Tony Moretta, chief executive of Digital Jersey, who has been seconded by the government to co-ordinate the scheme, said that passengers who took the test would only have to self-isolate for two days – unless they provided a positive result. Those who chose not to be tested would have to self-isolate for 14 days.
Although unable to provide exact figures, Mr Moretta said that almost everyone arriving on the two flights included in the trial so far had opted to be tested.
‘You cannot force people to take tests but we expect the vast majority to enter the testing programme because they will find it a better alternative to 14 days isolation,’ he said.
‘You also need to remember that there are medical patients coming back from Southampton on those flights who are probably going to self-isolate anyway because they will be vulnerable. That is another reason why we are not forcing people to do it.’
Mr Moretta added that people opting for the 14-day isolation period could be subject to checks to ensure they were adhering to rules.
He also moved to allay fears that someone who becomes infected while en route to Jersey and initially provides a negative result could then continue to remain within the community, undetected.
‘That is why it is not just a one-off test. People who might not test positive the first time, might come back positive on their day four test or day seven test,’ he said.
‘But it is also worth remembering that all of these people will go through the standard contact-tracing. You may yourself test negative but if you are unlucky enough to be sat next to the person on the plane has tested positive then you will be contacted by the contact-tracing team and informed that you will have to go into isolation because of that.
‘This is just one part of a more complex testing process which includes a lot of what we are doing already.’
Currently, there are only three passenger flights each week from Southampton and one from Gatwick – only available to government-authorised ‘essential’ travellers.
It is envisaged that any eventual testing system for arrivals could be adapted based on the information gathered during the trial. This could include a test fee being levied.
