged to implement a less restrictive set of quarantine rules if there is sufficient evidence to support the method.

Condor Ferries has announced it will operate sailings on two dates in July between Poole and Guernsey.

It forms part of a pilot scheme launched by the States of Guernsey that could allow travellers arriving on specified services to quarantine for seven days, rather than 14.

The sailings will depart on 5 and 8 July with a reduced number of 250 passengers and social distancing measures in place, Condor said.

Everyone travelling on the services will be required to wear face masks, and check-in times will be extended.

In addition food and drinks outlets on board the ferries will operate as self-service with card payments only.

Executive director of operations Elwyn Dop said: "We are aware that there are a number of people who really need to get to the UK, regardless of the requirement to quarantine on return, now that non-essential travel is allowed.

"It is for this reason that we have been in dialogue with Public Health and the States to put on these very specific sailings and allow those passengers to travel."

A pilot scheme in Guernsey is being launched which could reduce the required quarantine period for travellers arriving in the island from 14 to seven days.

Between 5 and 10 July a limited number of people will be tested for Covid-19 on day seven of their arrival, the States said.

Those who test negative will be released from self-isolation on day eight, or as soon as the result is returned.

The pilot will test the "effectiveness" of the scheme before the States makes a decision on its full implementation.

A maximum of 1,376 people arriving on "a limited and specified number of Condor Ferries and Aurigny services" will be allowed to take part, the States said.

Those released early from self-isolation will be subject to "passive surveillance" and will have to limit their contact with other people as much as possible between days eight and 14.

The States said data showed 80% of coronavirus cases would be identified after seven days.

Director of Public Health Dr Nicola Brink said reducing the period from 14 days to seven for negative individuals would also help to reduce the harmful effects of isolation on people's mental health.

She said: "We know that 14 days of self-isolation is a big ask for some people, with some reporting to me that particularly in the second week of self-isolation, it is affecting their mental wellbeing.

"We need to balance the risks of the virus with the other health impacts on individuals."

BBC Radio Guernsey

Sark and Alderney are experiencing an increase in tourism demand from Guernsey.

The past weekend was busy for both islands, according to their tourism directors.

But both are experiencing weekend peaks, with demand slipping during the week.

The challenge is to entice people to stay for longer, or to consider midweek breaks, both said.