A World War Two hand grenade has been recovered from the boot of a person's car in Jersey.

The States of Jersey Police said the driver had discovered it at home where it had been for "decades" and was taking it to the police station.

The force said the "high explosives" had been safely removed from the vehicle while it was parked at the QE2 Ferry Terminal and would be disposed of.

It urged islanders to always leave any old military items in the place they are found, and call the police immediately.

Rebecca Thorn
BBC News

A coronavirus vaccine will be offered to all islanders for free when it becomes available, Jersey's deputy medical officer for health has said.

Dr Ivan Muscat said the vaccine would be rolled out in a staggered approach, with priority "at-risk" groups the first to receive it.

It is expected to cost the government about £5m, Senator Lyndon Farnham said.

Last week Dr Muscat said a coincidence of flu and coronavirus cases during the winter months could "overwhelm" the island's health services.

In response a flu vaccine will be available by the States at no cost for people aged 50 and above.

The usual target group of over 65s has been widened in order to help protect the community during the crisis, Dr Muscat said.

Earlier he said the vaccine would not be mandatory.

Rebecca Thorn
BBC News

The Government of Jersey is considering different travel rules for certain parts of the UK in a bid to tackle incoming coronavirus cases.

Senator Lyndon Farnham said he had been watching the situation "closely", as the "large majority" of the island's visitors travel through the UK.

Preston, Aberdeen, Luton, and Leicester have all been subject to local lockdowns.

Dr Ivan Muscat, Jersey's deputy medical officer for health, said while coronavirus cases in the UK were rising, their testing rate was considered "good", at about 1,740 tests per 100,000 people a week.

He added that the majority of positive cases arriving in Jersey had not come from Manchester or Liverpool airports.

"We need to consider where our positives are coming from before making a final decision," he said.

Rebecca Thorn
BBC News

A new testing lab that will offer coronavirus test results in 12 hours will cost the government "in the region of £3m", Senator Lyndon Farnham has said.

The Minister for Economic Development said the cost would depend on the number of tests carried out, and how long it was used for.

He added that the facility would help to bring the island's total cost of testing down, as samples were longer having to be sent to the UK.

Free testing will continue for now, and should be considered as a "government subsidy" for air and sea transport carriers who were suffering "significant detriment" as a result of the pandemic.

However, Senator Farnham said this could change depending on the length of the pandemic.

Jersey reopened its borders on 3 July, and requires all travellers to take a test on arrival and in addition for travellers from some locations, external to self-isolate for at least five days and until a second negative test result or to self-isolate for 14 days.

Rebecca Thorn
BBC News

A vaccine for coronavirus will not be mandatory for islanders when it becomes available, Jersey's deputy medical officer for health has said.

However, Dr Ivan Muscat said the States would be "strongly recommending" the vaccination to "all appropriate groups".

He anticipates a "high uptake" of the vaccine, which would ensure the community was protected by "herd immunity".

This would require about 80% of the population to be vaccinated, he added.

It will cost the Government of Jersey an additional £1.6m to keep the Nightingale hospital open until March.

On Thursday the government announced it would be extending the lease on the building through to next year as an "insurance policy" over the winter months.

Senator Lyndon Farnham said it had already spent £8.7m of the £14m budget set out for the hospital.

He added that the government would still need to foot the cost of restoration ground works when the building is removed.

BBC Radio Jersey

People travelling from the Balaeric Islands and Gibraltar will have to quarantine for five days when they arrive in Jersey from Friday.

The Government of Jersey has added the locations to a list of 'amber' risk countries with higher infection rates of coronavirus.

The Balaeric Islands are made up of Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.

CI Travel Group, which runs direct flights from Jersey to Majorca, will continue the service for the next two Sundays.

The company said it was reviewing travel for people with bookings from the 30 August.

Rebecca Thorn
BBC News

The Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture Senator Lyndon Farnham has said he is "disappointed" to hear this year's Super League Triathlon has been cancelled due to the coronavirus.

The race weekend, due to be held in St Helier next month, has previously seen some of the world's top triathletes face off in Jersey.

Senator Farnham said the event had made a "significant contribution" to the tourism industry and had made Jersey a "world-class location for major sporting events".

He said: "I am disappointed that we have had to cancel the event but look forward to working closely with Super League Triathlon and RBC as we plan their return in 2021."

As a result no funding has been paid to the Super League Triathlon, he added.

Johanna Carr
BBC News Online

A new method of removing sea the lettuce that has accumulated in St Aubin's Bay is set to be trialled from Friday.

Staff from the Government of Jersey Infrastructure Department have come up with the new approach, which will involve the lettuce being transported by road before it is dumped at sea.

The old method of directly loading onto a boat only worked during spring tides and only allowed for one load to be transported per day.

A spokesman said the new method would mean work can start this week, during a period of neap tides, and the craft can make at least two trips per day, increasing the amount of sea lettuce that can be taken from the beach each day.

Assistant manager for the department, Bob Major, who came up with the idea, said: "We will be working on the beach from early on Friday morning to get the seaweed removed and if this works islanders will soon see a real difference along the bay."

The department will also be harvesting clean green sea lettuce with their Surf-Rake, for spreading on available farmland. This would be subject to environmental restrictions and is also a trial.

Infrastructure Minister, Deputy Kevin Lewis, said: "Sea lettuce is a difficult problem that we have been tackling for many years... each full load takes approximately 80 tons and if Friday’s trial is successful the contractors will work throughout the weekend to load up the landing craft and clear the beach."

The organisers of the Guernsey Air Display say they were 'saddened' to hear of the cancellation of the Jersey display - due to take place on the same day.

Coronavirus measures may affect some parts of the display's organisation, they warned, but said currently all the display teams booked would be able to take part.

So far organisers have confirmed the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and Red Arrows will feature.

James White
Sports Producer, BBC Channel Islands

The race weekend has previously seen some of the world's top triathletes face off in Jersey.

The decision has been made to call off the 2020 event on 19-20 September due to the impact of Covid-19 and ongoing concerns relating to travel and safety.

The organisers are now challenging Jersey's community to cover a total of 20,000km (12400 miles) in September through a combination of swimming, running and cycling.

If the target is hit, Super League Triathlon’s sponsors RBC have promised to donate £20,000 to the mental health charity Mind Jersey.

BBC Radio Jersey

A lab that will offer a 12-hour turnaround time for coronavirus tests has arrived in Jersey.

Most tests are currently processed off-island, and results can take between 24 and 48 hours to be returned.

The new laboratory, which arrived on Wednesday, is expected to process about 2,000 tests a day, the Government of Jersey said.

Equipment will be tested over the next few weeks, and it is due to start being used in September.

Rebecca Thorn
BBC News

Four new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Jersey, taking the total known active cases to 11.

Eight of those were identified through arrivals screening at the island's borders, one through a hospital admission, another through workforce screenings, and a final person through contact tracing.

Two people are symptomatic and nine are asymptomatic.

All 11 cases are community-based, and none have been admitted to hospital for treatment, the government said.

BBC Radio Jersey

Drivers in Jersey are being given two weeks to make sure car insurance discs are up to date before penalties are reintroduced, the island's attorney general has said.

Earlier this year, some UK companies supplying insurance disks, displayed in windscreens, could not send them to people in Jersey because of printing issues.

At the time, Mark Temple asked parish centeniers to show leniency if they stopped anyone who could not prove their insurance was valid as a result of the printing issues.

But he said those problems had been sorted and people must make sure they displayed an updated disc.

People who did not update them by 27 August were risking being fined, he said.

Fines for such an offence can be up to £400.

BBC Radio Jersey

The number of Jersey businesses that have signed up for the Visit Safe charter scheme has increased by nearly 50% since Tuesday.

Nineteen Jersey businesses were reported to have signed up to the scheme run by Visit Jersey, the government and the Jersey Hospitality Association.

Now 28 bars, restaurants, accommodation and transport businesses in Jersey are involved.

Organisers said the charter aimed to ensure businesses adhered to a series of health and safety guidelines in order to receive a "Visit Safe" seal of approval.

Chief executive of the Jersey Hospitality Association Simon Soar said spot-checks would be carried out on those involved, with accommodation businesses having to deal with more than 60 criteria alone to stay to stay in the scheme, ranging from from carrying out risk assessments to cleanliness throughout rooms.

Image source, Visit Jersey

BBC Radio Jersey

The 2020 Jersey International Air Display has been cancelled because of coronavirus restrictions.

Organisers said they had called off the event, due on 10 September, after talks with island authorities and in a bid to stop Covid-19 spreading among spectators.

They said the decision was made with "great regret" and apologised to visitors who had already made arrangements to travel.

They say they are now planning for next year's display, which they said they hoped would be "bigger and better".

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey's scrutiny politicians are due to meet to discuss concerns over the way the government has dealt with the resignation of its prison governor.

The States said La Moye boss Nick Cameron stepped down for personal reasons, but would not comment on the circumstances behind the decision.

It follows weeks of speculation over his absence from the prison.

A Freedom of Information request, published on the same day as the announcement of Mr Cameron's resignation, showed the governor had concerns about the supply of personal protective equipment at the prison before the Covid-19 lockdown.

Senator Kristina Moore, who chairs the Scrutiny Liaison Committee, said the lack of information was "simply quite baffling and not good enough".

She said: "We really wish to know more about this situation. We have been quite mystified for a number of months that a senior person in the government of Jersey has not been at their role, a role they were known to be performing very well."

Image source, Delta Events

Venues and properties across the Channel Islands have been lit up in red to take part in a day of action around the British Isles to highlight the crisis facing the live events scene.

In Jersey, the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society (RJHAS) headquarters and Delta Events' warehouse took part in the red alert warning on Tuesday night that told governments the "live event and entertainment industry is on its knees and is desperate for government assistance", as both organisations put it.

Delta Events also illuminated its premises in Guernsey (pictured).

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey's assistant education minister is confident A-level students will get fair grades for the exam results this year, despite changes to the marking process.

There were not any official exams this year because of the coronavirus outbreak, and students are due to find out their final grades on Thursday.

It will be the same process in the UK, where teachers have considered coursework, mock exams and how well students did through the year.

Deputy Jeremy Macon said people could appeal if they felt their results were unfair.

Image source, PA Media

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey Fire and Rescue Service is reminding islanders to take extra care when putting out camp fires in the hot weather.

Firefighters said they had had several reports of camp fires being lit on beaches and sand dunes recently.

They warned fires that started more easily in the hot, dry conditions and could spread more quickly too.

Anyone who had lit such a fire should check it or the hot ashes it produced were properly extinguished, they said.