BBC Radio Guernsey

Image source, Les Babouins 2020

A scarecrow of Dr Nicola Brink, the island's director of public health, has won the island's first virtual scarecrow competition, external.

Nearly 30 entries from across the island were judged in Torteval and voted for online over the weekend in an event put off due to coronavirus.

Organiser Sue Brooks said the 29 "very, very good entries", saw at least one contender from every island parish.

But the winner was the piece Happy Ending by Lesley Bodman, with a portrayal of Dr Brink that Ms Brooks said was "very, very life-like".

BBC Radio Guernsey

Channel Islands Pride 2020 in Guernsey could be the only such event happening within the British Isles, or even the whole of Europe this year because of coronavirus, one of its organisers has said.

It is due to take place on 12 September to celebrate the diverse range of communities in the islands.

Ellie Jones said despite the difficulties the pandemic had caused, it was "super-exciting" to host the Channel Island-wide event in Guernsey for a third time.

Andrew Segal
BBC News

A mural celebrating 40 years of an international woman's organisation working in Guernsey has been painted in St Peter Port.

Guernsey Soroptimists said the mural in the Market arches was "a recreation of the iconic image of Rosie the Riveter from the 1940s" and was a symbol to "demonstrate how we worked together is such a difficult time" during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The organisation has about 80,000 members globally.

Image source, Guernsey Soroptimists

BBC Radio Guernsey

Guernsey will have to learn to live with coronavirus beyond its borders, the island's most senior politician has said.

A decision is yet to be made on when Guernsey will lift or ease external border restrictions.

The island has been in phase five of its lockdown exit for more than six weeks.

Deputy Gavin St Pier said work on when the island would move on to phase six of its lockdown exit strategy, external was ongoing.

He said: "Clearly we have to be able to learn to live with it outside our borders, and how we manage the entry into the community. That clearly has been the challenge as we think about the next stage; and we are continuing to work on plans for how we manage that based on the latest evidence and information."

Meanwhile, the States said on Monday morning the island was continuing to have "no new or (known) active cases of Covid-19".

BBC Radio Guernsey

There has been a rise in the number of drones being flown in restricted areas in the island.

Guernsey Ports, supported by the Director of Civil Aviation for the Channel Islands, has launched a new campaign, external to teach drone users where they can use the devices safely after "an increase in the number of unauthorised drone deployments in restricted areas without prior permission".

The chief operations officer for Guernsey's ports, Ross Coppolo, said the situation needed tackling.

Image source, PA Media

BBC Radio Guernsey

It is too soon to draw any conclusions on a survey of teachers in Guernsey about the future model of local secondary education, the president of the education committee has said

Deputy Matt Fallaize was responding to comments made online by Deputy Neil Inder, who tweeted to say the two-school model, external was now, in his words, "dead".

Mr Inder took to social media, external to respond to media reports that the survey said small secondary schools with up to 800 pupils and a sixth form on one site had emerged as the preferences among teaching staff.

Matt Fallaize said that, until a full review was published, there was no point in speculating.

He said: "I think we should wait until the end of the review. We gave a commitment at the start of the review that we would keep an open mind, and, more than, that we would report back to the States with an objective assessment of all of the models that we proposed for review, and set out enough information in a report that would allow the States to come to an informed view about which model it preferred."

An information pack with details about how to stand in the 2020 Guernsey general election has been made available by the States.

It includes details on the rules and important key dates for those considering standing for election, information on the role of a States member and links to relevant laws all candidates need be aware of.

The pack also contains details of the support available to candidates from the States.

To stand in the election, you have to be on the electoral roll by 21 August and nomination forms are available to download from election2020.gg, external.

There will also be two presentations later this month for those thinking about standing.

A man requiring urgent medical treatment from Sark was transported to Guernsey on Friday.

St John Ambulance's marine ambulance, the Flying Christine 3 was requested, following a 999 call from a member of the public at about 10:45 BST.

The patient had been treated by the Sark doctor, nurse and ambulance crew, before being transferred to the care of the St John paramedic.

Following their return to Guernsey, the patient was then taken to the Emergency Department of the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.

A second call out was made over the weekend, following a request from the Sark doctor on Saturday night for help with a limb injury, St John said.

The marine ambulance left the harbour at about 21:40 and arrived 20 minutes later.

The patient was transferred to the emergency department for further treatment on return.

BBC Radio Guernsey

A 16-year-old girl remains in a critical condition in hospital in Guernsey after taking MDMA.

A second teenager was taken to hospital on Sunday morning, suspected of taking a similar substance, but has since been released.

It is believed both girls had taken MDMA, or ecstacy, in the form of a crystal or rock enclosed in a capsule.

Seven people have been arrested by Guernsey Police in connection to the incidents, six of whom were later released on bail.

Director of Public Health Dr Nicola Brink said she was urging anyone who took a similar substance over the weekend is to seek medical attention.

Risks of taking MDMA include: heatstroke, water intoxication from drinking to much fluid and heart failure, according to the UK's Talk To Frank drugs awareness service, external.

Anyone who bought such a substance at the weekend, and was yet to take it, has been asked to dispose of it safely.