Whole household isolation will be introduced from Thursday next week.

The move was announced by Chief Minister Howard Quayle as he confirmed the island has seen a cluster of Covid cases resulting from on-island transmission.

Letters have been sent out to residents of an apartment complex for the over-50s notifying them that their warden has tested positive for the virus, having been contacted by Covid Track and Trace on Monday.

Residents have been told there is no cause for alarm as the Track and Trace team have contacted anyone they have a concern about . Mr Quayle said he would not quibble over what is meant by community transmission.

In the past week, six cases have been detected and the number of active cases is nine, meaning there are two new cases.

He told reporters: ’To be clear, yes, some of this week’s Covid-19 cases have come about from on-island transmission of the virus.

’It is always a concern, although not a surprise, to see sporadic cases of the virus being detected on our island as a result of people travelling here.

’That we have seen a continued trickle of cases being detected demonstrates the prevalence of the virus in the UK and further afield.’

’What we have seen this week with new cases can be described as a cluster.’

He said this was broadly similar to what happened in Guernsey a few weeks ago that led to the air bridge being suspended.

However, unlike the cluster in Guernsey, ’we have been able to identify the source’ he said.

Mr Quayle said that each and every case that has been detected this week is in the same chain of transmission, which can be traced back to someone travelling to the island who has - unknowingly - carried the virus with them.

Technically, under the World Health Organisation definitions, this is not classed as community transmission.

All of the high risk contacts have been traced and are now self-isolating for 14 days, he said.

At the moment, anyone travelling to the island must self-isolate for 14 days at home. But there is no requirement for other members of the household to do the same.

The Chief Minister said to date we have not seen any spread as a result of not making whole households isolate.

But this has now been reviewed by the Council of Ministers, given the resurgence of the virus in the UK, the second lockdown in England, and the numbers of students expected to return in the coming weeks.

As a result, whole household isolation for anyone travelling to the island will be introduced from just after midnight on Thursday November 19.

This means that as well as anyone travelling to the island having to self-isolate for 14 days, everyone in their household will have to do likewise, as a precaution.

’Some of you will welcome this move, some of you may not,’ said Mr Quayle. ’CoMin is acutely aware that this change may be difficult for some households and families.

’It may result in children having to be off school and people having to be absent from work.’

As a result a one-off package of support will be available to offer alternative accommodation to returning residents, to avoid whole households having to self-isolate.

Tourist accommodation providers will make rooms available to individuals returning from the UK and the government will make a contribution of up to £250 a week towards the cost. This can only be used once.

Offices of financial services firm Fedelta were closed for deep-cleaning on Wednesday after an employee was in close contact with a family member who tested positive.

Fedelta director Nigel Callin raised concern at the availability of testing.

Health Minister David Ashford told the briefing that this individual had not been considered a high risk contact and his department did not have the powers to deliver private testing.