Although a series of tougher measures to combat Covid-19 were announced this week, a group of 38 workers was able to fly to Jersey from Rennes in France on Monday afternoon.
Speaking at a briefing on Monday, deputy medical officer of health Dr Ivan Muscat said that while Jersey had a rate of 106 cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days, the French figure was 988.
A government spokesperson said the flight from Rennes was bringing in construction and engineering specialists.
‘There are exemptions to bring in workers with skills that are needed, but not available in the Island,’ the spokesperson said. ‘The exemption relates only to the time the worker is travelling to or from their accommodation to work and while they are undertaking the exempted work – they must remain in self-isolation at all other times.’
It was also confirmed that workers must undergo a swab test on arrival and isolate until they received a negative result. The spokesperson added that private transport was provided from the Airport and for journeys to and from work.
Random inspections are made to ensure that exempt workers are adhering to guidelines, with the possibility of prosecution for any breaches.
The government website outlines the criteria for granting exemptions. Workers must have specific skills not available in Jersey and be physically required to be at work, and their roles must also be ‘time critical’, as well as it being ‘impossible, unreasonable or dangerous’ for the employee to complete the isolation period before beginning work.
