Covid-19 test not needed on Condor high speed ferries

Condor said proof of a negative test would still be needed for those travelling on its freight services

Passengers on Condor's high speed ferry services will not have to produce a negative Covid-19 result from May.

The decision on Liberation and Rapide services between the Channel Islands, the UK and France, should help to boost the economy, the company said.

The passenger sailings are planned to restart on 21 May.

Passengers on Commodore Clipper and the Commodore Goodwill must continue to provide a negative test within 72 hours of departure.

Elwyn Dop, operations director, said: "We stepped up safety protocols earlier this year to protect those on our conventional ships and keep freight shipments secure."

"The encouraging news of a reduction in cases and a ramping up of vaccinations in the UK has provided us with the confidence that these tests will not be needed for travel on our passenger ferries when we restart, although we will retain this requirement on Clipper and Goodwill," he said.

He added that the company's decision "has no bearing on the need for testing by public health authorities on arrivals in Guernsey and Jersey" and advised passengers to check the requirements for all countries to which they are travelling to.

Condor Ferries lost £40m in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the company's CEO revealed in January.

Follow BBC Guernsey on Twitter and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].