Covid-19: Second case identified in Guernsey with 'unknown' origin

A Covid-19 infection related to a case with "unclear" origins has been identified in Guernsey.

The first known case in the community in the island since May was found on Monday.

A second case was indentified through the contact tracing and testing process, the States of Guernsey said.

Public Health Services said they tested 365 people on Tuesday, 107 of which were contacts or potential contacts of the original case.

The States confirmed the first case found on Monday had not travelled into Guernsey in the last two weeks.

Director of Public Health Dr Nicola Brink said the "focus" of the test and trace team was to identify the "source of the infection" and "all potential contacts" to prevent further spread within the community.

She said: "As it is unclear how this infection occurred, I think it is important to remind the community of the importance of sticking to the rules with regard to Covid-19."

Dr Brink emphasised it was important for islanders to abide by Public Health advice, including hand washing, good respiratory hygiene and staying at home if they are are unwell.

Care homes in Guernsey and Alderney decided to close as a precautionary measure on Wednesday, but confirmed they were not advised to do so by Public Health.

Dr Sue Fleming, chair of the Guernsey Care Managers Association, said it was a temporary measure "due to uncertainty regarding community prevalence of Covid".

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