Adam Durbin
BBC News

Extending the air-bridge between Guernsey and the Isle of Man will "ultimately be a commercial decision" for Aurigny, Deputy Gavin St Pier said.

He confirmed that the States had "regular dialog" with the Isle of Man government and public health service over their "direction of travel" in terms of plans for relaxed self-isolation requirements for arrivals.

Mr St Pier said: "At this stage no firm decisions have been made about it continuing.

"Clearly socially the experience has been positive and I think there is a desire to try and do so if it's possible and there's a market there."

Adam Durbin
BBC News

Guernsey's health authorities are looking into reducing the cost of flu vaccines this autumn and winter, Deputy Heidi Soulsby announced.

She confirmed the charge isn't for the vaccine itself, but for the administration of the jab and making it free was being considered.

Deputy Gavin St Pier said the background of coronavirus in the flu season this year may "change the dynamic about where the cost burden should sit" from the individual to the government.

Adam Durbin
BBC News

Guernsey's Civil Contingencies Authority is looking into charging arrivals for their tests at the border in order to fund the programme, Deputy Heidi Soulsby said.

It is expected to cost £3.7m over six months, as well as £600,000 to build the testing facilities at the airport and harbour.

She added the final decision would be made nearer the time of the programme's introduction and the Civil Contingencies Authority would be guided by the States of Guernsey.

Asked whether the added cost of a test would deter islanders from travelling, Deputy Soulsby said people would likely need to factor it into the cost of leaving the island.

She confirmed the issue of affordability was part of their decision making over whether and how much the States would charge for the tests.

Deputy Gavin St Pier said the cost of testing was one of the "trade-offs" as part of relaxing self-isolation requirements.

He said: "As we go forward we've got to think about where it is reasonable for that burden to rest.

"Does it rest entirely on taxpayers? Does it rest entirely on travellers? Is there a fair share between the two?

"Ultimately those are political decisions that do require some thought."

Adam Durbin
BBC News

On-arrival "surveillance" testing will be conducted under a supervised self-swabbing procedure, Guernsey's director of Public Health Dr Nicola Brink has announced.

People will use dedicated booths in the new facilities at the airport and harbour and take a sample themselves.

There will be instructional videos available before travel and leaflets on arrival to assist people with administering the procedure, Dr Brink said.

She said: "There will be people there supervising the swabbing.

"That'll allow us to process 1,000 or so passengers coming into the island on a daily basis."

This self-swabbing programme at the border is "about 10% less sensitive" than tests taken by a healthcare worker, which will still be used on symptomatic patients as they are a greater threat to community transmission, Dr Brink confirmed.

She added the programme had been designed to be "sustainable" that would last for months and "sustain high volumes" of arrivals.

Adam Durbin
BBC News

The new border testing will take place in purpose built facilities at the airport and harbour terminals and on the East Arm of North Beach, the States of Guernsey has revealed.

The East Arm facility will be for car passengers arriving by ferry and will mean part of the car park will be unavailable.

Work will begin on 1 September and will mean 49 spaces will be blocked off for the duration of construction, Deputy Gavin St Pier said.

Once this is complete the majority of parking spaces will be returned for public use until the facility becomes operational.

However, once it is in use there will be a loss of of between 107 and 175 parking spaces, depending on how busy the facility is.

Alternatives for this loss of capacity are being reviewed by the States, Mr St Pier added.

Adam Durbin
BBC News

The arrival of equipment to increase Guernsey’s on-island testing to a capacity to more than 2,000 tests a day has been delayed to the end of September, the States has announced.

It was ordered in July, but the manufacturer has had to delay its arrival.

More skilled staff are being recruited, while others are undergoing training to allow the increase of up to 2,000 tests being processed a day, the States added.

This will be followed by a process of commissioning and testing the new equipment before it can be used in practice.

The testing of travellers in Phase 5c for a six-month period is forecast to cost approximately £4.3m, including £600,000 to set up the facilities.

Director of Public Health Dr Nicola Brink said the need to test on day seven remained "important" as it will allow us to "identify the vast majority" of people who may have contracted Covid-19 "before or during their travel to Guernsey".

She said: "But the additional mitigations mean we can feel more confident that they do not need to also self-isolate for the entirety of that time, as we can use our contact tracers more effectively to locate any contacts and prevent the spread of the virus."

Adam Durbin
BBC News

Islanders should not assume the move to more relaxed self-isolation requirement in Guernsey is "imminent", Deputy Heidi Soulsby said.

She emphasised the Civil Contingencies Authority had not decided on a date to make the move to Phase 5c.

Mrs Soulsby said: "Depending on how things develop in the UK, France and elsewhere, it may be some time before we do that.

"We want islanders to understand the model that will form our next step, but not to assume it is imminent."

"As soon as we can we will move to 5c, we will let [the public] know," she added.

Adam Durbin
BBC News

The move to shorter self-isolation requirements for those arriving in Guernsey will make travel a "much more viable option for many of us" said the Chairman of the Civil Contingencies Authority Gavin St Pier.

He said: "We are mindful that Phase 5c does increase the risks of Covid-19 returning to our bailiwick.

"The mitigations which will be put in place mean that increased risk is as small as it can be, but we must still be confident that it is an acceptable risk before we make any change."

No date has yet been announced for the move to self-isolation until a negative test has been received for those arriving from Group B countries.

However, Deputy St Pier acknowledged the move was "partly dependent on the situation in jurisdictions around us" like France and the UK, which are currently not showing "signs of improving".

"At this very moment, these do not show signs of improving.

"But things may change, this pandemic has shown that can happen very quickly, and by having everything ready for Phase 5c, we will be able to respond just as quickly when the time is right," he added.

Ben Chapple
BBC News

Guernsey's Civil Contingencies Authority is setting out the planning and systems that will be in place to allow travellers from countries with lower infection rates to be released from self-isolation after a negative result from a coronavirus test done on arrival.

However, the authority is making it clear no date has been set and it does not mean a move to this phase is "imminent".

Chairman Deputy Gavin St Pier said a week's notice would be given to help travel operators with the change.

Kit needed for the improved testing is not due to arrive until the last week of September.

Travellers from countries with higher infection rates will still face 14 days in self-isolation.

Ben Chapple
BBC News

Some travellers to Guernsey will only face self-isolation until they receive a negative coronavirus test under the next stage of border rules relaxation.

Travellers from Group A countries, those with the highest infection rates, will have to take a test on arrival as well as self-isolating for 14 days.

This test aims to pick up any active cases so their contacts can be traced.

Those from Group B countries will be tested on arrival and will be allowed to leave isolation once a negative result is returned.

The results are expected to take 24-48 hours and they will take a further test seven days after arrival.

Once released they will be subject to passive follow up until two weeks have passed.

For those travelling via the Isle of Man air bridge the only change will be a requirement to register 48 hours before travelling, in common with all travellers.

No date has been set for a move to what is known as Phase 5c.

Claire Gilbody-Dickerson
BBC News

The Policy and Finance Committee has said the decision to undertake an investigation into Isle of Sark shipping company reflects the will of residents.

The committee had called for the board to stand down earlier this week but following a meeting with councillors on Thursday it decided to put the bid on hold pending further review.

"We sincerely hope that the board of Sark Shipping, the Policy and Finance and Harbours Shipping and Pilotage committees can move forward constructively to secure our lifeline service, return to service the vessels currently out of service and develop a robust financial structure within the company," a statement reads.

BBC Radio Guernsey

A move to sack the board of the Sark Shipping company has been withdrawn.

Earlier this week, the island's Policy and Finance Committee called for the board to step down.

But following a meeting on Thursday night, it has been decided an independent review will be carried out before any decision is made.

Former Isle of Sark Shipping Director Julie Mann has been made a non-executive director with immediate effect.

Flights to Alderney have been cancelled on Friday and Sunday by a crew shortage, Aurigny has announced.

The said all customers will be offered a full refund or an alternative journey on specially chartered boats.

For Dornier flights to run safely and operate in accordance with regulations, a first officer and captain conduct each flight, the airline said.

A spokeswoman said a "catalogue of events" had left Aurigny with a shortage of first officers.

The airline said these events included:

• Crew in quarantine following essential training overseas
• An unexpected resignation
• Unable to use UK contractors due to quarantine restrictions
• Covid-related delays in training of newly recruited pilots
• Pilots flying the maximum permitted hours

It added that the above circumstances were "just about manageable" but a crew has been signed off sick and is unable to fly this week.

Aurigny described the cancellation as "regrettable" and apologised to any customers disrupted by the cancellations.

BBC Radio Guernsey

An Alderney politician says the island is "suffering" because of uncertainty over its future air links.

Calls have been made for more clarity on a contract for a new airline operator, which has been out to tender since October 2018.

Steve Roberts said there has been a lack of urgency to manage the island's situation.

He said there was a "great opportunity" to sort the situation out when a new Guernsey States Assembly is elected in October.

Adam Durbin
BBC News

Detail about the relaxation of self-isolation requirements for arrivals in Guernsey, known as phase 5C, has been published by the States, external.

The three-tier classification of countries into groups A, B and C based on their coronavirus infection rates remain.

Once the rules are relaxed, those coming from group B jurisdictions will only be required to wait for a negative result from a test on arrival - expected to take between 24 and 48 hours - to leave self-isolation.

While they can leave isolation it is replaced with something called passive surveillance until two weeks has passed since their arrival.

Passive surveillance requires them to report any symptoms they feel, no matter how mild, so they can be tested again and asks they limit their contact with people during the period.

A second test will be administered on the seventh day following their arrival in Guernsey, the States said.

Group B arrivals are currently required to quarantine for one week and carry out passive surveillance for a further week.

However, no date for implementing the new phase has been agreed, the States emphasised.

Two weeks self-isolation will still be required from the most risky group A jurisdictions, while there is no quarantine at all from areas determined safe and in group C (currently just the Isle of Man).

Rebecca Thorn
BBC News

Three independent appointments will oversee the review of Guernsey's secondary education review, the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture has announced.

A successful requete lodged in January stopped work on the one school, two sites model put forward by the committee.

As part of the pause-and-review, the committee said it would involve "several respected independent voices" in the process.

Advocate Peter Harwood, who was formerly Chief Minister and is currently a non-States member of the Scrutiny Management Committee, will act as the independent overseer.

Phil Eyre, Founder of Leaders Consultancy and managing director of The Learning Company, will work as an "independent facilitator", to help run meetings and workshops with teachers, school support staff and union representatives.

Finally, Peter Marsh Consulting will act as the independent specialist in education.

Deputy Matt Fallaize, President of the committee, said the appointees were people of "quality and integrity" who would bring "considerable independence" to the review.

Rebecca Thorn
BBC News

Staff at the Isle of Sark shipping company have written to the Chief Pleas in support of the company's directors, who are facing calls to resign.

The letter said there was a "ground swell of feeling" among employees that a proposition to remove the directors by two Sark committee's was "unfair".

It read: "It has been a difficult year with an unprecedented situation due the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The Management and Directors have done their utmost in our opinion to ensure that the lifeline service continued to operate.

"We feel strongly that the Directors should be treated fairly and given the chance to speak and defend the accusations made."

It added the letter had been sent on behalf of "the majority of the staff and crew of IOSS".

A meeting is due to be held by the Chief Pleas on Thursday evening to decide the directors' future.

Rebecca Thorn
BBC News

An alcohol-free zone will be enforced around the Vale Earth Fair in Guernsey on Sunday.

The designated area will allow officers to remove alcohol from anyone seen drinking between midday on 30 August and 02:00 BST the following day.

Guernsey Police said there would be a "zero tolerance approach" to reduce the chance of anti-social behaviour.

The force is encouraging people to plan their route home, and to take "bright colours and a torch" if they are walking back.

Earlier this month the festival announced an all local line-up of more than 70 acts.

Image source, States of Guernsey Police

Rebecca Thorn
BBC News

Airline Aurigny is putting on extra flights between Guernsey and the Isle of Man to allow the bailiwick's airport fire and rescue service take part in essential training.

The two extra return flights will carry nine people from Guernsey to the event.

They will run from both islands on the 13 and 16 September.

Customers from both islands will be able to book the remaining seats as part of the air-bridge agreement between the two islands.

Guernsey Airport Fire and Rescue Service Station Manager, Pete Bretel, said the extra flights would benefit both services by eliminating the need for staff to travel to the UK, where they would typically complete the training.

Rebecca Thorn
BBC News

The last two cruise ships due to arrive in Guernsey this year have been cancelled.

The States of Guernsey announced the Hebridean Sky and Albatross ships would not make it this year as Guernsey maintains a minimum seven-day isolation for arrivals.

The Hebridean Sky was scheduled to visit Alderney on 1 September, before visiting Sark and Guernsey while the Albatross had planned to visit Guernsey on 4 October.

They were the last of 105 visits that have been cancelled as result of the coronavirus pandemic.