Guernsey will begin to open its borders and re-introduce regional travel restrictions from next week.

Classifications for countries and regions will be brought back in phases, with the first being 'Category 3' on Friday 23rd April.

It will mean anyone arriving from somewhere with fewer than 100 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 of the population will be tested on arrival and on day 7, and have to isolate until the second test comes back negative.

'Business travel tunnels' are also being re-introduced, for short day trips to complete work which can't be done remotely.

Currently, all arrivals into the bailiwick are treated as 'Category 4' - meaning all arrivals have to self-isolate for two weeks even if they test negative for COVID-19.

21 days' isolation will still apply for anyone who declines to be tested on arrival in Guernsey.

Currently all areas of the British Isles are treated as 'Category 4'

The Civil Contingencies Authority plans to re-introduce 'Category 2' rules from Friday 14th May, which means anyone coming from a country or region with fewer than 30 cases per 100,000 of the population will be tested on arrival, and on day 7, but can leave self-isolation after the first test comes back negative.

'Category 1', where there are no travel restrictions, will be reserved for anywhere Guernsey has established an 'air bridge' with. Most recently, that was just the Isle of Man.

Anyone arriving into the bailiwick will have to provide details of their travel history through the States' Travel Tracker.

They will also have to pay £25 for each test, which until now have been paid for by the States of Guernsey.

President of Policy and Resources, Deputy Peter Ferbrache chairs the Civil Contingencies Authority:

"We are taking the first steps in significantly reopening our borders, and we do so with the intention of not closing them again.

"We cannot guarantee that, as we know this pandemic can throw up surprises, but given the progress of our vaccination programme we believe this can and will be a one-way journey towards more open borders.

CCA Chairman, Deputy Peter Ferbrache

"We still intend to reduce travel restrictions further in July, by which time we hope to have the vast majority of adults in the Bailiwick protected with one, if not two, doses of the vaccine.

"When that happens our focus in terms of travel requirements will switch to look more at vaccination levels rather than prevalence levels of the virus as is currently the case.

"So in that respect I think we are seeing the beginning of the end of our very strict border restrictions, and a move towards what will be a more normal way of life going forward, where this virus is endemic, and where we no longer fear it as a potential cause of death but instead manage it as a part of life.

"The most vulnerable in our community are already protected, and in the UK, Isle of Man and Jersey we know the situation is rapidly improving.

"We need to be cautious, but not overly fearful now, as we give back to our community the ability to travel in ways they’ve not been able to for many months."