Traffic Lights: Why Jersey’s System is better than the UK.

Traffic Lights: Why Jersey’s System is better than the UK.

Although it has experienced teething problems, Jersey’s system of travel protection is fairly robust. First of all, everyone is tested. That is extremely important. Compare with the UK, where people are not required to self-quarantine when arrive from “Safe Countries”. As the JEP notes:

When passengers disembark the plane or the boat, they are shown to a queue for testing. This applies to ferry passengers travelling in their vehicles as well. Even those choosing to isolate for 14 days, rather than have a test, are not allowed to leave the Airport or Harbour until they have provided the authorities with their details, as well as information about where they will isolating to enable spot checks to be carried out. ‘They are not allowed through the doors until somebody has confirmed they have already registered and given their information,’ said Mr Tony Moretta. 

It is largely down to Tony Moretta’s groundwork with his team that we have had an excellent system at such short notice. And it has been improved by the traffic light system, and John Young’s excellent proposition which was approved and which necessitates self-isolation if we can’t test enough people on the day of arrival (and against Patrick Armstrong’s STAC advice that we should not test everyone!).

The latest news in the UK was that they might using a test so that “negative passengers arriving from higher risk countries to enter the UK without the need to quarantine” The system is not yet in place, but if it does “passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport will soon be able to get a Coronavirus test with results in just 24 hours - but will set you back £140.” (The Sun)

In the meantime, critics say the lack of tests threatens the health of the nation and makes a mockery of the lockdown conditions opposed on the rest of the country.

But that’s for countries deemed in need of quarantine. Other travellers, such as those from Spain, until recently have been able to enter the UK without testing or quarantine!

Jersey’s Traffic Light system is as follows:

• For destinations categorised as green, inbound passengers must take a test on arrival into Jersey but will not be required to self isolate. Countries in this category include UK and Ireland, Germany and Spain.
• For destinations categorised as amber, inbound passengers must take a test on arrival into Jersey and self isolate until day five, when they will have to take another test. If this returns a negative result, they will be able to leave self-isolation
• For destinations categorised as red, inbound passengers must take a test on arrival into Jersey and self isolate for 14 days. This category includes the USA, South Africa, Sweden and Brazil.

So everyone is tested regardless, but any amber or red need some self-isolation, either for around 6 or 7 days (Amber) or 14 days (Red). Unlike the UK, a test will still mean mandatory 14 day quarantine as well from the Red countries, as there is a risk the test might show negative – it is not 100% accurate. That’s also why the Amber countries have two tests, set apart, but a smaller gap.

Now when that was announced, Spain was green, but has now been moved to Amber. In the UK, Spain has been moved from no self-isolation (or test) to mandatory 14 day quarantine because of the rise of numbers in Spain. A country is safe (no quarantine) or not safe (14 days quarantine), and no testing in either case! 

In Jersey, the more measured approach means we can apply better discrimination between countries like Spain and America.

As ITV reports:

Spain has been recategorised as 'amber' under Jersey's travel guidance. It means anyone travelling from the country into the island must take a Coronavirus test on their return followed by another on the fifth day after arrival. Passengers must self isolate until they get their results. 

The British government’s decision to pull Spain from the list of safe countries and require returning holidaymakers to self-isolate for a fortnight will come as a heavy blow to Spain’s lucrative and vital tourist sector, and considerable upset to those thinking of travelling there, or caught over there. Jersey is still a change but more discriminatory.

But we can also be better when there are direct flights to areas where there are less spikes and Covid cases are much lower:

The Canary Islands and Balearic Islands remain categorised as green. 

Finally, a negative test for any status: Green, Amber or Red is not the end of the story:

A negative test is not the end of the process for people arriving in Jersey. Every day for 14 days after they have arrived people will be sent a text message to which they must reply with one of two options. If they do not have any Covid019 symptoms, they must reply with the word ‘WELL’.

If they, or anyone else in their household develops symptoms, they must reply ‘COVID’, and a member of the Contact Tracing Team, which is currently made up of 55 people, will get in touch with them to discuss the next steps. If someone does not respond to the text messages a member of the CTT will call them. If they do not get a response, honorary police officers will visit the address they have given to check on them. If contact still cannot be made, the matter will be passed to the States police for possible enforcement action. 

Failure to self-isolate when required to do so is a criminal offence and punishable by a fine of up to £1,000.

Addenda 1:

STAC memo of advice for June 2020 by Patrick Armstrong:
 It is likely that as visitor numbers increase a point will be reached where it will not be practical or possible due to volumes to test all visitors. At that point an approach that involves testing sample numbers of visitors rather than all visitors would be the approach.

John Young's proposition (passed in July 2020):

All persons should receive a PCR test on entry to our borders and in the event of the capacity of our testing facility being exceeded by the number of persons arriving at any one-time, untested persons should be held in isolation until tested.”

Addenda 2:

Following recent further rises in COVID-19 activity, anyone arriving in Jersey that has been in Mainland Spain in the last 14 days will have to follow extra testing and self-isolation measures, from 12.01 tonight. Jersey’s Safer Travel policy categorises countries into three groups (green, amber and red). Mainland Spain, which was green, is now classed as amber. All passengers that have travelled from mainland Spain in the last 14 days are required to be tested on arrival and five days after arrival, and to self-isolate until both tests are confirmed negative. The Canary Islands and Balearic Islands continue to be classed as green, as COVID activity is lower there. Dr Muscat and public health officials will keep this situation under daily review and further updates will be made as required.

References
https://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2020/07/23/testing-times-at-the-airport-and-harbour/