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Testing results

This page was last updated on 24 September 2021 at 18.20hrs.

COVID-19 testing and cases

Bailiwick of Guernsey

Samples tested

162,944

Positive results

1,554

Negative results

161,312

Awaiting results*

No. of deaths**

Additional COVID-19 deaths***

Number recovered

1,451

Known active cases

Friday 24 September 2021 - We have 84 (known) active cases of COVID-19 in the Bailiwick as 12 new cases have been found and 8 people have recovered. Of the 84 current active cases, 78 cases are from Guernsey or Sark and 6 cases are from Alderney.

Of the 12 new cases, 7 are symptomatic community cases, 1 is a case identified through return to education surveillance, 3 are contacts of confirmed cases and 1 is travel related.

Since the end of the second wave there have been 733 cases. Of these cases, 259 were unvaccinated, 47 were partially vaccinated, 427 were fully vaccinated.

Post second-wave, four individuals with COVID have sadly died. We currently have 2 cases of COVID-19 in hospital post-second wave, all of which are in Alderney.

As of 24 September, 72 people are currently in isolation as contacts of a positive case. This excludes people that are in self-isolation as a result of inbound travel.

* Awaiting results indicates people who have been swabbed and are awaiting a result as well as people with operations and approved for compassionate travel who are booked several days in advance.

** 4 of the 19 deaths occurred in hospital, excludes one death that was not COVID-19 related.

The 2020 deaths have now been coded by the Office of National Statistics - there were 15 deaths in confirmed COVID-19 cases and a further 2 deaths coded by the ONS as caused by COVID-19 in people who were not confirmed cases.

*** Additional COVID-19 deaths (previously presumptive deaths) have been reduced by one as retrospective review of one of the presumptive deaths concluded that the death was not COVID-19 related.

Positive cases

252 of the positive cases were from the first wave, 58 cases were from between wave one & wave two and 511 cases were from the second wave.

Dates of each wave and number of cases below:

Timing of COVID-19 cases identified	Number of Cases of COVID-19
Wave 1 (9 March – 30 April 2020)	252
Between Wave 1 and 2 (30 April 2020 – 21 January 2021)	58
Wave 2 (22 January – 27 February 2021)	511
Post Wave 2 (27 February until present)	733

Samples Tested

The samples tested number relates to all the sampling and testing activity associated with finding out if a person is positive or negative during ‘one testing episode’

For example - a person who is symptomatic, is swabbed and the test outcome is positive. One is added to ‘samples tested’ and one to ‘positive results’. After two weeks the case is re-swabbed to see if they have cleared their infection. They are negative and deemed recovered. Neither the extra swab nor the new negative result are counted as this relates to the original testing episode which has already registered on our statistics.

Active Cases

Active cases are the total number of cases minus those who have recovered or are deceased.

Re-tests for positive cases

Following an evidence review in October and in light of new WHO guidance, the retest strategy for positive cases has been clarified and is now:

A test on day 10 may be offered
If negative, you may be released from self-isolation and considered recovered if clinically appropriate.
If day 10 positive, a clinical review will take place on day 14
If on day 14 you still have symptoms we will continue to call you regularly and you will be released once Public Health feel you are no longer a risk to the community

All positive cases are offered a test at 10 days after their first positive test result if they have no symptoms of Covid-19 anymore. Some people may be well, but still have a positive test. This is because they may carry parts of the virus in their throats for several weeks. Only whole virus can infect other people, so a positive test at this stage does not necessarily mean that you are “infectious”.

When someone’s Day 10 test is positive, they will remain in isolation and will be called on Day 14 and if they have had no Covid-19 symptoms for a sufficient length of time at that point, then they will be released from isolation as we no longer consider them to be a risk to the community. This is based on recommendations, based on research findings, from the World Health Organisation. If they still have symptoms we will call them every couple of days and only once we are sure that they are fully recovered will we release them from isolation.

Deaths

19 confirmed deaths with underlying cause of COVID-19 – COVID-19 positive on laboratory testing / throat swab. Three of which occurred in hospital. These 16 deaths have been coded and confirmed by the Office for National Statistics.

One additional (previously presumptive) death - not yet coded, these have been reduced by one as retrospective review of one of the presumptive deaths concluded that the death was not COVID-19 related.

Details of deaths registered in Guernsey between 1 January 2010 and 18 April 2020 have been examined by the Health Intelligence Unit, Public Health Services, to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local death registrations from COVID-19 and other causes. The full report can be found in the downloads section on this page.

Further analysis of COVID-19 cases, modelling and efficacy of contact tracing is available in the downloads box below.

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