US travellers told to steer clear of Jersey

Wednesday 18 August 2021

Travellers from the US have been told to avoid visiting Jersey after the island was put on the highest risk list for covid.

On Monday, the island was categorised as ‘Level 4: COVID-19 Very High’ by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alongside Dominica, Montenegro and Turkey.

The ranking applies to destinations with more than 500 people infected with covid per 100,000 population. It also takes into account testing levels, but not vaccination. More than 75,000 islanders have had at least one dose of the vaccine.

A notice on the CDC website about the island urges against travel to Jersey, and notes: “If you must travel to Jersey, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.”

It goes on to warn: “Because of the current situation in Jersey, even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading covid-19 variants.”

Pictured: The notice on the CDC website.

Anyone going to the island is advised to wear a mask and stay six feet apart from others.

Previously, the site listed Jersey’s covid situation as “unknown” by the CDC.

As of yesterday, the island had 415 recorded cases, with the Government’s official statistics page currently listing a 14-day case rate per 100,000 population as 431.35. It does not show a 28-day case number.

Cases in the island are continuing on a downward trajectory, with numbers peaking at more than 3,000 in the third wave, which began towards the end of June.

At the height of the wave, there were also nearly 15,000 direct contacts, compared to 1,438 at the latest count.