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Safer Travel Guidelines Review Panel
Records of Meetings
Year: 2020
The following records of meetings have been approved by the Panel. Signed
Chair
Deputy Rob Ward
Safer Travel Guidelines Review Panel
Record of Meeting
Meeting held by video conference
Date: 3rd July 2020
Present | Deputy Rob Ward , Chair Deputy Inna Gardiner Deputy Kevin Pamplin Deputy Trevor Pointon Connétable Sadie Le Sueur -Rennard |
Apologies | Deputy Mike Higgins |
In attendance | Gary Eisner, Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer |
Agenda matter | Action |
1. Election of Chair The newly formed Safer Travel Guidelines Review Panel unanimously voted Deputy Rob Ward as Chair. |
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2. Panel Documents The Panel discussed and agreed the Terms of Reference for its review. The Panel discussed the review's Scoping Document. It was agreed that the Director General of the Growth, Housing and Environment Department, and the head of the contact tracing team should be added as Key Witnesses. The Scoping Document was agreed pending these changes. | GE |
3. Panel Work plan The Panel discussed the work plan for the review, agreeing the draft timetable. The Panel agreed that an interim report would be produced with recommendations as necessary. | GE |
4. Initial Panel communication The Panel were presented with draft documents relating to the review, including a letter to the Chief Minister informing him of its Terms of Reference, and a news release detailing the launch of the review. The Panel requested that the draft letter to the Chief Minister, be updated to request:
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The Panel agreed to send the letter subject to the agreed changes, and would request a response by 8th July 2020. The Panel asked that the draft press release be updated to include all members of the Panel, agreeing that this would then be circulated to States Members and the media. |
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5. Future meetings It was agreed that the Panel would meet at 12pm on Thursday 12th July 2020 via Microsoft Teams. |
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Present | Deputy Rob Ward , Chair Deputy Inna Gardiner Deputy Mike Higgins Deputy Kevin Pamplin Deputy Trevor Pointon Connétable Sadie Le Sueur -Rennard |
Apologies |
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In attendance | Gary Eisner, Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer Item 4 only Deputy Richard Renouf , Minister for Health and Social Services Julian Blazeby, Director General, Community & Constitutional Affairs Kelly Whitehead, Head of Regulatory Improvement Steve Skelton, Director of Strategy and Innovation |
Agenda matter | Action |
1. Records of Meetings The Panel approved the records of the meeting held on 3rd July 2020. |
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2. Discussion of Safer Travel Guidelines The Panel discussed documents that had been received on the 8th July 2020 following its letter to the Chief Minister dated 3rd July 2020. It was confirmed that the Minister for Health and Social Services held political responsibility for the implementation of the Safer Travel Guidelines. The Panel expressed concerns over the accuracy of the materials provided following a briefing given to the States Assembly, for example measures in force around arrivals of the Condor Commodore Clipper (the Clipper). The Panel agreed that the following clarifications would be requested:
v. Whether residential addresses of visitors would be included in the pre- registration form; | GE |
3. Review progress |
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The Panel noted that its interim report and recommendations were being drafted, agreeing that this should be based on a high level of evidence, with an intended publication date of 22nd July 2020. The Panel noted and agreed the heads of report. It was agreed that it would be beneficial to arrange a briefing from Dr Ivan Muscat, Deputy Medical Officer for Health, and other members of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell (STAC) on the Safer Travel Guidelines The Panel reviewed submissions, highlighting that 34 had been received in three days. It was agreed that these would be used in the formulation of its interim report. The Panel noted P.89/2020 Open Borders Arrangements agreeing that elements of the review may be impacted if the proposition was accepted by the States Assembly. |
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4. Briefing: Safer Travel Guidelines The Panel welcomed the Minister for Health and Social Services (the Minister), and officials, who briefed it on the Safer Travel Guidelines. The Minster confirmed that he held direct accountability for the Safer Travel Guidelines as testing and tracing of COVID-19 fell under his remit. The Panel was informed that planning the Safer Travel Guidelines had involved a number of Government of Jersey departments and the Ports of Jersey. The Panel heard that the guidelines had received positive feedback since their implementation on 3rd July 2020, with the process being praised as relatively smooth as individuals were being processed within an hour with friendly staff, refreshments where necessary and results returned in a timely manner. It was admitted that there had been "glitches in the system". The first had occurred due to an IT fault within the UK based testing system, which had caused a delay in results. This had, however, been rectified. The second had occurred as the Captain of the Clipper mistakenly informed passengers that they would be tested on arrival, with this confusion arising due to the proximity of arrival and departure of the Condor Rapide. The Panel was informed that in fact it was never planned to test any passengers of the Clipper on arrival at any point, instead the existing procedure for essential travelers was to be implemented. This involved individuals self-isolating and then testing at the airport drive through testing facility. The Panel was advised that the Clipper was only meant to carry essential workers and that Condor Ferries had now been reminded of this. The Panel heard that the systems and procedures in place would be improved as issues were identified and feedback received. This included continued and enhanced communication and the Panel was told that all individuals arriving would have to visit the website to complete a registration form, and that carriers had informed travellers of the procedures. The Panel was informed that the majority of visitors were connected to the Island through friends or family, however further information would be provided to the Panel when data was available. The Panel was advised that all individuals would be sent an SMS daily, requesting a reply from the individual to ascertain if any symptoms had developed. The first message would include conditions of the relaxation of restrictions and outlining public health rules. |
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The Panel heard that there had been a small number of faults in contacting individuals due to the incorrect entry of mobile numbers, either by the individual or in data entry. The Panel was advised that if no reply to the SMS sent to a visitor was received after three days the individual would be called; if necessary an individual would be checked on in person at the address entered on the registration form. It was stated that in the case of a positive result, all efforts to contact the individual immediately would be made, and the Panel was informed that there had been no instances in which a positive case had not been contacted. The Panel requested that the numbers of non-replies be forwarded, also requesting that information of successful/failed tracing and contact of individuals who had come in contact with a positive case be forwarded. The Panel further requested a flow diagram of the process of contacting individuals be provided. The Panel was informed that IT systems and procedures were flexible. As such the time to contact individuals who failed to reply to messages could be easily reduced. However, the Panel heard that decreasing contact time could strain physical resources, especially as the number of travellers rose. The Panel was informed that there were 55 individuals working in the tracing team which could be upscaled to 90. This would allow for resources to contact up to 100 positive cases, and those who came into contact with them, per week. Further development of automated systems such as track and trace apps were mentioned as an ongoing workstream. The Panel was informed that a new Monitoring and Enforcement Team was being stood up on Monday 13th July, which would aim to contact any individuals who failed to cooperate or self-isolate. The Panel was informed that random sample calling was planned to be implemented from the week commencing the 13th July 2020. Aspects such as recording date of departure would also potentially be introduced, helping to avoid attempting to contact those who had already left the island. The Panel was advised that although residential addresses in the UK would be collected in the next iteration of the registration form, the telephone number was the current critical information gathered, and would be reported to Public Health England if required due to positive cases. The Panel was told that STAC had not recommended further procedures than those in place. They were advised that those arriving to the island would be contacted on a more regular basis than islanders to ensure maximum safe-guarding. It was also stated that more would be known about the condition of travellers than the general population. Although it was acknowledged that there was never a perfect solution, a careful weighing of risks against benefits had taken place, with policies being based on this. It was highlighted that some positive cases would arise from travellers, this was, however, acceptable for the greater benefit of the island. The Panel was told that the procedures and policy would be constantly reviewed by STAC and Council of Ministers. The Panel requested clarification of the Red-Amber-Green classification of countries and heard that this was not based on quantitative figures, such as the number of cases in the country. The Panel was told that the relationship with the countries in the Common Travel Area was taken into account, and that those allocated Green were based on those in the UK standard. Amber countries were currently being reviewed and it was stated that this would be updated as live intelligence of border entries was received. Those travelling from Red countries would not be eligible to take part in the Safer Travel Guidelines. |
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It was highlighted that the point of highest risk was a failure of individuals to disclose their travel history, however so far individuals had been truthful and there had been one case of self-isolation based on a registration form so far. |
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5. Future meetings It was agreed that the Panel would meet at on Monday 13th July 2020 with a time to be confirmed, via Microsoft Teams. It was agreed that the Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell (STAC) would be invited to attend. |
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Present | Deputy Rob Ward , Chair Deputy Mike Higgins Deputy Kevin Pamplin Deputy Trevor Pointon |
Apologies | Deputy Inna Gardiner Connétable Sadie Le Sueur -Rennard |
In attendance | Deputy Richard Renouf , Minister for Health and Social Services Megan Mathais, Group Director, Policy Steve Skelton, Director of Strategy and Innovation Anushka Muller, Director of Corporate Planning and Performance Ivan Muscat, Deputy Medical Officer for Health Patrick Armstrong, Medical Director, STAC Chair Stewart Petrie, Environmental Health Consultant Gary Eisner, Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer |
Agenda matter | Action |
1. Discussion of Safer Travel Guidelines The Panel welcomed the Minister for Health and Social Services, Richard Renouf , representatives of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell (STAC) and officials who briefed it on aspects of the Safer Travel Guidelines. Part of this meeting was received in private in accordance with the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 (as amended) under Qualified Exemption Article 35. The Panel was informed that more people had arrived in Jersey than had first been envisaged, although it was unclear if these individuals were tourists, people visiting friends or family or residents returning to the island. The Panel was advised that raw data of arrivals was available within 24 to 36 hours. Much of this data was gained through the number of individuals being tested on arrival, said to be a large proportion of all incoming visitors, however it was acknowledged that a small number had chosen to self-isolate and this would need to be taken into account. It was highlighted that further analysis of information was ongoing to provide more in-depth understanding of visitor type. The Panel heard that airlines had responded quickly to the opening of the borders, with more regional routes being opened. This had led to larger sales of tickets than anticipated, making it difficult to predict the number of arrivals. However, it was stated that this number did not differ greatly from the average number predicted to arrive during July. The Panel was advised that 1,000 individuals travelled to, and 350 from, St Malo in the first weekend of operation, with it being predicted that the school holidays may increase this number further. It was highlighted that the number of travelers would likely fall and rise, and that there had been a "pent up" demand for travel, however, this would settle into a rhythm and remain lower than seen in previous years. |
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The Panel was advised that although Safer Travel Guidelines had not been a standing item on the STAC agenda, it had been discussed as and when needed, at least a month before the Safer Travel Policy was implemented. The Panel was told of the requirement for quick decisions to align with States business and allow time for communication, with STAC often providing advice in advance, either on the request of a Minister or following a meeting if relevant. This advice was given to Minsters through the Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance (SPPP) Team, however, Ministers would meet with individual members of STAC if required. It was highlighted that the Minister was legally required to seek the advice of the Medical officer of Health as they held statutory responsibility, which was not the case for STAC. Decisions were then made either by the Minister for Health and Social Services when responsible, or escalated to the Competent Authority, Council of Ministers or relevant Minister. The Panel heard that Dr Ivan Muscat led a group identifying trends from new cases of COVID-19, call tracing, tests and hospital admissions. Patrick Armstrong (STAC Chair) and the Medical Officer for Health met weekly with the Director Generals for Justice and Home Affairs and SPPP. The Panel was informed that the need to create a policy for Safer Travel Guidelines had been identified as part of the overall Safe Exit Strategy Framework. To increase operational understanding, a pilot scheme had been carried out during May, with STAC providing advice on options for the scheme and then providing comments on the more formalised proposals once drafted. During this, individuals had been tested for COVID-19 at three points after their arrival. The Panel was advised that the Safer Travel Guidelines had followed a similar process, with policy development being undertaken by Government Officers following research into general potential measures that could be used, such as identifying procedures in place in other jurisdictions, with STAC's views being sought on these options. Officers would then develop a policy proposal which STAC would comment on before presentation for final Ministerial Decision. The Panel heard that the membership of STAC had developed since being established formally in May. Although members predominantly held medical backgrounds, economic advisors and representatives of the SPPP department also attended. This allowed STAC to provide more accurate advice on complex issues such as the interaction of public health and the economy. The Panel was reassured that STAC remained an independent body, with the STAC Chair indicating that although individuals may try to influence his views he had not been pressured into giving any specific advice, for example he would have no reservations to advise a backward movement in the Safe Exit Strategy if the situation required. Furthermore, there was no recollection of advice from STAC having been ignored. The Panel was told that results from real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests carried out on arrival were taking 26/27 hours to receive, with analysis primarily being carried out in the UK and an on island facility being used for diagnosing on island cases and staff/admission testing. The Panel was told that passengers on the Manche Iles express would be subject to the same guidelines as other visitors; these were currently being transported to the Elizabeth terminal on arrival if they had opted to receive a test. The Panel was informed that in the case of a positive result the French Public health Authorities would be informed, in the same way that Public Health England had been. |
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The Panel was advised that the originally estimated figure of one positive case in 7,000 visitors had proven wrong, and that this figure was now identified to be closer to one in 1,600. |
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2. Future meetings It was noted that the Panel would meet at 3pm on Tuesday 21st July 2020 via Microsoft Teams. |
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Date: 21st July 2020
Present | Deputy Rob Ward , Chair Deputy Inna Gardiner Deputy Mike Higgins Deputy Kevin Pamplin Deputy Trevor Pointon |
Apologies | Connétable Sadie Le Sueur -Rennard |
In attendance | Gary Eisner, Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer |
Agenda matter | Action |
1. Records of Meetings The Panel approved the records of the meetings held on 9th and 20th July 2020. |
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2. Interim report The Panel discussed the draft Interim Report. It was agreed that the Panel would review an updated copy and suggest any further amendments electronically by its next meeting on Wednesday 22nd July 2020. |
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3. Future meetings It was noted that the Panel would meet at 1pm on Wednesday 22nd July 2020 via Microsoft Teams. |
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Date: 22nd July 2020
Present | Deputy Rob Ward , Chair Deputy Inna Gardiner Deputy Mike Higgins Deputy Kevin Pamplin Deputy Trevor Pointon |
Apologies | Connétable Sadie Le Sueur -Rennard |
In attendance | Gary Eisner, Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer |
Agenda matter | Action |
1. Interim report The Panel discussed the draft Interim Report. Following updates and comments made by all members the Panel agreed that the interim Report was finalised and would be progressed for publishing. This would aim to be delivered to States Members by Thursday 23rd July and to the media by Friday 24th July. | GE |
2. Review The Panel agreed that each member would produce a list of further evidence and questions to include in a final report. It was also agreed that Officers would ascertain any areas of previous Scrutiny work that may be relevant to the Safer Travel Guidelines. | GE |
Date: 7th September 2020
Present | Deputy Rob Ward , Chair Deputy Inna Gardiner Deputy Mike Higgins Deputy Kevin Pamplin |
Apologies | Deputy Trevor Pointon Connétable Sadie Le Sueur -Rennard |
In attendance | Nikita Hall , Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer |
Agenda matter | Action |
1. Ministerial Response to Interim report The Panel noted that a response to the Interim Report had been received from the Minister for Health and Social Services that morning, 7th September 2020. Having preliminarily reviewed the response the Panel raised concern in the following areas:
greater social and economic implications;
The Panel agreed that the response would need to be examined in greater depth. It was also agreed that it would be useful to meet with the Minister for Health and Social Services, as well as representatives from STAC, the Contact Tracing team and the Monitoring and Enforcement team. Officers were requested to make the necessary arrangements. | NH |
2. Future meeting The Panel agreed to next meet at 12.30pm on Monday 14th September 2020 via video conference. |
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Date: 14th September 2020
Present | Deputy Rob Ward , Chair Deputy Inna Gardiner Deputy Kevin Pamplin Deputy Trevor Pointon |
Apologies | Deputy Mike Higgins Connétable Sadie Le Sueur -Rennard |
In attendance | Nikita Hall , Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer |
Agenda matter | Action |
1. Records of Meetings The Panel approved the records of the meetings held on the 21st July 2020 and 7th September 2020. |
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2. Review The Panel discussed the Ministerial Response to its Interim Report. On further consideration of discussions held at the Panel meeting held on 7th September 2020, the Panel agreed that questions should also be raised on:
14th September 2020; The Panel noted that the Economic and International Affairs Panel and the Comptroller and Auditor General were undertaking reviews related to the Terms of Reference of the Panel. It was agreed that the views of the Comptroller and Auditor General would be sought on the Ministerial Response to the Panel's Interim Report. The Panel agreed that in the first instance private briefings would be used to pose questions raised. The Panel discussed its ongoing work and agreed that although a follow-on report would be developed before the end of 2020, the Panel may remain standing into 2021 if it was envisaged that the travel guidelines were to change further. | NH |
3. Upcoming briefings The Panel noted that a briefing with the Minister for Health and Social Services, STAC, the Contact Tracing Team and the Monitoring and Enforcement Team had |
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been scheduled for Thursday 17th September at 12pm. The Panel agreed that it would meet following the briefing to deliberate on the discussions held. |
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Date: 17th September 2020
Present | Deputy Rob Ward , Chair Deputy Inna Gardiner Deputy Mike Higgins Deputy Kevin Pamplin Deputy Trevor Pointon Connétable Sadie Le Sueur -Rennard |
Apologies |
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In attendance | Deputy Richard Renouf , Minister for Health and Social Services Patrick Armstrong, Medical Director, STAC Chair Susan Turnbull, Medical Officer of Health Steve Skelton, Director of Strategy and Innovation Rachel Williams, Director of the Test & Tracing Programme Caroline Maffia, Assistant Director, Planning and Environment Nikita Hall , Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer |
Agenda matter | Action |
1. Discussion of Safer Travel Guidelines The Panel welcomed the Minister for Health and Social Services, representatives of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Cell (STAC) and officials who briefed it on aspects of the Safer Travel Guidelines. The Panel was informed that the Safer Travel Policy had continued largely unchanged since its introduction on 3rd July 2020, as it had been working well and been received positively by incoming travellers. It was also highlighted that the policy had been successful in limiting and controlling infection of COVID-19. The Panel was told that growth in infection rates in countries around the island, including the UK, was a concern and that steps were being taken to respond. This included the potential narrowing of Red Amber Green (RAG) regional ratings to lower tier Government Council areas, as at present a large area may be rated as Red or Amber due to an outbreak in a specific town, when the surrounding rural area had seen little growth in infection. It was stated as important not to deter people from travelling to the island as this could cause flight and route cancellations impacting connectivity to the UK. It was specified that a balance was needed between the island's economy and keeping the island safe, with keeping schools open and avoiding a winter outbreak whilst keeping a vibrant economy being necessary to cause as least harm as possible. The Panel was informed that over 100,000 tests had now been carried out, with over 70,000 of these relating to travel; of these around 4,600 had been day 5 tests for individuals travelling from Amber areas and tests were taking on average 28 to 30 hours to turnaround whilst they were being processed in the UK. It was confirmed that many of these tests were repeat swabs, especially in workforce screening; it was |
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identified that more islanders were traveling back from trips off island, compared to visitors travelling on holiday to Jersey. The Panel was informed that the on-island laboratory had been validated with end to end tests, having processed 170 cases on Tuesday 15th September 2020, with this providing an average turnaround of 12 hours. It was stated that this had a capacity of 2000 tests a day, and, while still ramping up, would be able to process all arrival testing within two to three weeks (by 8th October 2020). This would increase resilience and sustainability as it negated the need to send tests to the UK, which could be impacted by factors such as fog and increasing demand in testing within the UK itself. Whilst the laboratory was still building capacity it was envisaged that it would focus on processing tests from individuals on flights arriving in the morning as the tests were currently being sent to the UK in the evening which had increased the average time to receive a result. The Panel was advised that islanders who were departing the island and required a PCR test to fulfil their destination's requirements could currently be tested via a GP or pharmacy who would forward swabs to a UK testing laboratory. Government regulations had now been put in place to ensure this testing matched best practice. The Panel heard that if a surplus of on-island testing capacity remained stable then using Government facilities to process tests would be reviewed. The Panel was advised that positive cases in the island had remained at a consistently low level between 11 to 18 cases per 100,000 since the border opened. The Panel were told that when forming the Safer Travel Policy a figure of one in 1000 or 1100 positive cases from the UK, or Green rated areas, were expected, provided symptomatic individuals did not travel. It was expected that there would be one in 7000 cases of onward transmission. It was stated that the positive cases from Amber or Red rated regions would be higher, and it was highlighted that baseline infection rates in the UK and elsewhere had increased over the summer. The Panel were informed that work was being carried out to examine the implication of increasing UK infection rate. The Panel was informed that the updated RAG rating had been delayed that week as there was a need to forewarn travellers. The Panel was advised that onward transmission within the island had taken place within households, and it would be confirmed if this was solely the case or if non- household transmission had taken place. It was also agreed that updated estimates of onward transmission rates would be forwarded to the Panel. The Panel was informed that reviews of new testing technologies were ongoing, looking internationally and through UK networks, and that applicable systems may be implemented once their quality and accuracy had been proven. The Panel were advised that recommendation 3 of their Interim Report had been rejected as it was valuable for STAC to include members outside of a medical background as the situation called for expertise beyond epidemiology and needed a broader island view, including economics. It was pointed out by medical officers that the medical advice given to STAC was well respected and that if a medical only advisory body was established it would have to ask technical questions outside of its expertise as it would need the information to make decisions and give advice. It was reaffirmed that medical advice was given in an unsolicited manner, and although pressure was felt, the medical advice was not politically driven. The Panel were reminded that the Terms of Reference of STAC meant that the cell could include members from a range of technical expertise based on the type of emergency. The Panel was informed that publication of STAC minutes were delayed due to officer capacity issues, however these would be published as soon as possible. | NH |
The Panel was advised that prior to the Safer Travel Policy being implemented the Government had received comments from members of the public anxious to see family members. It was stated that the mental wellbeing of islander's who were social distancing/shielding were also considered on many occasions, however the policy was established to allow for travel in a safe way and preserve the wellbeing of as many as possible on the island. It was suggested that the guidelines were working to date and that there was a balance of risk involved. It was highlighted to the Panel that the Policy was also established to allow for essential employees to travel on and off island, which had been impacting areas of public interest including in the mental health services. The Panel was informed that the Policy had been developed in a quick timeframe, and that this resulted in P.84/2020 A safer travel period: States Assembly approval |
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being brought to the States Assembly at short notice. The Panel was reassured that the Council of Ministers were not withholding information with the Minister expressing a wish for Scrutiny be involved in policy development, stating he would endeavour to provide information and draft policy in a timely manner. However, the Minister pointed out that the Government may not be in a position to seek the views of Scrutiny or the wider Assembly if there was a need to move swiftly and could therefore not provide blanket assurance on the matter. The Panel was advised that individuals failing to respond to monitoring text messages would be contacted via telephone, email or in personal visits. Those who received a positive test result would be contacted straight away, with those who had been in close proximity to positive cases whilst travelling being contacted within 2 hours of the contact tracing team receiving the ship or plane manifest. This time would be narrowed if the positive individual had been traveling with friends as they would be able to provide contact details for those needing to self-isolate. The Panel was told that Environmental Health and Health and Safety teams were proactively visiting businesses to ask how they are taking contact details, and that this was continually reviewed to improve procedures. The Panel were informed that the number of day trip visitors had dropped significantly, as French regions close to Jersey had been rated Amber meaning individuals would have to self-isolate for 5 days on arrival. It was stated that the guidelines around day trips were being discussed further by the policy team. It was highlighted that no positive cases had been caused by day trippers. The Panel thanked the Minister and Officers for their time and hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic, who then withdrew. | |
2. Future meetings The Panel agreed that it would meet on Wednesday 30th September 2020 at 12pm via Microsoft Teams. The Panel requested that Officers make the necessary arrangements to hold a Public Hearing with the Minister for Health and Social Services, aiming for the morning of Tuesday 13th October 2020. |
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Date: 30th September 2020
Present | Deputy Rob Ward , Chair Deputy Inna Gardiner Deputy Kevin Pamplin Deputy Trevor Pointon |
Apologies | Connétable Sadie Le Sueur -Rennard Deputy Mike Higgins |
In attendance | Nikita Hall , Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer |
Agenda matter | Action |
1. Records of Meeting The Panel noted and approved the record of the meetings held on 14th and 17th September 2020. |
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2. New Safer Travel Guidelines The Panel discussed recent Scrutiny and States Member briefings which had taken place in respect of the Safer Travel Guidelines. The Panel noted that the introduction of the PCR re-test at day 5 for inbound green region travelers was a positive step forward. However, concerns were discussed as to the significant rise in Covid-19 cases in neighbouring countries and it was felt by the Panel that self-isolation should be a requirement for all inbound travelers until they received the first PCR test result. It was acknowledged that Government was working to implement this once the test turnaround time was reduced to 12 hours, however it was the Panel's view that this should be the requirement with immediate effect, to prevent the possibility of clusters of infected cases appearing as the winter months approached. A discussion took place surrounding the communications strategy used by Government to contact inbound travelers via text message. Issues with overseas mobile network service providers was discussed, it being noted that there was the possibility some travelers to Jersey would not be able to receive Government of Jersey text messages. There was also the potential for locked sim' cards to result in text messages not being received. Roaming costs incurred by the traveler to receive text messages was also discussed. The Panel discussed the Government's granular approach to the regional classifications of travel. It was acknowledged that this approach relied upon individuals to truthfully declare their travel history within the previous 14 days, in order to determine the appropriate testing and isolation requirements. It was noted that this was difficult for Government to enforce. Given the above ongoing concerns, the Panel agreed to write to the Minister for Health and Social Services outlining these concerns and to urge him to act on these | NH |
as a matter of urgency. The Officer was requested to draft a letter for the Panel's approval. The use of face masks was discussed, and it was noted that the Minister for Health and Social Services would be lodging a proposition imminently to make their use mandatory in enclosed public spaces. |
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3. Public hearing with the Minister for Health and Social Services The Panel discussed question areas for the upcoming hearing with the Minister. The Officer was requested to circulate a draft question plan to the Panel prior to the hearing. | PL |
4. Future meetings The Panel noted that it was due to meet next on Tuesday 13th October 2020 for the public hearing with the Minister for Health and Social Services. |
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Date: 13th October 2020
Present | Deputy Rob Ward , Chair Deputy Inna Gardiner Deputy Mike Higgins Deputy Kevin Pamplin Deputy Trevor Pointon |
Apologies | Connétable Sadie Le Sueur -Rennard |
In attendance | Deputy Richard Renouf , Minister for Health and Social Services Dr. Ivan Muscat, Deputy Medical Officer of Health, Department for Health and Community Services Rachel Williams, Director, Testing and Tracing, Department for Health and Community Services Steve Skelton, Director, Strategy and Innovation, Department for Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance James Lynch, Policy Officer, Department for Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance Anna Hamon, Policy Officer, Department for Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance Alex Khaldi, Interim Director, Public Health Policy, Department for Health and Community Services Andrew Harris , Principal Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer |
Agenda matter | Action |
1. Public hearing with the Minister for Health and Social Services The Panel received the Minister for Health and Social Services and his Officers for a Public Hearing in relation to the Safer Travel Guidelines Review. The proceedings were streamed live via Microsoft Teams and a recording was made so that a transcript could be produced. |
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Date: 15th October 2020
Present | Deputy Rob Ward , Chair Deputy Mike Higgins Deputy Kevin Pamplin Deputy Trevor Pointon |
Apologies | Deputy Inna Gardiner Connétable Sadie Le Sueur -Rennard |
In attendance | Nikita Hall , Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer |
Agenda matter | Action |
1. Public Hearing with the Minister for Health and Social Services The Panel discussed the public hearing held with the Minister for Health and Social Services on Tuesday 13th October 2020. It was agreed that a letter would be sent to the Minister requesting clarification for procedures within the Safer Travel Policy regarding construction, agriculture and essential workers. A discussion took place regarding a Government press release which had been circulated earlier that day in relation to isolation requirements for students returning to the Island. | NH |
2. Report The Panel agreed that following updates to the Safer Travel Guidelines, since the publication of its interim report, a follow on final report would be produced. It was agreed that a Heads of Report would be circulated for discussion. | NH |
3. Future of Review The Panel agreed that once the final report had been published the Panel would be stood down. However, it was agreed that the Panel may reconvene if required following a large change to the Safer Travel Guidelines. It was also agreed that discussions would be held with the Scrutiny Liaison Committee to consider the requirement for an overarching Covid-19 Review Panel. | RW |
Date: 6th November 2020
Present | Deputy Rob Ward , Chair Deputy Mike Higgins Deputy Kevin Pamplin Deputy Trevor Pointon |
Apologies | Deputy Inna Gardiner Connétable Sadie Le Sueur -Rennard |
In attendance | Nikita Hall , Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer |
Agenda matter | Action |
1. Safer Travel Guidelines Review – Draft Report The Panel noted and discussed its draft report. It was agreed to distribute the main body of the report to the Health and Community Services Department for factual checking. The Panel also discussed the key findings contained within the report, noting several resulting recommendations. It was agreed to add a further recommendation in relation to the finding which had identified there was no current firm Government policy in relation to the return of university students during the Christmas period. It was anticipated that the final report would be presented on Friday 13th November 2020, although this would be subject to the receipt of comments from the factual checking process. | NH |
Date: 16th November 2020
Present | Deputy Rob Ward , Chair Deputy Inna Gardiner Deputy Mike Higgins Deputy Kevin Pamplin Deputy Trevor Pointon |
Apologies | Connétable Sadie Le Sueur -Rennard |
In attendance | Nathan Fox, Head of Policy - Criminal Justice James Lynch, Policy Principal, Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance Nikita Hall , Committee and Panel Officer Peter Lamy , Research and Project Officer |
Agenda matter | Action |
1. Briefing on Draft Covid-19 (Safer Travel - Information and Isolation) (Jersey) Regulation 202- The Panel welcomed Government Officers who provided a briefing on Draft Covid- 19 (Safer Travel - Information and Isolation) (Jersey) Regulations 202-. This meeting was received in private in accordance with the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 (as amended) under Qualified Exemption Article 35. |
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