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Guernsey’s Chief Minister has decided to maintain its 'air bridge' with the Isle of Man after it registered its first covid case in three months.
The Channel Island had been pursuing an ‘elimination strategy’, but Deputy Gavin St Pier maintained yesterday that the Manx isle having zero covid cases was never a “prerequisite” of free travel being permitted between the two islands.
This is despite having twice dismissed suggestions of starting an inter-island air bridge allowing for quarantine-free travel - even when there were low numbers of recorded virus cases and a border testing regime in Jersey. In a recent interview, Deputy St Pier described the idea as "inappropriate and incompatible".
The positive test in the Isle of Man was reported over the weekend, with its impact downplayed by the Manx Chief Minister Howard Quayle, who said the risk to the wider community is "extremely low".
The positive test result came from a resident who was in self-isolation after travelling back to the island.
Pictured: Isle of Man Chief Minister Howard Quayle.
Deputy Gavin St Pier, who is Chair of Guernsey's emergency board, which is known as the Civil Contingencies Authority (CCA), said the recently-forged air links between the two islands are predicated on more factors than just the absence of positive cases.
"When we launched the air bridge in June, we did so because there was significant alignment between our governments’ approaches to managing the risks linked to covid-19," he said.
"It was not a decision based purely on the fact that at that point neither island had had a confirmed case for several weeks, but rather because we both have very similar measures in place for border controls from other locations, and robust testing and contact tracing capabilities.
"Maintaining zero cases was never a prerequisite of the air bridge."
Pictured: Aurigny has been the sole operator for flights between Guernsey and the Isle of Man, which is the only place we can visit without border restrictions.
Deputy St Pier added that there does not appear to be any evidence of community transmission.
"It would appear that the Isle of Man’s quarantine and testing regime has worked to identify and contain this case," he said.
"On that basis, there is no reason there should be any impact on the air bridge at this point. We maintain an open and transparent relationship through close contact with our colleagues at all levels in the Isle of Man and we will of course continue to monitor the position.
"This case re-emphasises once again the need for any of our own residents to seek advice and testing if they experience any covid-related symptoms."
The air bridge is currently scheduled to come to an end on 20 September, with all bar one of Aurigny's outgoing flights sold out.
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