Lateral flow tests to be handed to fully vaccinated arrivals from Friday, with charging for them coming into effect on Monday

However, the £25 charge per pack of five tests will not be ‘switched on’ in the Travel Tracker until Monday 9th August to give an appropriate lead-in time for travellers.

This means that from Monday 9th August, any traveller fully vaccinated within the Common Travel Area (Bailiwick of Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, UK or Republic of Ireland) will be charged £25 for the pack of five lateral flow tests when they complete the Travel Tracker.

This payment is a requirement for fully vaccinated travellers to be categorised as a ‘Blue Channeler’ - this is someone who has been fully vaccinated within the Common Travel Area and whose 14-day travel history only involves the CTA. There will not be any self-isolation requirements for these individuals.

The Civil Contingencies Authority is continuing to strongly recommend that anyone who is not a local resident arrangesto take a pre-travel test (either PCR or lateral flow) before coming to the Bailiwick.

Visitors who arrange to be tested pre-travel will protect themselves and their families from the costs and difficulties they will experience if they subsequently test positive after arriving in the Bailiwick. In addition, this will afford additional protection to those who travel with them on the same flight or ferry and to others within the Bailiwick.

Fully vaccinated travellers in receipt of lateral flow tests on arrival are asked to take the first test as soon as they arrive home or at their place of accommodation and then every other day, to help protect themselves and the wider community in line with the consistent Guernsey Together spirit since the start of the pandemic.

Anyone who receives a positive result from a self-administered lateral flow test must immediately self-isolate and contact the clinical helpline to book a PCR test.

Additionally, the guidance remains that anyone in our community – visitor or local resident – who becomes symptomatic must contact the Clinical Helpline on 01481 756938 or 01481 756969 to be booked in for a PCR test.

Children aged 11 and under travelling with fully vaccinated adults will not receive, or be charged for, lateral flow tests. Young people aged between 12 and 17 travelling with fully vaccinated adults already receive, and are charged for, PCR tests on arrival and day 7, and this will continue.

At this stage, arrivals from Jersey will still require a negative PCR or observed lateral flow test within the 48-hour period before travel. However, the CCA will be keep this under review.

Please find our Frequently Asked Questions on the lateral flow tests here.