21 August 2020
Statistics compiled by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), when compared with the Government of Jersey’s statistics, show that Jersey has one of the highest levels of testing for COVID-19 in Europe.
For week 33 (August 10-16), the Island’s testing rate per 100,000 population is 9,400, and the jurisdiction with the closest testing rate is Luxemburg at 5,340.
Jersey was also found to have one of the lowest COVID-19 test positivity rates at just 0.1%. The positivity rate indicates the number of tests required before a positive case is found. The significantly high testing rate in Jersey, combined with the low positivity rate, demonstrates the very low levels of virus currently in the Island.
The Deputy Medical Officer of Health, Dr Ivan Muscat, said: “As part of our response to the pandemic we have implemented one of the most robust arrivals and non-travel testing programmes in Europe. The results can now be seen in the comparison of statistics from the ECDC, which show that Jersey is top of the testing league table.
“Countries with a low testing rate and high positivity rate are often concentrating on testing clusters. We are testing almost everyone at our borders and we undertake repeat testing of health care workers and other individuals, in addition to the ongoing testing of those seeking healthcare.
“The number of people seeking healthcare due to COVID-like symptoms remains very low. So in essence we are actively going out searching for virus in asymptomatic individuals at the border and elsewhere to prevent spread, over and above the continued testing of those with possible COVID symptoms.”
Countries with the highest testing rate reported by ECDC:
| Country | Testing rate | Positivity rate |
| Jersey | 9,400 | 0.1 |
| Luxembourg | 5,340 | 1.0 |
| Denmark | 3,718 | 0.5 |
| Malta | 3,149 | 2.0 |
| Cyprus | 2,631 | 0.4 |
| United Kingdom | 1,769 | 0.7 |
Countries with the lowest positivity rate reported by ECDC:
| Country | Testing rate | Positivity rate |
| Jersey | 9,400 | 0.1 |
| Finland | 1,267 | 0.2 |
| Latvia | 630 | 0.2 |
| Cyprus | 2,631 | 0.4 |
| Estonia | 615 | 0.5 |
| Denmark | 3,718 | 0.5 |
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