Fewer new covid cases over weekend, but overall number rises to 73

Tuesday 20 October 2020

Health officials in Jersey are investigating how some of the island's newly reported covid cases caught the virus, as the total number of local people confirmed as having it rises to 73.

The latest official statistics show that there were 19 new cases of corona virus confirmed over Friday, Saturday and Sunday, compared to 30 over the same period last week.

The government said that, of the 19 positive cases, 12 related to new arrivals, four to people being identified through contact tracing, two were people with symptoms who had gone to their GP or sought healthcare another way, and one was someone who had been tested before being admitted to hospital.

Of the two with symptoms who sought healthcare, a government spokesperson says they are currently investigating the source of the infection:

“The contact tracing team continues to work with Islanders to investigate direct contacts and sources of infection. Now that the COVID Alert app has been launched, we have more opportunities to assist with contact tracing and to identity people are higher risk of contracting COVID.”

With eight people having recovered over the period, the number of ‘active cases’ now stands at 73. Of those, 30 showed symptoms and 43 did not. One person is in hospital. 

These weekend results are lower than the week before, when the number of active cases leapt from 31 to 61 over the three days. Then, the 30 new cases included eight agricultural workers who were isolating together in accommodation provided by their employer.

The number of cases per 100,000 people over the last two weeks stands at 75.1, meaning that the Island remains firmly in the ‘amber’ category under the EU’s traffic light system of travel guidance. 

The Government is preparing for an increase in arrivals to the Island over next week’s half-term holiday, and has already put measures in place to prevent UK-based students returning home from bringing the virus into Jersey.