Jersey's Health Minister has signed an order which makes it an offence for islanders to go to or remain in public places, because of the coronavirus pandemic

Under it, anyone who should stay at home because of the lockdown but chooses not to, risks a fine of up to £1,000.

Initially police will be issuing advice, but the powers are there to deal with persistent or blatant flouting of the rules.

On Monday, the Chief Officer of SoJP warned that his officers would not hesitate to use their enforcement powers if necessary.

The COVID-19 (Restricted Movement) (Jersey) Order 2020 is in additional to legal powers agreed by the States Assembly last Friday that force self-isolation and testing on people suspected of being infected with the disease.

It makes it an offence for Islanders to go to – or remain in – public places. The Order will initially last for 14 days, but will be extended on the advice of Dr Ivan Muscat, Medical Officer for Health, as required.

The Order means that everyone should stay at home, unless they:

* Are a police officer or authorised officer carrying out their duties
* Need to be out in public to do work which cannot be done from home. This includes essential workers and volunteers as listed on the Government of Jersey website
* Need to be in public to fulfil a legal obligation: for example, if they have been ordered by the Court to be somewhere
* Have a reasonable excuse for not staying at home. A reasonable excuse may include leaving their home to buy essential supplies, daily exercise, or for necessary medical reasons.

A 30-day island-wide lockdown came into force in Jersey at 8am on Monday 30 March.  Find out what that means here.

 “I have signed this Order in line with the latest medical advice. It is necessary to ensure we slow the spread of the virus, protect our health services, and save lives.

I am closely monitoring the situation and will continue to take advice from Dr Ivan Muscat to determine whether this Order should be extended.

To be clear: all Islanders will still be able to leave their homes for a maximum of two hours a day to buy essential supplies such as food and medicine, and for daily exercise. However, they should not leave their home unless it is for one of these
reasons, or unless they are a critical or essential worker.” - Deputy Richard Renouf

Meanwhile, islanders are being reminded they should not visit the General Hospital unless it is an emergency, or if they have been called for an urgent outpatient appointment or in- patient procedure.

All non-urgent appointments have been cancelled, and the out-patient department is closed.

Anyone showing coronavirus symptoms should call the hotline 445566 and NOT go to their GP.

“It is imperative that everybody follows the order to stay at home, to ensure that our health service is not overwhelmed by cases and we
can provide the best possible care for those who need it.
“The affect this has on the functioning of the hospital will be felt by patients who have already had appointments cancelled. Patients will be contacted by their doctor about urgent healthcare as we will ensure those services continue throughout this epidemic.” - Dr Ivan Muscat, Medical Officer of Health.

Islanders should call 999 in the event of an emergency and let the operator know if experiencing any coronavirus symptoms.