Guernsey to scrap all testing for fully vaccinated Jersey and UK travellers

Friday 01 October 2021

Fully vaccinated people travelling to Guernsey from Jersey and the UK will not have to face any testing or isolation on arrival from 20 October.

Currently, individuals with two jabs of the covid vaccine arriving from the Common Travel Area have to purchase a £25 pack of lateral flow tests.

But this will no longer be a requirement, provided the covid situation does not seriously deteriorate before then, according to the island’s emergency decision-making body, the Civil Contingencies Authority (CCA).

States of Guernsey officials said in a statement this morning: “The CCA had previously advised that it would keep the use of lateral flow testing for ‘blue’ arrivals under review for a further month. However it has revisited the topic and made the decision to announce this date earlier to enable people, particularly those organising group travel, to make their plans, mindful that half-term is at the end of this month. 

“There will be no change to the PCR testing requirements for arrivals from Red-list countries or the rest of the world, which remain as set out under the new rules for 4 October when the Bailiwick will move to align its travel rules more closely to the UK’s, as part of Step 3 of the Bailiwick Blueprint.”

Yesterday, Jersey's Chamber of Commerce CEO Murray Norton called for the Government to make an announcement "as soon as possible" on whether it would scrap border testing requirements for fully vaccinated individuals.

He told Express earlier this week that delaying is not only “making Jersey less attractive than it could be by having ease of access for inbound travellers”, but also costing taxpayers dearly.

Pictured: Chamber CEO Murray Norton.

“Chamber’s got a fairly clear and direct view from its members: it’s time to get on with the next stage of where we are. We’ve certainly moved on from a pandemic and we’re now into a period of recovery, and that period of recovery must include where we go on testing,” he said. 

“Businesses around the island would like to get some clarity on what the Government’s next steps and thinking is on testing and we think that, as with some other countries, if you are double vaccinated, there appears to be very little in the way of data and evidence to continue with testing for double vaccinated passengers coming in.” 

Mr Norton later added: “There are low numbers of hospitalisations and the understanding from everyone now is that we have a covid situation where people will get covid but that the risk to life is in a very different place.

“…We need clarity as soon as possible. If not forthcoming right now, we’d like to understand what’s holding it back. If the data shows there is a clear and present risk, then we’d like to understand that, but we’re not hearing anything.”

Read more about Guernsey's travel rules HERE.