Alderney cafe 'excited' about easing of lockdown

Alderney has begun to reopen after a bailiwick-wide lockdown began on 23 January

Alderney has begun to relax lockdown rules as it enters stage one of the Bailiwick of Guernsey's exit strategy.

The change means takeaways and non-essential delivery services can open, bubbles of two households are allowed and up to five people can meet outside.

One cafe owner said she was "very excited" to serve customers again.

Jade Maguire, who runs The Moorings, said: "I'm looking forward to a break from the monotony and getting stuck back into things."

Alderney's lockdown began after the bailiwick was put into a lockdown on 23 January, following an outbreak of Covid-19 in Guernsey.

The Moorings can now reopen as restrictions are relaxed in Alderney

The island recorded its first case of the virus since the pandemic began on 5 February.

Guernsey is due to enter stage one on Monday.

Jade Maguire and The Moorings staff after the cafe reopened last year following Alderney's first lockdown

The easing of lockdown will also mean an increase in the amount of time people are allowed to exercise outdoors.

The restriction will move from the current two hours of exercise time to four.

'A good pizza'

Ms Maguire's business will reopen for deliveries on Friday, rather than the first day possible, in order to prepare and ensure they can comply with public health rules to keep staff and customers safe.

She said: "It's good not to rush these things. We've been shut for a month now.

"We want to make sure everything is spick and span and 100% ensure that we're adhering to the guidelines before we get any staff into the building."

The Moorings will begin delivering food to islanders again from Friday

Ms Maguire said she was "slightly concerned" about the number of people who might want their first takeaway since January.

She said the current plan to "manage expectations" and any potential rush on the menus was to have people pre-order their food in advance and book a time slot for delivery on the day.

"There's probably a lot of people on the island wanting a good pizza or burger and not needing to cook," she said.

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