Travel Tracker, self-swabbing, passive follow up – as Guernsey introduces its new travel regulations this week, there’s a lot of new terminology to get your head around.
Known as Phase 5c of the Exit from Lockdown strategy, these new travel rules will see testing-on-arrival introduced for passengers and they come into effect on Wednesday 28 October.
If you don’t know your passive follow up from your enhance passive followup and are wondering whatever happened to categories A, B and C, here’s a guide to these major new changes.
What is Travel Tracker?
Travel Tracker is a new web portal that requires travellers to the Bailiwick of Guernsey to submit their travel history before their journey.
Who needs to use Travel Tracker?
Anyone aged 18 and over, and unaccompanied children aged 12 to 17, must create a Travel Tracker account. This includes critical workers, business tunnel travellers and those with a medical or compassionate permit.
Children aged 17 and under who are travelling with an adult should be included in the adult’s account. Children can only be registered on one adult’s account.
You will not need to register if you’re arriving to the Bailiwick on either 26th or 27th October, and registration is not required for travel within the Bailiwick.
How to use Travel Tracker
Travel Tracker launches at 8am on Monday 26 October. You cannot register a journey until two calendar days or less before you’re due to arrive in the Bailiwick.
Create your account here and submit the required information, including travel history.
It’s important to note that the categorisation of a country or region at the time you register your journey will determine your self-isolation requirements, regardless of if it changes during transit or after registration.
For those unable to create an account, you can do it at designated kiosks at Guernsey’s ports. Support staff can help, if required.
New country classifications
Goodbye categories A, B, C – in this new phase, countries and regions have been recategorised from 1 to 4. These new categories will determine whether you have to test on arrival and again on day 7, as well as your self-isolation requirements.
Testing on arrival
Unless you’ve travelled from a Category 1 country (see above), you will need to self-test on arrival. Testing will be done at purpose-built facilities at the airport and harbour terminals, and on the East Arm of North Beach, which will be for car passengers arriving by ferry.
You will be given a testing kit which includes:
•Swab
•Green screw topped tube
•Plastic envelope
Take two samples, one from the back of your throat and the other from the inside of your nose, using the same swab.
To register your self-swab against your Travel Tracker account, use a personal device with a camera to scan the barcode on the green screw-topped tube. If you don’t have a cameraphone, or similar, scan the tube with equipment provided a kiosk provided at the ports. Once completed, ensure the lid is secure and then take it in the envelope to the exit desk.
Travellers will also be able to collect a self-swab kit and instructions for their day-seven test, with guidance on submitting it at the designated drop-off point, which is alongside the existing testing facility at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.
Children under the age of 12 will not be tested on arrival, but will have a test on day seven, if applicable.
Enhanced passive follow-up
These are a set of strict guidelines which must be followed by those travelling from category 2 and 3 countries, depending on their test results (see above).
Anyone in enhanced passive follow up is strongly advised to wear a facemask, practice social distancing and observe good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.
Those in enhanced passive follow up:
- Cannot go to indoor venues such as restaurants (including al fresco dining areas), clubs, cafes, pubs, gyms, swimming pools, theatres or cinemas
- Can only go to indoor shops to buy essentials
- Must not attend any gathering of more than 10 people
- Any gatherings of fewer than 10 people should be in a room exclusively used by that group with controlled toilet facilities and a record of attendance
- Cannot use public transport, apart from taxis with the appropriate protections in place for the driver
- Cannot return to work if they work in public facing roles such as retail assistants, receptionists, teachers etc. Other workers should inform their employer to ensure they carry out a risk assessment and put in place necessary measures
- Must be vigilant for symptoms of Covid-19 and report them, however mild, immediately to Public Health
- Must not enter a nursing, care or residential home without the prior agreement of the manager of the home
- Must not enter the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, other than in an emergency, in which instance they must give prior notification of their enhanced follow up status
- Must inform other healthcare providers, such as a doctor or dentist, of their status when making any appointments
- Must, as much as possible, keep a record of people met and places visited
- Must comply with any additional conditions and restrictions imposed from time to time by the Medical Officer of Health
Children in enhanced passive follow-up cannot go to school
Passive follow up
While there’s a bit of crossover with enhanced passive follow up status, there are fewer rules to adhere to. Passive follow up applies to travellers from Category B countries who received a negative day-seven test.
Those in passive follow up:
- Must be vigilant for symptoms of Covid-19 and report them, however mild, immediately to Public Health
- Must not enter a nursing, care or residential home without the prior agreement of the manager of the home
- Must not enter the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, other than in an emergency, in which instance they must give prior notification of their passive follow up status
- However, a person may enter the hospital to visit a seriously ill patient if the management agrees and if a method statement has been agreed with Public Health
- Must inform other healthcare providers, such as a doctor or dentist, of their status when making any appointments
- Must, as much as possible, keep a record of people met and places visited
- Must comply with any additional conditions and restrictions imposed from time to time by the Medical Officer of Health
- In terms of school attendance, children ho receive a negative test result from their day 7 test is able to attend school under passive follow-up
Click here for the latest travel updates for the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
