Draft COVID-19 legislation to enable enforcement

16 November 2020

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Richard Renouf will lodge a set of Regulations which will enable the Government to enforce COVID-19 measures by law, if it becomes necessary.

The Minister will be able to issue a range of Orders under each new Regulation to make key COVID-19 protective requirements enforceable by law.

The draft Regulations include:

Draft Covid-19 (Workplace Restrictions) (Amendment) (Jersey) Regulations 202-

• Allow Orders that will require customers to wear masks in some workplaces
• Allow for Orders that will require businesses to take action to restrict the spread of Covid-19, such as collecting contact details from customers.
• Provide for an enhanced enforcement regime for businesses that do not follow the conditions of Orders under this Regulation

Draft Covid-19 (Gatherings) (Jersey) Regulations 202-

• Allow Orders that will limit the number of people who can gather

Draft Covid-19 (Safer Travel - Information and Isolation) (Jersey) Regulations 202-

• Allow Rules (similar to Orders) that will bring the current safer travel guidance into law.

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Richard Renouf said: “Public health guidance, such as the strong recommendation to wear masks in enclosed public places and limiting the size of gatherings, has been in place since April.

“These Regulations form part of a toolkit we can use to make less restrictive measures required by law, which aim to limit the need for further Island wide restrictions like lockdown and limit the spread of COVID-19.

“Monitoring of support and up-take of mask use is underway and if further action is needed to protect the public, by ensuring the strict adherence of measures, these Regulations will enable the issuing of Orders to enforce the guidelines.

“If we all follow the current public health guidance, which at the moment allows for relative freedoms, we can potentially avoid more restrictive measures being implemented.”

This legislation will support increased enforcement under the COVID-19 (Enabling Provisions) (Jersey) Law 2020 which the States Assembly approved in March 2020. 

All Regulations remain in draft until approved by the States Assembly.