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Live Reporting

All times stated are UK

  1. Jersey and Guernsey maintain 'good working relationship'

    The Government of Jersey continues to have a "good working relationship" with Guernsey, the chief minister of Jersey has said.

    He was responding to a question in a coronavirus media briefing that suggested Deputy Peter Ferbrache had referred to Jersey politicians as "a bunch of bumbling idiots" in the Guernsey States assembly.

    Senator Le Fondre said: "We don't tend to base the status of the relationship between Jersey and Guernsey, which I would say is very good, on the somewhat emotional and ill-informed comments of an individual member of the Guernsey assembly."

    He said while the islands pursued different strategies in dealing with coronavirus, the two States continued to work "very closely" together.

  2. 'No risk-free approach' to Covid-19

    Jersey's chief minister has said there is "no risk free approach" to tackling coronavirus in the island.

    He said the States had to balance dealing with the virus itself and the "wider wellbeing" of the island.

    The government is pursuing a "multi-layered" approach to Covid-19 which includes an improved contact tracing system, increased testing capacity, and antibody testing, Senator Le Fondre said.

    "Now's it not perfect, but you learn from it all the way through and you keep improving.

    "There's not many other jurisdictions within the British Isles that are able to do the antibody testing at this stage," he added.

  3. Phased school reopening may be 'slightly unfair' to parents

    Jersey's Chief Minister John Le Fondre has said he cannot guarantee when more year groups will be allowed to return to school in order to help support parents who may be returning to work.

    From Monday pupils in years six, 10 and 12 will return to primary and secondary schools joining vulnerable children and the children of essential workers.

    Under level three of the island's lockdown exit, more businesses have been allowed to reopen including restaurants, cafes and non-essential shops.

    From 12 June, hairdressers and beauty salons are expected to start trading.

    Senator Le Fondre said: "There will be points where it'll be slightly unfair in different areas initially because you're trying to phase things back through.

    "So the principle is lets get the years that we can back in, in a phased basis, let's make sure that works, and then hopefully within a fairly short period of time, we can ratchet that up."

  4. Children's return to school 'not mandatory'

    It is "not mandatory" for children to return to school if parents have health concerns, Jersey's chief minister has said.

    From Monday pupils in years six, 10 and 12 will return to primary and secondary schools in the island.

    The government said a "bubble" approach will be used to keep groups of children separated.

    Senator Le Fondre said: "There is very much a recognition that everyone has to adapt to these changing circumstances in the ways that they are feeling comfortable."

  5. 'Too early' to know when borders will reopen

    Chief Minister John Le Fondre has said it is "too early" to know when borders will fully reopen in Jersey.

    He said the date would depend on when travel operators restart flights and sailings, and when the government was confident a "robust" border control could cope with larger numbers.

    The government has been trialing a testing scheme at the airport that would allow travellers to avoid the mandated 14 days of self-isolation if they returned a negative result.

    "Jersey is very much an internationally connected community. Despite the geological position, we are not just an island community," Senator Le Fondre said.

    "Therefore, at some point, there will have to be a mechanism in place for islanders and others to travel to and from this island in a different way to just a 14-day quarantine."

  6. Move to level two dependent on islanders' behaviour

    Jersey's move to level two of its lockdown exit will be dependent on medical data and the behaviour of islanders over the weekend and in to next week, the chief minister has said.

    The transition to level two is due to take place on 12 June, the States announced on Monday.

    Senator John Le Fondre said 8,465 PCR tests had been conducted to date, in addition to 5,728 antibody tests completed on essential workers.

    There are currently three active cases of the virus in Jersey.

    A total of 309 positive cases have been confirmed in the island and there have been 30 Covid-related deaths.

  7. 'Jersey has achieved virus suppression objectives'

    Jersey's chief minister has said the island has achieved its objectives to suppress levels of coronavirus in the island.

    He said the States would now move to focus on "safeguarding islander’s livelihoods."

    This will mean coming out of lockdown "as quickly as possible", while avoiding a sudden spike in positive cases.

    Senator John Le Fondre said the States would aim to minimise health, social and economic ramifications on islanders' wellbeing.

  8. Jersey sailor sets sail for Arctic climate change project

    A sailor from Jersey has set off on a four-month voyage to the Arctic to explore the effects of climate change.

    Skipper Tobias Carter, joined by a team of scientists, will aim to show how quickly landscapes are changing for places such as Greenland.

    The crew members also plans to share interviews conducted with the communities they meet.

    They will join a project to help plant trees in Greenland to offset their own carbon emissions, Mr Carter said.

    He said he was relieved the journey was still able to go ahead amid the coronavirus pandemic, after a year of "flat-out" planning.

    "The climate is not going to wait," he added.

  9. Face masks required at Jersey Airport

    Rebecca Thorn

    BBC News Online

    All passengers and staff will be required to wear a face mask while travelling through Jersey Airport from Monday.

    It forms part of a new set of safety measures being introduced by the Ports of Jersey during the coronavirus pandemic.

    Those travelling on lifeline flights with Blue Islands airline will have to continue to wear their mask during the flight.

    This does not apply to children under six years old, or those who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons, the Ports of Jersey said.

    Jersey Airport terminal

    Anybody who uses the airport's post office will be also be required to cover the lower part of their face with a cloth or surgical mask.

    Passengers will be asked to wait in the departure lounges until they are called to board their flight via a PA system, and will not be allowed to wait at the departure gates.

    Floor markings and protective screens have also been installed throughout the airport.

    Passenger services manager for Ports of Jersey, Maria Le Tiec, said: "The health and safety of our customers and staff remains vitally important to us and we’ll take appropriate measures to ensure their journey, while different than usual remains as comfortable and stress-free as possible."

  10. 365 Tickets closes with 19 job losses

    Claire Gilbody-Dickerson

    BBC News

    A total of 19 people lost their job at 365 Tickets as it was forced to shut due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the travel and leisure sectors.

    The Jersey-registered company, which traded under the names of 365 Global Tickets Limited and 365 Tickets International Limited, was founded in 1997 and sold tickets to attractions around the world.

    London eye
    Image caption: The company sold tickets to attractions all over the world

    CVR Global, which has been appointed to help wind up the firm, said in a statement: "The companies have a 20-year history but, like many others in the sector, have seen their business wiped out almost instantly by the coronavirus pandemic.

    "The 19 staff – 17 in Jersey and two in the United Kingdom – have sadly lost their jobs," it added.

  11. Hazardous materials in units next to blaze on farm

    Claire Gilbody-Dickerson

    BBC News

    Jersey Fire and Rescue Service are currently investigating the cause of a fire that broke out on a private farm in St Helier at 22:30 on Wednesday.

    The fire service said in a statement there were 26 firefighters with four engines tackling the fire in a commercial unit on the site at the height of the blaze.

    Fire at farm in St Helier
    Image caption: The fire was spreading rapidly when firefighters arrived

    The fire was spreading rapidly to other units and personnel were faced with the unknown nature of their contents and insufficient water, the service said.

    But "thankfully" there was "vital information" as to what hazardous materials the containers held, which allowed for personnel to "react quickly" to prevent the flames from spreading.

    Landowners praised the swift response of the emergency services as they managed to bring their livestock to safety, the statement read.

  12. Wrecked yacht safely recovered from Minquiers

    Claire Gilbody-Dickerson

    BBC News

    A wrecked vessel was successfully recovered from Minquiers in a three-hour operation on Wednesday.

    A statement on behalf of harbour master Captain Bill Sadler said the recovery of the Aruba yacht meant any risk to navigation and the environment posed by the wreckage had now been eradicated.

    Jersey Oyster's landing craft Normandy Trader and Port of Jersey's workboat Halcyon set off from St Helier Harbour early on Wednesday morning to recover the Aruba.

    Wrecked yacht

    The salvage vessels managed to get close enough to the yacht and moved it into a lagoon for a recovery in low water.

    The Aruba was then moved onto the landing craft. Although a small amount of gearbox oil and diesel was lost, the vessel fuel tanks remained intact, minimising any impact to the environment.

    Captain Sadler thanked everyone who took part in the "difficult and challenging task, requiring the highest level of seamanship".

  13. More data on coronavirus in Jersey 'will be published'

    Rebecca Thorn

    BBC News Online

    The Government of Jersey has announced it will publish more data about coronavirus cases in the island.

    In the government's updated coronavirus strategy, it said it would make information on the following publicly available:

    • Report on screening programme for essential workers
    • Phase two antibody testing programme
    • Care Home positive cases and their outcomes
    • Age bands of recovered cases
    • Breakdowns of infection history of any new positive cases - for example a person's travel history or an existing previous positive case

    It forms part of the government's commitment to provide "a well-co-ordinated communication strategy" throughout the pandemic.

  14. Jersey schools prepare for arrival of more students

    With more students attending Jersey schools from Monday preparations are in place.

    Pupils in year six in primary schools and years 10 and 12 in secondary schools will be the first to return.

    D’Auvergne Primary School, in St Helier, has remained open during lockdown for vulnerable children and children of essential workers.

    Video content

    Video caption: As Jersey's schools prepare to go back what is being done to keep pupils apart.
  15. Large rise in people detained due to mental health issues

    Rebecca Thorn

    BBC News Online

    The number of people detained in Jersey's police custody due to mental health concerns has increased by 150% since lockdown began in March.

    It comes from data published in Jersey's updated coronavirus strategy.

    Domestic incident reports have also increased by 10% under the lockdown, the report states.

    Overall, crime levels in the island have fallen by 37%, although there were 244 cases of Covid-related antisocial behaviour between 30 March and 27 May.

  16. More Covid-19 advice for vulnerable due to be released

    BBC Radio Jersey

    Jersey health authorities will publish more guidance for people at risk of becoming seriously ill from coronavirus.

    In an updated strategy published on Wednesday, the government said vulnerable people can decide to what degree they shield themselves when they are outside, as long as they maintain a 2m (6ft 6in) distance from others.

    The strategy says although there are few known active cases in the island, there is more risk of catching the virus indoors.

    It says more advice to help people who are vulnerable make informed choices will be published soon.

  17. Updated coronavirus strategy adopts 'elimination' elements

    Rebecca Thorn

    BBC News Online

    Jersey's updated strategy against coronavirus will adopt five essential elements from an elimination strategy.

    These include:

    • Intensive hygiene promotion
    • Intensive physical distancing
    • Border controls with high quality quarantine of incoming travellers
    • Rapid case detection identified by widespread testing, followed by rapid case isolation, with swift contact tracing and quarantine
    • A well co-ordinated communication strategy

    The strategy says these will help to guide ministers as they pursue a 'suppress, contain, and shield' strategy.

  18. Opera House requests more funding

    BBC Radio Jersey

    The head of the Jersey Opera House has asked the States to increase its funding so it can cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The authorities are allowing more leisure businesses, including theatres, to open from Friday.

    Jersey Opera House

    However, the chairman says it is unlikely it will reopen soon because of social distancing rules and a lack of shows.

    He says with restrictions in place, 150 people are able to use the space - which is less than a quarter of its maximum capacity.

    Quote Message: The first thing that I would do would be to bring the theatre up to standard whilst it's closed so you're not losing revenue and the other thing that I believe is needed is to increase the grant the theatre gets because that limits what we can do." from Pierre Horsfall Chairman, Jersey Opera House
    Pierre HorsfallChairman, Jersey Opera House
  19. Early July 'target date' for level one of lockdown exit

    Rebecca Thorn

    BBC News Online

    The Government of Jersey has said it aims to enter level one of the lockdown exit in early July.

    In its updated coronavirus strategy, officials emphasised this was a target date only, and any transition would be subject to approval from ministers based on medical advice.

    However, the report also said: "Entry to level one could be earlier if level two changes go smoothly and do not trigger any new cases."

    Under level one of the four-tier exit framework, islanders could be allowed to meet with up to 25 people outside at a social distance.

    It could also see pubs, bars and clubs reopen, but with a curfew of 22:00 BST.

    People will be permitted to travel on and off island as and when travel operators restart.