CCA Confirms Some Isolation-free Travel From 1 July

There will be no testing or isolation of passengers arriving in Guernsey from the UK and Common Travel Area after 1 July.

The Civil Contingencies Authority has confirmed the border arrangements it expects to introduce from 1 July.

For arrivals coming from the Common Travel Area*, there will be no testing or self-isolation requirement, although that could change if the situation alters significantly in any country or region.

Work is continuing on the detail of the future travel regime, with global developments that could impact the rules or timings - such as variants of concern - being closely monitored

But the CCA says it is confident the 1 July remains a realistic date for new rules that will scrap the current categories determined by Covid prevalence and focus on vaccinations.

“Our vaccine programme is moving forward quickly and we’re getting closer and closer to that tipping point when it’s no longer the border restrictions that are the main way we protect our community, it’s having a vaccinated population. Our vaccination programme is progressing really well, with 92% of the population who are over 50 years of age having had at least one dose of vaccine. That’s a real change from how we’ve thought of our COVID response over the past year but it’s a really positive one as we learn to live responsibly with COVID-19 because it means travel is now a much more viable option and it doesn’t carry with it the same risks as before.” - Dr Nicola Brink, Director of Public Health.

The new regime is more closely aligned to the UK 'traffic light' system - with red, amber and green classifications.

For international arrivals, testing and self-isolation requirements will largely depend on whether someone has come from what the UK considers to be a Green, Amber, or Red country.

The below table explains Guernsey’s own ‘traffic light’ travel rules and how it works alongside the UK’s rules:

“This is a big and positive step, this will mean effectively the removal of border restrictions which have made travel very difficult for many Islanders, their friends and families for many months. For countries where there is still significant concern and are therefore still considered ‘amber’ or ‘red’ by the UK, we will maintain testing and self-isolation requirements, and we will override the UK list where necessary if we have any additional concerns about any destination. But our vaccine protection mean it could soon be disproportionate to impose those kinds of measures for travel to the UK itself and to countries that present an extremely low risk.

We will continue to monitor all developments and it is possible going forward there will be more unexpected changes at short notice, for example a new Variant of Concern could emerge that leads us to quickly reassess our rules. But that is part of how we and the world must now learn to live responsibly with COVID.

While there are details to work out before July, I believe we have the core rules for a system that keeps us safe and able to react quickly, but also enables free and unrestricted travel as much as is safely possible.” - Deputy Peter Ferbrache, Chair of the Civil Contingencies Authority.

The Bailiwick has seized on today's announcement to step up marketing the islands to prospective holidaymakers:

*The Common Travel Area includes the United Kingdom, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland.

While it is currently the intention for all travellers from the CTA to be considered as ‘Blue’ when the new travel rules are introduced, the States of Guernsey may determine ahead of this that jurisdictions or regions within the CTA should be classified separately.