The Omicron Factor

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Arts Centre with reduced staff: "We have been so lucky for so long in this adventure, but have now lost most of our fit, healthy and vaccinated team to isolating. " 

Despite the government bending over backwards for hospitality, the new self-isolation rules (10 days for direct contacts of Omicron cases), intended to keep Omicron cases away from hospitality venues have had the opposite effect. 

People cancelling because they don't want to lose Christmas and New Year, and hospitality venues - like the excellent Art Centre - forced to reduce hours because of the 10 day self-isolation direct contact rule. It's Jersey's version of Pingdemic! Do you even want a lunchtime coffee, leave contact trace details, and  risk 10 days self-isolation as a direct contact?

And as I understand it, genome sequencing to determine if new cases are Omicron is not done locally but by sending sample to the UK to be tested (10% currently to be increased to 20%), which introduces a random element into the equation. If you are one of unlucky direct contacts of an Omicron case, 10 days solitary, if not, PCR test and lateral flows and able to go out and shop, albeit taking care over mixing. Of course Omicron will slip though this net, which is like a ragged hole that would allow a whale to get through it.

We don't of course know how many cases are chosen for sampling, which is more or less what we might expect given the government propensity for secrecy.

Indeed, until recently, we didn't know how many cases of Omicron were over here until the Chief Minister revealed it in the States after questions asked. The communications team's stock response, which makes the government look like a laughing stock, was that because of the small number it would enable identification of individuals. 

That's like saying if a raffle has 1,000 tickets, we won't tell you if there are 5, 10 or 15 winning tickets because the number of winning tickets is small, and it might enable you to identify the number of the winning ticket! This obsession with secrecy, coupled with stock responses which make no rational sense, give the impression of a government on autopilot, fine in open and calm seas, but not so good when storms brew.

20 travel cases recently tested positive for Covid - and this is a steady rise, as numbers in the UK soar. As I explained to someone who had recently arrived, that's only unvaccinated individuals. They had been double jabbed, and were let in with any PCR test or even a lateral flow. On the 4th of January, double vaccinated plus boosters only will not be tested, but until then, you could drive an Omicron horse and cart through the Covid safeguards at the airport. 

Anyone with an eye on the science will have noted that vaccination  - and incidentally even vaccination and booster - does not mean you cannot catch and transmit the virus, but no one in government seems to have taken this seriously, which no doubt is what the Chief Minister calls "a proportional response" and what the rest of us call foolish money savings which will be paid for in terms of infections of Omicron in our community, and potentially another lockdown.

Postscript: 5 pm today!

Ministers have announced that all Direct Contacts of an Omicron positive case will no longer need to isolate. Those currently isolating as a result of the previous policy have been contacted by the Contact Tracing Team and told that it is safe to leave isolation immediately. If you are identified as a Direct Contact, please attend your PCR test when notified by Contact Tracing, and then take Lateral Flow Tests daily for 10 days. This update follows advice from Public Health in consultation with the Scientific Technical Analytical Cell.

Common sense finally prevails!