Covid-19: Jersey vaccinations rolled out for over 80s

Home visits are also available via the helpline if people cannot get to Fort Regent

People aged 80 and over in Jersey will be able to book a coronavirus vaccination from Wednesday.

Appointments will be at the vaccination centre at Fort Regent, and can be booked through the government website.

The government has asked family, friends, and neighbours to help elderly islanders who may not have immediate access to the internet to book online.

Home visits are also available via the Covid-19 helpline for those unable to get to Fort Regent.

Jersey health officials expect the first batch of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to arrive this week.

Thirteen new cases were confirmed in Jersey on Monday, while the number of active cases was 389, down from a peak of more than 1,000 two weeks ago.

Jersey authorities are meeting to discuss measures to keep children and teachers safe when they go back to school next week.

Education Minister Senator Tracey Vallois said officials were reviewing the situation daily with advice from local health and education professionals.

"We are not in the same position as the UK, but that doesn't mean we can be complacent and I remain vigilant in the light of the ongoing volatile situation," she said.

Officials are also still waiting for confirmation on whether the new variant of Covid-19 spreading in the UK has been identified in Jersey.

Jersey's chief minister said there were no plans for the island to introduce another lockdown.

Infections expert Prof Mark Harris, from the University of Leeds, said it was "inevitable" that cases would rise in Jersey after the States allowed people to mix with up to 10 others on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

"I do worry that we will have a little bit of a spike coming up soon because of relaxed rules over Christmas, so that's something to be aware of," he said.

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