BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey could relax Covid-19 restrictions further after a meeting next week.

Ministers said they were considering moving to level one of the Safe Exit Framework, external, depending on advice from health experts.

For example, they are looking at whether they could allow gatherings of more than 40 people.

But they said such a move was "likely to require organisers to manage safe distancing and hygiene, to enable contact tracing, to limit access to alcohol, and to impose tight controls on international attendees".

All public events would continue to require bailiff’s panel approval, they added.

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey still needs to be cautious when allowing visitors into the island after sailings and flights resumed last week, a States minister has said.

Deputy John Young said he wanted to introduce stricter testing and quarantine rules, but accepted compromises in the States.

New rules say that people arriving in the island by air or by sea cannot visit vulnerable islanders in hospitals or care homes until they have tested negative for coronavirus.

And visitors will not be allowed to visit the prison right away either.

Deputy Young said while it was important to allow travel to and from the island, Jersey needed to keep itself free from infection.

BBC Radio Jersey

More than 200 people approached Jersey's States needing help with emergency accommodation during the coronavirus pandemic.

Officers are working through 55 cases of people living in temporary housing at the moment, and 16 more who are waiting for social housing.

The figures do not include numbers from the Shelter Trust in Jersey, or the Women's Refuge.

Neville Benbow, chairman of Jersey's Shelter Trust, said it could take a while before the island saw the full effects of coronavirus.

BBC Radio Jersey

The States has been told a community scheme will continue to help Jersey people who might not feel ready to leave their homes.

Connect Me is an online service run by the States, which matches islanders with services such as food deliveries, medical supplies, and dog walking.

It follows further questions from Deputy Jess Perchard in the States this week about how ministers planned to support vulnerable islanders who would have to keep isolating for health reasons.

Two people in Jersey who have tested positive for Covid-19 have developed symptoms, according to new government figures, external.

One person has recovered from the virus, taking the total number of active cases to eight.

However, on Monday all nine cases were asymptomatic, which has now fallen to six.

Neither of the newly symptomatic patients are being cared for in the hospital.

Companies registered in Jersey must provide information about their ownership and shareholders to the island's financial regulator, following a change to the law.

The States Assembly approved new regulations, external which have created a definition of "beneficial ownership" of companies registered in the island, information which will be provided to the Jersey Financial Services Commission.

The changes were made to bring Jersey in line with an international recommendation, external seeking to prevent the "misuse of legal persons" for money laundering or terrorist financing.

The inter-governmental Financial Action Task Force recommendation 24 was released in 2012.

It advises that jurisdictions should ensure there is "adequate, accurate and timely information on the beneficial ownership and control of legal persons" which can be "obtained or accessed in a timely fashion by competent authorities".

The fine for Jersey drivers if children under 14 are not wearing a seatbelt has been increased to up to £1,000 by the States Assembly.

The proposals , externalalso broaden the circumstances in which children must wear seatbelts, as well as requiring passengers on buses and coaches to wear them.

There are some exemptions to the new rules, including taxi drivers or classic cars who do not have the required seatbelts available.

New arrivals in Jersey have been banned from visiting the hospital or care homes for their required period of self isolation, or until they have received a negative test result for the virus.

Arrivals will also be banned from visiting the prison, or anyone at high risk of Covid-19, until they test negative.

The changes come as part of an amendment to the island's open border policy, external, which originally sought to require all arrivals to self-isolate until they test negative for the virus.

However, a successful revision by the Chief Minister John Le Fondre means that the self-isolation period will only be enforced for arrivals from jurisdictions classified as "amber" or "red" by the government, external.

Arrivals from these areas must continue to self-isolate for five and 14 days respectively, regardless of their test results, which is already the government's policy.

Anyone arriving from a "green" area will have to wait until their test result to visit the vulnerable, but will not be required to self-isolate.

People who cannot be tested on arrival at the ports due to testing capacity issues must self-isolate until they can be tested.

The proposed changes also require those self-isolating to travel directly to their declared accommodation.

Ministers must also issue guidance to transport operators and accommodation providers to ensure those self-isolating can travel to and quarantine safely, including the wearing of masks during transit.

Antibody testing of nearly 8,000 essential workers in Jersey has found that about 4% were positive for Covid-19 antibodies, the government has revealed.

More than half of those who tested positive had reported no symptoms of coronavirus, it added.

The findings of the report, external are:

• 300 out of 7,850 essential workers tested returned a positive antibody result
• 160 of those with a positive result reported no symptoms

• No differences were shown between male or female samples, or between different age groups
• No correlation of infection rate with the number of days worked
• No significant differences between different sectors

Deputy medical officer of health Dr Ivan Muscat said the survey was "designed to provide a snapshot" of infection in key groups "considered to be at higher risk of exposure".

He added: "We have found that more than half of those with a positive result for the presence of antibodies reported no symptoms.

"This information is in keeping with recent estimates of asymptomatic infection in other jurisdictions."

The States Assembly has approved a proposed "enhancement" of the Government of Jersey's Covid-19 communications strategy.

Among the directions given to ministers are:

• Publishing a dedicated page on the government's website with the membership, minutes, evidence used and recommendations given by the Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell (Stacc)
• Providing Stacc meeting's minutes, membership, appointment processes, evidence considered, data and recommendations to scrutiny panels
• Restricting the government officials authorised to attend Stacc meetings to those with responsibility for "scientific, technical, health or medical matters, or people invited by the chair to assist with a specific matter"
• The results of the government's ‘Test, Track and Trace’ programme be published and updated on a weekly basis online, alongside any recommended self-isolation periods for positive Covid-19 results and new arrivals awaiting test results
• A weekly press conference, briefing or engagement should be held, including by the Chief Minister, other ministers, government officials and technical experts

These steps must be put in place by 1 August.

The regulation of private coronavirus testing in Jersey has been approved by the States Assembly.

The proposals, external grant health officials powers to inspect the premises and testing process at any private facility against set standards published by the medical officer of health, Dr Susan Turnbull.

Among these powers is the inspector having a test done on themselves, entry to business premises without a warrant, and seizing documents, samples or equipment from the facility.

A warrant will be required to enter any private residence suspected of conducting Covid-19 testing or containing relevant evidence, if consent to enter is refused or likely to be rejected.

Obstruction of an investigation has been made a criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to £10,000 and a six-month prison sentence.

They also require the facilities to immediately notify Dr Turnbull of any positive test results, or if there is a "reasonable cause to suspect that that person is so infected or contaminated" with Covid-19.

A fine of up to £1,000 can be imposed for failing to notify of any confirmed coronavirus case.

Jersey's Island Wide Rate property tax have been fixed at 2019 levels for this year, following the States Assembly approving a freeze on the automatic annual increases.

The policy was introduced to match the decision to not increase parish rates over the same period.

An average family will only gain around £4 a month from the change and it will cost the Government of Jersey £360,000 in revenue for 2020, members were told.

The proposal explained that while the freeze would not "significantly help islanders in financial distress", the loss of income would also not "significantly deprive the public purse" of funds to help them.

It said: "It does, however, synchronise the approach of the parishes and the government towards the rates charges and further reinforces the States Assembly’s commitment to support Islanders as Jersey works its way out of the pandemic."

Jersey's States Assembly has narrowly voted to rework the order paper and examine coronavirus legislation before other business.

The change means members will first examine proposals addressing:

• The freezing of Island Wide Rates for 2020
• Regulating private testing
• Improving the Government of Jersey's communication strategy
• Amending the government's open border and testing regime

BBC Radio Jersey

A Jersey vicar says the island is facing an "emotional health crisis", and should not turn a park next to his church into the island's new hospital.

Mark Barrett, from St Andrew's Church, was speaking after St Andrew's Park was named on the shortlist of sites for the project.

He said while he recognised the need for a new hospital, Jersey people needed open green spaces for their physical and mental well-being, and neither St Andrew's, nor the People's Park - which has also been put forward again as a possible site - should be used.

He said "open spaces are our friends" and he'd seen more outdoors gyms than before in the park because "people just want to get out".

John Baker, of the Jersey Action Group, which protested in 2016 against the People's Park being used for such a site, said he would start up the group's campaign again if the States did not take it off the new shortlist.

Senator Lyndon Farnham said he regretted that the People's Park was included in the list, but the island now needed to get on with choosing a site if the project was to be finished by its expected date of 2026.

He said the process of looking for new sites had been very important in making sure the right place was finally chosen, that each place on the list had its merits and its drawbacks, and would have to be considered carefully.

However, the senator also said St Andrew's Park might present particular difficulties because it would be very hard to replace it with another green space.

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey representatives will meet officers in France on Wednesday in the hope of restarting ferry sailings to St Malo.

Crossings have been cancelled in recent weeks due to industrial action by stevedores at the French port.

External Relations Minister Ian Gorst said his team had been speaking to French officials.

Ferry company Condor said it was frustrated at the industrial action, and it hoped a new stevedore company could be found as soon as possible.

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey's government has spent £358,000 on accommodation for key workers who needed to isolate since the island's Covid-19 lockdown began.

Treasury Minister Susie Pinel said staff who had to stay away from other people in their household, who had recently arrived from the UK, or who were confirmed or suspected of having the virus, were offered rooms in hotels.

She said the States' Commercial Services Team chose hotels based upon a number of factors, including how much they cost, and how far they were from the hospital.

She has promised to send States members a list of all the hotels that were used.

BBC Radio Jersey

The constable of St Helier has revealed he was surprised the People's Park was included in the shortlist of locations for the island's new hospital, given it was explicit ruled out by the States in 2019.

Simon Crowcroft criticised the move to include it among the five sites under consideration, and also wants States members to rule out using St Andrew's Park, near first Tower - which also features on the list.

He said he had only found out the two town parks where to be included in the shortlist on Friday.

Constable Crowcroft said people he had heard from were really "angry, upset and concerned" with the announcement and asking him how a States decision could be overturned "little more than a year later".

"Is nothing sacred in this island?" he added.

BBC Radio Jersey

The Jersey hospital department that helps couples with fertility problems is to reopen next week after a closure due to covid-19.

Consultations will restart at the Assisted Reproduction Unit from Monday, 20 July.

The health minister said all the services offered before the lockdown would once again be available to patients.

Andrew Segal
BBC News

Partners of pregnant women can again accompany them for scans at the Jersey General Hospital maternity unit after a review of guidelines for visitors, health bosses have said.

The unit said the review had been carried out "following the low rate of infection and the subsequent easing of Covid-19 measures".

Partners could accompany women "while adhering to safety measures", including both being asked to wear masks, staff said.

However, partners were still unable to attend other antenatal appointments for the time being "due to physical distancing guidelines within the clinic", they added.

Restrictions would "continue to be reviewed as Jersey moves into level one of the Safe Exit Framework", the unit said.

Four people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Jersey since Friday, the island's government has revealed.

This takes the total number of active cases to nine, all of whom are asymptomatic.

Two of the new cases were found by the border testing programme at either the airport or the ports, with the others tested in the community.