The Bailiwick of Guernsey has achieved consistent, sustained control of the virus that causes COVID-19, but it remains vulnerable to re-introduction, particularly while surrounding jurisdictions are experiencing high prevalence rates of infection.
The testing programme for travellers has been developed to mitigate the risk of reintroduction of COVID-19 with the dual aims of:
- Detecting more infections in travellers before they can be spread to the community; and
- Achieving early detection of any escaped cases/clusters, which can be targeted with the test/trace/isolate processes to interrupt any ongoing transmission and snuff out outbreaks before they lead to widespread community transmission.
To help find and extinguish any ‘missed’ infections and thereby stop the virus taking hold in the islands, end of isolation testing on Day 13 is being offered to travellers. This is to detect late presenting infections and is in line with ECDC guidance.
Everyone arriving from Category 4 regions and countries is now required to self-isolate until they have received a negative result from a day 1 and a day 13 test. If you decline a day 1 or a day 13 test, you will have to self-isolate for 21 days. Those who choose to self-isolate with someone who has travelled to the Bailiwick will also have to adhere to the same requirement.
If anyone in your household does not agree to have a Day 13 test or, having agreed, does not have a Day 13 test, the whole household must continue to self-isolate until the end of the 21 day period, even if some members of the household receive a negative result from their Day 13 test.
If you are self-isolating with other people in your household, you will need to complete an online form which can be found at www.gov.gg/isolatetogether. This is to ensure that everyone is registered and offered a day 13 test.
Children under 12 who travel from a Category 4 country or region will also have to be tested on day 13 if they intend to return to a school, pre-school, childcare or nursery setting before 21 days of self-isolation are up.
Where a household have decided to self-isolate together, children can only return to a school pre-school or nursery setting once ALL members of that household bubble have received a negative test result from a test undertaken on day 13 or later.
These changes are applicable to all those who arrived from 8th December and are currently in self-isolation.
You will be called by the Scheduling Team to arrange a test either at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital or the Mignot Memorial Hospital in Alderney. You do not need to call the team to arrange this for yourself.
Any breach of the Bailiwick's self-isolation rules can result in a fine of up to £10,000.
Those who receive a negative day 13 test result can leave self-isolation immediately, though those tested as part of a family or group will have to wait for each member to receive a negative test result. Conditions of participation will be provided to those who take part.
Whilst there is benefit to travellers of taking a day 13 test, it presents a significant benefit to the community by picking up late presenting infections before the end of the 14 day self-isolation period.
Please note that Critical Workers must follow the requirements set out in their exemption paperwork. This may include additional COVID tests.