The revised assessments, which will come into force on Wednesday morning, will see a significant rise in the number of arriving passengers forced to self-isolate as a result of having travelled from amber or red areas.
Around 65 areas of the UK will move from green to amber, with anyone who has spent a night in these places obliged to isolate for at least six days, with a requirement for negative coronavirus tests on arrival and after five days.
Another 28 UK districts or local authority areas will switch to red status, bringing a requirement for 14 days’ self-isolation, regardless of the test result.
The upgrading also encompasses parts of the other countries classified regionally by Jersey – France, Ireland, Germany and Italy – as well as higher ratings for about 15 countries.
A government spokesperson said the changes took into account the infection rates in the UK, Europe and around the world.
Around 95% of arrivals by air come from England, with the changes meaning that around 3.4 million people will see the areas they live in change from green to amber, and a similar number from amber to red.
‘This mirrors the restrictions introduced in the UK to mitigate the rise in infections there,’ the spokesperson added.
Passengers arriving from a region or country that is classified green and who do not wish to isolate for 14 days are required to take a swab test on arrival and on day 5.
They are not required to isolate, but must limit their social contact, avoiding indoor gatherings where possible, and limit time away from their home or accommodation.
The changes were supported by Deputy Kirsten Morel, one of the backbench politicians who has sought to hold the government to account since the issue of opening the Island’s borders was first debated in late June.
‘The government has got to do what it’s got to do,’ he said. ‘If rates are going up, then changes need to be brought in.’
Deputy Morel said he was pleased that five days’ notice of the changes had been provided, and urged the government to ensure accurate information was communicated to all relevant departments.
Robert Mackenzie, managing director of CI Travel Group, who criticised previous announcements as providing insufficient notice to travellers and those who worked in hospitality, said he was pleased that representations had been taken on board.
‘Government are communicating the changes when they said they would, and allowing a reasonable window of opportunity for clients to be contacted before the changes are implemented,’ he said.
‘The fact that changes are happening each week does create uncertainty and is affecting confidence in booking, but it’s better to have the regional changes than the whole of the UK moving to amber – that would kill off any visitor business.’
THE CHANGES
Selected rating changes from Wednesday (full ratings on gov.je/coronavirus)
Green to Amber:
– 65 UK areas including Aberdeen city, Argyll & Bute, Cardiff, Exeter, Hillingdon (including London Heathrow), Islington, Ribble Valley, Slough, Swansea, Vale of Glamorgan, Watford, Worthing
– Finistère (France), Berlin (Germany), Cork (Ireland), Sardinia (Italy)
– Jordan, Slovakia, San Marino
Green to Red
– Mid-Ulster (Northern Ireland)
Amber to Red
– 28 UK areas including Blaenau Gwent, Newry, Derry City, Wolverhampton and Sheffield
– Loire-Atlantique (France), Calvados (France), Donegal (Ireland)
– Belgium, Denmark, Gibraltar, Hungary, Netherlands, Iceland, UAE, Malta
Red to Amber
– Blaby (England), Caerphilly (Wales), Haute-Corse (France), Lanzarote (Spain), Monaco, Turks & Caicos, French Guyana
