11 August 2021
Competent Authority Ministers have agreed to remove most of the remaining Covid-19 restrictions and move to Stage 7 of the reconnection plan from Thursday 26 August.
This includes:
- resumption of standing alcoholic drink services
- unlimited numbers of people permitted in homes/gardens
- full reopening of nightclubs, including dancing
- permission for large events, subject to risk assessment
- removal of requirement to wear masks in indoor public places – except in ports and on public transport
- an end to working from home guidance
The legal requirement to provide contact details for track and trace purposes remains in place.
This latest easing of restrictions is part of a move away from Jersey’s suppression strategy, now that 80% of Islanders aged 18 or over have received two doses of the Covid vaccine. This means 80% of adults will be fully vaccinated by Monday 23 August.
Deputy Chief Minister, Senator Lyndon Farnham, said: “I am pleased we can now open up our Island community to the next stage of reconnection, which will provide the welcome return of Islanders’ freedoms. It has been a difficult year, and I hope this will ease the situation for those businesses which have been most severely affected by the prolonged restrictions.
“We have been pursuing a robust suppression strategy, using measures including mask-wearing, working from home, and physical distancing to bring down infection rates. But this came at a cost to our liberty and our way of life.
“Now we are moving into a mitigation phase, which marks a distinct change in the way our Island will deal with the pandemic. 80% of the adult population is fully vaccinated, and we can return to Islanders the freedoms they have missed.
“We will maintain a robust test, trace and isolate system to help control the spread of infection. For now, food and drink premises will still be required, by law, to collect customers’ contact details and we will be speaking to businesses about how we can work with sensible guidelines in bars, nightclubs and large events.
“We will continue to strongly encourage Islanders to be vaccinated, and we are currently working on measures to minimise disruption in schools when they return in September.”
Covid status certificate for travel to France
From this Friday Islanders who have requested an interim digital COVID status certification for travel to France will receive their QR codes via email. The codes will come as a PDF which can be scanned into the approved French app or printed for proof of vaccination status.
The QR codes will be valid for 30 days and should enable travellers to access the shops and restaurants across France which require it. Anyone who requires a code for a longer period will need to apply for a replacement certificate.
Anyone planning to travel to France should contact the Coronavirus Helpline to ask for a digital certificate.
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