Fears over the impact of the Indian variant of Covid-19 has put a temporary pause on the planned easing of border restrictions.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle told a Covid briefing yesterday (Monday) that the ambition remains for unrestricted travel between the island and the rest of the British Isles by June 28.

The government’s exit framework had set a target of May 29 to move border restrictions from level 3 to level 2, non-resident mitigated travel.

But Mr Quayle said with uncertainly over the impact of Indian variant, and the average infection rate in the UK over 14 days not having dropped as hoped to 30 cases per 100,000 (it’s currently 44), the government’s approach had been ’adjusted’. Ministers, he said, had decided they were not quite ready to change who can come to the island but were ready to make some changes to what people who can come here have to do when they arrive.

From Monday (May 24) anyone travelling to the island who has not been outside of the UK, Guernsey or Jersey in the 10 days prior to arriving here will no longer have to isolate for seven days.

They will still have to isolate immediately on arrival.

But if they then agree to take a test within 48 hours of arrival and if the result is negative, they will be free to leave isolation. This test will cost £30.

The only restriction will be the requirement to avoid health and social care sites for 10 days after arrival. A second Covid-19 test will also be required six days after arriving. This test will be free of charge.

But anyone who has been outside of the UK, Guernsey or Jersey - and for the moment this does include Ireland - in the 10 days prior to arrival will have to isolate for seven days.

This longer period of isolation reflects the increased risk posed by those who have travelled outside of the UK.

Again, this is subject to the traveller agreeing to testing - a test will be required within 48 hours of arrival and another on day six, at £30 each.

isolation

If both results are negative, the traveller will be able to leave isolation.

Mr Quayle described this approach as a ’sensible and reasonable compromise’ which will make it easier and more practical for family members to travel to the island and for islanders to travel to the UK.

He said: ’But for the moment we still want to restrict the categories of people who can come - not least to keep the numbers down while we continue to monitor the infection rate in the UK and the need to monitor the Indian variant.’

Mr Quayle said developments in relation to the Indian variant will be closely monitored over the coming days and weeks.

He said: ’We must continue to take a cautious approach where this is warranted.

’But with the scale of our vaccination programme and signs that the vaccine is effective against the Indian variant, there is no immediate need to radically alter or abandon our plans.’

Mr Quayle said the Covid situation here remains stable with only the occasional new case popping up now and again - including yesterday’s travel case - but they have been manageable and on the whole explainable.

If a traveller chooses not to undergo testing, they will be required to isolate for 21 days. They will have to isolate alone or with those they travelled with.

These changes will be retrospective for those already in self-isolation on May 24.