Non-essential shops to reopen tomorrow

Tuesday 02 February 2021

Non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen tomorrow after the covid cluster identified in the retail supply chain which delayed the reopening by a week was successfully contained.

Meanwhile, close contact services, such as hairdressers and other beauty services, could reopen the following week on Wednesday 10 February if the test positivity rate remains low in the island, with only small numbers of cases identified through “high levels of testing."

The confirmation comes after the number of individuals officially recorded as having covid dropped below 100.

The number of active cases in the Island is 94.
57 are symptomatic and 37 are asymptomatic. 3 are in hospital (-1).

Total Tests
274,092 negative tests (+340)
3,154 confirmed positive (+2)
3,003 confirmed recovered (+12)
589 pending

Further statistics: https://t.co/Maitmw2UQs

— Government of Jersey (@GovJersey) February 1, 2021

The reopening of non-essential shops was originally planned for 27 January, but Ministers announced the day before that it was postponed after a covid cluster was discovered in the retail supply chain.

The Health Minister, Deputy Richard Renouf, said the cluster was the result of “poor behaviour and a lack of adherence to the most basic of hygiene guidelines”, with some staff allegedly working while symptomatic and not wearing PPE.

Since the discovery of the cluster, daily case numbers have remained low with only seven cases linked to it, prompting Ministers to move to the next stage of “reconnection”.

Pictured: Close contact services, such as hairdressers and other beauty services, could reopen on 10 February if cases numbers remain low.

Other measures currently in place will remain so until further relaxations are introduced. As such, Government guidance remains that people should not meet in each other’s homes but should meet outdoors instead, where two-metre distancing is easier. 

“Now that we are seeing a reduction in positive cases, and importantly a sustained reduction in the number of hospital patients with covid-19, we have weighed up expert advice alongside the potential impact of the proposed measures on the community, and have decided that we can now move to stage 2 of our reconnection plan,” said the Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré. 

“We have decided to reopen non-essential retail from this Wednesday, and close-contact services a week later, to prevent a sudden increase in social contact and to remind islanders that we must continue to be careful to prevent the spread of the virus.

“We will look again, in three weeks’ time, at the options for further reconnection, including the easing of working from home measures, and the re-opening of some hospitality services.”

Pictured: Senator John Le Fondré said the easing of working from home measures, and the re-opening of some hospitality services, will be considered in three weeks.

Health Minister Deputy Richard Renouf added: “We are pleased to resume our gradual and considered reopening of lower-risk activities. We are moving in the right direction, but we still have some distance to go.

“Our vaccination programme is proceeding at pace, and we are on target to vaccinate all over-50s and high-risk Islanders by the end of March. The mobile unit completed 680 visits to islanders in their homes last week, with another 400 planned for this week. From today anyone over the age of 70 can book their appointment, and we will be taking bookings from Islanders over the age of 65 later this month. 

“We are taking every step as carefully as we can, as we want to fully understand the impact of each stage of reconnection. Waiting for three weeks before considering a move to the next stage will allow more time for sector communication and for any necessary legal processes to be conducted.

“We must continue to suppress community transmission and allow the vaccination programme to progress enough to protect the most vulnerable. Islanders should continue to respect physical distancing restrictions and avoid any mixing of households. By acting on case data, and by moving in stages, we can ensure the safest return to normality.”