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Guernsey's Chief Minister and several other island States Members has tested positive for covid.
Deputy Peter Ferbrache, who normally leads the island's covid press conferences, was out of action today.
Deputy Heidi Soulsby, who is Guernsey's Health President and Vice-Chair of the Civil Contingencies Authority (CCA), Guernsey's emergency decision-making body, took the lead instead.
She explained that Deputy Ferbrache, himself the CCA Chair, had recently received a positive PCR test.
Deputy Souslby said he "hasn’t been feeling very well" and opted to attend meetings virtually from home yesterday, before receiving his positive covid result this morning.
It follows several other Guernsey politicians testing positive for covid, including Deputy Steve Falla, who recently visited Jersey with six other politicians and Guernsey parliamentary officials to discuss common interests and future cooperation with counterparts from the other Crown Dependencies.
Also at the meeting was Jersey's Senator Sam Mézec, who has since tested positive for covid and advised islanders to get vaccinated to shield themselves from the more severe effects of the condition.
Oh and lastly - get vaccinated! ????????????
— Senator Sam Mézec (@SamMezecJsy) November 16, 2021
It doesn’t 100% stop you getting Covid, but it does reduce your chances and it does make your symptoms much milder if you do get it.
I dread to think how I’d be feeling now if I wasn’t mostly protected by my vaccinations.
Today's press conference followed an announcement by Guernsey's CCA last night that they had decided not to make face mask use compulsory following a vote.
Deputy Soulsby was questioned about the Chief Minister’s decision not to wear a mask at the Remembrance Day Sunday Service at the Cenotaph in London, and his subsequent positive covid result.
"I think that is a question for Deputy Ferbrache, he is a patient after all and I don’t know what instructions were given to those who attended the ceremony at the cenotaph.”
Earlier this week, Deputy Ferbrache admitted that he should have worn a face mask at a recent breakfast meeting with Catholic leaders.
He said his compliance with CCA recommendations had "not been perfect", but said he had since redoubled his efforts to be vigilant and fully understood the need for government to "lead by example".
There are currently 482 known individuals with covid in Guernsey. As of yesterday, there were 910 in Jersey.
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