Guernsey first place in British Isles declared coronavirus free

Guernsey has declared itself ‘open for businesses’ after going 29 days without any new recorded cases of coronavirus.

The virus entered its shores on March 9 but officials say the channel island is officially covid-free after the final active case was given the all clear on Wednesday.

There have been no new cases across the Bailiwick – which includes the islands of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm and Jethou – for the whole of May.

It means the island can enter its fourth phase of lockdown six weeks earlier than planned, with things expected to return to near normal this weekend.

From Saturday most businesses will be permitted to open if they following social distancing guidelines, including restaurants, hairdressers and gyms, while children of all ages will return to schools and childcare facilities.

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Restrictions on social contact will also be relaxed and residents will be able to hold gatherings of up to 30 people.

The island’s robust response in tackling the pandemic has resulted in significant interest from people looking to relocate to the island, officials say.

Director of government body Locate Guernsey, Jo Stoddart, said enquiries about moving have not slowed down compared to last year, despite the pandemic.

‘Enquiries since January are up 20% on the same period in 2019 and are coming in from all over the world, from South Africa to Canada, showing that our response is making waves globally’ she said.

‘People relocating to Guernsey have always been attracted to its safety, stability, security and fantastic quality of life, and the convenience of its proximity to the UK and mainland Europe. However, the island’s response to this global pandemic has really cemented that in people’s minds.’

On social media, The States of Guernsey heralded its coronavirus-free status it as a ‘milestone’.

The government say its success lay in pursuing a proactive ‘test, trace and isolate’ policy from the outset and putting early controls on its borders to limit the risk of cases coming in from other jurisdictions.

However, Dr Nicola Brink, Director of Public Health, says islanders must not be complacent, as it is likely that more cases will be identified as the island moves into the next phase of its lockdown.

‘All our intelligence tells us that we’ve got very little, if any, Covid activity in the community. However, we will continue our expanded testing programme and remain ready to respond, should any cases emerge across any of the islands’ she said.

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