Alcohol limits on cards as public gatherings return

Wednesday 15 July 2020

Large public gatherings could make a comeback under strict new rules - including limits on alcohol and international attendees - as Ministers look to approve a move to Level 1 lockdown next week.

While Jersey remains at Level 2, some Level 1 measures have already been introduced, including reducing distancing to just one metre, and allowing pubs and bars to offer a seated drinks-only service.

Next week, the government's key group of scientific advisors (STAC) will be discussing making a full step-down, which will involve the return of public gatherings – something research says can spark large-scale covid transmission.

Guidelines for gatherings of more than 40 people are now being drawn up.

Pictured: International attendees may be restricted from going to large-scale public events.

It's expected that these guidelines will include a requirement for organisers to gather details for contact tracing, while also managing distancing and hygiene.

Access to alcohol may also be limited, and controls may be imposed on international attendees.

All events would still require permission from the Bailiff's Entertainment Panel.

Pictured: Events organisers would be expected to gather details for contact tracing purposes. 

News of the potential return of public gatherings comes after scenes in Soho, London, sparked concerns of a resurgence of covid in the city.

Thousands of revellers gathered in the streets after the Prime Minister announced that pubs could reopen on the first weekend of July.

The Chairman of the UK's Police Federation later said that it was "crystal clear" that drunk people were unable to properly maintain a safe physical distance between themselves.

Britain's police said Sunday that revellers who packed London's Soho district the night pubs finally reopened made it "crystal clear" that drunk people cannot socially distance https://t.co/9S2cipjEzs

— AFP news agency (@AFP) July 5, 2020

Announcing that a shift to Level 1 is now under consideration this morning, Health Minister Deputy Richard Renouf said that the Government of Jersey's aim is "to agree a set of public health measures that enable as much social and business activity as possible, while remaining safe as we learn to live with covid-19".

"We need to be sure that any decision to move through the levels of the Safe Exit Framework is informed by the latest monitoring evidence, so we move only when it is safe to do so," he commented.

"Any changes to events guidelines in the autumn will depend on the prevalence of covid-19 and the risks we face at the time. I hope islanders will understand why it may still be necessary to curtail some of the activities we usually enjoy in a Jersey summer."