Civil Contingencies Authority to consider relaxation of border testing requirements next week
The Civil Contingencies Authority has discussed changes to the testing requirements for arrivals into the Bailiwick and agreed that it will continue to monitor the current Omicron wave for the coming days before making a decision on Tuesday 18th January on whether testing requirements can be relaxed.
12 January 2022
The CCA will consider a range of factors including the number of hospital cases, and pressure on key services and businesses, but currently the indications are positive and the Authority is hopeful it will be able to go ahead with relaxing the testing requirements
The intention would be to: -
- Remove all testing for travellers coming from the Common Travel Area (the UK, Isle of Man, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland).
- Replace the current requirement for a PCR test on arrival with a Lateral Flow Test on the day of arrival for non-Common Travel Area travellers who are fully vaccinated.
- Maintain the current requirement of a PCR test on arrival and on day 8, with isolation until a negative result on the day 8 test, for non-Common Travel Area arrivals who are not fully vaccinated
This would again align the local travel testing requirements with the UK, as has broadly been the case since July 2021. The CCA will continue to keep these under review and monitor closely any other further changes in travel requirements brought in by other jurisdictions within the Common Travel Area.
While the Bailiwick continues to see relatively high numbers of cases of COVID-19, the numbers are currently coming down and pressure on the hospital and services, while challenging, remains manageable.
The Civil Contingencies Authority has begun to consider how and when it can begin to remove other restrictions and guidance over the coming weeks, and will review this again at its next meeting on Tuesday.