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The Government has confirmed the key dates in its plan to reopen Jersey’s borders to travel.
Currently, anyone arriving in Jersey is treated as having come from a ‘red’ zone and must quarantine for at least 10 days and return three negative tests.
But from 26 April, the ‘traffic light’ system will apply to anyone entering Jersey from the British Isles.
All other countries, including Ireland and mainland Europe, will remain ‘red’.
The UK will once again be split into regional tiers. Currently, there are 65 green areas (54 in England and 11 in other devolved nations), 190 amber areas and 126 red areas, though these are likely to change before 26 April.
Video: The changes were announced at a press conference this afternoon.
From 17 May - the same date that people in England will be allowed to go on holiday again - Jersey will begin applying the traffic light system to all jurisdictions, minus those on the UK’s ‘banned’ list.
The threshold for a ‘green’ jurisdiction - meaning isolation until a negative result from an arrival test - will be 50 cases per 100,000.
So-called vaccine passports do not currently feature in the plans, but officials said they may feature in proposals for the summer period, which will also involve reconsideration of the viability of the 'three-test' regime.
Pictured: Vaccine passports do not feature in the spring travel plans, but may feature in those for summer.
We recognise that connectivity with other jurisdictions is a critical issue for many islanders, whether to visit friends, family or to attend to important business matters. So we have developed a phased approach to reconnection, which safeguards our community and our successful vaccination programme, while also relaxing the restrictions for arriving passengers,” the Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré, said.
“More than a year has now passed since we saw our first case in Jersey. People have lost their lives and we have all lost many freedoms, but we are in a good position now. We are moving towards an end to all restrictions and can approach our reconnection strategy with confidence.”
Economic Development Minister Senator Lyndon added that the reintroduction of the ‘Safer Travel Policy’ will not only “bring much needed life to our hotels and restaurants, it also gives islanders the ability to travel again without factoring in a 10-day isolation period on their return home.”
Pictured: How the UK would currently look under the regional classification system.
He continued: “Many islanders have felt isolated during the pandemic, even those with friends and family nearby. So I hope today’s announcement will bring hope to those who have missed family overseas, and to those who want to travel again for their own wellbeing."
Ports of Jersey CEO Matt Thomas commented: “We are pleased that Government has confirmed the conditions are right to ease the travel restrictions in April. We understand just how important it is for so many Islanders to be able to see family and loved ones once more. We are quite sure that the announcement will be very warmly welcomed by our airline and ferry partners, as well as the wider tourism and hospitality industry.
"For Ports of Jersey, it enables us to get back to doing what we do best, as we prepare to welcome back passengers through our gateways over the coming weeks. We will continue to closely follow Government guidelines and travel advice, ensuring appropriate measures are in place to ensure the continuing safety and wellbeing of all of our customers and staff."
Blue Islands, which has been granted a £10m loan by Government to maintain essential connectivity since the beginning of the pandemic, has now confirmed that it will be kickstarting more services across its network from 26 April.
This will include flights from Southampton, Exeter, Bristol and Birmingham.
“Whether it is reuniting with friends and family, or a long-awaited escape, the easing of travel restrictions and aligning with the UK Common Travel Area means we can now look forward to travelling once more. Transport infrastructure plays a vital role in the island’s socio-economic wellbeing. We are delighted to be reconnecting Jersey once again," CEO Rob Veron said.
“This will also be an amazing opportunity to attract new, and welcome previous visitors to the island who want a break that is close to home, but will feel a world away this summer, and we are working closely with Visit Jersey to ensure that Jersey as a visitor destination will be more appealing than ever.”
Pictured: Blue Islands has confirmed it will be stepping up its services from 26 April.
Alongside today's borders announcement, Senator Farnham said he also hoped to bring certain elements of the internal reopening plan forward.
“Given the continued low cases in the islanders, Ministers are asking STAC to look again at our internal reconnection to see which elements can be brought forward sooner. We will update islanders on their decision once it has been made," he said.
Green (fewer than 50 cases per 100,000 population based on a 14-day infection rate): Those entering the island from green zones will have to isolate until they have a negative result from their arrival test.
Amber (between 50 and 119 cases per 100,000 population): Those arriving from amber zones will have to isolate until they have received a Day 5 negative test result.
Red (120 or more cases per 100,000 population): Those arriving from red zones will need to isolate until they have a Day 10 negative test result.
Anyone whose test result is positive will have to isolate for 14 days, in line with Public Health guidance.
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